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    Recipes » Recipes » Baking & Desserts

    Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Bars

    Last updated - July 11, 2021; Published - October 13, 2019 By Rhian Williams 11 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    A lemon bar topped with goji berries on a marble slab

    These Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Bars have a rich and "buttery" shortbread base topped with a creamy, sweet and tangy lemon custard! They're fresh and fruity, and refined sugar free too. They're perfect for sharing and make an excellent easy make-ahead dessert.

    A gluten-free vegan lemon bar topped with goji berries

    I experimented with so many different ways to make these Lemon Bars, using a whole range of different ingredients, from a base made using walnuts and dates to a lemon custard made using blended cashews.

    It was definitely a challenge to get the right taste and texture, but I found the best result was to use a shortbread base inspired by my Shortbread Cookies recipe and a lemon custard inspired by my Lemon Curd recipe.

    The shortbread base

    The shortbread base is made using a combination of ground almonds (almond meal) and brown rice flour. The ground almonds create a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture, whilst the brown rice flour creates a crispy, crunchy texture.

    You need to use brown rice flour, not white rice flour, which creates a soft cookie (like my Sugar Cookies) rather than a crunchy one.

    If you can't find brown rice flour in your local supermarket, you'll be able to find it in local health stores or online.

    The lemon custard

    The lemon custard is made using shop-bought custard powder.

    This is my favourite custard powder - it's vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free, and contains just 4 simple ingredients!

    A tin of Bird's custard powder with the lid open

    Not only does this custard powder act as a thickener, making the lemon custard extra creamy, but it also adds a lovely colour without having to use something like turmeric.

    How to make the shortbread base

    Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

    • Mix together the ingredients for the dough in a glass mixing bowl.
    Raw gluten-free vegan shortbread cookie dough in a glass mixing bowl
    • Transfer into a square baking tin.

    Tip: Line the tin with greased baking paper to make it easier to remove the bars after.

    • Use your fingers to push the mixture all the way to the edges, then use a spatula to press down on it until the surface is completely even.
    Raw gluten-free vegan shortbread cookie dough in a square baking tin lined with baking paper
    • Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
    Baked gluten-free vegan shortbread cookie base in a square baking tin lined with baking paper
    • Leave to cool as you make the custard, although it doesn't matter if it hasn’t cooled completely before pouring on the custard.

    How to make the lemon custard

    • Measure out the rice milk in a measuring jug.
    • Pour the milk into a pan, leaving behind a few tablespoons of milk in the jug.
    • Heat up the milk.
    • Add the custard powder to the remaining milk in the jug and mix well, ensuring it has dissolved completely.
    • Once the milk in the pan is steaming, add approximately half of the hot milk to the bowl with the dissolved custard powder, mix well and transfer the custard powder mixture to the pan.
    • Mix well and keep stirring on a low heat for around 5 minutes, until thickened.
    • Add the lemon juice and maple syrup.
    Vegan lemon custard in a silver pan

    How to assemble

    • Pour the lemon custard over the shortbread base until it’s completely evenly covered and make sure the surface is smooth.

    Tip: Tap the dish gently on the counter a few times to get rid of the air bubbles.

    Unset vegan lemon custard in a square baking tin lined with baking paper
    • Leave to cool then place in the fridge for at least 4 hours until it firms up - may take slightly longer depending on the type of custard powder you use, the temperature of your fridge etc.
    • Cut into squares once it’s completely firmed up.
    Sixteen gluten-free vegan lemon bar squares in a baking tin lined with baking paper

    How long do these Lemon Bars keep for?

    They keep covered in the fridge for up to a few days. They make an excellent make-ahead dessert for entertaining and parties!

    Substitutions you can make

    • You can replace the coconut oil with coconut butter.
    • You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
    • The ground almonds (almond meal) can be substituted with ground walnuts.
    • For a nut-free version, use ground sunflower seeds instead of ground almonds and use a nut-free milk.

    Substitutions to be careful of

    • The brown rice flour CANNOT be substituted with white rice flour or any other gluten-free flour - it is essential for the shortbread base to keep its shape and texture.
    • If you can't get hold of a shop-bought custard powder, you can replace it with the same amount of cornflour (cornstarch) or arrowroot, which will result in a similar texture, though the colour will be considerably less yellow.
    • If not using custard powder, I would suggest adding a tiny pinch of saffron for yellow colour. I much prefer using saffron to turmeric, as it has a much milder flavour.
    • You can use any type of plant-based milk for the custard, though results do vary depending on which you choose: cashew, oat or coconut milk make the creamiest and thickest custard, whilst almond milk will be less creamy. I personally prefer to use rice milk as it creates a just-set lemon curd-like consistency which I love.
    Three gluten-free vegan lemon bars topped with lemon wedges

    More vegan dessert recipes

    • Chocolate Lava Cake
    • Apple Crumble Bars
    • Coconut Macaroons
    • Strawberry Trifle
    • Sugar Cookies
    • Strawberry Shortcake
    • Baked Pumpkin Cheesecake
    • Yule Log
    • Blueberry Crumble Bars
    • Lemon Crumble Bars
    • Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
    • Vegan Baked Cheesecake
    • Lemon Cheesecake Crumble Bars
    • Churros 

    If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

    Watch how to make it

    A gluten-free vegan lemon bar topped with goji berries

    Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Bars

    These Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Bars have a rich and "buttery" shortbread base topped with a creamy, sweet and tangy lemon custard!
    3.60 from 15 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: gluten-free lemon bars, vegan dessert, vegan lemon bars
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 16 bars
    Calories: 206kcal
    Author: Rhian Williams

    Ingredients

    For the shortbread base:

    • 30 g (⅛ cup) coconut oil  (or sub coconut butter)
    • 10 tablespoons maple syrup  (or sub any other similar sweetener)
    • 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
    • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
    • 150 g (1 cup) brown rice flour **
    • Generous pinch salt to taste

    For the lemon custard:

    • 900 ml (3 ¾ cup) rice milk *** (see notes)
    • 70 g (⅔ cup) custard powder **** (or sub cornflour/cornstarch or arrowroot)
    • 15 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 6 tablespoons maple syrup

    Instructions

    For the shortbread base:

    • Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius (340 degrees Fahrenheit).
    • Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave.
    • Add the maple syrup, milk, ground almonds, brown rice flour and salt and mix well - add an extra splash of milk if it’s looking too dry to combine.
    • Transfer the mixture into a square or rectangular baking tin lined with greased baking paper – I used a 23cm/9inch square baking tin.
    • Use your fingers to push the mixture all the way to the edges, then use a spatula to press down on it until the surface is completely even.
    • Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
    • Leave to cool as you make the custard, although it doesn't matter if it hasn’t cooled completely before pouring on the custard.

    For the lemon custard:

    • Measure out the milk in a jug or measuring container.
    • Pour the milk into a pan, leaving behind a few tablespoons of milk in the jug.
    • Heat up the milk in the pan.
    • Add the custard powder to the remaining milk in the jug and mix well, ensuring it has dissolved completely.
    • Once the milk in the pan is steaming, add approximately half of the hot milk to the bowl with the dissolved custard powder, mix well and transfer the custard powder mixture to the pan.
    • Mix well and keep stirring on a low heat for around 5 minutes, until thickened.
    • Add the lemon juice and maple syrup.
    • Taste and add extra lemon juice or maple syrup if desired.

    To assemble:

    • Pour the lemon custard over the shortbread base until it’s completely evenly covered and make sure the surface is smooth.
    • Tap the dish gently on the counter a few times to get rid of the air bubbles.
    • Leave to cool then keep in the fridge for at least 4 hours until it firms up (may take slightly longer depending on the type of custard powder you use, the temperature of your fridge etc).
    • Cut into squares once it’s completely firmed up.
    • Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.

    Video

    Notes

    *You can alternatively use almond flour.
    **You MUST use brown rice flour - white rice flour won't create a crunchy shortbread-like texture.
    ***You can use any type of plant-based milk, though results do vary depending on which you choose: cashew, oat or coconut milk make a super thick and creamy custard, whilst almond milk will be less creamy. I like to use rice milk as it creates a just-set lemon curd-like consistency which I love.
    ****If you can't get hold of a shop-bought custard powder, you can substitute it with the same amount cornflour (cornstarch) or arrowroot, which will result in the same texture, though the colour will be considerably less yellow. To add yellow colour, I would suggest adding a tiny pinch of saffron, which I much prefer to turmeric as it has a much milder flavour.
    Nutrition Facts
    Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Bars
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 206 Calories from Fat 72
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 8g12%
    Saturated Fat 2g10%
    Cholesterol 11mg4%
    Sodium 38mg2%
    Potassium 110mg3%
    Carbohydrates 33g11%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 15g17%
    Protein 3g6%
    Vitamin A 9IU0%
    Vitamin C 5mg6%
    Calcium 60mg6%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

    Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Noel Martinez

      January 23, 2021 at 7:10 pm

      Can this be frozen after baking? How should it be prepped for freezing? How long can it be frozen for?

      Also, after I pour the filling over the crust, should I let it cool at room temp before refrigerating? Or put it directly into the fridge to cool and set?

      How much does it set with the rice milk? Is it like gelatin? Stiff? or more loose like a mousse? Pudding?

      I tried this with homemade hemp milk and cornstarch. Needed to add extra lemon juice, agave (used agave instead of maple syrup), and plenty of lemon zest to increase the lemon flavor, but the texture got better and set a little better after a few days in the fridge. It does release some moisture which makes it difficult to keep the powdered sugar from dissolving into the moisture from the filling. Also used turmeric for color, and that didn't effect the flavor much in my opinion.

      Going to try it again with rice milk and cornstarch, as written, to see if it sets up better than with the hemp milk, as it was a little loose. I can't find the custard powder locally, and it's basically just cornstarch, coloring, & salt from looking at the ingredients online. Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        January 23, 2021 at 8:50 pm

        Thank you so much for your feedback! I don't think this can be frozen, unfortunately. You should let it cool at room temp before refrigerating. With the rice milk it has more of a soft, lemon curd-like consistency. I think the hemp milk mixture you made was loose because you added the extra lemon juice - I'd recommend adding a bit more cornstarch if you add extra lemon juice. Hope that helps! Would love to hear how you get on! Thank you.

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    Photo of Rhian Williams from Rhian's Recipes

    Hi, I'm Rhian! I make easy, undetectably vegan + gluten-free recipes, including healthy comfort food and naturally sweetened desserts using plant-based ingredients.

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