Every morning I drink warm water lemon, so these fruits never miss from my fridge. I use them to bring flavor to tea, to prepare salads and savory dishes, and, of course, to make cakes! So why not making a dessert entirely dedicated to lemons?!
These vegan lemon bars are the perfect balance of sweet and sour. And you can prepare them really easy, using ingredients that can not miss from a vegan’s pantry.
Vegan lemon bars ingredients
In this paragraph you’ll find general information about the ingredients I used, their role and possible substitutes. Details about quantities and step-by-step preparation can be found in the recipe card at the end of the article.
- flour – I used all purpose flour; you can try gluten-free flour if you wish;
- vegan butter – I only use butter, no margarine in my recipes; so, I don’t know if it works the same;
- sugar – I’m trying to reduce it, but this recipe calls for a lot of sugar; this is why I used xylitol this time; feel free to use another sweetener that you like better;
- coconut cream – chill the coconut cream a night before using it; thus, the cream will separate from the liquid and you’ll easily scoop it out of the can;
- lemon – you’ll need a lot of fresh lemon juice, but also the lemon zest for a better flavor;
- cornstarch – this is the key ingredient which gives structure to our lemon tart;
- turmeric – I used it in a very small quantity, only to get a vibrant yellow color; you can skip it if you want.
How to make vegan lemon bars
As I said, it’s really easy to make these vegan bars.
Start with the base. Place the melted vegan butter, xylitol, lemon zest and flour in a bowl and combine well until you get a very soft dough.
Next, place the dough in a baking tray lined with parchment paper and press evenly and smoothly. Bake at 170°C for 16-18 minutes, until lightly golden on the edges.
Remove the dough from the oven and leave it on a cooling rack. Just don’t turn off the oven as you’ll need to bake the tart as soon as the lemon filling is prepared.
Put all filling ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over low heat for about 12 minutes, until sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens.
Spread evenly the lemon filling over the crust, and bake for 15 minutes at 170°C.
Allow the tart to cool completely at room temperature, then place it into the fridge for at least 1 hour; overnight would do even better.
When the tart sets, cut it into squares, sprinkle over some powder sugar and enjoy!
Other vegan desserts you might like
If you like this vegan lemon bars recipe recipe, please rate it or leave a comment below; I’d love to know your feedback. And, if you make it, you can share a photo and tag Choose Tasty either on Instagram, or on Facebook.
Vegan Lemon Bars | Quick & Easy Recipe
Ingredients
Shortbread crust ingredients
- 180 g vegan butter melted
- 50 g xylitol
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 210 g all purpose flour
Lemon filling ingredients
- 200 ml fresh lemon juice
- 300 g full fat coconut cream
- 200 g xylitol
- 40 g cornstarch
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ⅙ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp turmeric optional, for color
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 170°C and line a 24×24 cm baking tray with parchment paper;
- To make the crust, place melted vegan butter, xylitol, and lemon zest in a bowl and combine well; add flour and stir until combined and a thick, but soft dough forms;
- Spread the dough into the baking tray and press well into an even layer;
- Bake at 170°C for 16-18 minutes until the dough turns golden on the sides;
- Remove the baking tray from the oven (don't turn off the oven);
- Place all filling ingredients into a saucepan and bring it to a boil; stir continuously;
- Cook over low to medium heat until the filling thickens and changes color to lemon yellow;
- Pour the hot filling over the crust, spread into an even layer and bake for 15 minutes at 170°C;
- Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool completely at room temperature; then place it into the fridge for at least 2 hours before cutting it.
