These Lemon Bars are the easiest lemon bar recipe, and they just so happen to be gluten free! I developed this recipe to be thick, creamy, tart, and utterly delicious. Trust me on this one, these are the Best Lemon Bars I’ve ever had!
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What’s in this Gluten-Free Lemon Bars Recipe?
I love my recipe for classic lemon bars so much, I just had to make a gluten-free version! These lemon bars have quickly become one of my favorite gluten-free dessert recipes on the site. They are so creamy, dreamy, and easy! My kids absolutely devour these and rarely leave any for the rest of us.
- Gluten-Free Flour: Part of what makes these Gluten Free Lemon Bars oh-so-easy and perfect is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. You heard that right, one-to-one! No more adding in special ingredients to make gluten-free flours work with your favorite recipes. You can literally add this flour into any of your best bets just as you would all-purpose flour and bake away.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the crust and the filling.
- Salted Butter: Adds fat and flavor to the crust. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to balance the flavor.
- Water: Helps bring these bars together and makes them dairy-free!
- Lemon: You’ll need 4 lemons for this recipe. You’ll use the juice of 4 and the zest of 2. I do not recommend using bottled lemon juice, as it just won’t taste right.
- Eggs: Help make the filling rich and creamy like lemon curd!
Pro Tip: You can also make these lemon bars with regular all-purpose flour if you’re not gluten-free!
Variations
These dreamy gluten free lemon bars are so easily adaptable!
- For Blueberry Lemon Bars, I stir a cup of fresh blueberries into the filling, or add a thin layer of blueberry jam between the crust and the curd.
- For Raspberry Lemon Bars, I stir a cup of fresh raspberries into the filling, or add a thin layer of raspberry jam between the crust and the curd.
- For Cranberry Lemon Bars, I stir a cup of fresh cranberries into the filling, or cook down some cranberries and sugar into a cranberry jam!
- For Meyer Lemon Bars, I use Meyer lemon juice and zest. (Love this special flavor!)
- For Gluten Free Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust, I pulse a few sheets of gluten-free graham crackers in a food processor and use them in place of the flour.
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How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container or Ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Lemon bars are best enjoyed slightly cool or at room temperature.
How to Freeze
Freeze bars whole or cut into individual bars tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.
Serving Suggestions
These lemon bars are delicious all on their own or paired with a heaping dollop of whipped cream, meringue, or a dusting powdered sugar.
Top the bars with toasted sweetened, shredded coconut flakes to make them festive for Easter. If making for Easter, be sure to also make a pitcher of my famous Lavender Lemonade.
5-Star Reviews
“This recipe turned out perfectly! I love it when I knock gf baking out of the park and this recipe did just that.” – Emily
“These are better than any other lemon bars that I’ve ever had– even the kind with gluten and dairy. My husband prefers these over all other recipes (and he’s not gluten and dairy free), and my mom made a huge batch for my brother’s wedding. Definitely a keeper of a recipe!” – Selena
“These are fabulous. The crust is crispy and buttery and the texture and flavor is exactly what I was hoping for.” – Susan
Gluten Free Lemon Bars Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1½ cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour 222 grams
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
- ½ cup salted butter 113 grams, cold and cut into pieces (1 stick)
- 2 tablespoons water 28 grams
For the Filling
- 1½ cups granulated sugar 300 grams
- ½ cup lemon juice 114 grams (from 4 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest 12 grams (from 2 lemons)
- 4 large eggs 200 grams, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour 37 grams
For Serving
- Powdered sugar optional (see note)
Recommended Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside. (I also like to line with foil and then spray…makes pulling them out of the pan much easier)
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Use a fork or knives to stir in the butter until a crumbly mixture results. Add the water a bit at a time. Take mixture and press evenly into the bottom of the pan.1½ cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup salted butter, 2 tablespoons water
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes until slightly golden and set.
For the Filling
- In a large bowl, stir together all of the filling ingredients until smooth.1½ cups granulated sugar, ½ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, 4 large eggs, ¼ cup Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Flour
- Pour mixture over the still-hot crust.
- Bake 22-26 minutes, or until set in the middle. Let cool on the counter for a minimum of 2 hours. Cut into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar.Powdered sugar
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is gluten free as long as it uses cornstarch or tapioca starch as its base. so just be sure to double-check the ingredient list.
- If you want to make this dessert with regular flour (instead of gluten free) that’s no problem at all! Just use all-purpose flour in place of the gluten free flours.
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
Nutrition Information
More Gluten Free Dessert Recipes We Love
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free Spritz Cookies
- Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars
- Gluten Free Brownies
- Gluten Free Churros
On average, each lemon has 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Great info to know!
A lemon can stay good and fresh for up to 1 week at room temperature and 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Cut lemons can stay good for 2-3 days in the fridge.
I recommend keeping them cool. You can keep them in the fridge or on the counter in an airtight container for 2-3 days, but the refrigeration will only enhance the flavor of the bars and keep them extra creamy.
I recommend no more than 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Yes! Lemon bars freeze beautifully for up to 3 months!
Does anyone know if you can use Bob’s Redmill gluten-free flour to make this rather than the 1:1 flour? The grocery store didn’t have 1:1 and I’m hoping to make this for NYE tomorrow. Thanks!
We have not tested this recipe with regular gluten-free flour. We always recommend 1:1 flour for the best results!
I made these and they were fantastic. I like to measure with a scale for baking and I’m questioning the grams for the lemon zest. Is it meant to read 1-2 grams not 12? At least that’s now I see it .
Thanks,
Mary
1 tablespoon of lemon zest weighs 6 grams, so 2 tablespoons weigh 12 grams! A teaspoon would be 1-2 grams.
Hi Becky, This lemon bar recipe deserves more than 5 stars in my book. I made the recipe as written, but technique wise~~here are 2 tips that may help some readers:
1. I made the base crust in food processor. I just roughly cut up a stick of frozen butter and tossed it in food processor bowl with other crust ingredients. I used a little more than 2 tablespoons of water for the crust to roughly come together.
2. When patting the crust base into the pan, I dampened my fingers with a little water and this really helped to keep the dough off my fingers and to get it down smooth into the pan
Those are some great tips, Judy!
This was an excellent tip. Thank you!
We made these lemon bars for a family gathering. One person has celiac disease so the entire day was all gluten-free. These bars are AMAZING and very easy to make. They were gobbled up quickly and we’ve gotten many requests for the recipe! (I’ve shared your link). Thank you for sharing!!!
Thanks for sharing with others!
Looking for a quick gluten free Lemon Bars and I found this website. Just want to leave a note that the bars where delicious and I even used an alternative sugar for baking. Came out perfect from the oven, chilled for 2 hours. Took it out from refrigerator dust it with sugar on top and my husband and I loved it.
Thanks for sharing!!
Cant find the 1 to 1 flour will the baking flour work?
It won’t be gluten-free!
I am sorry to hear!
These were soooo yummy!
Looks delicious, Melody!
Can you make ahead of time and keep in the fridge?
You can as long as it’s served not to soon after making them!
I have made these twice, the first time in the 9X9 pan, the second time in a 9X13 pan. The crust was too thick for me in the 9X9, much better for me in the 9X13 pan. The filling in the larger pan was baked at 23 minutes and was perfect, not gooey or underdone! Taste is good!
Thanks for sharing!