Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
Gluten-free lemon bars with an almond flour crust and a blood-sugar-friendly twist — bright, tangy, and made for busy moms who still want dessert.
Equipment
- 8x8-inch baking pan
- parchment paper
- Medium mixing bowl
- whisk
- Fine mesh strainer (optional, for silky filling)
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 6 tbsp butter melted (or melted coconut oil)
Filling
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice about 3-4 lemons
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup arrowroot starch helps the filling set without gluten
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 scoop unflavored collagen peptides optional, adds protein to help balance blood sugar
Dusting
- coconut sugar or powdered monk fruit sweetener optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal.
- In a bowl, mix almond flour, coconut sugar, and sea salt. Stir in melted butter until a soft dough forms.
- Press dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden.
- While the crust bakes, whisk together eggs, coconut sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, arrowroot starch, sea salt, and collagen (if using) until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer for an extra-silky filling (optional).
- Pour filling over the warm crust. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the center is just set with a slight jiggle.
- Cool completely on the counter, then chill at least 2 hours (or overnight) before slicing.
- Dust with coconut sugar, slice into 16 bars, and serve.
Make-ahead tip: These bars can be made up to 2 days in advance — store covered in the fridge, and wait to slice and dust with coconut sugar until right before serving for the cleanest cut and best presentation.
Notes
Why it works: Classic lemon bars are a blood sugar rollercoaster — sugar and citrus with nothing to slow the absorption. Here, the almond flour crust brings healthy fat and a little protein, and the optional collagen in the filling adds more protein to help flatten that spike. Lemon itself is also gently liver-supportive, which matters since your liver is doing a lot of the work clearing out excess cortisol and processing hormones.
Nutrition estimate (per bar): ~140 calories, 4g protein, 11g fat, 9g carbs, 1g fiber
Servings: 16
Calories: 140kcal