These low carb keto lemon bars are a must-have spring dessert! With a creamy, sweet, and tart lemon filling and buttery shortbread crust, nobody will believe these are sugar-free lemon bars, either. Just like with magic cookie bars, peanut butter bars, and keto lemon meringue pie, the layers of flavor take every bite over the top!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for sugar-free lemon bars, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below. I also use Wholesome Yum Almond Flour for the mouthwatering shortbread crust without the carb spike from refined flours.
For The Shortbread Crust:
Wholesome Yum Almond Flour – With a super fine grind, this makes a buttery crust indistinguishable from a white flour version. You may be able to substitute coconut flour, but I haven’t tested it and you would need to add additional oil or eggs, since coconut flour is more drying. If you want to do this, it might help to use my coconut flour pie crust recipe as a starting point.Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Other keto sweeteners should also work okay in the crust, but using this crystallized monk fruit sweetener keeps it from getting too dense or dry, since Besti locks in moisture. If you want to cut down on the number of different sweeteners you need, Besti Powdered should work fine in the crust as well.Sea Salt – Balances the sweetness.Coconut Oil – Measured solid, then gently melted. Melted butter will also work.Egg – Use a whole, large egg. A flax egg might work as a substitute, but I haven’t tried it.Vanilla Extract – Use the best quality extract you can (this one is awesome!).
For The Lemon Filling:
Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – The sweetened used here is super important. Using anything granulated will yield a grainy result, anything liquid will prevent the filling from setting, and many brands of powdered sugar substitute will crystallize after cooling, resulting in a gritty texture as well. Powdered Besti is the only one I recommend here, though powdered allulose would also work — you’d need to use 33% more.Wholesome Yum Almond Flour – Helps thicken the filling.EggsLemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice makes a big difference here! Bottled juice will still work, but is less flavorful.Lemon Zest – Enhances the tart, lemony flavor. Don’t skip it!
How To Make Keto Lemon Bars
This section shows how to make lemon keto bars, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Storage Instructions
Be sure to make this low carb lemon bars recipe ahead of time, as they need time to properly set up before you cut into them. I usually make them the day or night before I serve them, so they have time to set. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days (if they last that long!). Here’s how to ensure that these keto lemon bars with almond flour turn out perfectly every time:
Prep the filling first. Adding the filling to the crust right away — and immediately baking — helps the lemon filling set a bit on the hot crust, so that it doesn’t seep below the crust. Don’t poke holes in the crust. This will cause the filling to run underneath it. While my almond flour pie crust (with similar ingredients) calls for poking holes to prevent bubbling, do NOT do that with sugar-free lemon bars. Use parchment paper. Another important way to prevent the filling from leaking out is to have parchment paper over all four sides of the pan. Bars may crack after cooling. Mine didn’t crack, but sometimes they can. After you cut the bars, the cracks aren’t that noticeable, but if you really want to avoid it, you can bake them in a water bath and watch them closely.
Can You Freeze Lemon Bars?
Yes, you can freeze lemon bars. Cut them into squares and place on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid, usually a few hours. Then, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag or container.
Thawing Instructions:
Thaw frozen lemon bars in the fridge overnight before serving.
More Low Carb Lemon Dessert Recipes
Love keto desserts with a lemony twist? Try these next: Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it!
