Vegan Lemon Bars
on Oct 28, 2021, Updated Aug 16, 2024
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Sweet and zesty, creamy vegan lemon bars that are easy to make and perfect for any special occasion.
These delicious bars feature a buttery shortbread crust and creamy lemon curd made from soaked raw cashews and coconut cream. If you love lemon, these bars are perfect combination of tart and sweet.
For more lemon treats, these Vegan Lemon Shortbread Cookies and Vegan Lemon Loaf are delicious.
Recipe Features
- Vegan (no eggs, dairy-free).
- Creamy texture and fresh, tangy lemon flavour that’s not overly sweet.
- Crispy, crumbly, buttery shortbread crust and tart creamy filling.
- Try them for Christmas, Mother’s Day or Easter.
Ingredients
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
- Cashews: Use plain, raw cashews with no added oil or salt.
- Coconut Cream: You can use canned coconut cream or make your own coconut cream using a can of full-fat coconut milk (see FAQ section).
- Cornstarch: This can be substituted with arrowroot powder if needed.
- Lemon: You’ll need a few lemons to make 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp plus 3 teaspoons of lemon zest (see FAQ section for how to make lemon zest).
- Maple Syrup: Any variety works (dark, amber, light, etc). but be sure to use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. It can be substituted with agave syrup if needed.
- Turmeric: This is used to add yellow colour to the filling. Use about 1/8-1/4 tsp.
- All-Purpose Flour: This recipe has not been tested with a gluten-free flour. If you’re experienced with gluten-free flour substitutions, go ahead and give it a try, however, I can’t guarantee how they’ll turn out.
- Sugar: You can use coconut sugar, cane sugar or any other granulated sugar.
- Vegan Butter: For a dairy-free recipe, I used Earth Balance but any brand of vegan butter works. I have not tested the recipe with coconut oil. If you’re not vegan, regular butter works as a substitution.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Before You Start: This recipe requires soaked cashews, so you’ll need to plan ahead for that. If you have a high-speed blender, you can soak for 4 hours. If you have a regular blender, I’d suggest soaking overnight or for 12 hours.
Step 1: When you’re ready to begin, preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking dish with 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper so it sticks out over at least two of the edges.
Add the crust ingredients to a mixing bowl or food processor and mix into a uniform consistency that you can shape into a ball. If the mixture seems to dry or crumbly, you can add an additional 1-2 tbsp of butter.
Step 2: Use your hands to press the dough into the baking dish in an even layer, working it firmly into all the corners.
Step 3: Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes until golden brown, then let cool completely before proceeding with the lemon filling.
Step 4: If you turned the oven oven off, preheat again to 350 F.
When you’re ready, drain and rinse the cashews then add them to a blender with the rest of the filling ingredients. Start blending on low then slowly increase the speed to high and blend until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy.
Give it a quick taste and see if you’d more lemon flavour or extra turmeric for colour.
Step 5: Pour the lemon cream over the cooled crust in the pan.
Step 6: Bake the bars in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the centre is set.
Let the bars cool completely at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge for at least one hour before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
FAQs
No, but the bars will be creamiest using a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec.
If you don’t have a high-speed blender, make sure you soak the cashews at least overnight or for 12 hours.
You don’t have to but the bars may be grainy if you skip it, so I would recommend soaking.
If you have a high-speed blender, you can do a u0022quick soaku0022 by bring the cashews to a boil in a pot of water then removing from the heat and letting soak for 15 minutes.
If your blender isn’t all that powerful, I would suggest an overnight soak.
If you don’t have a citrus planer, use a handheld or box grate to finely grate 3 tsp of peel from of a lemon.
If you don’t have a fine grater, you can slice a few chunks of peel off a lemon and chop as finely as you can using a sharp knife.
I like to buy canned coconut cream for convenience. You’ll need a little less than 1 full 14 oz can. The extra can be used in a smoothie, soup, oatmeal or curry or other dessert.
If you can’t find canned coconut cream, place 2 cans of good quality full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. When you’re ready to make the recipe, open the cans and scoop the thick coconut cream off the top, leaving the watery portion behind.
The leftover water can be added to soups, smoothies or curries, etc.
Yes. To freeze these bars, make sure they’re completely cool then either freeze on a baking tray before transferring to an airtight container or store in an airtight container with a square of parchment paper between each bar to prevent them from sticking together.
The bars will keep in the freezer for 3-4 months and can be thawed at room temperature before enjoying.
Storing & Freezing
Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for 3-4 months. Frozen bars can be thawed at room temperature or in the fridge until serving.
More Vegan Desserts
- Vegan Pecan Pie Bars: Amazing gluten-free and vegan pecan bars that are a must for holidays.
- Vegan Lemon Loaf: Love lemon? Get this moist and fluffy lemon loaf on your list.
- No-Bake Lemon Pie Bars: Healthy, no-bake energy bars made with just a few simple ingredients.
- No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake: A zesty no-bake lemon cheesecake that’s always a hit.
- Raw Vegan Carrot Cake: A no-bake carrot cake that tastes incredible!
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to comment section below to leave your star rating and review.
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Vegan Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour, 180 g
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 67 g
- ½ cup vegan butter, softened, 113 g
For the Lemon Filling
- 1 ⅓ cup raw cashews, 250 g
- 1 cup coconut cream, 235 mL
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 25 g
- ½ cup + 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 122 mL
- ⅓ cup maple syrup, 113 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5 mL
- 3 teaspoons lemon zest
- pinch of turmeric, for colour
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak in the fridge or covered at room temperature for at least 4 hours up to overnight (recommended 12 hours or overnight if you do not have a high-speed blender).
- When you're ready to proceed, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and line a 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper so it sticks out over at least two of the edges. This will help with easy removal after baking.
- Mix all of the crust ingredients together with a spoon or a food processor until you get a moldable dough. You can add an additional 1-2 tbsp vegan butter if the dough seems too dry.
- Use your hands to evenly press the dough into the prepared baking dish, firmly working it into all of the corners.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. If you turned the oven off while waiting for the crust to cool, preheat to 350 F.
- Drain and rinse the soaked cashews then add them to a high-speed blender along with the rest of the lemon cream ingredients.
- Once the crust has cooled, pour the lemon cream on top and bake the bars for 20-25 minutes, until the centre is set.
- Allow to cool completely at room temperature and then transfer to the fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting and serving. Serve with a light dusting of sifted powdered sugar on top, if desired.
Amazing! I prefer this one straight from the freezer; the texture changes a little; it tastes slightly less creamy and a little more like lemon chiffon. Thanks for another GREAT recipe!