Holy Toledo! It’s been a loooong time since my last post! I knew it had been awhile but when I did the math it’s officially been 24 days – that’s over three weeks! Definitely a record since I created this space almost four years ago!
So much has changed since then, it’s almost staggering to think about! Hungry Jr. will be eight this summer, we’ve relocated back to the Northeast, and this blog and related projects have become my full time job – not to mention a million other small things. It’s been a lot of hard work, but we’re having a blast!
Also I have to say that in spite of the fact that it’s freezing here and I’m literally looking through my window at guys ice fishing on the frozen lake, it’s STILL good to be back in the Northeast – even if I never imagined I’d be referring to myself as a New Yorker! That’s pronounced New Yaw-kah to you non Yankee folks btw.
We still have a lot of loose ends to tie up (unpacking, registering vehicles, changing licenses, etc.) but this already feels like home. Since we couldn’t quite fit everything in the moving truck on the way up last week, we’re heading to SC next week to get the rest of it. Then we’ll be back here for good the week of the sixth, and I’ll finally be able to get back in the groove of regular posting – which I’m super excited about because I’ve got a LOT of great new recipes to share with you guys!
But enough about my travel schedule, let’s talk lemon bars! One of my absolute favorite desserts, it’s the thing I’m most likely to gaze longingly at through the glass at a bakery or coffee house – and sometimes I give in and have one. I’m never really sorry until the next day when I wake up puffy and bloated from the gluten and sugar. Even then it’s usually worth it if I’m being honest.
I finally decided though that it was high time I came up with a keto friendly lemon bar recipe that would meet my low carb and gluten free criteria (and save me from the morning after bloating.) As an added bonus these are pretty easy to make, and just as good or better than the “real” thing. I’m not just saying that either, I tested these out on crowds of non low carbers at several parties – all with rave reviews and no leftovers.
This low carb lemon bar recipe is basically the love child of my Lemon Almond Shortbread Cookies (crust), and my Sugar Free Lemon Curd (filling) recipes, with a few minor tweaks.
I like my lemon bars a little on the tart side, but you can increase the sugar free sweetener in the curd if you prefer them sweeter – or you can add more powdered sugar free sweetener to the top of them after baking.
I’m confident that you guys are going to love these low carb lemon bars – they simply scream “IT’S SPRING BABY!” and they’ll make you believe it – even if the view from your kitchen window is as cold and unspringlike as mine right now. :/
Can’t wait to hear what you think! Make them and report back STAT! Meanwhile, look for more delicious low carb and gluten free recipes coming to IBIH soon!!!!
Low Carb Lemon Bar Recipe – Keto & Gluten Free
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
Print Recipe
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A tasty Keto lemon bar recipe that’s just as good or better than the classic lemon bar – but low carb and gluten free!
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups superfine blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar substitute (I used Swerve)
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
For the Filling:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar substitute (I used Swerve)
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup grated lemon zest
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 tablespoons unflavored collagen powder (or 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin)
Instructions
For the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt the butter in the microwave or a small saucepan.
- Add the almond flour, sweetener, and lemon zest, stirring until fully combined.
- Press the dough evenly along the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of an 8 x 8 inch square pan. For best results line the pan with parchment paper or foil first, then you can simply lift out the completed lemon bars.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove and cool while you make the filling.
For the filling:
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan on low heat.
- Remove from heat and whisk in sweetener, lemon juice, and lemon zest until dissolved.
- Whisk in the egg yolks and return to the stove over low heat.
- Whisk continually until the curd starts to thicken.
- Remove from the heat and strain into a small bowl.
- Whisk in the the xanthan gum and collagen or gelatin until dissolved and smooth.
- Pour the filling over the pre-baked crust and spread out evenly to the edges of the pan.
- Bake the bars at 350 degrees (F) for 15 minutes.
- Remove and cool.
- Sprinkle with Powdered Swerve before serving if desired.
- Cut into sixteen 2 x 2 squares.
Notes
To see a list of my favorite low carb products and brands that I recommend for sweeteners, flours, etc. you can check out the IBIH Pantry Ingredients Page!
- Category: keto Desserts
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 x 2 square
- Calories: 193
- Fat: 19g
- Carbohydrates: 2g net
- Protein: 4g
Keywords: Keto Lemon Bars, Low Carb Lemon Bars, Gluten Free Lemon Bars
Hi Melissa, I absolutely love this recipe! I work for a huge Children’s Hospital with over a thousand employees and every so often our unit will have a bakesale to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network. So far these lemon bars have made us about $800 in the last year. I make a quadruple batch and sell them for $2 apiece. Well they sell out and about 10 minutes, so the last time I made them I sold them for $3 apiece and they were still gone in 10 minutes lol. I put label them with the nutritional info, and I also give people your website ( I hope that’s okay). Although hmmmm maybe I shouldn’t because then they can make their own! A LOT of people are doing keto apparently, and they all love your lemon bars.
★★★★★
This made my day Shari! How cool to know that my recipe is helping you guys earn money for charity! Thanks for letting me know it’s a hit and I hope they will keep performing for you at the bake sale! 😘
YUMMY!!!! I have always loved lemon bars and was so happy to discover this low-carb recipe. It is just the right amount of tartness for the lemon filling. And the crust is amazing! I could eat it by itself. Everyone who ate it raved about it. I had to grab a couple pieces quickly to save them for myself for later as they were going fast. Absolutely wonderful, whether you are following a low-carb diet or not.
★★★★★
First I just wanted to say thank you for being the creative person that you are and providing these wonderful recipes. I made the lemon bars and last night when I was putting everything together it tasted a lot more tart than they do this morning now that they’re all set. They still taste great and I’m serving them to a group of people who are Not living a keto lifestyle., But I’m hoping that they’ll still enjoy them.
★★★★
Awesome Recipe! By far my favorite low carb desert, you really cant tell its low carb.
Thank you for updating the gelatin/collagen ingredient quantity, that caught me the first time I made this and it came out extremely stiff and gummy like. It was perfect this second time with the 1 tsp of gelatin.
I also added one of the egg whites to the crust and it made it PERFECTLY stick together and had an even better texture.
Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love lemon bars! I attempted this recipe and followed it exactly except I used swerve powdered sugar throughout the recipe. Mine turned out way too sour. Maybe should use granulated sugar next batch? Also, how long do I have to cook the egg yolks on the stove before adding the xantham gum and collagen? Mine were too gooey so I had to cook for 15 min longer.
★★★★
I have a question. I wanted to make these this afternoon…I have all ingredients except the colagen/gelatin. Will it just be a gloppy mess if I leave that out?
So many of your recipes are great, and this one is no exception. But, that one glaring error is still in the ingredients, and I, like many others over the years, followed the recipe as written without reading 10 minutes worth of comments, was blissfully unaware of the wording mistake in the recipe. Gelatin comes in powder and sheet form, Knox brand being the most available and well-known in Canada and the U.S. Apparently, what you are using in the recipe is not gelatin at all, but collagen powder, which also gels. Can you please change the ingredients to specify collagen, as opposed to true gelatin? I would hate to see any more people misled by this honest mistake and ending up with a yummy square of rubbery Jello.
Thanks for the reminder Mina, this recipe should have been updated years ago!
Just made this recipe….currently in the oven. I put in Collagen peptides….is that the same thing as the collagen you all are talking about?
Will post finished product on instagram when completed!
Oh wow, these are phenomenal! They took forever to chill in the fridge so I could eat one, but worth the wait!!!! I used 2 lemons for the zest – was perfect, one in the crust and one for the filling. Next time I’ll probably bake the crust longer than 10 minutes, it didn’t brown at all, but man oh man, these taste like the non keto version, I’m in heaven!!! Thank you so much for such a fantastic recipe, I’ll probably be making this once a week!!
★★★★★
I have never used 1/4 CUP of zest in anything. Is this correct? I only get a couple tsp from a large lemon.
It depends on how fine you’re grating it. If it’s really fine and packed down then 1 tablespoon will do it, but if you’re using larger shreds you’ll need the 1/4 cup. The more lemon zest, the more intense the lemon flavor.
Hi there, I made the recipe above, did it because everyone likes lemon. So it was my Easter dessert. The only comment people said they thought it was too much lemon. for both the crust and the insides, I feel it took about two large lemons. I will definitely make again, but just use less lemon. Just wondering though why do we drain the zest out, thought it might be nice to be in the filling? everyone loved the crust also by the way. It is 4 days after easter and crust is holding up great, it is in the fridg in tupperware. Just wanted to share it.
My filling came out liquid-y…. ?. Failed on my part. Any suggestions? I noticed my filling wasn’t getting thick when I added the yolks..
I am new to keto and I have been struggling with the lack of sugar. Confession: I was addicted before I started. lol This recipe is everything I want and needed. I don’t normally comment on these things either, but I must so than anyone who loves lemon and wants a satisfying recipe, this is it. Hands down.
★★★★★
YUMMMM!!! Made these tonight & they are delicious!!! I used the boxed plain gelatin, and after reading a comment about them turning out rubbery, I used only 1 Tbsp instead of 2~turned out perfect!!!!
★★★★★
Came out absolutely PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you! I will use this many more times. :)
★★★★★
This is the absolute best dessert recipe I have found/tried since going Keto. So close to the “real thing”. Thank you SO MUCH! The only things nag I changed were using Lakanto sweetener instead of Swerve and straining the mixture after adding the gelatin and xanthan gum to ensure totally smooth texture. My Kids even love them and they are the hardest to please as they are used to me making standard desserts and pastries that are extremely high in carbs. Your site has been a godsend to us through this transition. Thanks again.
★★★★★
Mellissa
These are the best things ever. You deserve a parade for this recipe. Everyone loves these yum!
I may have forgot to strain. Oops! But it was so creamy and smooth and tart and AMAZING! Seriously. I am so happy about this.
★★★★★
This is the first comment I have ever left about a recipe, it’s that good! I am an avid baker, cook most meals from scratch and have been struggling to find a good low carb dessert. This is perfection, I just can’t wait for my lemon trees to have ripe fruit to make more! I did add a pinch of salt to both the crust and filling. I have Myer lemoncello that I made from my trees and I added about a tablespoon. I know that increases the carb count but it was a indulgence I was willing to make. I cooked down some blueberries for the kids and husband to use as topping and all love it. Thank you!
★★★★★
These are perfect. Made them for a group in which I’m the only keto weirdo, and no one guessed I’d bested them. Praise all around. That is the true test!
(Other true test: I currently have what’s left hidden in the back of the fridge for my. mouth. only.)
Best baking Keto recipe so far! I loved these and they were the perfect balance of tart and sweet for my taste. Definitely will be making these again and also for a work function this week.
★★★★★
Hi praise, Courtney – thanks so much!!! Hope they are a hit at work too!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I never give reviews on anything, but since I just finished enjoying my dessert (these bars) I thought I should probably post a review because I love them that much! One commenter said these taste like the real thing, and they totally do! I baked the crust a little longer, until it was golden brown so it would be a little crispier and it turned out great! I also omitted the xanthan gum and used 1 packet of Knox gelatin for the curd (which some other commenters suggested). I’m in trouble…. :)
Thanks for reviewing it Caitlin, glad you liked it!
Caitlin,
I was thinking of omitting the xanthan gum as well. I don’t use gums in my kitchen and I don’t see the need for it. I intend on using Great Lakes Bovine Gelatin.
Marie,
Did u try it without the gum? I was thinking the same thing. Like to know what you did.
I made these yesterday and they turned it delicious. Thank you so much!!
★★★★★
These were a huge hit! I may leave the xantham gum out next time because the tip was rubbery and more firm than it should have been so maybe the gelatin is enough. But otherwise delish and perfect for spring.
★★★★★
Can’t wait to make them … is it ok to use Knox unflavored gelatin
You can, but only use 1 tsp.
Wow! Another amazing dessert! I don’t know how you do it, but these recipes are incredible. I’d never know this was keto if I hadn’t made it myself! Delicious!
This recipe looks fantastic, I’m looking forward to making it for Easter! Is it possible to substitute a GF All Purpose Baking Flour for the Almond Flour? I have Bob’s Red Mill in the pantry, and would prefer to use ingredients on hand rather than buying more if possible. Thanks!
I don’t think that will work the same as the almond flour Kristina – but if you try it let us know!
Ok, these did not work for me. I should have baked the crust longer, because it was cake not crispy. Also I think the curd should have been left as is without the gelatin and xantham gum. I used Knox gelatin, so maybe that was why, but the top was rubbery. I froze them hoping eating them frozen will make them better. I will eat them cause I hate to waste, but I will try a different recipe next time that doesn’t require special gelatin.Jen
Okay, they are much better frozen. I ate the whole batch this week.
Absolutely Delicious! These were plenty sweet for hubby and me with just the 1/2 cup of Swerve in the filling. Next time I would probably put only 3-4 Tbsp. of Swerve in the crust and maybe even dial back a bit on the Swerve in the lemon filling. One packet of Knox gelatin worked great for me with the xanthan gum. My husband said they tasted just like the regular sugar-filled lemon bars, and he liked the almond crust even better than the typical wheat crust. Soooooo happy to find this recipe! Thanks!
Do you have a nut-free adaptation? My hubby lives lemon bars but is allergic to almonds… Thanks!
I used coconut flour instead of almond flour and it worked just as Well! I’m allergic to nuts as well.
How much coconut flour did you use? I am not a huge fan of almond.
Would the filling still thicken without the xantham? I’m paleo so can’t use it x
The taste of the custard was great – tart and very lemony (yum!!). The crust was just ok, I might try with more Swerve next time in the crust, by the next day it had no flavor but the texture was perfect.
The texture of the custard on day 2 (very firm) was not to my liking. I will use half the gelatin or even maybe 25%. I like my lemon bars gooey.
This is a great recipe to start with for low cal!! Thanks so much!!!!
How many lemons to get 1/4 cup zest?
I think it was 3 when I did it.
★★★★
I used quite a few for 1/4 cup of zest… probably about 8-9.
This was super easy and delicious!
★★★★★