These lemon bars are like a burst of sunshine on your palate, with a zingy, tart flavor that’s impossible to resist! The secret? We whip up a luscious lemon custard first and then bake it on a delectable vegan shortbread crust. This approach not only intensifies the lemony goodness but also keeps the filling light and vibrant—no flour needed! The crust is a dream, made with velvety plant-based butter and a sprinkle of white rice flour, giving it that perfect crunch you crave. A touch of salt balances the sweetness in the pie and rounds up the flavors. And if you decide to store them in the refrigerator, remember to dab the top with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture before finishing with a light dusting of powdered sugar. If you enjoy the flavors of lemon in your dessert you could try this lemon pudding cake. Check out these plant based snack ideas, vegan pie filling ideas and vegan low-cal pancakes for your dessert counter as you celebrate vegan day with your close ones.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- Cooking spray
- 155 gm all-purpose flour
- 70 gm granulated sugar
- 20 gm white rice flour
- 9 gm kosher salt
- 142 gm vegan butter, cut into cubes and softened
- 5 ml vanilla extract
For the Lemon Custard:
- 45 gm lemon zest plus 180 ml fresh lemon juice (from 5 to 6 large lemons)
- 3 gm kosher salt
- 200 gm granulated sugar, divided
- 4 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 12 tbsp water (flax eggs)
- 30 gm white rice flour
- 71 gm vegan butter, cut into cubes and softened
- For Dusting:
For Dusting:
Directions
Prepare the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom and sides with aluminum foil, leaving a 5 cm overhang on all sides.
- In a food processor, pulse together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, white rice flour, and kosher salt until well combined (about 5 pulses).
- Add the softened vegan butter and vanilla extract. Mix until a dough ball forms (about 30 pulses).
- Press the dough into an even layer in the prepared baking pan. Do not forget to lightly grease your palms with cooking spray if needed.
- Bake at 180°C in the preheated oven until the crust is evenly golden brown, about 24 to 28 minutes.
Prepare the lemon custard:
- While the crust is baking inside the oven, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, kosher salt, and 150 gm of the granulated sugar in a medium saucepan. Whisk until well combined.
- Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is steaming (about 4 minutes).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flax eggs (ground flaxseed mixed with water), rice flour, and the remaining 50 gm of sugar until well combined.
- Gradually add the hot lemon juice mixture to the flax mixture while whisking constantly until combined.
- Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon (it should hold a trail when a finger is run through) and reaches an internal temperature of 80°C to 82°C (about 2 to 4 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Gradually whisk in the softened vegan butter, a few cubes at a time, until melted and well combined.
- Strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing as much custard through as possible; discard the solids. Loosely cover the lemon custard until the crust is ready.
Assemble the bars:
- Spread the lemon custard evenly over the hot crust using a small offset spatula.
- Bake at 180°C until the edges are slightly puffed and the custard is mostly set (about 10 to 12 minutes). It may jiggle slightly in the center.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the pan on a wire rack for about 1 hour.
- Chill uncovered in the refrigerator until completely cool, at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours. If chilling longer, loosely cover the bars with aluminum foil once completely cool.
- Once chilled, run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen the bars from the pan. Use the aluminum foil overhang to lift the bars out. Trim edges if desired, and cut into 16 bars (each measuring approximately 4.5 cm x 4.5 cm) using a large sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts.
- Dust the bars with powdered sugar just before serving. Enjoy!