These lemon bars start with a chewy crust of sunflower seed meal and shredded coconut, so there is no almond flour in them at all. The filling is fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, and powdered monk fruit sweetener, and it bakes over a water bath so it sets smooth and even. After a slow cool in the oven and two hours in the refrigerator, the pan cuts into 16 bars that are sweet, tart, and bright.
The water bath and the slow cool are what keep the filling smooth. The pan sits in a rimmed baking sheet with about half an inch of water while it bakes. Afterward I turn the oven off, prop the door open a little with a wooden spoon, and leave the bars inside for an hour so the top does not crack.
I sweeten both the crust and the filling with powdered monk fruit sweetener. If yours is granulated, the substitutions below explain how to pulse it into a powder for the filling. I also use fresh lemon juice, since bottled juice usually does not taste as bright.
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💛 Why you’ll love these lemon bars
- No almond flour or coconut flour required.
- Swapping coconut oil for the butter in the crust makes them dairy-free.
- A good balance of sweet and tart.
- Light and refreshing, served cold from the refrigerator.
- Plenty of lemon flavor from both fresh juice and zest.
- Freezes well.
- They’re easily transportable, making them ideal for parties.
⏲ How to make these lemon bars
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Mix together sunflower seed meal, shredded coconut, powdered monk fruit sweetener, and salt, then mix in melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Transfer that mixture to a parchment-lined 9×9-inch baking pan and press into an even layer before transferring the pan to the oven and baking until the edges of the crust are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Mix together powdered monk fruit sweetener, sunflower seed meal, eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest with an electric mixer until well combined. Allow the bowl to sit for a minute to see if any egg floats to the top and appears to be un-mixed. If so, mix again until eggs are fully mixed and incorporated.
- Remove the pan with the crust from the oven and place it in the center of a large rimmed baking sheet. Pour the lemon filling atop the crust, then pour enough water into the baking sheet to fill it up ~1/2 inch.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven to bake until the filling has set, about 35 minutes.
- Turn the oven off and, using a wooden spoon, crack the oven door open just slightly. Allow the pan to sit in the cooling oven for 1 hour.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven, remove the pan from the water bath, then transfer the pan to the refrigerator to chill uncovered for 2 hours before slicing into 16 bars and serving.
🍴 Net carbs
Per serving, these contain 4 grams of net carbs. Net carbs are calculated by taking total carbs, subtracting fiber, and subtracting sugar alcohols. The recipe, as written, yields 16 servings.
The complete nutrition information for this recipe, including the calorie content, total carbs, protein, and fat per serving, can be found in the nutrition label located below the recipe instructions.
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
- Ground Sunflower Seed Meal: If you can eat nuts, you can substitute almond flour at a 1:1 ratio substitution. Alternatively, make ground sunflower seed meal by pulsing raw sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor until they turn into flour. Be careful not to over-blend, as doing this will make sunflower seed butter, which has a consistency similar to that of peanut butter or almond butter.
- Unsweetened Shredded Coconut: Unsweetened coconut flakes can be used in place of shredded coconut in this recipe, but you will need to pulse them in a food processor to get the right consistency for the crust.
- Powdered Monk Fruit Sweetener in Crust: Classic Monk Fruit Sweetener, Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener, Swerve, or erythritol can be used here at a 1:1 substitution ratio by cups, not by weight (meaning, for example, use ¼ cup (48g) of Classic Monk Fruit Sweetener, rather than the 30g of Powdered Monk Fruit Sweetener that is listed in the Ingredients list). I would not use powdered stevia or liquid stevia. Allulose will work at a 1:1 sub here.
- Butter: Coconut oil can be subbed in for melted butter at a 1:1 ratio, which would make these lemon bars dairy-free. If you use oil in place of butter, the crust may be denser than the original recipe intended.
- Powdered Monk Fruit Sweetener in Lemon Filling: Pulse ½ cup of Classic Monk Fruit Sweetener, Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener, or erythritol in a food processor to yield a substitution for powdered sweetener. Allulose should work at a 1:1 sub here, too.
- Lemon Juice: Lime juice can be substituted for lemon juice at a 1:1 ratio. However, if you opt for this trade, you will end up with lime bars.
- Lemon Zest: Lime zest could be substituted for lemon here as well but would change the flavor profile.
Keep in mind that any changes you make to this recipe will modify the total net carbs.
💬 FAQs
Do I really need to prepare a water bath to bake the bars in?
Water baths are a great way to ensure that your dish will evenly cook. Simply place your baking pan into a baking sheet deep enough to allow for ½″ of water, and place it in the oven. The water adds moisture to the air, allowing the dish to cook more successfully than if you skipped the bath altogether.
Is there a way to make this recipe dairy-free?
Yes. Instead of butter in the crust mixture, use coconut oil at a 1:1 substitution ratio.
Can I make this recipe more tart?
Yes. Simply add a bit more lemon juice if you want these lemon bars to be more tart.
Do I use fresh lemon juice for these lemon bars?
I would suggest it, yes. Store-bought bottled lemon juice usually doesn’t compare to the taste of fresh lemon juice. For the most flavorful lemon bars, use fresh lemon juice in this recipe.
Do homemade lemon bars need to be refrigerated?
Yes. Store the prepared bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Before putting on the lid, set a paper towel gently on top. This will lessen any condensation build-up in the container and help prevent the lemon bars from getting soggy. The bars will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Can keto lemon bars be frozen?
After being cooked, cooled, and sliced, the lemon bars should be wrapped in plastic wrap before being stored in the freezer in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat, transfer them to the refrigerator and allow them to fully thaw before enjoying them.
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Keto Sugar-Free Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups ground sunflower seed meal
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup powdered monk fruit sweetener
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup melted unsalted butter (or melted coconut oil for dairy-free)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Filling:
- ½ cup powdered monk fruit sweetener
- ¼ cup ground sunflower seed meal
- 5 eggs
- ¾ cup lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
Equipment
Instructions
- Crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing paper to overhang all edges of baking pan.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together sunflower seed meal, shredded coconut, powdered monk fruit sweetener, and salt. Add melted butter, egg, vanilla extract and whisk again until fully combined.
- Transfer mixture to prepared pan and, using fingers, press into even layer. Transfer pan to oven and bake until edges of crust are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Lemon Filling: To a mixing bowl, add powdered monk fruit sweetener, sunflower seed meal, eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest and, using an electric mixer starting on lowest speed and increasing to higher speeds, mix together until well-combined. Allow the bowl to sit for a minute to see if any egg floats to the top and appears to be un-mixed. If so, mix again until eggs are fully mixed and incorporated.
- Remove pan with crust from oven and place pan in center of large rimmed baking sheet. Pour lemon filling atop crust, then pour enough water into baking sheet to fill it up ~1/2 inch. Place baking sheet with pan in oven and bake until filling has set, about 35 minutes.
- Final Steps: Turn oven off and, using a wooden spoon, crack oven door open just slightly. Allow pan to sit in cooling oven for 1 hour. Remove baking sheet with water bath and pan from oven. Remove pan from water bath. Transfer pan to refrigerator to chill uncovered for 2 hours before slicing into 16 bars and serving.
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