Perfect Coconut Flour Lemon Bars {Paleo, Nut Free, Soft Crust}

These creamy paleo lemon bars have a coconut flour based, nut free, grain free honey-sweetened shortbread crust with a perfectly sweet-tart lemon custard layer to top!  Dust with organic powdered sugar or dollop with coconut whipped cream for a deliciously dreamy dessert!

If you prefer an almond flour version, try my paleo lemon bars with almond flour crust!

Welcome to your lemony weekend – I’m bringing you not one, but TWO brand new lemon-themed desserts!

I didn’t originally plan on sharing back-to-back lemon recipes, but after sneak-peaking tomorrow’s recipe on my Instagram stories, I received overwhelming requests from many of you wanting the lemon recipes NOW!

And, well, I’m here to please so here they are – beginning with these sweet-tart, perfectly creamy (and super simple!) lemon bars!

Why You’ll Love These Coconut Flour Lemon Bars

• Completely nut free
• Soft, tender crust (not dry!)
• Bright, creamy lemon filling
• Naturally gluten free and paleo
• Easy to make with simple ingredients

Why Use Coconut Flour for Lemon Bars

To keep this recipe nut free, I used coconut flour as a base for the crust.

Coconut flour is also lower in carbs and slightly more affordable than almond flour, especially since you use just small amounts in recipes. A little goes a long way with coconut flour.

Coconut Flour vs Almond Flour for Lemon Bars

Coconut flour can be tricky as it needs more liquid than almond flour, plus eggs, to work in most recipes. This crust is softer than a traditional shortbread crust.

Almond flour does not require eggs for shortbread, especially when combined with a starch like arrowroot.

If you’re looking for a more traditional shortbread crust for your lemon bars and aren’t concerned about nuts, try my lemon bars with almond flour crust.

Why This Coconut Flour Crust Isn’t Dry

Most coconut flour crusts can turn out dry or crumbly because coconut flour absorbs a lot of moisture. This recipe uses egg and honey in the crust to create a soft, tender texture that holds together beautifully and slices cleanly.

I’ve been making an effort to share nut-free baking recipes more often, since it’s a request I receive all the time.

These lemon bars are an easy paleo treat to make nut free since coconut flour actually makes a delicious shortbread crust that goes perfectly with the creamy lemon custard layer!

While making these bars, I wound up learning something sort of interesting: the filling (custard layer) needs to be poured onto the crust when it’s HOT out of the oven. Interesting, right?

Especially for paleo lemon bars, cooling the crust first leads to the layers combining – what a bummer! Learning this the hard way was NOT fun!

How to Prevent Your Lemon Bar Layers from Combining in the oven

For my first try, I allowed the crust to cool too long after pre-baking, and I was met with upside-down lemon bars when they were done baking.

That’s right – custard on the bottom and crust on top.  Not ideal, although they tasted great!

Anyway, I was quick to blame the whole paleo/nut free recipe and wallow, until I decided to do some research.

As it turns out, this is a somewhat common lemon bar issue that happens when the custard layer leaks into the crust while baking.

The salutation, is to pour the lemon layer over a fresh-out-the-oven-crust (hot) so the eggs immediately start cooking, creating a “seal” between the layers.

Especially important for this crust, since it’s far more delicate than a traditional shortbread crust.

Luckily, my second batch came out a-okay in terms of flavor, texture, and appearance!   Not to mention, with the timing issue fixed, these lemon bars are SO easy to make.

However, it’s not quite as easy to let them cool fully before digging in (but you MUST!) since they just look and smell so darn yummy!

Trust me though – they’re worth the wait, AND, to speed things up, you can chill in the fridge so they finish setting after they’re nearly at room temperature.  For toppings, you can go with a dusting of organic powdered sugar, grated lemon zest, or a dollop of coconut whipped cream.

Ingredients You Need for Lemon Bars with Coconut Flour Crust

For the crust, you’ll need an egg, coconut flour, tapioca flour or arrowroot, ghee or coconut oil, raw honey, vanilla, lemon zest and salt.

For the filling, you’ll need fresh lemon juice and zest, eggs, tapioca or arrowroot, a touch of coconut flour and raw honey.

How to Make These Lemon Bars

Prepare the crust and press it into a parchment lined square baking pan. You will bake the crust for about 12 minutes and during this time, prepare the lemon layer.

Once the crust is baked, pour the lemon layer mixture over the hot crust, and lower the temperature of the oven to 325°F. This is an important step to avoid the filling cracking from over baking.

Bake 15-18 minutes until the filling is just set, then cool on a wire rack to room temperature.

Before slicing, I recommend chilling the bars for at least 2 hours for neat slices.

Tips for Perfect Coconut Flour Lemon Bars

• Measure coconut flour carefully (it’s very absorbent)
• Don’t overbake the filling
• Pour filling over a warm crust
• Chill before slicing
• Use a warm knife for clean cuts

How to Get Clean Lemon Bar Slices

Allow the bars to chill completely before slicing. Use a sharp knife warmed under hot water and wiped clean between each cut to keep the edges neat.

Why Did My Lemon Bars Turn Out Dry?

Coconut flour can easily dry out baked goods if too much is used or if the bars are overbaked. Be sure to measure carefully and remove the bars from the oven when the center is just set.

How to Store Lemon Bars

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Paleo Lemon Bars {Nut Free}

These creamy paleo lemon bars have a nut free, grain free honey-sweetened shortbread crust with a perfectly sweet-tart lemon custard layer to top!  Dust with organic powdered sugar or dollop with coconut whipped cream for a deliciously dreamy dessert!

Author: Michele

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Course: Baking/Dessert

Cuisine: Nut Free, Paleo

Servings: 16 bars

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4.54 from 199 votes

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1/3 cup ghee room temp*
• 1 egg room temp
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• grated Zest of 1 lemon

Filling:

• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice about 4 lemons
• Grated zest of one lemon
• 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp raw honey
• 3 large eggs PLUS 1 yolk
• 1 Tbsp tapioca flour
• 1/2 tsp coconut flour

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Line an 8 x 8” baking dish with parchment paper on the bottom and up the sides.   

2. To make the crust, whisk together wet ingredients until smooth (or use an electric mixer, then stir dry ingredients in until well combined. Chill if necessary to form a dough (5-10 mins).  Press crust into bottom of parchment paper evenly, then poke all over with a fork.

3. While crust bakes (see below), whisk together all filling ingredients in a large bowl until very smooth, set aside.

4. Bake crust 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges, then whisk filling mixture one last time and pour over HOT crust (important!) AND lower oven temp to 325 degrees F. Continue to bake another 15-18 minutes at 325, or until filling is just set in the center.

5. Allow the pan to cool on a wire rack completely, then refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Refrigerating overnight will work too.
6. To serve, cut cooled bars into 16 squares using a long sharp knife for neat edges.
7. Dust with organic powdered sugar, grated lemon zest or top with a dollop of coconut whipped cream and serve! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes

*Coconut oil or grass fed butter can be used as well

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcal

Carbohydrates: 14g

Protein: 2g

Fat: 5g

Saturated Fat: 3g

Cholesterol: 50mg

Sodium: 45mg

Potassium: 28mg

Fiber: 1g

Sugar: 9g

Vitamin A: 60IU

Vitamin C: 3mg

Calcium: 6mg

Iron: 0.4mg

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Want More Paleo Desserts?  Try One Of These!

Paleo Lemon Curd Tartlets

Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts 

Lemon Bars with Cookie Crust {Vegan}

Paleo Lemon Blueberry Muffins {Nut Free}

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Strawberry Lemon No-Bake Cheesecake {Paleo & Vegan}

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