Easy Vegan Lemon Bars
Creamy, zesty, and sweet, these irresistible Vegan Lemon Bars combine zingy lemon curd with a 'buttery' shortbread base — Now 100% plant-based!
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 248kcal
Ingredients
Shortbread crust:
- ½ cup of vegan butter melted
- ¼ cup of brown sugar
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
Lemon filling:
- 5 large lemons
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 (15-ounce) can of coconut cream
- 7 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon of yellow food coloring optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the melted vegan butter and sugar. Add the flour and mix until fully combined. The dough will be thick. Add it to the prepared baking dish, spread it out evenly, and press it down until very compact.
- Bake it for 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove it from the oven and set it aside. Do not turn off the oven.
- Add the granulated sugar to a medium bowl and zest one lemon right into the bowl. Using your hands, massage the lemon zest into the sugar until fragrant.
- While the crust is baking, in a medium saucepan, add the juice of the lemons, sugar, and coconut cream. Turn on the stove to medium heat and mix well.
- Whisk in the cornstarch and food coloring, if using. Continue to whisk for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and evenly pour the mixture into the baking dish with the shortbread crust.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow it to sit on the counter for 1 hour. Place the baking dish in the refrigerator and allow it to sit for 3 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, lift the entire dessert using the parchment paper and place it on a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares and enjoy.
Notes
- Don’t overwork the dough: To prevent dense, chewy vegan shortbread.
- Tweak the sweetness: Use more/less sugar in the filling to taste.
- Don’t rush the cooling step: The vegan lemon curd filling sets during this time. Slicing too soon may ruin it.
- For clean slicing: If needed, wipe the knife between each cut.
Nutrition
Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 47mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
