Description
These vegan lemon bars are the perfect balance of tart and sweet with a deliciously creamy texture. They’re easy to make with no fancy ingredients required—everything you need is probably already in your kitchen.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Shortbread:
- 3/4 cup oat flour
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (or white rice flour)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1–2 tablespoons water (if needed for the crust to hold together)
Lemon Curd:
- 3/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 (15oz) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional, for color)
- Powdered sugar to top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment so there is some overlap (for easy removal).
- In a medium bowl, combine the oat flour, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, shredded coconut, and salt. Stir to evenly distribute.
- Stir in the coconut oil until small clumps form.
- Add a tablespoon of water if needed and stir until dough begins to hold together. Add an additional tablespoon of water as needed, until just holding together but still crumbly.
- Press dough into lined pan, forming an even layer.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly brown at the edges.
- While the base is baking, prepare the lemon curd layer:
- In a medium pot, combine the granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, and turmeric. Whisk to distribute.
- Add just enough coconut milk while whisking to form a thick slurry with no lumps. Once smooth, add the rest of the coconut milk and lemon juice.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes thick and translucent.
- Pour curd over baked base and return to oven for 15 minutes until there is slight browning around the edges.
- Allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature before covering and moving to the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- Once completely cool, remove from pan. Dust with a generous layer of powdered sugar just before serving and cut into 2-inch squares. For easiest cutting, heat a very large knife under hot water (and dry it) and wash the knife between slices.