This recipe for keto lemon bars is an absolute low carb dream! With only 4g of net carbs per serving, you’ll be happy to indulge in this bright and tangy treat without a shred of guilt!
Are you missing fruity goodness on your keto diet?
I’m not one who subscribes to the belief that keto is a “no fruits” diet, and this is because I think many fruits are still great whole food options, that are nutritious than other artificial foods.
But some fruits are very high in NET carbs (total carbs minus fiber minus sugar alcohols) for someone following keto. This is mostly because of the high amount of natural sugars.
For example:
An apple is about 20.6g net carbs, an orange is about 8.3g net carbs, and a banana is about 23.9g net carbs. (source: Google)
Because of this, I would say those aren’t great options for Keto, but other fruits, like berries are much better.
One cup of blackberries is about 6 net carbs, one cup of raspberries is about 7 net carbs, and a cup of whole strawberries is about 8.1g net carbs. Those numbers are much better, and when you think about it…one cup of any of these fruits is a pretty significant amount!
I love to put lower carb fruits into my desserts, like in my Keto Yogurt Recipe so I’m super excited to share this recipe with you…it’s a real winner!
Keto Lemon Bars
Thanks so much to Tasteaholics for letting me share this recipe! It comes straight from their Dessert in Five, eCookbook, which features 30 DELICIOUS recipes that all can be made with just 5 ingredients and are only 5g (or less) of net carbs per serving!
There’s also Breakfast in Five, Lunch in Five and Dinner in Five. The best option would be to buy the whole bundle. You won’t regret it!
The fruit in this recipe is lemons…which are about 3.4g net carbs per fruit. And you’re not using very much of it so the carbs stay low!
The other hero of this recipe is what makes it sweet…erythritol. Erythritol is a mild sugar alcohol with a glycemic index of 0. It’s my favorite sweetener, and I believe the powdered version is the very best. It tastes and bakes like confectioner’s sugar, AND really cuts down on the cooling effect that erythritol typically carries.
And what’s REALLY cool, is Tasteaholics has their own brand called So Nourished that manufactures affordable erythritol!
You can buy it on Amazon along with their Ketone Test Strips and Hand Held Spiralizer. If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you know that I love to support small business, so I’m so happy to promote this quality brand!
Back to the recipe. When I tried the Keto Lemon Bars I was so impressed. It tastes so fresh and natural, unlike the processed junk you might be used to if you’re new to Keto. And the nutrition info is great! Here’s a breakdown per serving:
Calories: 272
Net Carbs: 4g
Fat: 26g
Protein: 8g
Here’s how you make them!
Keto Lemon Bars
You and your guests will be left satisfied after these dense, wonderful lemon dream bars! Finish them off with lemon and a sprinkle of erythritol.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 3/4 cups almond flour, divided
1 cup powdered erythritol, divided
3 medium lemons
3 large eggs
Instructions
- Mix butter, 1 cup almond flour, 1/4 cup erythritol, and a pinch of salt. Press evenly into an 8×8″ parchment paper-lined baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. Then, let cool for 10 minutes.
- Into a bowl, zest one of the lemons, then juice all 3 lemons, add the eggs, 3/4 cup erythritol, 3/4 cup almond flour & pinch of salt. Combine to make filling.
- Pour the filling onto the crust & bake for 25 minutes.
- Serve with lemon slices and a sprinkle of erythritol.
Notes
If adding vanilla extract to crust is something you’re used to, feel free to mix 1/2 tsp into the crust.
I recommend letting the bars cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
Cutting the bars with unflavored dental floss is a GREAT way to get a clean cut.
Please note that I am not a certified nutritionist. If nutrition is important to you, I highly encourage you to verify any data you see here with your favorite nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 272
- Fat: 26g
- Carbohydrates: 4g net
- Protein: 8g
You may also enjoy…
-
- Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake
-
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bites
-
- Keto Death By Chocolate Cake
Karen says
I made these last night and my crust portion is way too greasy. It won’t hold together. Seems like too much butter. They taste good but next time I’ll use half the amount of butter.
★★★★
Suz says
After reading several posts regarding the crust not holding, I put the oven rack up one above the middle, it came out great! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
★★★★★
Jessica Martinez says
I followed the exact recipe, and while the crust did seem a bit greasy, it stayed together and worked well perfectly! It came out great, thank you for sharing this recipe!
NADIAH SHAW-SIMS says
HI, I ALSO FOLLOWED THE RECIPE BUT THE FILLING DID NOT RISE NOR WAS IT CAKELIKE. DID YOURS?
Charissa says
Lemon bars are not cake like more like custard on crust
Christine says
Hi, Lemon Bars are not supposed to bake like a cake. They are thick and dense. Kind of like brownies. They are not supposed to be fluffy at all. Sounds like you made PERFECT Lemon Bars.
Jessica Moerler says
Hi,
I made lemon bars today and doubled to recipe.I added half a cup of coconut flour to the crust part so 1 cup of almond flour and 1/2 cup of coconut the crust turned out perfect. And for the filling I did a cup of almond flour and 1/4 cup of coconut flour. I also made a sugar free blueberry compote to drizzle on top. I took it to a picnic and it was a hit. Everyone loved it.
★★★★★
Bunny says
I added an 8oz block of cream cheese to the filling, and zested all 3 lemons into the mixture. Turned out very delicious, make sure to cool these for 2hrs after cooked though I froze them and they held together much better.
★★★★★
Dave says
I tried Bunny’s idea of yesting all 3 lemons and the 8 ounces of cream chesese and also added 1 cup of unsweetened coconut
Janis says
And how was it with the cream cheese? I’m curious!
Gisela says
Crust way too greasy and did not hold together. Top did not rise and was flat not like photo. I will use 1/2 the amount of butter next time and try again.
★★★
Mindy says
For me it was good, but to sour. Maybe I’ll try juicing only 2 lemons. It was too strong for me with the lemon/sour taste.
Aileen says
Gonna try this! I love lemon bars!!!!!!
Heather Dozier says
So I followed the recipe, but the “crust” didn’t set. Not sure if that’s normal, or should I bake longer before pouring in the lemon filling. Anyone have any experience with this? Looks like an amazing recipe and I can’t wait to try it al many others on this lifesaving website!
Sam says
If the crust isn’t fully set don’t hesitate to pop it back in the oven. Almond flour is softer than regular flour but firms as it cools. If it looks actually wet, put it back in for a few minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Sometimes ovens can slightly vary in temperature
Tracie says
I haven’t tried these yet but am going to. They look absolutely amazing! Could the problem some are having with the crust setting up be due to the type of almond flour they’re using, that it’s not ground fine enough or that it’s almond meal? I know that was my problem before with some recipes. Just a thought……
Maryanne says
Made these for first time yesterday and followed recipe as written. Had a few snags: the crust started burning 10 min into baking , so I had to take it out. It was salvagable, but I didn’t want to burn it further so I took it out of the pan and put the filling in to bake on its own. It turned out beautiful. I let it cool then placed it on top of the crust. They were super lemony/sour at first, but next day I put clotted cream and a few fresh blueberries on top. Yummm. Taste like English scones with lemon curd and clotted cream. Would go perfect with tea or coffee!!
★★★★
Lindsay Brown says
Hello, can you explain how you only get 4g of carbs? I plugged everything in myfitnesspal app and everything came up matching to what you have except the carbs. I got 30g. Thank you
Sam says
hi! Have you subtracted the fiber and sugar alcohols (from the erythritol) from the total carb count? That should bring the number down quite a bit
Lindsay Brown says
Hi! I have not. So if the carbs are 3g and the sugar alcohol is 3g then it’s 0g correct? I’m excited to make these
Amee E says
I doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 pan, cutting them into 24 pieces at 1 net carbs each!
Queenie says
Can I use coconut flour to replace almond flour?
John says
I tried this with coconut flour. It was inedible. The crust was powdery tasting and the filling was gross. I followed the recipe to a T. I’ll try again with almond flour perhaps.
HEIDI MCCULLOUGH says
Not sure what John meant by “to a T” but when you sub coconut flour, you use about a THIRD of the amount of almond flour called for. I would try 1/3 cup plus one tablespoon in the crust, and 1/4 cup in the filling. Coconut flour absorbs a TON more moisture than almond flour does. That’s probably why John’s were so powdery.
Tracy Riser says
so grateful for these replies, i am only in my second week and learning a LOT! Tried with coconut flour as that is what i had and I, too, found them inedible; going out for almond flour to try again as I need a treat;)
★★★★★
SandraTucker says
This is one of the easiest and best low carb desserts I have ever made. Outstanding!!! Mine wasn’t as pretty but OMG
Cassie says
Hi – I made these and the topping is very gooey and doesn’t seem to have cooked all the way through. Is that the right consistency or is it supposed to be firmer?
Sam says
It was slightly jiggly but did firm up. If you make these again, definitely do add it back in the oven briefly if it seems gooey until fully cooked.
Rita says
Made these today came good but the crust was a little crummy. What did I do wrong?
Sam says
Mine were a little bit crumbly too. Were they fully cooled? sometimes if they’re even a bit warm still it can be overly crumbly. Once I stored mine in the fridge and ate them chilled, it improved even more.
Jane says
Omg these are wonderful! Do you have to refrigerate them?
★★★★★
Amee E says
Should I refrigerate the left overs?
Sam says
yes I believe so
Lisa says
Mines turned out delicious!! Crust was great!! I’ll make these often. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Jane says
These are awesome! I want to make again, using the crust recipe and then changing it up and maybe doing a blueberry or strawberry topping.
Lillian says
I don’t have lemons, but I have lemon juice. Could I substitute that for the real deal? How much would I use?
Sam says
I would definitely recommend the real lemons because the taste will be much better/fresher, especially with the lemon zest. Unfortunately I’m not sure how much lemon juice you could substitute with.
Chef Mettler says
1 lemon is worth about 2 tbsp on average, therefore you would use 6 tbs of lemon juice and 1 tbs of juice as a sub for the zest.
★★★★
Ioana says
I really love lemon desserts. Seems pretty simple to make, definitely going to try it! Booked marked the recipe
Aaron says
What did you put on top? It looks like some kind of frosting
Sam says
That’s just powdered erythritol 🙂
Allie says
911! Is the filling supposed to be loose? I think my lemons were too big. I added more almond flour but it’s very runny. Should it be like cake batter?
Rosy says
Were you able to figure out what happened? Mine was very liquidy. It was a lot of lemon juice but don’t think too much.
Gizelle says
I had same issue
Lindsay says
They taste so good!! However, the erythritol seemed to recrystillize in the crust. Has this happened to anyone? Any tricks to prevent this?
Monika says
Use powdered erythritol instead.
Debbie Manek says
I used to Monk sugar because it’s all I had, and it wasn’t powdered, but it seems everything turned out fine. I also used french butter, and it was the first thing you tasted. It was my first time using french butter, you should try it, there is a big difference from the Land O Lakes I’ve been using prior.
Brenda says
Debbie,
I ADORE Land O Lakes butter and can tell when someone uses a different butter just by the taste. Does the French butter have a better taste than my favorite?? How so??
Tbaker says
Thanks for commenting. I was wondering if monk fruit sugar would work.
Melanie says
I made these last night but used granular Swerve instead, as that is what I had. I was a little light handed with it – so maybe a quarter inch below top on my steel 1 cup measure. I was still worried it would be too sweet due to the difference in granular and confectioners. It actually turned out perfect for us. Husband and I both love them. Crust held together, but was really buttery and a little loose while still warm, but so, so good. Stored in fridge, it firmed up nicely and is delicious cold as well. A great recipe. Will order the powdered erithritol for next time.
Lyne says
Could Stevia work in this recipe instead of erithritol?
Jeanne says
I made this recipe and it turned out amazing. My three year old grandson loved these bars! I have found that most all Keto dessert recipes are better after refridgerated for several hours and even better the next day. Your crust will be firmer and filling set well making it worth the wait. I will definitely make this a regular go to summer dessert for our Keto friendly home.
★★★★★
Amy says
Looks so good! Would you recommend any alterations for high altitudes?
Sam says
Thank you! Unfortunately I’m not familiar with high altitude baking differences
Denise says
I generally add 2 extra tbsp of almond flour for all my high altitude baking. I also used a splash of heavy cream. Mine turned out well!
Mandy says
Could I use real lemon juice with this instead of going out to buy the lemons ? And how much would I need ?
Sam says
Yes you can but I don’t know how much. I would recommend using fresh if at all possible. I do think the fresh lemon flavor is different than bottled juice. Also this recipe calls for lemon zest which I think adds an important depth of flavor.
Lorene says
My husband has a nut allergy. Is there an alternative to almond flour?
Sam says
You can use coconut flour but I personally haven’t tried it. It’s more absorbent and requires a different amount than the almond flour and may make it taste like coconut. There are some good recipes for crusts on google that should work. Hope that helps!
Marilee Lynn says
Technically, coconut is still considered a tree nut so I recommend being very sure he’s not allergic to that too.
Vikki says
Coconut is a fruit. Some do and some dont react to coconut if they have a tree nut allergy 🙂 We have a tree nut allergy ad are making this with coconut flour…no issues.
Tonia says
Coconut is a fruit, not a nut.
Shree says
Is there some type of icing on those in the picture?
Sam says
Nope, that’s just powdered erythritol.
Marty says
These were absolutely fantastic! My husband said he wouldn’t have known they were low carb, that’s how yummy they were. I actually think these are better because they are not as sweet as the traditional ones! I doubled the crust recipe to make it thicker and added whipped cream on top. So wonderful!
The crust would also make a great base for other desserts 🙂
★★★★★
Sammie says
Anyone try the lemon bars without the crust? What did you think??
Tay Battan says
These were absolutely delicious!!!
★★★★★
Elaine Hochheiser says
I am a reluctant cook and baker however since switching over to Keto woe I have been baking a lot more. I made these today and they taste incredible. So yummy. I often make substitutions and hope for the best. I did substitute a few things here and they still turned out great. I can’t eat anything with sugar alcohol so finding a great sugar substitute was a challenge. I have been using Kakato sugar substitute and it worked great. For the filling I only used 1/2 cup instead of 3/4. I also did not have lemon zest or fresh lemons. I used non-GAO lemon juice—8 tablespoons and it tastes fantastic. For those that asked about type of butter….I always use Kerrygold or another grass-fed butter. I also baked the crust for 5 extra minutes since it was still so wet. I also baked the entire dish for 5 extra minutes. The crust was awesome due to the buttery crunch with the extra baking. I hope this helps other novice bakers out there.
Valerie says
I made this tonight and used pyure organic stevia blend (granular) and it came out very bitter. Do you think if I use the powdered version would taste better? Or I don’t know maybe my lemons were to tangy.
Sam says
Do you typically use stevia in your desserts?
Powdered may help but I’m not sure. I don’t really use stevia because it tastes extremely bitter to me in most forms. I think that varies by person.
Sometimes products blend erythritol and stevia to make them less bitter and counteract the cooling effect of erythritol, which I think helps. You may try one of those blends if stevia alone is too bitter to you.
Rose says
I bake with Swerve which comes in granular, powdered and brown sugars. Best I have found, not bitter, cooling or an after taste. It’s one for one like sugar. These lemon bars are great. Took them to bible study and no one guessed they were Kato, they simply loved them.
Marissa says
Delicious!!
★★★★★
Amanda says
Came home and made these this evening. My second time baking them and I absolutely love them. The look fantastic and taste even better. You know it is easy if I bake them on a Monday night!
★★★★★
Amy says
I can’t rate the full recipe, since I only madethe crust portion as a bottom for my lemon curd tart. But it is yummy! I used liquid monk fruit sweetener and it can out delicious and perfectly cooked in 20 mins. Thank you!
★★★★★
Lauren says
Can the sugar substitute be swerve instead??
Sam says
Yep! Swerve is erythritol
Bethany K. Reddy says
I just attempted these and because I was apparently having a brain cramp 😀 I put in coconut flour instead of the almond flour in the crust. I knew as soon as the scent hit my nose but by that time I had a choice of going with it or wasting the coconut flour and an entire stick of butter. I had my doubts, but I went ahead and made the crust as was. It seemed okay after baking, so I went ahead and made the lemon layer. These bars are amazing! The lemon set up just right and has the perfect amount of tang. I still want to try it with the almond flour crust… It will probably be a bit more crisp. But the coconut flour version wasn’t bad at all!
★★★★★
Hana says
If I wanted to double the serving size, how much would the amount in the ingredients change?
Sam says
To double the serving multiple all the ingredients by 2
Fatima says
Just made these tonight. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. My husband and I are loving it. The flavour is so dense that we can only have 2/3 a square each. And it fills any desire for a little something sweet. ????
★★★★★
Joy says
I wonder if you could add blueberries to thisnor if it would make it too “liquidy?”
Emma says
My very first keto treat and WOW! I can’t speak for the baking dish route but I had to use a cast iron frying pan and everything cooked PERFECTLY. Nice browned crust that didn’t crumble, perfectly cooked and non-gooey top. Next time I’ll add some rosemary or lavender because this recipe is going to be hard to move on from. Thank you!
★★★★★
Liv says
I have been living low carb/ keto for around 10 years, and this is by far the best cake recipe I have found! It is soooo delicious with the fresh lemon, crunchy crust and creamy filling. I will definitely be trying more of your recipes, thank you so much for sharing this!
★★★★★
Evi says
The recipe is fantastic and such a treat thank you! Personally I wld go a little sweeter and more lemon. We loved the crunchy “sugar” sprinkled on top.
★★★★★
Rose Active Pietal says
I made these yesterday for a family get together. Oh my goodness. These may be the best lemon bars I’ve ever had! Thank you for such an easy and delicious recipe! I couldn’t be more grateful! 🙂
★★★★★
Stacey says
These are AMAZING.
I had my son asleep on me so baked the base then couldn’t get to the top until probably an hour.
Baked it with the topping and let completely cool for 2 hours and omg my kids loved it too, definitely a winner.
I also only had xylitol and limes but swapped them out and it was perfect.
The BEST part is it’s so easy and very little ingredients ????????
Thank you for the recipe.
Debra says
I tried this tonight and loved it! I, too, have a very soft crust that is releasing a bit of butter. However, it may stabilize once it sets in the refrigerator. If not, I will reduce the butter by a 1/4 until I hit the right amount. Since it’s just me, I plan to see how well they freeze. I’ve missed lemon bars since I started Keto, so this was a welcomed discovery.
★★★★
Helen says
This are amazing! I’ve eaten Keto for 3 1/2 years and this is by far the best dessert I’ve had!
★★★★★
Amber Boicourt says
This was very tasty! My crust came out just fine, but I think that’s because my oven runs a bit hot. The filling was very good and had a great lemon flavor, however it is quite crumbly. Will be making again for sure! (I used Swerve confectioners, 3g carbs per 1tsp)
★★★★
Leesa says
I don’t bake often but since I’m on Keto I’ve been baking a lot more. I’ve never zested lemons. Can someone’s tell me how much of the lemon zest do I put in this recipe?
Leesa says
Okay… so I looked up zesting lemons and now I feel stupid for even asking that question.
Cat says
I followed to a T and it was nothing like the picture – not dense at all. Very soft and WAY too tart. I used everything exactly as described. I love to cook, and have never had a recipe turn out so badly. Your picture looks like it rises, and is cake-like. Mine was about 3/4″ – 1″ high and very soft. The crust was soggy and the filling was like a hard custard. Totally confused by this recipe and hesitant to try it again as the powdered erythritol is so expensive.
Annie says
So delicious! I’ve made these for my non-keto family a couple of times and they love them, too. Definitely one of my go-to desserts. Easy to make too!
★★★★★
CheChe says
These were phenomenal! Me and my roommate agreed when we think of lemon bars we think of more lemon flavor (that sweet tartness…mmm) So, next time I wonder if I should add the juice of 1 more lemon or the ZEST of 1more lemon. Which would possibly add more lemon flavor without compromising the performance of the batter?
Also, I added extra (didn’t measure) sugar (maybe like less than 1/4 a cup and extra Almond flour. I am pretty intuitive as an untrained cook or baker so the batter looked a bit runny for my taste so I thought I would “stiffen” it up. Took the risk and it was AMAZINGGGGGG….
The crust was cooked about 7 minutes longer than necessary. I didn’t want to risk it being TOO soft and it was amazing. It is pretty durable and tasty. I would add a smidgen less butter next time personally. I think KERRYGOLD is much richer than average butter and I think it goes further than typical watery butter. Kerrygold is rich thick and the flavor is deeeeeeeep. I might remove 2-4 tablespoons from the recommendation and see how that turns out 🙂
So, apart from adding more lemon (suggestions), these were ammmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzinnnn… Crumbled some on top of my cake batter HALO TOP icecream. My roommates keep asking for more each day. And I’m excited for it to be gone so I have another reason to bake something.
Thanks so much for the recipe :)!!!
Shelly says
Made this today and it was amazeballs 🙂 Nice lemony flavour. Next time I’ll add a little less sweetner. 🙂
Lucy says
These are absolutely spectacular – thank you so much for sharing! Mine turned out perfect – i baked the base until firm, let it cool, then added the lemon layer. Sliced when still warm, but put into the fridge to firm up – looked beautiful (even when sliced with a knife) and held together perfectly!
★★★★★
Anna says
I made them. They went together great and smelled great while cooking. As for taste…yuck! I threw them in the trash.
Brandi says
Made these! So delicious, thank you so much for creating this keto approved recipe. I had a terrible sweet tooth before starting keto and so when I get a craving for something sweet I love finding keto approved recipes to try out. This was so quick and easy and tastes the same to me, maybe even better, than regular lemon bars. I cut these smaller than normal to limit the calories a little bit more, basically made bite size pieces. Thanks again, love this recipe!
★★★★★
Nikita says
Do you have a preferred almond flour? There are so many options!
Sam says
I really love Bob’s Red Mill super fine 🙂
Melissa says
2x I tired crust -18 minutes black so threw it away and tried again. Now at 10 minutes 1/2 is dark brown like burnt. Not sure if it’s even worth adding filling. It’s an expensive mistake to keep making when following directions.
★★★
Erin says
These are perfect, lemony, creamy, super tasty. For those of you asking about lemon juice, you will miss the zest, but per the real lemon bottle, 3 tbsp juice per lemon.
★★★★★
Karen says
These bars are amazing! I did use half the butter and cooked the crust five minutes less. The filling did need an extra five minutes cooking time. Otherwise the flavor is on point!
★★★★★
Laurel says
Can you freeze the left-overs?
★★★★
Heather W says
Dude are we sure these bars are only 4 net carbs? Cause if it makes 8 bars they are very large potions! I’m so scared to love them as much as I do. They taste so good it seems too good to be true. I’m not dreaming, right?
One of the things I’ve really missed on Keto is tart sweet things. I loooove sour gummies. This completely satisfied that craving. I’m so happy!!!!
★★★★★
Melanie says
These were delicious , however mine were quite flat and dense,,, nothing like the picture , any idea where I went wrong ,,,
★★★★★
Bridget says
Tried these Keto Lemon Bars for the first time last night. As my second ever Keto friendly dessert, these are absolutely amazing. They don’t taste “modified” or “lighter” at all. I followed the recipe exactly, adding 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla to the crust, as the notes offered. The bars have that familiar lemon bar texture once set in the fridge for a while. I definitely recommend fresh lemons, because the natural flavor can’t be beat. Thanks for a delightful new staple!
★★★★★
Kristine says
Hi do I need to have the parchment paper up on her sides of the pan also? Or just on the bottom?
Sam says
I found it helpful to make sure it went up the sides too!
Gaye says
I made this today. When adding liquid butter it appeared to liquid. I added an extra Tbsp almond flour and coconut. My husband loved these. Thank you for your recipe. Good job!
Heidi says
I’m going to try this recipe in individual ramekins. That way the crust and the filling will be intact and portion-controlled. I’ll try to remember to come back here and report on my success or failure with that technique. Sounds like an awesome recipe.
★★★★★
Heidi says
Actually, my silicone muffin pan is a better idea for baking these individually.
Shayma says
Im stunned a cake can be so good on keto
Loved it! Was perfect but mine tasted too lemony maybe mine were kinda large il put less juice in next time! Will be making many though. Thank u!!
★★★★★
wendy says
these were super dry, i recommend adding more fat or eggs to the mixture
★
Chandra says
Made this lemon bar recipe for a work Christmas party and they were a hit, co-workers kept coming back for more. I doubled the recipe and they were perfect. I live at high altitude, over 7,000 ft and the only adjustments I made were a little less butter for the crust and I kept it in the oven 25 min at 350. Also, I used confectioners Swerve as my erythritol ingredient.
Great recipe!
★★★★★
CK says
I made this for Thanksgiving and my whole family (even those not doing keto) loved them. I used the meyers lemons off my lemon tree, which made it even better. Finally, I have something to use my meyers lemons on. I am making them again for Christmas:)
★★★★★
Angela says
20 minutes to bake the crust is way too long. Mine was burnt. Very disappointing.
★★★
Swoolley says
This came out great! Thank you! I had to improvise because I had a craving for sweets, and it was either do it now, or order something bad through grub hub! The only things I changed was I used spenda (all I had), and instead of fresh lemons I used 1/2 tbsp lemon extract to replace the zest, and 6 tbsp lemon juice. My crust got over done because ei got distracted and lost track of which device was running the timer, but they were still great! I will make these again. Thank you so muvh!
★★★★★
Luba Zak says
Mine turned out fine. I had to cook the crust
A few extra minutes but it turned out perfect.
My oven is a bit on the hot side. Things with
Erythritol take awhile to firm up. I made them
Before bed and it cut perfectly the next
Morning. I think people have to have some
Willpower and patience. I have a BIG sweet
Tooth so I added a smidge more erythritol into
The filling and the crust. I also sprinkled a
Fair amount on top. Then I put them in the
Fridge. The bars are wonderful !!! And easy to
make. They tasted better on the second day
For some reason. At first I thought they
Weren’t sweet enough. My boyfriend,
Who has been anti sugar since the early
70s said they were too sweet for him.
More for me!!!
I did notice some crystallization in the crust.
I also added vanilla 1/2 teas to it.
★★★★★
Estelle says
Made these today!!!! Absolutely delicious!!! Sooooo easy. Only change I made was I added finely ground pecans to the crust, because we love pecans.
I do have one question. I’m new to Keto. When a recipe calls for “powdered sweetener” does that mean confectioners sweetener or granular sweetener?
Thanks
★★★★★
Sam says
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Powdered is confectioners 🙂
Sherry says
I made these a couple days ago and they are so so good. I didn’t have fresh lemon so I used 6tbs bottled lemon juice and a splash of lemon extract. I also used a blend of swerve and monkfruit sweetener. I did not put powdered anything on top, I chose a very thin cream cheese frosting and smeared it on top after it sat in the fridge for a while then I let it sit in there overnight. I tried these yesterday and I have to say they are dangerous! So yummy. I would never guess they were anything other than a decadent sugary lemon square. I will say the crust was nice but while baking the crust rises and the middle sank. I let it cool for a good hour before baking with the filling so it held together perfectly. I just ended up with weird sides that I trimmed off. I might try this with my usual almond crust recipe.
★★★★★
Sherry Shane says
I also tried them with fine coconut flakes on top, so good! I might try lime juice next.
★★★★★
Tracy says
Yuuuuuumy!
★★★★★
Lady Montagu says
These bars look amazing! But it seems to be SO MUCH sugar – can I cut it in half?
Sam says
You can definitely adjust to your taste preference! 🙂
Dianne L Vanevenhoven says
The lemon bars turned out perfect! Will make again.
★★★★★
JamieInWyoming says
SO much better than I expected, lol! Do not expect a gel type of a top, it has a lot more chew than that. I didn’t think I would like it, but DANG!!! I cannot wait for the hubby to get home and try one, too. I am a professional candy maker and baker, and some of my customers have been requesting LCHF, sugar free, Keto, etc type of goodies. If you actually read the entire recipe and follow the very simple directions and hints, you’ll be just fine. LET IT COOL FIRST or the crust will not stay together, which is common with any almond flour baked good. Thank you for sharing this with us. <3
★★★★★
Michael Y says
These are fantastic!!!!
★★★★★
S says
Mine turned out amazing!!!
Use Whip Cream to top it off, it’s 😍😍
Carrie says
We are using key limes now, wish us luck!
MELINDA COLLINGSWORTH says
These are amazing! I’ve made them twice now. Second time I put raspberries on top of the cooked crust before adding the filing. Delicious! Next time I’m going to use blueberries.
★★★★★
Susie says
It would be awesome to see a measurement for the amount of lemon juice since “medium” is sort of arbitrary. For those who have had success with the recipe if you measured the amount of lemon juice you put in I’d love to know. Thanks!
Millie Hart says
My husband loves these ! He usually doesn’t take a dessert to work with his lunch but when I make these lemon 🍋 bars he ask every time. And fairly easy to make . This time I used Meyers lemons and the zest of regular lemons and a touch of lime zest . YUMMY . Thank you for your recipes I use many .
★★★★★
MickiSue says
Just made these for the first time for Valentine’s dinner dessert. My non-low carb eating husband went back for seconds!
FWIW, my lemons were decent sized, but so were the eggs. The filling was thinner than I’d expected, but firmed up nicely in the oven.
And using Kerrygold butter in the crust was a good plan, too.
★★★★★
abby says
Hi! Do you use the milled almond flour or the regular blanched one?
Sam says
I always use blanched 🙂
Ashely says
Absolutely amazing! I LOVE lemon bars and this tasted better than any real sugar recipe I’ve ever had. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great!
★★★★★
Niecey says
I have tried this recipe and I think this lemon bars are delicious I would do it over again
★★★★★
Gigi says
These lemon bars are delicious! They are soft and hard to cut ..Here’s the trick that worked for me I let them cool 30 min and then 45 min in the refrigerator. Then I cut them and put them in the freezer. Eating them frozen is better for me because they last longer than just inhaling them in two bites. Love them!
★★★★★
Elysia says
Using only 1 cup for the full stick of melted butter was not enough – was so liquid. Had to add 1 whole cup of flour. Other than that the recipe was good!
Alanda says
Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Added a lemon to make it super tart. This is my go to dessert. Thank you!!! I added fresh berries in the custard part, made texture a bit off..but really good. So now I just add to the side. 🙂
★★★★★
Kimberly says
This is a popular post and I see why! I read the comments about the crust and modified mine by cutting butter in half and adding 1/4ish extra cup of flour and using granulated xylitol. I also baked it 5 minutes longer. The filling I followed to a T and it’s soo delicious! The crust is like traditional lemon bar crust and the filling baked up perfectly in the time suggested. I have a feeling I will be making these more often as they are my husbands favorite treat. Thanks for the recipe!!!!
★★★★★
Helen says
Absolutely my favorite. I love lemon bars before, never tried keto style lemon bars, it was outstanding.
I like my crust little on the dark /light brown side, especially when the lemon filling goes on the top of the crust, the crust needs to be well baked. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
★★★★★
Val says
this recipe was a hit! I’ve made it several times. For the filling, I use 1/2 cup of sugar instead of 3/4 cup erythritol and it’s still sweet.
★★★★★
Jane says
Great taste highly recommend! Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Nhu says
Delicious!!!!! The only changes I made were adding a bit of raspberries and some poppyseed, as well as one extra lemon (juices and zest). I added a bit of vanilla extract to the crust and everything came out wonderfully held together and smelled/tasted AMAZING!
★★★★★
Rose says
These bars are fantastic! Being a Floridian I have an obsession with Key Lime, so I tried Nellie & Joe’s bottled Key Lime Juice (zero calories, zero carbs) and added the zest of one regular lime. I had company coming who had moved away from Florida and I wanted them to feel at home. These were perfect! After reading reviews I added a little more almond flour to the crust but I’m not convinced it was necessary. We have been eating them like crazy! I cut the bars into 16 pieces. I’m kidding myself into thinking I will only eat one. That has not happened yet! I may even double the topping part for a thicker custard when I go for the lemon bars. I’m confused about a lot of the reviews who felt this should be a cake. Maybe a lot of people didn’t grow up eating lemon bars. I did and this recipe is better than the traditional ones I have tried. I also have an inexpensive thermometer designed to go on a rack inside my oven to check the temperature. It really helps get the recipe right Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe!
★★★★★
Rose says
I made this again in a slightly different way. For the lemon juice I substituted bottled 1/2 Cup Key Lime Juice, and added 4 oz of Cream Cheese and mixed the topping part in a blender. Cooked the topping layer 25 mins. It was like Key Lime Cheesecake Squares. Again I cut it into 16 squares. In the crumb I used 5 tablespoons of butter (instead of 8) to try to get the macros closer to the original recipe. I didn’t miss the extra butter, but I only cooked the first layer for 15 mins. I’m obsessed with this recipe! Thanks again!!
Jazz says
Made this recipe. The sugar free, gluten free people like me adore them. A little soft, but will adjust cooking time for my oven. Delicious. Thanks.
★★★★★
Patty says
I don’t get the pour the filling sentence. My filling was not even close to being able to pour. Followed exact measurements. Kept thinking I must have missed an ingredient but no. I ended up just pressing it onto the crust. It turned out very dry.
Rose says
I just made these for the second time in a week and the filling is very pourable. Check your recipe again. 3 lemons make about 9 tablespoons of juice. 3 eggs add a lot of liquid also. 3/4 Cup of almond flour andthe erythritol are the only real dry ingredient. Remember to divide the almond flour. It’s such a great recipe! Try it again, it’s so worth it!
Penny says
These are wonderful! These taste like they were make with real sugar. I read reviews and moved my oven rack up to mid oven and baked the crust on 350 convect. This lightly browned the top of the crust layer. I moved the oven to regular bake for the remainder of the baking. I did add zest of a second lemon. Been doing Keto for 4 months and have been looking for a dessert worthy of spending my carbs on. This is it! Delicious.
Natalie says
I’ve made this recipe several times and I keep coming back to it. It’s definitely one of my favorite low carb desserts. It does not disappoint.
★★★★★
Amber says
Made these lemon bars last night and put them in the fridge to sit overnight. Just tried one today and I’m blown away with how good they taste! My bottom layer seemed a little too buttery when mixing it up so I just mixed in some more almond flour until it looked correct and it worked out to be perfect. I also added one cap of almond extract to the bottom layer. For the lemon filling, I followed the recipe but then decided to add a 1/4 teaspoon of xantham gum to make sure my filling would set up and it DID!! So yummy so good. My husband who isn’t doing keto also thought they tasted yummy.
★★★★★
Laurie says
Try not melting your butter mix soft room temp butter into dry ingrediants
Nicole says
These are delicious. Followed the crust recipe to the And added a bit more lemon juice and they’re perfect. Love love love them.
★★★★★
ClassyClass says
It’s really tough to replace real lemon bars…and this is my first attempt at making a KETO dessert. The crust was a bit weird because it was sloppy when mixed together. As I checked it, I turned the heat up a bit and it puffed and browned nicely. Just watch it carefully. The filling was also sloppy when I poured it onto the cooled crust. It cooked up just perfectly though. I let it cool and it tasted wonderful. I am very picky about makeover desserts so I was thrilled that this is low carb and tasted so yummy! I will make these again and because I am completely new to KETO, I now feel confident that I can actually eat my desserts and lose weight too! This is exciting – thanks so much for the recipe!
★★★★★
Denise says
Amazing recipe!!!! I had no issues with any of this recipe. Turned out fantastic! Thank you for sharing!!! ^_^
★★★★★
Crystal Grace says
I followed this recipe to a T aside from one thing, instead of Ethanol I used 1/3 cup of Truvia (which is supposedly 99% ethanol anyway)
My squares turned out PERFECT! I have never been happier with a Keto sweets recipe! Thanks so much for the great recipe! 🥰
★★★★★
Brandi says
Followed directions and it came out delicious! I’ve been on the Keto plan for about 40 days and had been craving something sweet. This is perfect. I’ve got an eye on a chocolate cake I found here for my birthday later this month. Thanks for posting!
★★★★★
J. Dough says
I’m sorry, but I gotta tell ya… I’m not very happy with you. Shame on you for not adding some notes to the recipe after so many people told you about the various problems with this recipe. Look, people shouldn’t HAVE to read reviews for this kind of information. Sometimes we see the rating is good so we try the recipe.
There was nothing to “press” into the pan, you spread it around. And after 10 minutes baking the “crust” was just mush, with butter pooling. Why don’t you warn us of this and tell us how to correct it up front, or modify the recipe. As many suggest, there seems to be twice as much butter is called for. This is upsetting because I was sacrificing the high cholesterol on the altar of taste, when I could have cut down on it drastically.
Then there’s the filling. After 20 minutes, it looked somewhat firm around the edges but totally wet and runny in most of the middle. Is it supposed to be that way? Why not alert us to bake it a lot longer, if that’s what’s needed, or just revise the recipe.
The reason I’m a bit angry is that it was not just a waste of time, but these ingredients are expensive. Seems there are too many recipes on the internet where it seems people just throw a recipe together in their mind, figuring it will work based on their experience or something, but don’t actually try the recipe. Too many times we see reviews where people follow the recipe carefully, as I did, and it doesn’t turn out.
Revise the recipe. And if you can’t because it’s someone else’s, the change it to be yours and give us a recipe that works.
Thanks for listening.
★
Hannah says
This calls for way too much butter in the crust. When I was mixing it, I thought I’d made a mistake and triple-checked that I was following the recipe correctly. The crust was dark brown and on its way to being burned after only 10 minutes (half the amount of time listed on the recipe) and I noticed butter pooling when I took it out. The crust felt greasy even after cooling. The filling is fine, but there’s not enough of it and I’m not sure how the author got that photo…you’d need to double the filling recipe to get bars that look like that. Also, the filling was way too runny. I wish the author would share an actual measurement of lemon juice instead of just “the juice of 3 lemons”. Every lemon could give out a different amount of juice and could change the outcome for everyone trying the recipe. I added a spoonful of coconut flour (which is very absorbent) and it ended up looking right and coming out really nicely. If I make these again, I would modify almost everything.
★★★
Nicole says
Measurements were good for me. I think 25 min was to long but it was my first time making them so I followed to a T. Next time I’ll bake a little less. Still so yummy!!!!
★★★★★
Kathy Derrick says
I made these last night for my husbands birthday. They were tasty, but very sweet. I agree with the earlier post that the crust was a little greasy but after baking was fine. I probably will use less sweetner and less butter next time but recipe is a keeper!
★★★★
Patricia says
I followed this recipe to the letter and the bars came out quite nicely…hard to believe that they’re keto! I used a scored brownie pan, so I had no issue with a crumbling crust.
I got nine bars. I did find them a little sour. How shall I modify the recipe to mitigate this?
★★★★★
Brandi E says
Congratulations, I’ve been making keto desserts for the passed year from the internet and this is the best one I’ve made. Even my picky son who is not keto , loved these. A few adjustments, I took out 1/3rd of the almond flour and instead used coconut. Really improved the taste and consistency of the crust, I had no problem with it falling apart. Buttery and delicious. You of course have to feel the dough to make sure it’s the right texture and then decide on giving or taking of certain ingredients. I also added More lemon zest and less lemon juice. Also added vanilla into the crust. This was the bomb. Thank you.
★★★★★
Danielle says
These turned out great! I was worried after reading all the reviews but took a chance and am glad I did! Yum! Thanks fur the wonderful recipe!
★★★★
Mary says
Sugar alcohols are bad for a lot of people and cause painful and embarrassing gas! Wish you and others would give stevia alternatives. Erythritol also spikes my blood sugar. Haven’t read everything you’ve written, but would maybe be nice to warn folks!
★
Samantha says
Hello! I am making your keto lemon bars right now as I type for my Mom. She is excited to have some during the holidays! Thank you for the recipe 🙂 & Happy Holidays!
Tara says
Love this recipe, I have another recipe I use as well and they say toast the almond flour before, for the crust and added a bit of cinnamon and it taste amazing you would think it is Graham cracker crust. Just use pan turn to med heat and heat for 5min (stir frequently, and keep eyes on it) so it doesn’t burn.
★★★★★
Rachel says
I did the math and ended up with 9g net carbs per serving!!! These may not qualify as keto for many folks