These rich egg free Lemon Bars have a classic buttery shortbread crust, and are topped with a soft, citrusy, and tart lemon filling. Spring and summer are on their way. Get ready with this eggless version of a classic warm-weather recipe!
Lemon bars are one of my favorite summer sweets, and are traditionally made with eggs. However, my 4 year old son is allergic to eggs, so I try to avoid baking foods that he can’t have. He’s not a fan of lemon, but usually asks to try whatever I make. I make my lemon bars without eggs, just in case he actually likes it one of these times!
Safely Delish: Favorite Egg Free Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
My eggless lemon bars only require fresh lemon and a just few baking staples. You’ll need lemon, flour, butter, sugar (confectioners and granulated), baking powder, salt, and a touch of vanilla. That’s it! I rarely bake with egg substitutes just to keep my recipes (and my life) simple.
You can eat these egg free dessert bars at room temperature, but I personally think they taste best a little chilled. For the zest, you can use a simple cheese grater on the lemon if you don’t have a lemon zester (I don’t have one myself!).
Check out some of my other egg free lemon desserts – Eggless Lemon Cheesecake and Soft Egg Free Lemon Cookies.
What You’ll Need
These eggless lemon bars only require basic ingredients (and a lemon, of course!). Most items are found in your pantry or fridge, so there’s no need to run out for special ingredients or egg substitutes.
- Fresh Lemons, of course! You’ll use both the juice and the zest from your lemons to give these egg free lemon bars that classic flavor.
- Butter provides the great buttery flavor to the crust, and adds a richness to the filling.
- Confectioners Sugar gives the crust a little sweetness (but not too much!), while keeping the texture tender and smooth.
- Granulated Sugar balances out the tartness of the lemon in the filling.
- Vanilla Extract adds that classic “cookie” flavor to the crust.
- Flour and Baking Powder, give body and basic structure to the crust and the filling, and Salt helps balance the sweet and tart flavors.
How to Make Egg Free Lemon Bars
- Preheat your oven to 350F, and get your parchment paper ready (if using, but recommended!). If not, spray your 8×8 baking dish well with cooking spray.
- Prepare your crust – Stir together softened butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt. Press into bottom of baking dish, and up the edges about one inch. Bake in preheated oven for 16 minutes, or just until you notice it beginning to turn golden. Remove from oven.
- As your crust is baking, prepare your zesty (eggless) lemon bar filling. Whisk together melted butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest a large bowl.
- In a separate, smaller bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk into wet ingredients until incorporated. Carefully pour filling onto baked crust, and bake for about 18 minutes. Small bubbles will have formed on top, and it will just have begun to set. (It may still jiggle, but it will set more after removed from the oven).
- Cool bars completely (in the pan) on a wire rack. Cut into squares and dust generously with confectioners sugar just prior to serving.
Sweet & Tart Egg Free Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1/2 cup butter (or margarine), softened
- 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Filling
- 1/4 cup butter (or margarine), melted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup lemon juice – from approximately 2 lemons
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest, to taste – from approximately 1-2 lemons
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Confectioner's Sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 8×8 glass baking dish, or fully line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir softened butter, confectioners sugar, and vanilla. Add flour and salt and stir until combined.
- Press into bottom of baking dish, reaching up the edges of the dish about an inch (to prevent filling from going beneath crust). Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until crust has just begun to turn a light golden color.
- While crust is baking, prepare your filling. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk dry ingredients into wet until combined. Pour over warm crust, and bake for 18 minutes, or until bubbles have formed all over the top, and bars have begun to set. (The middle will still be a bit jiggly, but will set up more as it cools.)
- Cool completely in pan on a wire rack, or chill in refrigerator. Cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife. Dust with confectioner's sugar immediately prior to serving. These are best served chilled. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Notes
Same measurement but I made these and used almond and coconut flour, replaced the butter with coconut oil and olive oil. Replaced the sugar with swerve (zero calorie sweetener), and added vanilla to my filling . Baked the crust for 13 mins and once filling was in another 12 minutes … came out so good! It was amazing !
Thank you for sharing your modifications! It’s always nice to know which other variations work. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed!
Any thoughts on using gluten free flour in this???
Hello! I haven’t tried it myself, however there is another comment on here from someone who tried it with success!
Hi! Just wanted to say that I made these for a picnic last January and they were AMAZING. This was SUCH a hit that I’ll be making it again tomorrow for our annual picnic <3
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Safely Delish, thanks for the delicious recipe
Just found out I have an egg allergy.
Learning from you,thanks again.
I dislike the eggy taste of lemon bars (but love the lemon taste) so I was intrigued by your recipe. How does the lemon filling part stay solid without eggs or some kind of egg replacer product? I was interested in “Just Egg” but have you seen the list of ingredients… Also, I think it apparently has an eggy taste, to some degree
Ingredients: Water, Mung Bean Protein Isolate, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Sugars (Tapioca Syrup Solids, Sugar), Soy Lecithin, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Salt, Gellan Gum, Potassium Citrate, Carotene, Nisin, Transglutaminase, Maltodextrin, Natural Flavours, Dehydrated Onion, Turmeric. Contains: Soy.
Hello! My recipe definitely has a different texture than traditional eggy lemon bars. The flour helps bind the filling after they bake, and the butter solidifies it further once it’s chilled. I hope you enjoy if you try them! 🙂
I’ve only used Just Egg a small handful of times, but have only used it to replace egg when egg is the “star” of the recipe (French Toast muffins, for example). I try to create my eggless recipes with simple pantry ingredients rather than using egg substitutes.
These are the best lemon bars I’ve had PERIOD. I have been looking for a vegan lemon bar recipe for years and each batch always turns out rubbery from using cornstarch. I have served these to non vegan family members and they all have said that these are perfect. Thank you so much!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this with me! I’m always thrilled to hear from others who enjoy my recipes. I’m a huge fan of lemon desserts, and worked hard on this recipe – I really appreciate the feedback!
I’ve been desperate to find a good vegan lemon bar, and this recipe is the absolute best! It’s become my one and only. I just substitute vegan butter (Miyoko) for the dairy butter, and it comes out perfectly. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review!! Your words made my day, and I’m so glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
This recipe was so easy and fun! My whole family loved it! You should definitely try this!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it! It has been one of my new go-to lemon recipes. 🙂
Hi, thanks for the wonderful recipe. I made following changes in the recipe,
1. I took 1 cup plain flour and 1/4 whole wheat and for the topping it was only whole wheat flour.
2. Used ghee instead of butter.
3. Used organic jaggery powder instead of sugar.
Made yummy lemon bars, everybody liked them.
Hello! Thank you for sharing your substitutions! I’m so glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
THANK YOU! A neighbor brought over lemon bars tonight…but had egg so one kid couldn’t have, and coconut so the other can’t. I was on the hunt and this looks promising!
Hi, have you ever tried freezing these?
Thanks for the reply, excited to try them.
Hello! I have not tried freezing these yet, so I’m not quite sure how they would hold up. Let me know if you try it! 🙂
Thank you for the recipe! I have a gluten and egg allergy and this was the easiest ,best recipe to make! Loved it! Thank you so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for the review! 🙂
Did you just substitute the flour for gluten free flour?
My older son has an egg allergy also. It is sometimes hard to find alternative recipes that still have a good consistency and taste. We really loved these! They were easy to make and turned out great! Thanks!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Hi! Just wondering if I only have a 9×13 pan can I double the recipe or something to make it work?
Hi Alana! I haven’t tried it, but I think doubling the recipe would work out well – you may just need to adjust the bake time a bit to make up for the larger size. I did just make some minor changes to the recipe. The latest version should now say “Updated August 2020”. 🙂