Matt grew up eating lemon bars, so naturally we had to make a keto version for old times sake! These keto lemon bars combine the tangy-ness of lemon and the sweetness of a sugar cookie base for the perfect sweet and sour dessert. Make these bars for the holidays or for meal prep and watch them be devoured.
More Keto Bars?
We’ve got plenty of those on our food blog that you can check out, but i’ll do you a favor and list some of our best ones below. The benefit to bars is they are easy to portion out and fit into your macros if tracking is something you like to do. It’s also a great finger food that requires no plates or utensils – less clean up for you!
Make A Simple Cookie Base
A simple cookie base as shown in the video and the recipe below makes the perfect start to any dessert. You can use it in place of a crust for pies, bake it on its own in cookie shape or use it for these keto lemon bars!
Keeping it simple will allow the lemon in this recipe to shine! You also don’t want to cook it all the way when your first bake it stand alone. Since we’ll be baking it a second time once the filling has been added a partial bake will ensure it doesn’t come out dry at the very end!
Don’t Skimp On The Lemon
You don’t want to get just a hint of lemon when you’re biting into a lemon bar. You want to be hit with it and to ensure that you need to use enough lemon.
To make sure you get the perfect sweet to sour ratio you using the lemon juice and zest is essential. The zest gives the bars a fresher taste and makes the lemon flavor pop. The cookie base and use of erythritol and stevia in the filling can be over powering so don’t be scared to use a little extra lemon in the filling.
Easy Keto Lemon Bars
Whether or not you are a lover of lemon you ARE going to love these keto lemon bars! They are dense and decadent like any good dessert should be, but they also have a freshness to them from the lemon juice and zest. If you have a time and want to impress top these with a some powdered erythritol prior to serving. It will add just the slightest sweet compliment to the tartness of the lemon!
Tip: You can even do a quick swap out for lime and make keto lime bars for your friends and family.
Keto Lemon Bars
What You Need:
- 8×8 Baking Pan
Ingredients:
Lemon Bar Base
- 2/3 cup almond flour
- 1 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tbsp erythritol
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp liquid stevia
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 4 tbsp butter, room temperature
Lemon Bar Filling
- 4 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup erythritol
- 1/2 tsp liquid stevia
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tbsp gelatin powder
Instructions:
Lemon Bar Base
- Combine almond flour, erythritol, baking powder and salt. Mix until well combined.
- Add vanilla, stevia, egg and butter. Mix with hand mixer or food processor. Add flour mixture into butter mixture in 2 batches.
- Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
- Pre-heat oven to 375F and line a 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper or spray the pan with non-stick
spray. - Transfer the chilled dough to the baking pan and press down the dough with your hand or a spatula.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes – base should slightly be under cooked. Make the filling while the base cools.
Lemon Bar Filling
- Turn the oven down to 350F.
- In a large bowl add eggs, egg yolk, lemon juice, lemon zest, erythritol, stevia and vanilla extract. Mix
until well combined. Then add coconut flour, almond flour, and gelatin. Combine and allow to thicken for 5
minutes. - Pour filling into cooked crust and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes.
- Remove the bars from oven and allow to cool. Once room temp, transfer to the refrigerator for 1 hour to continue setting.
- If desired, top with powdered erythritol prior to slicing and serving. Best served cold and stored in an air tight container in the fridge up to one week.
Could you use xanthium gum in place of beef gelatin?
Papa g youtube has a recipe with xanthan. I going to try both
You might want to change the pink salt (which is poisonous) to pink Himalayan salt.
Thanks! Made the change.
Hi Matt and Meghan! I considered going on the KETO plan for quite awhile before I actually started eating KETO two weeks ago, so I’m very new to the plan. It’s been very difficult to actually find out everything I need to know about eating on the KETO plan. Everyone, except for you, requires that I pay an arm and a leg in money, or makes me watch a long video plus buy some expensive pills before they’ll share anything about the plan. I’ve been following you for a couple of months now. Your recipes and the ingredients are so simple and your advice helps me tremendously. Lemon Bars are my favorite and these look delicious! Thank you for this recipe. I hope they taste as good as they look. I’ll know because I’ll definitely try these. Thanks again and please keep up the good work!
I haven’t made these yet but gonna do it! I started on Keto and finally starting to learn to cook…because I have to. Everyone else is on the SAD diet. Love you two and love the goof ups, I’m a pro at that. lol
You forgot the erythritol in the filling instructions 😁
Thanks! Just fixed it.
Is it granular erythritol or powdered?
Lesley since it’s being baked you can use granular or either
@ Lesley – I believe he said in the video it was granulated erythritol. But as he also said near the end of the clip – read the recipe because Matt kinda wings it on these a bit.
Can I use Chia instead of the gelatin? If yes how much? Thank you
can i use powdered stevia in lieu of liquid?
Just finished making these and they are cooling. They look great!
It’s going to be a long wait! 😊
I enjoy your videos, recipes and precious baby!
Thank you!
I’ll let you know!
P.S.
When is our cool I’m going to cut them into 18 pieces rather than nine. It’s a mental preparation so when I’m putting two on my plate and putting two on my plate rather than one.
I’ve gone in the last 28 years from 370 pounds and I am 10 pounds from my goal of 130 pounds. So I’ve lost 230 pounds so far. Can I get my best results since I started on the keto diet.
I read a book about the hidden secrets of cancer. One of the best ways to avoid cancer at all is eating pasture raised meat, eggs and any dairy products. And of course organic vegetables and other items that we should be organic. Expensive? Yes! It’s my entertainment money I use so that I stay healthy and live a long healthy active life!