Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowThese low carb keto lemon bars are a must-have spring dessert! With a creamy, sweet, and tart lemon filling and buttery shortbread crust, nobody will believe these are sugar-free lemon bars, either. Just like with magic cookie bars, peanut butter bars, and keto lemon meringue pie, the layers of flavor take every bite over the top!
Why You’ll Love These Keto Lemon Bars
- Tangy, sweet flavor
- Buttery crust with luscious lemon filling
- Easy prep with simple filling and crust ingredients
- 3g net carbs per bar
- Naturally dairy free, gluten-free, and sugar-free
- The perfect keto dessert for lemon lovers!
For authentic crust and a super smooth filling, I turned to Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend (crystallized and powdered) for this recipe. Since it measures just like sugar but contains 0g net carbs, it’s easy to make a recipe like lemon bars keto friendly! It’s especially crucial for the filling, because unlike other sugar substitutes, Besti dissolves completely and doesn’t crystallize, which means a super smooth filling with no gritty texture.
I also use Wholesome Yum Almond Flour for the mouthwatering shortbread crust without the carb spike from refined flours.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for sugar-free lemon bars, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
For The Shortbread Crust:
- Wholesome Yum Almond Flour – With a super fine grind, this makes a buttery crust indistinguishable from a white flour version. You may be able to substitute coconut flour, but I haven’t tested it and you would need to add additional oil or eggs, since coconut flour is more drying. If you want to do this, it might help to use my coconut flour pie crust recipe as a starting point.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Other keto sweeteners should also work okay in the crust, but using this crystallized monk fruit sweetener keeps it from getting too dense or dry, since Besti locks in moisture. If you want to cut down on the number of different sweeteners you need, Besti Powdered should work fine in the crust as well.
- Sea Salt – Balances the sweetness.
- Coconut Oil – Measured solid, then gently melted. Melted butter will also work.
- Egg – Use a whole, large egg. A flax egg might work as an egg substitute, but I haven’t tried it.
- Vanilla Extract – Use the best quality extract you can (this one is awesome!).
For The Lemon Filling:
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – The sweetened used here is super important. Using anything granulated will yield a grainy result, anything liquid will prevent the filling from setting, and many brands of powdered sugar substitute will crystallize after cooling, resulting in a gritty texture as well. Powdered Besti is the only one I recommend here, though powdered allulose would also work — you’d need to use 33% more.
- Wholesome Yum Almond Flour – Helps thicken the filling.
- Eggs
- Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice makes a big difference here! Bottled juice will still work, but is less flavorful.
- Lemon Zest – Enhances the tart, lemony flavor. Don’t skip it!
How To Make Keto Lemon Bars
This section shows how to make lemon keto bars, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Make filling. In a large mixing bowl, stir together almond flour and Powdered Besti for filling. Whisk in eggs, lemon juice, and zest. Set aside.
- Make crust. Combine almond flour, Besti, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in oil, egg, and vanilla.
- Press. Press the shortbread dough into a square baking dish.
- Bake. Place crust in the oven until firm and golden.
- Add filling. After removing crust from the oven, immediately pour prepared filling over the top.
- Bake again. Bake until filling appears set, but is still soft.
- Chill. Cool the keto-friendly lemon bars completely on the counter, without moving or cutting. Then, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set completely before slicing.
Tips For The Best Keto Lemon Bars
Here’s how to ensure that these keto lemon bars with almond flour turn out perfectly every time:
- Prep the filling first. Adding the filling to the crust right away — and immediately baking — helps the lemon filling set a bit on the hot crust, so that it doesn’t seep below the crust.
- Don’t poke holes in the crust. This will cause the filling to run underneath it. While my almond flour pie crust (with similar ingredients) calls for poking holes to prevent bubbling, do NOT do that with sugar-free lemon bars.
- Use parchment paper. Another important way to prevent the filling from leaking out is to have parchment paper over all four sides of the pan.
- Bars may crack after cooling. Mine didn’t crack, but sometimes they can. After you cut the bars, the cracks aren’t that noticeable, but if you really want to avoid it, you can bake them in a water bath and watch them closely.
Storage Instructions
Be sure to make this low carb lemon bars recipe ahead of time, as they need time to properly set up before you cut into them. I usually make them the day or night before I serve them, so they have time to set. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days (if they last that long!).
Can You Freeze Lemon Bars?
Yes, you can freeze lemon bars. Cut them into squares and place on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid, usually a few hours. Then, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag or container.
Thawing Instructions:
Thaw frozen lemon bars in the fridge overnight before serving.
More Low Carb Lemon Dessert Recipes
Love keto desserts with a lemony twist? Try these next:
Tools To Make Sugar-Free Lemon Bars
- Microplane Zester – I used to think I hated zesting, until I tried this brand. It works so much better than others and makes collecting citrus zest a joy.
- Baking Pan – I love these pans, and this one is the ideal size for this keto lemon bar recipe.
Keto Lemon Bars
With an almond shortbread crust and tangy sweet lemon curd filling, this low carb keto lemon bars recipe is perfect for spring. Just 7 ingredients needed for easy sugar-free lemon bars!
Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them.
Shortbread crust:
Lemon filling:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line 9×9 inch (23×23 cm) pan with parchment paper, hanging over the sides.
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Make the filling first, because it must be ready to go immediately when the crust comes out of the oven. In a medium bowl, stir together almond flour and powdered sweetener.
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Whisk in the eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest, until smooth. Set aside.
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To make the crust, combine the almond flour, sweetener and sea salt in a large bowl.
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Stir in the melted coconut oil, then the egg and vanilla. The dough will be crumbly, but able to be pressed together.
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Press the dough into the lined pan. Bake for about 13 to 16 minutes, until firm and golden.
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Remove the crust from oven, and immediately pour the filling over the crust.
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Return to the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until filling is set, but still soft.
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Cool completely on the counter, without moving or cutting. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 bar, or 1/16 of entire recipe
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
184 Comments
Criss
0This was quite tangy for my tastes. Could I reduce the lemon juice to 1/3 cup without ruining the recipe? Do I need to add other liquid in it’s place?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Criss, You could reduce the amount of lemon juice but you may have to add a small amount of water to compensate for less lemon juice.
Agnes Lally
0It is a very good lemon bar. However, it is a little tart not as sweet as regular lemon bars. But it satisfied my craving. I think I would add a little more Allulose next time but then I remember, this is a low carb lemon bar and this is why it is not a sweet as a regular bar. My filling in the middle cracked a bit and not sure why. Otherwise, it is a very good recipe.
Sharon Charette
0This turned out absolutely delicious. I use xylitol as my sugar. And of course as usual a little more zest because there is never too much lemon.
I love all your recipes.
Glad I found you!!!!
Shirleyann
0The recipe was easy to follow but I was wondering if the filling was supposed to taste tart or sweet? The crust was very good thanks for sharing I would definitely make it again but add more sweetener lol I took a pic but I see this app doesn’t allow it
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Shirleyann, This recipe is mildly sweet and a bit tart. Feel free to increase the sweetener if you like your lemon bars sweeter.
Sandra
0My adult son isn’t a fan of lemon anything. Could orange juice be used instead? I’m also thinking if it can, to use a small amount of dark chocolate chips ( I believe Lily’s makes them) in the batter. Chocolate and orange together is a great combination.
Only thing is, should the orange juice be the same amount as the lemon? Or, should it be a lower amount (or even a bit higher)?
Your thoughts, please. Thank you ahead of time for your answer.
Sandra W.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sandra, Unfortunately, oranges are not keto. You can read more about oranges and alternatives for oranges here. Using chocolate chips would not work in this recipe either. They would likely sink to the bottom of the filling and melt in between the crust and filling layers.
ildiko
0So yummy!! Easy and tangy. Just how I love it. And the whole family is a fan now.
Paige
0Can you make this vegan?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Page, As written, this recipe needs the eggs to turn out correctly. Unfortunately, the recipe would need to completely re-worked in order to make it vegan.
Ellen
0Can I use melted butter instead of coconut oil in the Shortbread Crust?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ellen, Yes, that will work fine.
Keli
0Thank you for this recipe! I don’t like monk fruit and just bought some allulose that I want to try, could I use just allulose instead of the monk fruit mix?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Keli, Yes, but you will need to use a little more than what the recipe calls for. Monk Fruit Allulose is 1:1 sweetness with sugar and pure allulose is only about 70% as sweet. Use this Sweetener Calculator to get the correct amount of allulose you will need to use for the lemon bars. Enjoy!
M. Lonopka
0Hi. In your lemon filling ingredients, you lost 1/4 cup of almond flour but you didn’t add that in your directions. Does it belong in the filling itself? Thanks.Mary
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi M. Lonopka, Yes the 1/4 cup of almond flour is used in the filling. It is mentioned at the end of step 2. I hope this helps!
Elena
0Does it work with monk fruit/erythrotiol blend? Thanks
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Elena, You will receive a different texture in your final product. Your lemon bars will have a crisp exterior, but the recipe will work.
Dianne Egerton
0Can I make this in an 8×8 glass Pyrex dish?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Dianne, Yes, but your lemon bars will be a bit thicker and need to bake a few minutes longer. Just be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t get too brown.
Carri
0I made these tonight and am just now tasting the first one. It’s late at night….had to stay up and taste it. Somewhat disappointed. It definitely was lemony/sour enough (which is good); a bit gooey but not very sweet. The ratio between sweet and sour is off.. I sprinkled the powdered Monkfruit sweetener over the tops of them all. They definitely need MORE sweetener. And tomorrow, if I need to, I’ll sprinkle some MORE powdered Monkfruit over the tops again. So I would recommend increasing the sweetener in the filling by ALOT. If you disinfect your eggs before you crack them open; by letting them soak in diluted vinegar water for 5 minutes, maybe scrub them gently, then you might be able to taste the raw filling before you pour it into the crust to see if it’s sweet enough.
Liz
1If you soak your eggs in any liquid they will absorb it and even if you use vinegar or bleach for that matter they will not be “disinfected”, eggs are porous. If you’re using store bought eggs and want to taste them raw, you’ll need to pasteurize them. I’ve been breeding and raising egg layers for several decades. This recipe is spot on, made it for my daughter’s 24th birthday and she loved them! Thank you for yet another perfect recipe!
Helen
0I didn’t have the sugar substitute combo that you suggested. I made the recipe with Lakanto.
I had to throw it all out since both the taste and the consistency were not to my liking.
I’m giving up on keto sweet treats, just not worth my efforts.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Helen, The type of sweetener you use will make a huge difference in the outcome of your recipes. Allulose, the sweetener used in the recipe, dissolves so there is no gritty texture to your lemon bars. Also, allulose does not have a cooling effect, so your baked goods will not be “minty.” I highly recommend trying to use the sweeteners the recipes call for, as they all have slightly different properties that can change the final result.
Natasha Cox
0This really may be my top favorite keto recipe! Now that it’s fall, there are lemons everywhere and I have made 4 batches of these already. The only thing I would change is I wish these had NO Carbs cuz it’s impossible to just have one!
Arielle
0Hi, I was wondering I I could use your Almond Flour Keto Shortbread Cookies instead for the crust? Like after mixing all the ingredients just press it into the square pan and bake?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Arielle, Sure I think that would work. Just don’t forget to par-bake the crust before adding the filling!
Sue Ashby
0I made this recipe, and they are delicious! I would rate 10/10, and they weren’t hard to make
Barbara
0I made these lemon bars today to serve as our after dinner dessert and they were delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Roberta
0Hi, I have loved all of your recipes that I have tried. I have a technical question that I know has probably been asked before. This recipe calls for 1/4 c coconut oil, melted and some recipes ask for 1/4 c coconut oil and then in the directions it states to melt the coconut oil. Am I right in assuming if it says: -“1/4 cup coconut oil, melted“, you melt first then measure – “1/4 cup coconut oil”, then later in the directions it says to melt coconut oil, that I use as the displacement method to measure it as a solid? Thank you for making this clearer in my mind. I think it is all in the way it is stated.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Roberta, Yes, you have that correct! I will usually state ‘measure solid, then melt’ if needed.
Ana
0HI Maya! I love your recipes, but this one didn’t hit the spot for me. While the crust and filling are tasty, the proportions are off. The crust is massive compared to the filling, which is a very thin layer. I like lemon bars where the filling is at least twice as thick as the crust.
Carri
0My layers were perfectly even. Yes the crust was pretty thick but the filling equaled it. Maybe you used a larger pan than was recommended? Or maybe your filling leaked down below?
Joan
0I made this today and it is YUM! I pressed the crust into a 9×13 baking pan. I doubled the filling and it came out great. Next time I will add a little less lemon juice.
Tara
0Can this recipe be doubled and baked in a larger pan?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tara, I have not tried making this recipe in a larger quantity. Please let us know how it turns out if you decide to try it.
Christina
0Do you think I could use just egg whites in this recipe or are the yolks needed?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Christina, The recipe needs the egg yolks. The texture would change completely without them.
Lena Madden
0Would pecan flour work for this crust?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lena, Yes that should work fine in this recipe.
Mary Mulholland
0Hi! First of all THANK YOU for providing low carb recipes— love them!! My question for you is, can you substitute coconut flour for almond flour with a nut allergy? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Mary, I’m sorry, I don’t think that will work for this recipe.
Pamela Dipman
0I love this recipe! I have added a bit more sweetner but I have made it 4 times and made a hard copy to share.
Julie
0Darn, I messed it up! Got both kinds of sugar that you recommended but ONLY used the allusose in both filling and crust – forgot to use the powered kind for the filling. Did I ruin it??
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Julie, Your filling may be a bit grainy, but they should still taste great!
Lynne
0I’m allergic to coconut can I use olive oil instead?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lynne, Yes, I think that should work.
Elese
0Grass-fed butter would be awesome, but that’s just me. 🙂
Lianne Aultman
0I would like to know what adjustments you would recommend for making these lemon bars in my silicon mini tart shells? That way It’s better portion control for my husband who is NOT keto but likes the snacks I make, both my non keto husband and son love the cheesecake cookies, but I use strawberries instead of raspberries!
Also I have your monkfruit with erythritol blend and I have allulose but I don’t have your allulose blend- which one do you recommend? Oh and I have swerve. Thank you for any suggestions you may have.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lianne, I don’t believe the ingredients require any adjustments for tart pans, however, they will cook through faster so keep a close eye on them. Monk Fruit Erythritol will work for the crust, just know it will be more crisp in texture. To get the best consistency for the filling, I suggest using allulose. You will need to increase the amount to 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons of Wholesome Yum Allulose. Best wishes!
Laura
0Can you substitute almond flour with coconut flour? I have some coconut flour that I need to use up. Please let me know.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Laura, No, I don’t think this recipe would work with coconut flour. May I suggest Coconut Flour Blueberry Muffins, Coconut Flour Sugar Cookies, or Coconut Flour Bread.
Debbie
0I made these yesterday. I used superfine almond flour and the crust was GREAT! I used Swerve confectioner’s in the filling, and it was just a little too tart. I’ll add a little more next time I make them because this is a winner.
Christine
0I liked the tartness. I used fine monkfruit sweetener to offset the tart. Happy baking!
Leslie Sprinz
0Amazing lemon bars! Thank you for the recipe. I used butter instead of coconut oil and they were still amazing!
Samantha
0If I do not have a 9×9 pan on hand, do you suggest using an 8×8 or or 8×11.5?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Samantha, An 8×8″ pan will work fine.
Christine J.
0The recipe as written did not work for me. I made it three times! When I poured the liquid into the hot crust I noticed two things: 1) the monkfruit sweetner did not disolve 2) the liquid broke up the crust . With the second and third time, I increased the cooking time by 5 minutes each time. It didn’t burn and it was a beautiful golden color.
I think the crust needs to be thicker and therefore the ingredients must be doubled.
I also baked it in another pan with hot water. This is to keep it from cracking (lol). The result was not that pretty but I served it with berries and a little fine powdered Swerve. And it was delicious!
I’m going to try doubling the crust. Will post results next time.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Christine, The best sweetener to use for this recipe is Monk Fruit Allulose Blend. The allulose fully dissolves in the filling, so there isn’t any grittiness and the sweetener is fully incorporated. Bake time may be adjusted as needed since all ovens can vary slightly. It sounds like you’ve found a good time by adding 5 minutes.
Cassie
0Made these and love them! I used Swerve instead of the sweetener you recommended and they weren’t as sweet as they should’ve been. I sprinkled Swerve powdered sugar on top and they’re wonderful!!
Dawn
0Can Erythritol be substituted for the sweetener in this recipe?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Dawn, Yes, but it will give your recipe a slightly different texture. Your bars will be a bit more firm using erythritol instead of the soft textures that allulose provides. Also, I would increase the amount of sweetener to a scant 1/2 cup since erythritol isn’t as sweet as the blends are. Enjoy!
Lyle Drew
0I only had Splenda so used that for the sweetener like I do in most low carb recipes. I used a 10 inch round glass pan which made the filling thicker. I added an extra 5 minutes to both baking times like I do for most recipes. Topped it with some whipped cream after cooling and just before serving. Thanks for all your great recipes!
Jennifer
0I used erythritol instead of monk fruit sweetener, I guess that’s stronger because I used the amounts you listed and the bars were sour/bitter. Do you know how much erythritol to use offhand? I didn’t know if maybe you had experimented. The crust turned out ok with the erythritol not really being sweet, but that doesn’t bother me.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jennifer, I have a great sweetener conversion calculator on the website! You can find it here.
Melissa
0This was super easy and very delicious. Just the sweet treat I needed. Great recipie!
Karen B
0Okay, I’ve made regular lemon bars before and had cravings after going Keto. I tweaked this to put only three tablespoons of almond flour, powdered the sugar and a tablespoon of lemon zest in the crust (like the normal recipe). Love, love, love this! It hits the spot for a sweet ending! Thank you.
Jo Anne
0Hard to find a yummy sugar free, gluten free and dairy free dessert that tastes great! A true crowd pleaser.
Tora
0I have loved loved loved everything I have made from your website, but I just did not love this one. I followed all of the directions and the texture came out perfectly. However, I found that these were more tart and not at all sweet. They don’t really taste desserty, like that amazing combination of sugar and lemon you find in non-keto lemon bars. I found the crust to also be bland and not very sweet. I used the swerve powder in these. Any idea where I went wrong? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tora, You can adjust the sweetness if you like your lemon bars sweeter and less tart. Also, when you add lemon zest, make sure you are only zesting the top (yellow) layer of the skin and not the white (pith) underneath the skin. The pith is quite bitter and a bit tart.
Jeremy
0Easy fix, sprinkle some powdered sugar free sweetener on the top
Karen
0This is so good it’s dangerous! I thought this filling was amazing, like non-keto lemon bars. I did find the directions to make this confusing. I feel like steps were left out, but I made it work. Will definitely make it again!
Michelle
0Unfortunately I didn’t like the flavor of the crust. I followed the instructions step by step and it just tasted too much like egg. The filling was ok. I love lemon so it wasn’t too bad. Overall, I won’t rate this more than 2 stars. I made this recipe because it had high ratings. I hope people are not discouraged to rate if they didn’t like it because I could have save time & money on these ingredients or make something else. (I use the best quality ingredients.) Thank you for allowing the comment.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michelle, Sorry to hear you didn’t like the bars. The entire crust has only one egg, but you can leave it out if you don’t mind bars that are just a bit more crumbly. Just confirming as well, did you use the same sweetener in the recipe? It’s brand new and makes a difference in the taste and texture compared to others.
Naomi
0The lemon bars came out great. I’m thinking this could work with lilikoi (passion fruit) well, but will have a high carb count
Tina Taylor
0I just made this… it’s soooo good! My hubby just started Keto (I’ve been eating keto for years now), and he is an very picky eater, especially when it comes to sweets. His comment “I bet you could make this and not tell anyone it’s Keto, and they wouldn’t even know the difference.” That’s a HUGE compliment! Thank you for this, I’ll be making it again.
Josh Dewitt
0The lemon filling is very liquidy what should I do?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Josh, You can add more almond flour to the filling if it is too loose.
Michelle Petty
0Can I use butter instead of coconut oil?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michelle, Yes, you can!
Beverley price
0These cakes are absolubtely gorgeous, thankyou for the recipe ,nicest recipe I’ve made on low carbs x
Jen
0Thank you for posting this recipe. I think it might need Xanthan gum & I don’t think it said to make the eggs room temp -needs that I think.
On mine, the lemon part of the bars were about 1/8 of an inch-barely there. Filling is very small & more than half the bar is almond crust. I feel like it needs to be a much thinner crust and much thicker lemon filling. I felt like I was really eating a bunch of almond crust with a tiny bit of lemon filling on top like a thin layer of icing.
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Jen, sorry to hear these weren’t quite right. Did you use the same size pan? You could also half the amount of crust if preferred, but you’d have to alter the baking time and watch for browning much sooner.
Judy Kellner
0Can your lemon bar recipe be doubled and cooked in a 9×13 pan?
Wholesome Yum A
0Hi Judy, I haven’t tried that here since these bars are pretty filling. Let me know if you give that a try!