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My Keto Lemon Bars Are A Tangy, Sweet Burst In Your Mouth
I’ve been making these keto lemon bars since 2019, but two things always bothered me despite their rave reviews: they’d sometimes crack, and they weren’t quite sweet enough. So, I recently tweaked the amounts and method based on your feedback, and here’s why I now love them even more:
- Ultra creamy, tangy, and sweet lemon filling – No one will guess these are sugar free lemon bars! They’re the perfect balance of sweet and tart, but not overwhelmingly sour anymore. I also adore the texture — it’s creamier than any lemon bar I’ve ever had, almost like my sugar free lemon curd.
- Buttery shortbread crust – Based on my popular almond flour cookies! Yes, that same one you might have loved in my magic cookie bars or peanut butter bars. And it’s amazing as ever.
- Low carb, gluten free, and dairy free – All at just 3.5 grams net carbs per bar!
- Easy to make – With just 7 ingredients, plus salt.
I made 6 batches of these low carb lemon bars this year to nail the no-cracks method, and my family ate all of them. So if you’re looking for a lemony keto dessert for spring or summer, make these with me!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my keto lemon bars recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Shortbread Crust:
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – It has a finer grind than other brands, for a better texture in your crust. Many other brands turn out gritty. If you want to use coconut flour for a nut-free version, I recommend using my coconut flour pie crust recipe.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Other keto sweeteners should also work okay in the crust, but Besti locks in moisture so it turns out less dry. If you want to cut down on the number of different sweeteners you need, powdered Besti (in the filling below) should work fine in the crust as well.
- Coconut Oil – I’ve also had success using unsalted butter or butter flavored coconut oil.
- Egg (just one), Vanilla Extract (I like this brand), and Sea Salt (to balance the sweetness)
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Lemon Filling:
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – The type of sweetener is super important for the right texture in your sugar free lemon bars! Anything granulated or containing erythritol won’t dissolve and can crystallize, leading to a grainy, gritty texture. Most brands labeled “monk fruit” or “stevia” have these issues. Liquid sweetener won’t work either, as the filling won’t set. Powdered Besti is the only one I recommend here for a smooth texture, although powdered allulose would also work — you’ll need an extra 1/3 to 1/2 cup. Also note, some older reviews say these bars aren’t sweet enough, but in June 2025 I increased the amount of sweetener to address these.
- Wholesome Yum Almond Flour & Eggs – To set and thicken the filling. I don’t recommend egg substitutes here.
- Lemons – I highly recommend fresh lemon juice here, plus you’ll need the zest from a few of them, anyway. I use this lemon squeezer, and it makes juicing lemons so fast and easy. I usually just grab a big bag from my local warehouse club! I have made these keto lemon bars using this organic bottled lemon juice as well, but even with this quality brand, the flavor is nowhere near as good as fresh.
How To Make Keto Lemon Bars
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Make the filling. Juice and zest the lemons. In a large mixing bowl or a huge measuring cup (I use this one for convenient pouring later), stir together the almond flour, powdered Besti, and salt. Whisk in the eggs, then the lemon juice and zest. Set aside near your oven area.
- Make the crust dough. In another large bowl, whisk the almond flour, Besti, and salt for the crust, breaking up any lumps. Mix the vanilla into the melted coconut oil or butter, then add to the dry ingredients. Add the egg and mix until a crumbly dough forms.
- Bake the crust. Press the dough into a square baking dish (I use this one). Poke holes with a fork to prevent bubbling, then bake until firm and golden on the edges.
- Bake with filling in a water bath. While the crust is still hot, immediately pour the filling over it. Place into a hot water bath and bake again until almost set, but still a bit jiggly — a lot like a keto cheesecake. I use this baking dish for the water bath, and fill it with boiling water from a kettle before placing the smaller dish of bars inside.
- Cool gradually, then chill to set. Turn the oven off and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. Cool like this until the filling is set and lukewarm (not hot or cold), then cool completely on the counter. Finally, cover and refrigerate the keto lemon bars to set completely before slicing.
My Recipe Tips
- Make the filling before baking the crust. You’ll have to pour it into the pan immediately when the crust is done, so it’s less stressful to have it prepared first. You might be able to mix it while the crust bakes if you have all your ingredients measured out upfront, though, which I always do anyway (mise en place and all!).
- Mixing the filling in my extra-large measuring cup makes for easier pouring. Any large bowl will work, but the cup is convenient for pouring. A bowl with a spout is great, too.
- Don’t overmix the filling. Too many bubbles can cause your sugar free lemon bars to crack. I usually whisk the eggs to ensure they incorporate, but when I add the lemon juice and zest, I mostly just stir with the whisk.
- For the crust, you can whisk the egg in a separate bowl first if you like. I usually just whisk it right in the bowl in one spot before incorporating into the flour mixture. Less dishes this way!
- Mix the dough well. It might seem dry, but I find it helpful to press with the back of a spatula until it comes together and there’s no powder left. The texture should be like a thick cookie dough.
- Don’t use a metal pan. The acidic lemon juice can react with the metal and give your keto lemon bars a bitter taste. Even though we’re lining the pan, I still recommend avoiding metal. I prefer this glass pan because it has a lid that’s convenient for refrigerating the bars in the last step (and storing them, too).
- Poke holes in the crust to prevent bubbling. I use a fork, but a toothpick works, too.
- If the filling seems separated before pouring over the crust, stir gently first. Again, you don’t want a lot of bubbles, but just enough for the texture to be uniform. Once I didn’t do this and ended up with some areas of egg separated from the lemon juice – not good.
- The water bath is crucial if you don’t want cracks. I’ve been making this keto lemon bar recipe for years and honestly, they always cracked on me. More recently, I tested multiple ways and the water bath method was the only one that didn’t lead to cracks. If you don’t mind cracks, though, you can skip it and simply bake for 22-26 minutes, until set.
- Be careful not to overbake. The key is to turn off the oven when the filling is still a little jiggly, not fully set!
- Cut straight down and wipe your knife between cuts. The filling is very soft and can stick to your knife, so this will help you get smoother cuts.
- Dust the bars with more powdered Besti at the end if you like, but only right before serving. It soaks in if you do it in advance. I used the smallest sieve from this set. I also like lemon slices on top of the bars, but that’s definitely optional.
- These low carb lemon bars are very creamy with a soft filling, so they’re a little fragile. The best way to pick them up is by the crust!
Keto Lemon Bars
By
My sugar free, keto lemon bars have a creamy, tangy, and sweet lemon filling over a buttery almond shortbread crust. Just 7 ingredients!
Ingredients
[ See substitutions ]Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Lemon Filling:
Shortbread Crust:
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
Filling:
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line an 8×8-inch glass baking dish with parchment paper, hanging over the sides. (I use these parchment paper sheets that are the perfect size without needing to cut them.)
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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 large bowl or extra-large glass measuring cup, stir together almond flour, powdered Besti, and salt.
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Whisk in the eggs, until uniform. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest, until smooth. Set aside near your oven area.
Crust:
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In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, Besti, and sea salt. Whisk to break up any lumps.
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Melt the coconut oil in a small bowl in the microwave, or over low heat on the stove. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Pour the coconut oil mixture into the dry ingredients and mix.
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Add the egg. Whisk at the edge of the bowl, then mix well until a dense dough forms.
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Press the dough into the lined pan. Poke holes in the crust with a fork. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until firm and golden on the edges. Meanwhile, boil a kettle (or pot) of water and get a 9×13 baking dish.
Assembly:
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Remove the crust from the oven, and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Immediately pour the filling over the crust. Pull out your oven rack, place the baking dish on it, and place the smaller baking dish with the lemon bars inside. Pour the boiling water into the outer baking dish, going partway up the sides of the inner dish, so it’s at about the same height as the filling inside the dish. (This is a water bath, similar to one you’d use for a cheesecake.)
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Slide the oven rack back into the oven and bake the keto lemon bars for 20-24 minutes, until the filling is just slightly jiggly in the center if you gently shift the pan (again, similar to a cheesecake).
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Turn the oven off and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. Cool like this for 30-45 minutes, or until the filling is set and just lukewarm (not hot).
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Remove the lemon bars from the oven, but keep them in the water bath. Cool completely on the counter (keep the hot baking dish on a trivet).
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Cover the bars and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to firm up more. If you like, dust with more powdered Besti before slicing.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 bar, or 1/16 of entire recipe
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you make the prep process easier, get the best filling texture, avoid cracks, and more.
- Storage & meal prep: I always make these keto lemon bars the day before, so they have time to set. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days — if they last that long.
- Freeze: You can freeze the bars for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, or on the counter for 1-2 hours.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Keto Lemon Bars
230 Comments
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.