Keto Lemon Bars
Posted: 04/05/21
Updated: 12/08/21
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Classic lemon bars made keto! Perfectly tart and sweet, this keto dessert is quick and easy to prepare and guaranteed to satisfy any sweet tooth. One of my family’s favorite keto treats.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- One simple treat with two perfect layers. DELISH! The buttery, crisp crust compliments the tangy, moist filling in this amazingly rich, but not heavy, way that I guarantee you’d never know was keto if I hadn’t told you.
- They’re so easy to make, so if you’re not a “baker”, that’s totally okay! Mostly you’re just mixing things together, then popping them in the oven for a bit. You’ve got this!
- If you’re not tempted to eat them all in one sitting (sorry, not sorry) then they’re a great make-ahead option! Store them in the fridge in an airtight container and they’ll last up to 1 week. You can even freeze them up to 6 months if you want – just keep them in a sealable bag or other airtight container.
- The default yield for this recipe is 9 keto lemon bars, but you can totally cut them into smaller squares to get more bars. Smaller bars are great for parties or showers, or if you just want to keep on eye on your portions!
Key Ingredients
Fresh Lemons – We’re using all parts of the lemon here. Lemon juice, lemon zest, a little lemon-quarter-garnish… You could technically get away with no garnish, but the flavor you’ll get from the fresh juice and zest just can’t be beat. Don’t skip them! If you need to use bottled juice for whatever reason, you can, but it won’t have quite the same result.
Keto Sweetener – No sugar-sugar in this recipe! Since these lemon bars are keto, you absolutely have to use a keto-friendly sweetener. Swerve is my go-to. I love the flavor it gives my keto desserts, plus a little goes a long way in terms of sweetness. It’s zero-calorie, non-glycemic, and can be subbed for sugar at a 1:1 ratio. You can order it from their website directly or from Amazon, but most of the grocery stores near me actually stock at least the granular Swerve, so give your stores a look!
Chef’s Tips
- When you’re zesting your lemons, be careful to only get the bright yellow lemon peel! The white pith below it is super sour. Definitely not the flavor you want in your keto lemon bars.
- If you can’t find Confectioners’ Swerve or powdered erythritol, you can make your own from granulated! Just run your granulated Swerve/erythritol through a food processor, pulsing until it’s a powdery consistency. Start with about half the total amount called for in the recipe (so here you’d start with 2 tablespoons granulated Swerve) since it’ll expand as it becomes powdery. Measure after pulsing and add more as needed!
- For the cleanest edges, use a serrated knife that’s been warmed under hot water and make sure the lemon bars are completely chilled. Wipe any lemon filling off the knife between each cut, too.
- Don’t over-bake the lemon bars. They’ll keep cooking a little while they rest in the baking dish, and the lemon filling will thicken more while it chills in the fridge.
Other Keto Sweet Treats You’ll Love
- Keto Churros
- Keto Chocolate Mousse
- Soft Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
- Keto Peanut Butter Cups
- Keto Red Velvet Cake
Keto Lemon Bars
Classic lemon bars made keto! Perfectly tart and sweet, this keto dessert is quick and easy to prepare and guaranteed to satisfy any sweet tooth. One of my family's favorite keto treats.
bars
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 ½ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup Confectioners' Swerve see Notes
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest finely grated
For the Filling
- 4 eggs
- ⅔ cup fresh lemon juice approximately 2-3 lemons' worth
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ⅔ cup Confectioners' Swerve plus more for topping
Equipment
- 8×8 baking dish
- Parchment Paper
- Large bowl
- Sifter or fine mesh sieve
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving just enough parchment paper sticking up around the sides that you can use as handles later.
- In large bowl, mix melted butter, almond flour, Swerve, salt, and lemon zest until thoroughly combined.
- Transfer dough to baking dish. Press dough evenly across bottom of dish and into all 4 corners.
- Bake crust for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.
For the Filling
- While crust cools, mix together eggs, lemon juice, almond flour, and Swerve in a large bowl. Whisk well to incorporate all ingredients thoroughly, mixing until thick.
- Pour filling onto cooled crust in one even layer.
- Bake lemon bars for 25 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool at room temperature at least 30 minutes.
- Once lemon bar mixture has cooled completely, place baking dish in refrigerator until completely chilled.
To Serve
- Remove lemon bars from refrigerator. Use edges of parchment paper to lift bar out of baking dish, then set on flat surface.
- Using a sharp knife, cut large lemon bar into 9 squares.
- With a fine mesh sieve or flour sifter, sprinkle plenty of Confectioners' Swerve on top of lemon bars, then garnish with thinly-sliced lemon quarters and serve.
Notes
- Powdered erythritol will work in place of the Confectioners’ Swerve here, but you may need to use more to match the sweetness. For powdered erythritol try 1/3 cup in the crust and 3/4 cup in the filling.
- To sprinkle Swerve on top of the lemon bars, add a spoonful to a fine mesh sieve or sifter and make small back-and-forth motions with your wrist over the bars. This technique will give you a light dusting that’s not overpowering.
- Make it Dairy Free: Use vegan butter.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1bar, Calories: 292kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 99mg, Potassium: 48mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 340IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 86mg, Iron: 2mg, Erythritol: 20g, Net Carbs: 5g
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Can you use Granulated Swerve?
Hi, Claire! You can, but the granulated might give you a kind of gritty texture. The Confectioners’ Swerve is much smoother and blends better!
You can always turn your granular Swerve into Confectioners’, like we mention in the Chef’s Tips section! Just give the granulated Swerve a few pulses in a food processor (or even a coffee grinder or high speed blender) until you’ve got a powdery consistency.
These look so yummy! But isn’t 4 eggs a lot – I’m worried they’ll taste really eggy?
We don’t think these tasty super eggy!