Creamy Vegan Lemon Bars (GF)

This recipe was shockingly easy to make and tastes amazing — and like 3x as good as cashew-based “cheesecake” I’ve had in plant-based restaurants in NYC.

Based on past experience with attempting similar recipes with mediocre blenders, I’m not sure whether the creamy layer would end up smooth enough for my liking without a high powered blender, but with my Vitamix it came together very, very effortlessly and perfectly.

Also I ran out of lemons, so I threw some key lime in there as well, which turned out pretty tasty.

I’m also thinking this would make a pretty great general “cheesecake” base recipe..

Just made this and it is absolutely delicious!! Even my husband thought so too. Thank you for sharing this.

I made this, with a few adjustments, I made with a graham cracker crust (graham crackers, vegan butter, and nuts). Also I used cane sugar and regular coconut milk (trader joe’s was out of coconut cream). It turned out GREAT! I loved how much it tasted like cheesecake. Being vegan, I miss cheesecake, but this filled the need. Thanks so much!

These were absolutely delicious and super easy to make.

I have never posted before, but needed to comment to thank you so much for this recipe. These bars are creamy and absolutely amazing!!! I have been dairy free for around 6 years due to a severe dairy allergy, and have really missed this kind of food. I have tried so many vegan cheezecake recipes over the years and have been left super disappointed. But not this time!
My Husband who eats normally also loved it.
Just wanted to say what a difference it makes after leaving the slice in the fridge overnight to set. After cooking it was set but soft, but after leaving overnight it’s firmed up beautifully. Very easy to cut into squares.
Your site and recipes are just incredible, thank you so much for sharing them!!! 😊

One of my absolute desserts. I make this for non vegan friends all the time and they love it!

These were amazing!! So simple to make and taste delicious. The crust was perfect, and the filling was so creamy and lemony! 100% making these again!

This is one of the best desserts I have ever made, And I messed it up. I forgot to prebake the crust and I put too much cornstarch. The crust still firmed up and held together fine after sitting for an hour or so and it isn’t soggy. Still amazing. I gave most to two of my friends and my 5 year old and they ate it within seconds. :)

I changed a few things but nothing crazy. I like a ridiculous amount of lemon so I used the zest of 4 small lemons, the juice of 3 and I added some vanilla to the creamy mixture. I used almond flour, oats and I also added sunflower seeds to the crust blend since I was slightly short of almond flour. (I recommend the sunflower seeds it went really well). I was having trouble not drinking the mixture out of the blender like a smoothie it was so delicious and just the crust alone is crazy good. I will probably turn that into breakfast cookies at some point. If you are going to a party or a potluck of any kind you should 100% make these!

Next on the list is the peanut butter and jam bars!

These are INCREDIBLE. One of the best things I’ve made from MB, and I’ve made a lot of your recipes. They are so creamy and addictive. They hit the spot for a vegan who misses lemon bars and really impressed a non-vegan.

Recommendation: the second time I made these, I put in 2 tablespoons of lemon zest and slightly more lemon juice and they were much better and tarter. I also made the crust with white sugar and a mix of walnuts and almonds, and it still tasted great. I used Trader Joe’s coconut cream instead of skimming from a can of coconut milk.

OMG OMG OMG. This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. They’re not like typical lemon bars. Typical lemon bars are so sweet they make your teeth hurt and often have an underlying yucky eggy flavor. These are healthier, filling (seriously, you could eat one for breakfast), and taste SO MUCH BETTER than any lemon bar you’ve ever had! The crust really makes it – the almonds and oats add a nice substantial base and make an interesting contrast with the creaminess of the lemon part. The lemon part is rich but not cloying, and the perfect amount of sweet. I sometimes add an extra tablespoon or two of maple syrup, and you can never go wrong with doubling the lemon zest, but the recipe shines as it is.

Oh man I’m definitely in the minority here after seeing all the rave reviews, but mine turned out so underwhelming, sadly. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly, I only added a little extra maple syrup and lemon juice into the filling mixture. My bars are not sweet which is fine but they’re also barely lemony, and just generally taste bland. Sigh. I’ve made tons of recipes from the blog though and generally they’re amazing and fool-proof, so I’m calling this a one off.

I will use earth balance in the crust instead of coconut oil next time because I tasted the coconut oil more than I wanted to. I also added an extra half lemon’s worth of juice and halved the amount of maple syrup. Otherwise, I was looking for a perfect vegan lemon bar recipe and I found it! These are great and even better after a day or two in the fridge.

I’ve made these twice now and while the texture is amazing, I definitely think the bars need more than 1 heaping tablespoon of lemon zest! I just made them for second time, doubling the lemon zest and adding extra lemon juice, and honestly I still think it could use more if I were to make again.

I went to a social distancing brunch get together with a few friends yesterday. They are very particular about their diets and what they eat. Some dairy free, some vegan, some gluten free. I made these as a dessert and got rave reviews as soon as they were tasted! Just the right amount of sweetness and lemony sour. I used coconut yogurt instead of the coconut cream and it turned out fine! This will definitely be a keeper recipe. Thanks so much!

I LOVED THE BARS! They came out perfect! I subbed a few things such as 3 tbsps of seamoss gel for the corn starch and stevia as the sweetener. I baked it all accordingly and left it in the freezer for 2 hrs because I could not resist and I love how fresh the bars were! Will definitely make again.

Flavor is delicious!

I came home from the store and realized it was arrowroot starch I needed, and NOT tapioca. I decided to give it a try anyway with the tapioca starch that I had. The texture came out pretty firm (more firm than a cheesecake) but the flavor was still great! Definitely going to make again with the correct starch this time.

Also I tasted after 4 hours… listen to her recommendation about leaving overnight. So much better the next morning.

Another great recipe!!! I love it so much (and wondering why some people don’t give this a 5* rating). Made it 100% according to the instructions and it turned out perfect :) Thanks Dana!!

Hi Dana – these are an absolute dream!! Creamy, light, with the perfect punch of lemon. In love! Will definitely be coming back to this recipe – followed exactly and turned out great. Thank you!!

Hello, heaven! I was surprised to have all the ingredients in my cupboard when I stumbled upon this recipe. The recipe turned out delicious! I even had my very skeptical boyfriend oohing and awwing over the flavor and texture :) I didn’t have a 9×9 pan so I had to go with 7×10.5 pan. My crust was not as thick as yours due to the size difference. Sadly, baking it twice over browned it, but again, that was due to the pan size being off. Overall the flavor was delicious. I cut the bars up and stored half in the freezer. I’ll let you know how they hold up when we eat them after they thaw. Thanks for the inspiration!

These are my husband’s favorite treats! I’ve made them once a week for a month! I follow the recipe exactly and always add in the extra lemon near the end when instructed for the fresh lemon flavor. They Always come out delicious! Thank you

My son recently decided to go vegan and is a lemon fan so when I saw this recipe, it was perfect to try while we are home and socially distancing! It was a huge hit! Thank you for the great step-by-step instructions, Dana!
With a Vitamix, this came together easily and quickly. I originally did not think I would need the juice of 2 lemons, but it is the perfect amount of lemon.
Will be putting this one on regular rotation!

I’ve made these several times and love them, as do everyone who tries them. Even my die-hard lemon bar fanatic friend! I’ve substituted mascobado sugar or sucanat for the coconut sugar, it always turns out great.

Delicious! My boyfriend & I LOVED these. Made them in a 9inch cake pan and they came out perfect, sliced them like you would a pie or cake.

I’m not really a huge lemon bar fan, but after my friend requested I make lemon bars for his birthday, I knew I could trust Minimalist Baker’s recipe because everything I’ve ever tried from here works out so well. I followed the recipe pretty strictly, only added 1 Tb of brown sugar to the filling after my husband said it wasn’t sweet enough. Brought them in yesterday and they were a huge hit! Thanks again so much for another great recipe.

These are phenomenal! They will definitely be on regular rotation for a treat at our house. I’m not usually a huge lemon bar fan, finding them too sticky and gooey. These are very different, I would almost describe it more like a thin lemony cheesecake. The crust is nutty and delicious. I didn’t have a full cup of coconut cream from my canned coconut milk so I added a little coconut manna which I had. The top is silky smooth and creamy, so good! Thanks!

The third time I am using this recipe. Waiting for it to be done baking but I already love the texture of the cashews best so far. This time after I poured boiling water into the bowl with the cashews I microwaved it for 2 minutes and let it soak for a little over an hour. After draining, I put them in the blender I pureed them first. I got a great creamy cashew like butter. I am so excited!

I made these lemon bars three times in a row. They are absolutely addictive, so creamy and delicious! Thank you for sharing this great recipe with the world!

This is delicious! Quick and easy to make, with the right balance of sweet and sour.

Thank you for this delicious and straightforward recipe! I adapted the recipe slightly, using condensed coconut milk for part of the coconut cream (and then reduced the maple syrup in the filling). These bars were a hit with adults and children. Will definitely be making them again!

These are delicious! Made these lemon bars to bring to a friends dinner, everyone loved them. Easy to make, super creamy but firm texture, not too sweet. I added about a half tablespoon more lemon zest and 1/4 cup more lemon juice ?

I’ve made this a couple of times and its incredible everytime! I haven’t found a recipe by the minimalist baker that wasnt incredible. Wish you would make a raw cookbook.

Also, I meant to add that I’ve even used a crappier food processor that left the filling still a little gritty. It was STILL delicious and honestly the texture made it interesting! This recipe is very forgiving and it’s THE BEST!

Dana, this is one of your best recipes. It’s to die for! I love that they’re not crazy sweet to the point they hurt your teeth like regular lemon bars – so I can justify having these for breakfast!

I’ve made these many times, always with Meyer lemons from our tree out back. The recipe is perfect as is but sometimes I tweak things because the recipe is also super forgiving. I often don’t have coconut sugar on hand so regular sugar works fine for me. Once I didn’t have enough coconut cream so I used only about a half cup and the rest regular coconut milk and it was still great. I usually add in generous amounts of lemon zest. I’ve even added in a little more lemon juice and it’s fine.

This is a keeper. For the coconut cream, I placed a 15 oz can of rich coconut milk in the fridge the day before making this, so all of the fattiest part would solidify at the top, Then at mixing time, I measured out a cup of that. I used a food processor for the filling – it took a while for it to get smooth but when it does, it is completely smooth. I used meyer lemons. Next time I will add a few more tablespoons of lemon juice. Love the tang. You can use agar powder in place of the arrowroot/cornstarch (use HALF the amount of agar). It worked great and though molten when coming out of the oven, resulted in a cheesecake-like texture after cooling. For the crust, I used brown sugar. I love that this isn’t too sweet.

Tastes excellent, never know it’s vegan. Loved by non-vegans. Doubled recipe and put in 9×13” pan. I put lots of extra lemon zest in based on other comments and glad I did. I soaked cashews for closer to 6 hours. I would agree that a little thinner crust is better. Did not sprinkle with powder sugar.

Made these last night & they turned out really great. I didn’t use any coconut sugar, just added 2 dates to the crust mixture. I only had an 11×7 glass pan & totally forgot to adjust the cooking time, checking it right at 20 min and was terrified that it was too late because the edges were very dry and it was for sure done. But it tastes great! Will definitely make again & take it out quicker. Excited to have a recipe to use up more lemons from our tree : )

I’ve made these lemon bars at least 5 times now and it is one of my staple potluck recipes! Because it is such a hit (even with non-vegans), I usually double the recipe and use a 9/13 glass baking dish. I also use Earth Balance vegan butter instead of the coconut oil since some people are particular about the taste of coconut. Turns out great every time! 10/10.

This is a really good recipe with a nice crunchy base and delicious creamy top. It’s very easy to make as well.

This was a-ma-zing!!! It doesn’t taste like cashews or coconut cream, just beautiful, creamy, lemony cheesecake. It says 5 hrs prep time, but I started making it only two hours before going to a friends house (plus another hour before serving time), and luckily it worked out great!

I (almost) followed the recipe exactly … the only differences being:

1. I used a slightly bigger tray – 9”x13” because it’s what I had.
2. I didn’t pre-bake the base. It burnt when I did (maybe cause it was spread thinner in the bigger tray?), so I made another batch without pre-baking.
3. I soaked the cashews for only about half the time, but my ninja bullet took care of them just fine.
4. I used a can of coconut cream instead of the cream from coconut milk.
5. I only baked it for 15 mins. (remember it was spread thinner).
6. I only chilled it for about half the time before serving and they still set and I was even able to cut them after less than an hour chill time.

Also, for the garnish, I soaked lemon slices in hot water, which gets rid of most of the sourness and imo makes them taste like lemon candy. Btw, I wouldn’t bother writing all this and making a comment if I wasn’t so impressed with this recipe. Thank you, this is a keeper!

These lemon bars were amazing. I made them for a friend of mine who makes the full sugary lemon bars all the time and he wants the recipe he liked them so much.

I often fail at baking but these turned out well. Only thing I had trouble with was the cashews not blending very well after the 1 hour soaking so next time would soak overnight. This caused me to strain the lemon mixture so I could blend the chunks more but meant I lost some of the lemon zest in the strainer which resulted in it being slightly less lemony. The top of the filling cooks slightly more so doesn’t look as pretty as the pics. Overall would make again

I made a double batch of this for two meetings I had with non-vegans. I was concerned because I have not liked the texture of other vegan desserts I’ve made that are similar. It was a hit! Everyone agrees, these are addictive! The balance is just right with the tart and sweet – it comes back on your tongue a couple minutes after you eat one, making you crave another.
They were so well received, I was asked to make a lime bar (I just switched the lemons for limes) and It too was a delicious hit. The lime bars developed an even better flavor after a night’s rest in the refrigerator.
Thanks for sharing this. It is now on my go to list to share.

These are amazing!!!! Making them for a second time today and doubling the filling to make a cheeze cake thickness!!!!

This was great. I overcooked, almost burned the crust so next time I’ll bake it less time. The flavor and consistency of the bar got better as the days went on. I will keep this in my back pocket for future desserts.

I made a double batch for a work gathering, baked in 2, 8×8 pans. The crust is thick in proportion to the filling but we liked it that way! I increased the lemon zest as other commenters suggested and my husband liked it with more maple syrup. I topped the filling with more lemon zest for color/presentation. I don’t have a high speed blender so I used the food processor – it worked but I think I would prefer the creamier results of the blender. (Looks like I’ll be adding another appliance to my kitchen.) Thanks for doing the hard work developing this recipe, I would make it again and will have to try the lime version.

I loved these and found the recipe quite forgiving taste delicious
Had no almonds but had LSA and used brown sugar instead of maple syrup etc

I had some issues with the crust as well, but I had to modify the size of my pan (9×12) and the number of servings, so I suggest that folks keep an eye out for the crust possibly burning at the bottom if you ae not following the recipe exactly.
Next time I would prefer trying to bake the crust for a shorter period of time and allowing the second cycle of baking with the filling to finish the crust off without it getting burnt.
The filling was deeeelicious though and I would definitely try and make it again :) Thanks!

These squares are amazing! I’ve used the crust recipe alone multiple times to make pies (pumpkin pie and triple berry pie) but finally decided to grab the ingredients to make the entire recipe. I followed the recipe exactly as written, but I added some lemon zest to the top for some extra lemon flavour once they rested in the fridge overnight and I soaked my cashews for about 3 hours as I used a food processor. I also made a blueberry sauce to top the bars with and it pairs perfectly – I probably wouldn’t serve them alone without some kind of coulis or sauce. (Cooked fresh blueberries, about 1 cup, on the stove – brought to boil, added small squeeze of lemon juice, a splash of maple syrup and a few pinches of cornstarch, cooked until the berries started to burst.) They are so creamy and absolutely delightful for those who can’t have dairy and gluten. Will be making these again and again, next time will add more zest though!

I made these last night, having never tried anything like this before.

The base was straightforward (and delicious!) but the cream was trickier. After a while in the food processor it looked the consistency I expected, but when I tasted it there were still pieces of cashew in there, so I blended some more and when I looked again it appeared curdled and didn’t taste very nice! Miraculously though, I blended some more (and added a bit more syrup and arrowroot powder) and it went creamy again, though much more liquidy than expected.
I went ahead and poured it over the base fully expecting it to end up a horrible mess, but after baking for 20 minutes the cream had set and no sign of curdling!

They don’t taste quite as I expected- the topping isn’t really ‘creamy’, it’s a bit drier than expected. I’m not sure if I put too much arrowroot in? My main concern as I was blending the cream was that it wouldn’t set so I may have overcompensated.

Anyway, they are really tasty and I can’t wait to make them again, and to try and make a creamier cream next time!

Really disappointed. I follows the recipe exactly and the lemon topping curdled. It was fine until i added a little extra maple syrup and lemon zest as suggested you
could then blitzed it for another 5 seconds. My suggestion is don’t add anything after the initial blending or stop and then blend again

My crust just burned.. I heated the oven just as you said, it is almost a black crust and it smells burned.
How is that possible? My oven usually is right on the temperature.

I’ve made these lemon bars twice and loved them both times! The first time I followed the recipe as-is, the second time I halved the crust portion and baked individual servings in 36 lined mini cupcake tins (making sure to adjust the baking time accordingly). They turned out so cute and are a perfect little treat to pull out of the fridge or freezer. Next time, I may even add an additional lemon (zest and all!) because I like the extra tangy flavor. Overall — 5 stars and easy to customize to your liking.

YUM, YUM, YUM. Made this earlier and boy it didn’t disappoint! Followed the recipe as written, perfect. Lovely lemon flavour but next time I’d like extra zing so will add more zest to either the cashew layer or grated on top so I’d better make sure I buy more lemons, haha!

I baked this today, followed the method perfectly, and they are delicious. I would offer a few constructive comments for other bakers:
-In Step 5, where it says ‘parchment lined baking sheet’ it’s referring to the 8 x 8 pan, and not a different pan. Maybe a typo.
-I would prefer to add more lemony zing to my cashew cream topping, so I plan to at least double the amount of lemon zest next time.
-I would also prefer to have a thinner crust and thicker topping, so I will make this recipe in a 9 x 9 pan next time, and then proportionally increase the topping.
-The baking time for the final product took 10 minutes longer than the longest recommended time to get the jiggly, non-liquidy texture. I have a Thermador wall oven that tends to be very accurate, so perhaps her oven is way hotter than mine.

thanks for the wonderful recipe!

These bars are so delicious! I’ve been missing lemon bars for the years that I’ve been vegan and these lovelies are perfect! I ran out of coconut oil so I subbed with earth balance and it was heaven!

YUM-O! I have a 12 year old daughter who loves to bake but is on a food elimination challenge while sorting some health issues, so no corn, dairy or gluten this summer. This and the lime recipe are SAVING her. THANK YOU! Delicious and she has gotten rave reviews when she brings them to gatherings.

I absolutely love these! I made them in a mini cupcake silicon pan so they’re a ton of little lemon bites. I’m excited to try this crust with different fillings :D!

So perfect! Everybody loved it even the non vegans. Thank you!

These were wonderful I will definitely be making them again. Also easy and quick to make.