Have you ever wondered how to make deliciously sweet and tangy keto lemon bars? Well, it’s your lucky day! Because today I’m going to show you how to make one of the best keto desserts ever...You guessed it, low-carb, sugar-free, keto lemon bars. And the best part is they have all the sweet tasty tanginess that you'd want from a "normal" lemon bar but for just 2.5 NET CARBS a piece.
Table of Contents
Keto Lemon Bars
These lemon bars have been one of my favorite go-to keto desserts lately because they taste so fantastic.
In my opinion, the best thing about this keto dessert recipe is that it hits all the hallmarks of an awesome lemon bar – it’s chewy, tangy, and perfectly sweetened!
It has a super delicious and bright flavor that you’ll love.
And did I mention that each serving is only 2.5 net carbs?
I think I did, but it's definitely worth repeating.
Mostly because when you taste these bars you'll have a hard time believing they're keto.
How to Make Keto Lemon Bars
First things first, let's talk ingredients.
Here are the ingredients you'll need for your bars:
- Salted Butter
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Eggs
- Lemons
- Blanched Almond Flour
- Confectioners Swerve
And for the keto powdered sugar topping:
- More Confectioners Swerve
That’s it!
It’s literally just 6 ingredients.
You probably have most of these lying around the house, too.
Like I said, totally easy. And if you have any leftover lemons I highly recommend making my copycat Chick Fil A Diet Lemonade next! Oh, and if you have eggs leftover, give my keto creme brulee recipe a shot too!
Shortbread Crust
Making this recipe is divided into two parts: the crust and the filling. This is necessary for making these the BEST keto lemon bars because it gives you that gooey upper layer and that chewy bottom layer.
The crust to these bars is a shortbread crust.
So, to make it, we're going to add just less than a cup of almond flour and a heaping 3 tablespoons of Confectioners Swerve to a medium-sized bowl and mix well. Then we're going to add 3 tablespoons of melted butter, ½ a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and one egg yolk.
Then, once those are added, we're going to mix everything until crumbly, and then press the dough into an 8x8 baking tray, and start baking it. And, at this point, we're just going to par-cook the crust...so it will only need to bake for around 10 minutes at 350°F.
Making The Filling
Anyways, while the shortbread crust is in the oven, you’ll want to make the filling. This part has all of that tangy lemony goodness that makes these lemon bars so addictively delicious.
So, to make the filling we're going to add...3 eggs, the juice from 3 lemons, ⅔ of a cup of Confectioners Swerve, just less than a cup of almond flour, and some lemon zest to a medium-sized bowl.
That said, you'll want to add & combine the eggs and lemon juice first, before adding the dry ingredients. Doing this will ensure that the filling ingredients completely mix into one another.
Now, after you've whisked all of those ingredients together, you should have a thick wet batter. And your crust should also be finishing up in the oven at this point as well.
Having said that, once the crust does finishes cooking, you’ll want to pour the batter on top of it, and bake for another 25 minutes or so.
What we’re looking for here are golden crispy edges that are just starting to pull away from the parchment paper. And we're also looking for a filling that is just ever so slightly giggly in the middle as well. Then, when that happens, we're going to remove the baking tray from the oven and let it cool down to room temperature.
Now, these keto lemon bars are best served cold. So once our the tray of lemon bars cools down, we'll want to refrigerate them for atleast an hour.
Then, once the bars are chilled, we can remove them from the fridge, cut them into 9 squares, and sift some powdered sugar - Confectioners Swerve - on top of them.
Gah, my mouth is watering just thinking about making them!
I said it before and I’ll say it again – thes bars are addictive.
Sugar Free Lemon Bars
As I'm sure you know, lemon bars are a great dessert or snack, but most of the time, they’re super full of sugar and carbs – not very keto friendly.
However, I keep my keto lemon bar recipe low carb & sugar-free by replacing the sugar with confectioner’s erythritol. It’s a low carb sweetener that works great with this recipe – I highly recommend trying it with other keto dessert ideas too. It gives you that perfect balance of sweetness without the added carbs! I like this one from Swerve – it dissolves really well, and most importantly, it has 0 net carbs & 0 calories!
Keto Flours To Make Lemon Bars With
So, another problem with lemon bars is the carbs from the flour.
For this low carb dessert recipe, I use blanched almond flour. It has an awesome flavor and texture, plus you won’t be able to tell the difference between it and white - or wheat - flour. Plus, almond flour - atleast the one that I use - has just 2 net carbs per serving, which is way less than "normal" flour.
With that said, if you'd like to substitute the almond flour, you can do so with walnut flour or sunflower seed flour. Both of these flour can be used as an almond flour substitute at a 1 to 1 ratio. So, just use the same amount of them in place of the almond flour, and they'll work great as a low carb crust base ingredient in this recipe.
Pro tip: You can substitute some of the flour for 0 Carb Unflavored Whey Protein Powder. It’s a trick I use in some of my other dessert recipes – like in these keto brownies – that really helps lessen the number of carbs.
Now, if you decide to use a little protein powder, the rule is that 1 gram of protein should be substituted for 1.5 grams of almond flour.
Having said that, the most almond flour I'd substitute out of the crust would be 15 grams. So, that means you'd use 10 grams of protein powder in its place.
Also, not all protein powders are created equal, so if you do use it, make sure you use this protein powder.
Nutritional Info On These Low Carb Lemon Bars For Keto
As I've already mentioned a couple of times, one of my favorite things about these bars is the carb count.
The fact that each one of these bars has just 2.5 net carbs is mind-blowing - and yes, that's even including the powdered sugar topping.
Anyway, when you taste these you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
By the way, the recipe makes 9 lemon bars, and each one has...
- 210 Calories
- 18g Fat
- 5g Carbs
- 2.5g Fiber
- 2.5g NET CARBS
- 7g Protein
Also since we’re all staying indoors - for now anyway, it’s an excellent opportunity to make these lemon bars!
Plus, you get to do something with all the extra time you have at home...and you get a fantastic keto dessert out of it too.
It's a win-win!
Keto Drinks To Pair With These Lemon Bars
If you're looking for some tasty keto recipes to pair these low carb lemon bars, I definitely have a few on the blog.
The first recipe that comes to mind is my keto dalgona coffee recipe – another excellent choice during the #stayhome season.
I highly recommend pairing these keto lemon bars with that super low carb and delicious trending coffee for a café vibe at home.
However, if sweet and milky coffee isn’t your thing, I also have a bulletproof coffee recipe. It’s got all the richness and energy you want from a great cup of coffee without the caffeine crash! So definitely check out that recipe because pairing that with the bars would make a super delicious breakfast treat too.
More Keto Dessert Recipes To Try
Okay, so we’re all probably going to be at home for a little while longer. And that means now's a great time to stock up on keto snack and dessert recipes.
A few of my all-time favorites are these...
Also, if you're looking for even more tasty dessert deliciousness, there are a ton of other recipes in my cookbook - The Ultimate Low Carb Keto Cookbook: SWEET EDITION!
It’s got over 125 super easy keto recipes that are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth in a totally low carb keto friendly way.
PrintKeto Lemon Bars | Healthy Low Carb Easy To Make Lemon Bars For Keto
These are THE BEST, healthy, low carb, keto lemon bars! They are so easy to make, and there's no sugar added to them, so they're totally kid friendly too. And, when you taste these keto lemon bars you'll have a hard time believing this is a low carb recipe for them...that's how good they taste. That said, each lemon bar has just 2.5 NET CARBS, so you can indulge guilt-free with this recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 9 Lemon Bars
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Keto Low Carb
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust:
3 Tbsps (42g) Salted Butter, Melted
½ teaspoon (2g) Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Egg Yolk
Just less than 1 Cup (100g) Blanched Almond Flour
3 Heaping Tbsps (30g) Confectioners Erythritol
Filling:
3 Eggs
Juice of 3 Lemons (80g)
Zest of ¼ of a Lemon
⅔ Cup (100g) Confectioners Erythritol
Just less than 1 Cup (105g) Blanched Almond Flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ (177℃).
- Whisk the dry crust ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add in the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until a dough forms.
- Line an 8x8 in. square baking tray with parchment paper and coat it with non-stick
baking spray. - Add the ball of dough to the tray and press it outwards so that it covers the bottom of the tray.
- Bake the crust for about 10 minutes - Start preparing the filling while it's cooking.
- FILLING: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the wet ingredients until creamy & combined.
- Then add in the dry filling ingredients, and whisk again - The filling should be “wet”.
- Pour the filling on top of the crust.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges just start to pull away from the parchment paper.
- Let them cool completely before placing in the fridge.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour - and up to several days - then then cut into 9 lemon bars.
- Sift Confectioners Swerve over the top of the bars just before serving.
- The bars are best served chilled. Store covered in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Lemon Bar
- Calories: 210
- Fat: 11
- Carbohydrates: 5
- Fiber: 2.5
- Protein: 7
Keywords: keto lemon bars, lemon bars keto, low carb lemon bars, lemon bars low carb, best keto lemon bars, lemon bars recipe, recipe for lemon bars, easy keto lemon bars, how to make lemon bars, how to make keto lemon bars
Ellen Henley says
Is it possible to exchange a tablespoon or two of almond flour for a tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal or psyllium husk powder to increase the fiber and lower the net carbs without impacting the flavor too much?
The Diet Chef says
I think so :)
Amanda says
Fantastic recipe! Easy to make! These are perfect just the way you have them! No need to alter or modify!
Sharon Hooper says
Hi, made these lemon keto bars, they're absolutely divine. Can I freeze them.
Sharon
The Diet Chef says
I think they'd freeze fine!
Anne says
I froze them and they are divine. They can be eaten frozen and it makes for a delicious hot weather treat.
Yara muniz says
Can i use lemon juice or extract instead of the 3 lemon squeezed?
susan says
since you don't have an answer yet: extract won't work, because the filling needs the liquid, volume, & acidity from the juice
Stephanie Acosta says
I made these yesterday and my children even loved them.
blitzen says
OMG. these are SO delicious!!💚
quick question tho:
what is the FAT content per bar, please??
in the article, it says 18g of fat per bar, but the nutritional info has it listed at 11g... could u clarify, please? (just tryin to track my macros🙂)
Sonia says
First of all: all your recipes that I made so far are bomb. I love how quick and easy they are! The only concern that I have is the consistency as soon as I add the almond flour. I am from Germany and I think it has to do with our almond flour. I tried to add a little bit of water but than the dough etc is strange. Do you have any suggestions what I can do? Thanks a lot for your help. Keep it up!
Kirsty Plumley says
New to Keto these are amazing thank you. How long can you store them in the fridge for?
Kirsty says
Make them they are amazing how long should they last in the fridge?
Olya says
Absolutely delicious
Ciji says
Absolutely delish! My only deviation from the recipe was adding some walnuts to the crust. I will definitely make these again.
Natalie says
I was trying to find recipes that are keto and taste great... well thank you they are amazing... deserts and breads are really hard to find great recipes..
I usually experiment with regular favorites and substitute the sugar and flour with keto.. thanks so much will be following your recipes..
Denis says
My wife made these and they are remarkable . I recommend these to anyone.
Toni-Cara says
These were INCREDIBLE!! I will definitely make these again and again! Just the right amount of EVERYTHING!!!!! Thank you for this awesome dessert recipe!!!
✨🍋✨🍋✨🍋✨🍋✨
Louise says
Totally hit the spot!
Sally says
The crust on these is dreamy. My mouth is watering thinking about eating them.
Laurel says
Perfect lemon flavor. Very refreshing.
Alexa says
Awesome!!
Pamela Flatek says
Had a craving for something light and sweet and these were just what I needed. Delicious!
Alea Hosker says
The texture of these was amazing, so addicting!!! I think you're trying to make me eat the whole tray!
Samantha says
Great ratio of crust to filling. I've made other keto lemon bars before and there was way too much filling.
Hayden says
Super delicious/refreshing summer recipe!! Thanks:)
Maya O says
Really liked everything about these! Will make again soon:)
Amira says
Refreshing and simple to make! Loved!
Julia says
We made these last summer, and we’re making them again this summer! Perfect lemon bars right here.
Adrian says
Best lemon bars I've ever had!
Connie says
Absolute tangy deliciousness.
Lyla says
The filling is to die for.
Salie says
Made them last night and came out perfect! Had some people over and they really liked them too.
Maureen says
Perfect summer dessert!
Natalia says
This has been my go to all summer long, love it every single time.
Carly says
So refreshing. TYFS
Helena G says
I like that the filling is not mushy. Good consistency.
Rory says
Not super into lemon recipes but I really enjoyed these bars!!
Cristine says
YUM!!
Rae says
Lemon bars don't get better than these. 10/10 recommend making them.
Gulianna says
That powdered sugar topping is the icing on the bars(;
Malia says
These honestly do melt in your mouth with every bite! Just as good as advertised.
Mikayla says
I froze these the day after making them and omg they are even better chilled!!
Taylor says
Best low carb gluten free lemon bars! I suggest to make them.
Denise Higginson says
I make these all the time! My go to of all desserts!
Mea says
Just made them for Thanksgiving, they're great!
Mine were very lemony.
I added a bit of orange zest to make it more like Meyer lemon.
Actual Meyer lemons are hard to find.
Elma says
Sooooo delicious!!!!
Carmen Moleon says
OMG , 💛💛 They are absolutely Devine . Thank you .
Melissa says
I didn’t have swerve, so I put mink fruit in a clean coffee grinder and made powdered mink fruit. Worked perfectly!
Zsuzsi Valentin-Bodor says
This is the best keto dessert, I have ever eaten. Thank you very much!
marilyn says
Excellent, I would say you hit this one perfectly- no need to change a thing. Everyone who's tried them, loves them. Will be making these often.