Lemon Bars are just one of those classic desserts that everyone seems to love! For some odd reason I never really got around to nailing down some good recipes! I tried a few years back and struggled to get the filling just right & gave up. It was high time I circle back and create some spectacular variations. And ThAT is exactly what I did!

This recipe is my favorite out of the bunch.. because well carbs & lots of sugar! :) But I promise they all taste great!

This version uses eggs but is nut, gluten & dairy free!

Then there’s the Keto Version- which of course is low carb/sugar free and uses a grain free almond flour crust. That version uses eggs but is also gluten and dairy free.

Last but not least I made an egg free version that uses gelatin in the filling. That version has two crust options- one made from almond flour and the other from cassava. Then in addition to a lemon filling, I made you a tangerine option, strawberry kiwi option and Cranberry Orange!

All of them are posted here in Club Angell plus!

For the crust I used King Arthur measure for measure which is one of my top 2 favorite blends. As a general rule I prefer to tell people that all purpose flours- are all VERY very different. There is no such thing as a true cup for cup with gluten free.. there are just so many different flours and depending how you put them together will always result in a different blend that works different.

All that to say- shortbread is kind of an exception. Because it contains no liquids, milk or eggs- the flour used is a lot more flexible. SO this is the rare occasion when I think that you could substitute in another gluten free all purpose blend for the crust without running into major issues. There may be some slight differences- but it should work! :)

As for adding the flour blend to the filling- that changes things a little bit and is trickier. For example I would NOT use a blend that has a higher ratio of xanthan gum like better batter. Better batter is my other favorite but its best suited for BREAD! It would soak up too much liquid in this recipe and throw off the texture. Its hard to know what blends have more or less gumminess to them without some trial and error. I know Pamelas would be much too gummy as well. But I think Bob’s red mill all purpose blend would work fine. Cup for cup may work ok too!

This recipe makes a large pan! I used a 9x 12.5 inch pan. If you don’t have that exact size- but have something close then that will be sufficient. The bars being just a little bit thicker or thinner wont effect the recipe negatively.

All of my other lemon bars make a 7x7 or 8x8 square pan.

If you don’t want to make a large pan of this specific recipe- you have a few options.

#1 Make them Extra thick- use a smaller 8x8 or 9x9 pan with the same ratio of ingredients. Baking times might need slight adjustments. The filling could take longer to bake. Its done when its mostly set! If you leave it in too long beyond this point just know that the shortbread crust may start to burn.

#2 If you want your bars the thickness seen in these photos- use the recipe adjustment tool to cut the recipe quantity in half- or even reduce it by 1/4-1/3. Then use an 8x8 pan!

Gluten & Dairy Free Classic Lemon Bars