Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Bars (Vegan)

These Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Bars are a refreshing spring or summer treat. A crisp shortbread topped with a rich, lightly sweet and tart lemon curd filling that’s bursting with fresh blueberries. These vegan lemon blueberry shortbread bars can easily be made grain-free, paleo, and AIP compliant.

As the creator of an online dairy-free and gluten-free baking school, I understand how challenging it is to find dairy and gluten-free baked goods that taste as delicious as their conventional counterparts. My Lemon Blueberry Bars have the crispy crust, rich filling, and sweet-tart flavors of traditional blueberry lemon squares without any gluten, dairy, eggs, or nut flours.

Try these other gluten and dairy-free lemon berry desserts: Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Banana Bread, or Lemon Glazed AIP Blueberry Donuts or this Lemon Custard with Strawberry Compote.

Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Bars Recipe

If you’re a fan of my Gluten Free Vegan Lemon Bars, you’ll love this Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Bars recipe. I take my classic lemon squares and add fresh blueberries on top for a sweet burst of flavor in every bite.

I made the vegan and gluten-free shortbread crust with a gluten-free 1:1 flour for maximum ease and convenience. Combined with the salt, baking soda, vanilla extract, maple syrup and melted coconut oil, it makes a buttery, crispy, lightly sweet shortbread and a firm base for these blueberry lemon bars.

The smooth and creamy vegan lemon curd is thick and rich from the coconut cream, with a bright, tangy lemon flavor from both the lemon juice and lemon zest. It’s lightly sweetened with maple sugar and I added a touch of turmeric for a natural yellow color. Sweet blueberries enhance the overall sweet-tart flavor and add fresh juiciness to each bar.

Ingredients

See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities.

Crust

• Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• baking soda
• salt
• coconut oil – melt in the microwave first.
• maple syrup – ensure it’s at room temperature. Warm it slightly in the microwave to remove the chill from the fridge if necessary. This promotes easy mixing and prevents it from solidifying the coconut oil in the dough.
• vanilla extract

Lemon Curd Filling

• lemon juice – use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. You’ll need about 4 medium sized lemons.
• lemon zest
• maple sugar
• coconut cream – use the thick, creamy part of coconut cream. I recommend the canned version.
• arrowroot starch – helps thicken the filling.
• pinch of sea salt
• turmeric – optional.
• fresh blueberries – frozen blueberries will release too much moisture and should not be used as a substitute.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour: I recommend using another gluten-free 1 to 1 flour rather than a gluten-free all-purpose flour. Note that this particular gluten-free flour blend contains grains, nightshades, and xanthan gum but excludes yeast.
  Alternatively, you can use cassava flour and arrowroot starch as in my lemon bars recipe.
• Coconut oil: You can also use softened palm shortening (warmed in the microwave) instead.
• Maple sugar: You can substitute it with golden coconut sugar to retain a lighter color or granulated cane sugar if tolerated. Coconut sugar will create a darker color but will also work.
• Coconut cream: The high fat content in coconut cream is necessary for the filling to thicken and set. I have tested this recipe with full fat coconut milk and it does not set as well. If you choose to use this instead, note that your bars won’t be as firm. One hack to get coconut cream from coconut milk in a can is to refrigerate the coconut milk and use the thick top creamy layer which separates from the liquid.
• AIP Modification: To make these blueberry lemon bars grain-free, paleo, and comply with both the Core AIP and Modified AIP versions of the AIP diet, use cassava flour and arrowroot starch for the shortbread crust instead of the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour. Ensure the coconut cream is additive-free and made from only coconut and water.

Instructions

Step 1: Prep

Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing some to overhang on the sides.

Step 2. Prepare the Crust

In a large bowl, combine the crust ingredients into a soft dough.

Then, press the dough into the prepared pan, spreading it into a smooth, even layer.

Par-bake the crust for 10 minutes to create a sturdy base that withstands the moisture of the filling so it doesn’t get soggy.

Step 3: Make the Filling

In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the vegan lemon curd ingredients until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.

Step 4: Assemble and Bake the Lemon Blueberry Bars

Spread the lemon curd filling on top of the shortbread crust. Then sprinkle the fresh blueberries over the top.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Cool and Set

Remove from the oven and allow the lemon blueberry bars to cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge for at least 2 hours until set completely. Once fully set, slice into squares or rectangular bars. Dust the top with icing sugar or arrowroot starch for a refined sugar free version, additional lemon zest or garnish with baked lemon slices, if desired.

Tips & Tricks

Over-line the pan with parchment paper

Allow some extra parchment paper to hang over the sides of the baking pan. Use the overhang as handles to easily lift the whole baked lemon blueberry bar out of the pan and onto a cutting board when you’re ready to slice them.

Lemon Zest Tips

Unwaxed lemons are best for zesting to avoid pesticides and additives. More importantly, without the wax coating, it’s easier to release the lemon oil from the zest, providing a more vibrant flavor.

If you only have waxed lemons, remove the wax by soaking them in boiled water for about 5 minutes. Then, gently scrub with a cloth or brush and rinse under cool water. You can also spray them with a solution of equal parts vinegar and warm water and let them sit for 5 minutes before rinsing them.

Use a zester, a rasp-style grater (Microplane), or the smallest side of a box grater to zest the lemon. Rotate the lemon as you grate gently and don’t go too deep in one spot to avoid the bitter white pith underneath.

Massaging the lemon zest into the maple sugar first releases the lemon oil (where the flavor is most concentrated) for more even distribution and makes the filling more flavorful and fragrant than just mixing the zest into the filling. You can grate the lemon peel directly onto the sugar then squeeze and rub the zest and sugar together with your fingertips for a few minutes before you make the lemon filling.

Use the Solid Part of Coconut Cream

Be sure to use the thick, creamy, solid part of coconut cream and not the liquid. Its high fat content is really important for the lemon filling to set so that it gets firm and isn’t runny.

Don’t Overcook the Filling

Keep whisking the filling at medium heat and ensure it does not start to boil. This will cause the arrowroot starch to lose its thickening ability.

Adjust the Filling’s Flavor to Taste

Feel free to make the lemon curd to suit your taste. Add more or start with less maple sugar to adjust the sweetness and add more or start with less lemon juice and/or zest to adjust the tartness.

Setting the Lemon Blueberry Bars

Letting the bars cool to room temperature prevents the filling from cracking when you put it in the fridge.
Allow the bars to chill and set in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. The longer the chill time, the better they will set and easier they will be to cut.

Cutting the Bars

Use a sharp knife dampened in warm water to slice the bars, so the knife glides through the lemon curd more easily without sticking. Clean the blade between cuts for neat, clean slices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage Instructions

Fridge: Keep these gluten free lemon blueberry bars in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Separate layers with plastic wrap or parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together.

Freezer: These bars freeze beautifully. Place cut bars on a tray in a single layer and freeze for about 1 hour. Then wrap individual bars in parchment paper if desired and store them in a freezer-safe container or resealable bag for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight, at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or reheat in the microwave for just 10 seconds.

I hope you love these Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Bars. If you do, I would appreciate it if you would give the recipe a rating and review. Be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious and using the hashtag #healmedelicious. 

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