Lemon Squares (Gluten Free Lemon Bars) are the easiest lemon bar recipe, and they just so happen to be gluten free! This lemon squares recipe is one of our favorite easy gluten free desserts. Thick, creamy, tart, and utterly delicious. The Best Lemon Bars you’ll ever taste!
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GLUTEN FREE Lemon Bars Recipe (Lemon Squares)
Lemon Squares are a classic recipe everyone should know how to make. These Gluten Free Lemon Bars are so EASY, anyone can feel like a pastry chef.
Lemon Squares are easier than you might think. Baking is still a bit intimidating for me, as I’ve talked about before. When I started this blog, I couldn’t cook ANYTHING, and I for sure couldn’t bake anything. Cooking seems to be so much easier to me.
Throw this in, leave this out…most recipes are easy to customize and hard to ruin. Baking is more precise. It seems like more of a skill. Along the blog’s journey, I’ve had some baking successes that I’m so proud of! These Gluten Free Lemon Bars are a favorite.
Before I attempted this easy lemon bars recipe, my mom helped me make her famous Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Crinkles, I made an amazing Raspberry Moscow Mule Bundt Cake, and I tackled and perfected Mini Nutella Cheesecakes (nevermind that those are no bake. shhh!).
Today’s recipe, GLUTEN FREE LEMON BARS, has quickly become one of my favorite gluten free dessert recipes on the site. They are SO creamy, dreamy, and EASY! You’ll crave them year round, but they’re especially perfect for Spring and Summer. Lemon Squares just can’t be beat in my opinion.
These Gluten Free Lemon Bars are a must-bake dessert! I love the flavor of these Lemon Squares AND they’re easy to make.
How do you make Gluten Free Lemon Bars?
Part of what makes these Gluten Free Lemon Bars oh so easy and perfect is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. You heard that right, ONE TO ONE. No more adding in special ingredients to make gluten free flours work with your favorite recipes. You can literally add this flour into any of your best bets just as you would all purpose flour and bake away.
Bob’s is amazing and making things way too simple for people like me. It’s what makes this recipe one of my favorite Easy Gluten Free Desserts. It’s as simple as swapping out the flour.
Thank you Bob’s Red Mill! Pat thanks you too, he’s the inspiration behind these lemon squares. He asked me to work on some gluten free goodies and this was my first attempt. Now that I know how easy they are, they won’t be my last.
Easy Gluten Free Desserts
If you’re looking for some more easy gluten free desserts or other recipes, try out some of my favorites:
- Gluten Free Spritz Cookies
- Gluten Free Buffalo Wings
- Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bars
- Gluten Free Holiday Sangria
- Gluten Free Brownies
- Gluten Free Churros Recipe
How to Make Lemon Bars (Step by Step Recipe)
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Heat Oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×9 baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside. (I also like to line with foil and then spray…makes pulling them out of the pan much easier)
FOR THE CRUST
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In a medium bowl, combine flour and sugar. Use a fork or knives to stir in the butter until a crumbly mixture results. Add water a bit at a time. Take mixture and press evenly into the bottom of the pan.
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Bake for approximately 25 minutes until slightly golden and set.
FOR THE FILLING
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In a mixing bowl, stir together all of the filling ingredients until smooth.
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Pour mixture over the still hot crust.
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Bake 22-26 minutes or until set in the middle. Let cool on the counter for a minimum of two hours. Cut into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar. If not immediately serving, store in the fridge.
Be sure to watch the video to see the step by step lemon bar recipe in action!
Tips for Making Lemon Squares
I sampled a few variations before settling on this Lemon Bar Recipe. I’m SO happy with the result. These gluten free Lemon Bars are the right amount of creamy, tart, and crust all together.
- If you want to make this dessert with regular flour (instead of gluten free) that’s no problem at all! Just use all purpose flour in place of the gluten free flours. Also, I hope you’ll check out all of our Gluten Free Recipes!
- Powdered sugar is gluten free as long as it uses cornstarch or tapioca starch as it’s base. so just be sure to double check ingredient list.
There are tons and tons of great lemon square recipes out there, but I hope you give this one a try. I think it’s amazing and we sure do love it. I know its a bold statement to say these are THE BEST LEMON SQUARES but I really do think this is the Best Lemon Bar Recipe out there! If I do say so myself (as my Mom would say).
These lemon bars are so perfect for Easter. Get more Easter Dessert Ideas right here!
FAQ for making Lemon Squares
Do you put Lemon Bars in the fridge?
I recommend keeping them cool. You can keep them in the fridge or on the counter in an air tight container for 2-3 days, but the refrigeration will only enhance the flavor of the bars and keep them extra creamy.
How much is the juice of one lemon?
On average, each lemon has 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Great info to know!
How long can you keep lemon squares?
I recommend no more than 2-3 days in an airtight container.
How long is a lemon good for?
A lemon can stay good and fresh for up to 1 week at room temperature and 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Cut lemons can stay good for 2-3 days in the fridge.
See the recipe card below or watch our video on how to make Lemon Squares. Enjoy!
Be sure to try some of our other lemon-flavored recipes:
- Sour Cream Lemon Pie
- Lemon Meringue Cookies
- Homemade Lemonade Recipe
- Lemon Sauce or Syrup
- Lemon Butter Salmon in Parchment
Best Ever Gluten Free Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Flour I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup salted butter cold, cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons water
For the Filling
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon peel grated
- 4 eggs lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup Gluten Free Flour I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour
For Serving
- Powdered sugar *SEE NOTE
Instructions
- Heat Oven to 350F. Spray a 9x9 baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside. (I also like to line with foil and then spray...makes pulling them out of the pan much easier)
For the Crust
- In a medium bowl, combine flour and sugar. Use a fork or knives to stir in the butter until a crumbly mixture results. Add water a bit at a time. Take mixture and press evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for approximately 25 minutes until slightly golden and set.
For the Filling
- In a mixing bowl, stir together all of the filling ingredients until smooth.
- Pour mixture over the still hot crust.
- Bake 22-26 minutes or until set in the middle. Let cool on the counter for a minimum of two hours. Cut into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar. If not immediately serving, store in the fridge.
- Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
Nutrition Information
Can you make ahead of time and keep in the fridge?
You can as long as it’s served not to soon after making them!
I have made these twice, the first time in the 9X9 pan, the second time in a 9X13 pan. The crust was too thick for me in the 9X9, much better for me in the 9X13 pan. The filling in the larger pan was baked at 23 minutes and was perfect, not gooey or underdone! Taste is good!
Thanks for sharing!
I have made this recipe four times now, my mom is gluten free and she LOVES these, I make her a whole pan and she freezes them. One question – the most recent time I made them I cooked for a whole 26 minutes and the filling was not cooked at all – total liquid still. Any idea what I could have done wrong??
It may have just been a fluke! Three out of four times success, you are doing great!
Jennifer, ours came out runny too, even after putting back into the oven for 10 additional minutes. Tasted great though, so we ate it! Might be the eggs, different brands don’t always equal the same size and changes the outcome. Also we used large eggs….don’t know what size anyone else used and the recipe doesn’t specify large or medium.
I cooked mine for 40 mins, started to look a bit burnt on the edges and middle was raw. Going to let it cool and see if that helps not as yellow as the images and more if a cake than I expected!
I am sorry but I tried it twice, followed the directions to a tea, first time the bottom would not firm up it was sloppy, second time it tasted like corn meal very grainy, I know gluten free flour is very different, but this was bad. is there a different flour that is a little less grainy?
I am sorry this didn’t work out for you Linda!
I tried this recipe for Easter and absolutely loved it, as did my family. Some of us are gluten free, but these were so tasty I will definitely make again (like this weekend!!). Finally, I feel successful in my GF dessert endeavors!! We will be looking forward to checking out your web site, for more delicious recipes!
Thanks, Laura! I’m so happy that everyone loved them!
I can’t find Bob Mill gluten free flour, would you recommend using almond flour for a good substitute?
You absolutely can!
Try Namaste flour. You can find on Amazon, Costco, or Krogers. It also has an amazing bread recipe that is worth trying.
thanks for this valuable post
You’re welcome!!
have to tried to replace the butter with a substitute? Thank you for the recipe…..I will post when I make it!
I making this recipe for the 2nd time. They are so good and full of lemon flavor. I don’t use lemon zest so I add a little extra lemon juice to the recipe. You should make these now!!
Thanks for sharing, Jenny!
Will these freeze well?