Chewy Keto Lemon Bars

Before going low carb, I LOVED my gluten-free lemon bar recipe. I’m a huge lover of lemon desserts, and the bright flavors of citrus fruits have always been my favourite options when it comes to having a sweet treat.

Anyway, I’d developed it for Beyond Flour, and it was wildly popular with my recipe testers (None of whom were gluten-free, themselves!), and - eventually - readers.

My keto dessert recipes have been pretty key to sticking to the keto diet, so I did up a low carb recipe for a lemon bar, based on that easy recipe.

While many low carb lemon bars out there have a shortbread crust topped with either a cake, Cheesecake, or gooey lemon filling / lemon curd layer - usually topped with powdered sugar - I went in a different direction with my keto lemon bars recipe.

Think “Brownie”, but... not.

These easy keto lemon bars have all of the texture - that gooey, chewy goodness you’d expect from a brownie - but instead of chocolate, it was a brightly flavoured citrus bar.

Finally, rather than a sprinkling of powdered sugar, I whipped up a quick, lemony frosting/glaze for it.

You know, really leaning in on the “lemon brownie” idea!

Recently, I started craving those tangy lemon bars ... so it was about time I posted my sugar-free lemon bars recipe!

How Many Carbs are in Keto Lemon Bars?

These keto treats are a great option for anyone with a keto lifestyle.

When it comes to carb count, these bars each have 30 grams of total carbohydrate, with 27 of those coming from the erythritol - so about 3 grams of net carbs per bar!

Keto Lemon Bar Ingredients

While some of the ingredients are pretty universal, simple ingredients available in most grocery stores - large eggs, butter, fresh lemons (for both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest), etc - there are a few that are more specific to keto baking.

Here’s a bit of information on those ones:

Almond Flour

Almond flour is foundational to SO many keto and low-carb baking recipes. I buy it in bulk, as I use it so often.

In general, you’ll have the best results from a fine grind flour that’s made from blanched almonds. That is to say, you shouldn’t see little bits of brown in the flour.

... That’s almond meal, but sometimes sold as almond flour.

Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is another super foundational ingredient when it comes to keto baking, and I often use it in conjunction with almond flour.

While almond flour doesn’t soak up / retain much in the way of liquid, coconut flour does. This contributes to the moisture content and overall texture of your baked goods - it’s a good complement for the almond flour properties.

Generally, you’ll use a LOT less coconut flour than you will almond flour, as a little goes a long way!

Sugar Substitute

There are two keto sweeteners I use for this, depending on what I have on hand any given day.

First off is Swerve Granular Sweetener, which is straight erythritol. This is what I started with, and it’s a good standby low carb sweetener.

More recently, I’ve been into using a Monkfruit/Erthyritol blend (I’ve used several different brands of monk fruit sweetener), which I’m slightly preferring to the Swerve.

They both taste a lot like regular sugar, but the blend has a bit less of the “cooling” sensation in the mouth.

Confectioners Swerve

When it comes to the frosting, I use the Swerve Confectioners Sweetener variety - it’s powdered erythritol, and is a decent analog for powdered sugar when making frosting.

I haven’t come across any other powdered sugar offerings in my area!

That said, there’s a different sugar free sweetener that works better... when I order it from the USA. If you have access to Powdered Allulose, I’d recommend using it.

It’s a bit more expensive, a bit harder to find... but it does the job WITHOUT the cooling sensation / aftertaste that powdered erythritol is known for.

Wholesome Yum's Besti Powdered Allulose is a popular option.

Unflavoured Protein Powder

I keep a big canister of unflavored, unsweetened protein powder on hand at all times.

Whey protein powder was the final piece of the puzzle when I developed my Gluten-Free Soft Pretzels recipe (Not low carb!), and I’ve carried that knowledge forward in my low carb baking.

The brand I use will generally vary based on what’s on sale, but the basics are the same:

It has to be unflavoured, unsweetened whey protein powder. I haven’t had any issues with any brand I’ve used so far.

Xanthan Gum

Xanthan gum is another ingredient I’ve brought with me from my regular gluten-free baking days.

While I used it exclusively with baking - it helps add some of the glue/stretch properties that gluten-free florus lack - these days, I also use it for a thickener for soups, sauces, etc.

A great thing to have on hand, when you’re living la vida low carb!

While the initial purchase may seem expensive, it lasts forever. You rarely use more than a teaspoon for a recipe.

Tools You’ll Need to Make these Low Carb Lemon Bars

This is a very basic recipe, and most of what you’ll need are just measuring spoons, measuring cups, and something to mix it all together. No food processor - or even electric mixer - necessary!

That said, you’ll also need:

A Zester

I use a little handheld zesting plane for zesting citrus, but you can use the smaller grate side of a box grater.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Kitchenaid box grater, and will sing its praises to anyone who will listen.

There are cheaper options, but after decades with those cheap options? I'm obsessed with this one. A few extra dollars can make a world of difference sometimes!

A Juicer

I have a few different juicers here, and generally pick which to use based on how much I’m going to be juicing:

Cuisinart Pulp Control Juicer - I usually only use this one when I have a LOT of juicing to do.

A Reaming-Style over-Container Juicer - This isn’t the exact one I have at the moment, but the style is very similar. These are great - allowing you to manually juice into a container. This is the kind I use for recipes like this.

A Citrus Squeezer - This was my favoured type of juicer for small amounts of needed juice, until I started having tendon problems.

This style was easy to use, and the least amount of effort to wash, afterward!

*****

Obviously, any of them will work just fine for this!

How to Make Keto Chewy Lemon Bars

The full recipe follows in the recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial overview with additional info and tips:

First thing: preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease an 8"x 8" square baking pan with vegetable shortening or baking spray.

I like to line the pan with parchment paper after spraying it. The spray helps the parchment stick to the baking dish, and the parchment helps with lifting the bars out.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar substitute until pale and fluffy.

Add eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest to the mixing bowl, continue to beat until well incorporated and smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, protein powder, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt. Add this dry mix to the wet ingredients, stir gently until everything is well distributed.

Transfer batter to prepared baking pan, spreading evenly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. Do not over cook!

Allow bars to cool completely, before making the glaze:

Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and salt. It should be very thick. Heat in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, and whisk again - it should be thick but spreadable.

Spread frosting in an even layer over cooled bars, allow to set up before slicing and serving.

Leftovers can be kept at room temperature - on a plate covered with plastic wrap, or in an airtight container - for several days.

Tips for Making The Best Keto Lemon Bars

- Be sure to start with very soft butter - but NOT melted butter.

- When you add your eggs and lemon juice, the butter may look like it’s curdling, and may clump. This is OK! Just beat it as smooth as you can for now.

- Once the dry ingredients are added, it can be easier to beat the lumps out of the butter. The dry ingredients give the mixer more to grab onto!

- For best results, be sure to NOT overcook these. They firm up a bit more as they cool, so just cook them until they’re set in the middle. Overcooked bars are dry. Still tasty, but not the brownie-like texture they should be!

- Pro tip: When mixing the frosting, you want it VERY thick. I like to mix it to a point where it’s too thick to spread, then microwave it for 10-15 seconds.

This liquefies it - VERY temporarily - so you can spread it. It’ll set up nice and firm when it cools. Just be sure to work quickly!

More Low Carb Dessert Recipes

Looking to indulge your sweet tooth in a way that won’t spike your blood sugar? Here are some keto recipes to try!

Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Truffles
Keto Cheesecake
Keto Raspberry Coconut Bars
Low Carb Bananas Foster Truffles
Keto Biscotti
Keto Ladyfingers
Keto Tiramisu
Keto Cream Cheese Mints
Keto Chocolate Mousse
Low Carb Holiday Desserts
Keto Creme Brulee
Keto Carrot Cake

... but wait, there's more! We have a whole Low Carb Dessert Recipe section! Check it out!

Share the Love!

Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @LowCarbHoser - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

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