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    Home » Recipes » Cookies & Bars

    March 24, 2021 69 Comments

    Easy Vegan Lemon Squares

    8.0K shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Confession time: I LOVE lemon bars! Although, traditionally, they are made with eggs and butter, making them not at all vegan. Enter, Sam Turnbull: Veganizer at large!! Trust me when I say these Easy Vegan Lemon Squares are over-the-top scrumptious, delicious and (as always) you don't need eggs, butter, or any animal products to make them.  How's that for a game changer of a vegan dessert recipe, eh?

    Easy Vegan Lemon Squares! These lemon bars are so easy to make and are a perfect combination of fresh, tart lemon curd and a crumbly, buttery shortbread crust. Sweet and buttery and perfect for an Easter treat or a spring dessert. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandesserts

    My Easy Vegan Lemon Squares are super easy to make with ingredients you may already have around your kitchen. I'm not sure how familiar you are with me and my recipes, but that's kind of a "theme" around here: fast, easy, cheap, fuss-free, and delicious!!

    Easy Vegan Lemon Squares! These lemon bars are so easy to make and are a perfect combination of fresh, tart lemon curd and a crumbly, buttery shortbread crust. Sweet and buttery and perfect for an Easter treat or a spring dessert. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandesserts

    The buttery, crunchy crust will delight at first bite before melting in your mouth and the fresh, tart lemon curd is a refreshing companion to that flavour.  These bars are fast-becoming a new favourite in my house. Seriously - we can't stop eating these things!!

    How To Make Easy Vegan Lemon Squares:

    Make the shortbread crust.

    For the shortbread crust: Preheat your oven to 325F (170C). Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides so the bars are easy to remove from the pan. Alternatively use a silicon pan.

    In a medium bowl, add the melted vegan butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix to combine. Lastly add the flour and mix to make a firm dough. Dump the dough into the prepared pan and press with your fingers to firmly pack and evenly spread the dough. Bake for 17 - 19 minutes until the dough is golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and if there are any bubbles you can poke them with a fork to remove them. Set aside.
    Whisk up the lemon curd filling.

    For the easy vegan lemon squares layer: Add the sugar and cornstarch to pan and whisk to combine. Add the plant-based milk, lemon juice, and turmeric and whisk. (It's ok if the milk curdles, it will come back together when cooked).

    Cook the curd until nice and thick.

    Now put the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Whisk often while simmering until the lemon square filling gets thick, translucent, and bright yellow, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
    Spread curd on top of crust.

    Pour the lemon layer onto the baked shortbread crust and evenly spread with a spatula. Allow to cool on the counter for about 30 minutes and then pop it in the fridge to cool for 1 - 2 hours, or overnight until completely chilled. When chilled you can remove bars from the pan and slice.

    Easy Vegan Lemon Squares! These lemon bars are so easy to make and are a perfect combination of fresh, tart lemon curd and a crumbly, buttery shortbread crust. Sweet and buttery and perfect for an Easter treat or a spring dessert. #itdoesnttastelikechicken #veganrecipes #vegandesserts

    Sprinkle the lemon bars with powdered sugar if desired, just before serving. Store your easy vegan lemon squares in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. If you would like to try another, more spreadable lemony recipe that you can spread on scones, try my Easy Vegan Lemon Curd.

    Common Questions:

    • Can I make lemon bars gluten-free? Yes! If you swap out the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free, it should work perfectly! Check out the comments below as some people have already tried this and had great success 🙂
    • How long do lemon bars keep? If kept covered, lemon bars can keep in your fridge for about 1 week.
    • Can you freeze lemon bars? Yes, you can. Lemon bars can be frozen for up to 3-4 months if stored away in an air-tight container. Simply cut the cooled bars (without powdered sugar topping) into squares, then place in a container and freeze.

    Bon Appetegan!

    Sam Turnbull.

    Print Recipe
    4.94 from 32 votes

    Easy Vegan Lemon Squares

    These lemon bars are so easy to make and are a perfect combination of fresh, tart lemon curd and a crumbly, buttery shortbread crust. Sweet and buttery and perfect for an Easter treat or a spring dessert.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Cooling Time2 hrs
    Total Time2 hrs 35 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 9 large bars
    Calories: 312kcal
    Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

    Ingredients

    For the Vegan Shortbread Crust:

    • ½ cup vegan butter, melted
    • ¼ cup white sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour

    For the Vegan Lemon Layer:

    • 1 ⅓ cups white sugar
    • 6 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1 ⅓ cup plant-based milk (such as oat or soy)
    • ½ cup lemon juice
    • ¼ teaspoon turmeric (optional for colour)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional for dusting)
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    Instructions

    For the shortbread crust:

    • Preheat your oven to 325F (170C). Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides so the bars are easy to remove from the pan. Alternatively use a silicon pan.
    • In a medium bowl, add the melted vegan butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix to combine. Lastly add the flour and mix to make a firm dough. Dump the dough into the prepared pan and press with your fingers to firmly pack and evenly spread the dough. Bake for 17 - 19 minutes until the dough is golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and if there are any bubbles you can poke them with a fork to remove them. Set aside.

    For the lemon layer:

    • Add the sugar and cornstarch to pan and whisk to combine. Add the plant-based milk, lemon juice, and turmeric and whisk. (It's ok if the milk curdles, it will come back together when cooked). Now put the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Whisk often while simmering until the lemon filling gets thick, translucent, and bright yellow, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
    • Pour the lemon layer onto the baked shortbread crust and evenly spread with a spatula. Allow to cool on the counter for about 30 minutes and then pop it in the fridge to cool for 1 - 2 hours, or overnight until completely chilled. When chilled you can remove bars from the pan and slice. Sprinkle the bars with powdered sugar if desired, just before serving. Store lemon bars in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 165mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 618IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram and Hashtag #itdoesnttastelikechicken


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rosie says

      May 31, 2022 at 1:01 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve never commented on a recipe before, but this was so good I just had too.
      These came out absolutely perfect and taste just like the non-vegan kind.

      Anyone that’s saying their topping came out too liquidly definitely didn’t cook it long enough. Once the mixture starts bubbling (simmering) it almost instantly turns thick and clearer. For me it took about 8 minutes.

      I cannot wait to make these again!!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        June 13, 2022 at 9:01 am

        Thrilled you enjoyed them so much Rosie!! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Tonya says

      May 07, 2022 at 11:11 pm

      First recipe from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken that I can’t recommend. I made four batches of these today for a vegan bake sale tomorrow. All batches are runny liquid on top of soggy mess. Frantically trying to come up with plan B. Not sure what I did wrong; I cooked the lemon topping as long as recommended.

      Reply
    3. Kristine says

      April 18, 2022 at 4:10 pm

      5 stars
      I made these for Easter. They were fantastic. Mine were more like a sloppy pile of lemon on top of the shortbread as opposed to nice looking squares like yours, but they tasted delicious. I added in some zest as well. I'll make again for sure!

      Reply
    4. Suzanne says

      April 15, 2022 at 5:27 pm

      4 stars
      Next time I will add lemon zest. Not very lemony without lemon zest

      Reply
    5. Bailey says

      April 15, 2022 at 1:41 pm

      These are absolutely delicious and I got lots of compliments at work, but I was stressed while making them! Here's the comment no one asked for, but if you're here then maybe you're having some doubts of your own. I thought for sure I read that lemon zest was needed. Then I read the recipe again...no lemon zest? Well, this was AFTER I had already zested 2 lemons. I was going to add it regardless (at the same time as the vanilla), but in the end I completely forgot about it. I had a vision of lemon coconut squares, so when making the shortbread I added 1/2 c of grated coconut and subbed 1/2 of the vanilla extract for coconut extract. Since I added coconut, I reduced my flour to 3/4c and I also used GF flour (Robin Hood). I don’t think this had any effect on the end result. You don’t need the crust to rise, so GF works just fine. I felt very weird using melted butter. Instinct told me to cut in the butter like when making pastry. I used the melted butter method, and my dough did seem very wet. I sprinkled a touch more flour, but didn't want it to end up tough. It didn’t seem like enough dough. I really had to pat and pat to get it to reach all the edges. I pricked the dough multiple times with a fork so that I didn’t get any bubbles. My oven runs hot, so I reduced the temp to 320, but my thermometer still read close to 350. I baked the crust for the full 19 minutes and it was just golden on the edges. Now for the lemon curd saga. I added everything except the lemon juice to the cold pot. I let the milk warm up a bit and dissolve the sugar, then I slowly poured in the lemon juice while whisking. I think if my mixture would have curdled at that point, I would have cried and thrown the whole thing away. I stood whisking for about 5 mins, heat on medium. Nothing happening except a whole lot of bubbles. I read another comment about turning up the heat, so I did and it only took about 3 minutes for the transformation to happen. This filling will give you an arm workout! The bubbles disappeared and the colour became a much brighter yellow and was looking like lemon pie filling. My faith was restored once again! I poured the lemon filling into the crust and let it cool for quite a while on the counter before placing it in the fridge overnight. I covered mine with a tea-towel, as I thought that would prevent it from sweating. I was wrong. The next morning it still had small beads of moisture on the surface. I dusted them with powdered sugar, which dissolved immediately and made a really shiny coating on top. It looked cool, but I really wanted the powdered sugar dusting. I don’t know what the secret is to getting the powdered sugar dusting to stay white. Maybe I should have let them chill in the fridge with no covering? I think it needs a bit of a crust on top when the powdered sugar goes on in order to not dissolve. All in all, a delicious recipe. I hope my comment helps anyone who is doubtful in their own process. It all works out in the end!

      Reply
      • MommaCanCook says

        June 24, 2022 at 10:42 am

        5 stars
        That was long winded and pointless.

        Reply
    6. Allison says

      April 14, 2022 at 11:23 am

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe! I love the simple ingredients. The curd turned out beautifully and the crust nice and crumbly. I did modify it slightly: I added a bit more flour to the crust dough because it was very soft and I wanted the consistency to be firmer. I also baked it a few minutes longer to get a nice light brown colour on it. Also a note is that before you cook the curd it will be very pale, but it transforms to a bright vibrant yellow once you cook it. I was concerned about the colour at first but happily surprised later. Overall fantastic recipe and definitely will make again

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        April 14, 2022 at 5:23 pm

        Thank you Allison, glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
    7. Steph says

      March 10, 2022 at 2:23 pm

      4 stars
      These were good but the shortbread wasn't super crumbly as I remember regular shortbread being. Perhaps I patted it down too much in the pan? The lemon curd is delicious on its own.

      Reply
    8. Joanne C says

      March 05, 2022 at 6:13 pm

      I loved them!!!! Thank you for this! You make transitioning to plant based foods/ vegan so much easier and delicious!

      Reply
      • Sam Turnbull says

        March 07, 2022 at 9:27 am

        That makes me so happy! Thank you Joanne 🙂

        Reply
    9. Latalullah says

      February 23, 2022 at 10:12 pm

      The advice to cook the custard long enough is fact. Mine’s a little loose but didn’t stop me from eating a strip out of the pan while they were still warm.
      I ran out of corn starch and subbed a tblsp of tapioca starch which worked.
      These will be a regular on my cheat days.
      Simple and a little too delicious lol
      Sam did it again

      Reply
    10. Annie says

      February 07, 2022 at 9:55 am

      Hi, this looks awesome. I hate vanilla.. can't stand it. can I skip it or replace it with something else?

      Reply
      • Ziggy says

        March 21, 2022 at 3:42 pm

        I skipped the vanilla. You could probably use an alternative extract too if you wanted, especially in the crust, like maple extract.

        Reply
    11. Isaac says

      February 03, 2022 at 12:28 pm

      This recipe is a definitive 5/5! Delicious, pantry-friendly, and easy to make. Make sure your heat is high enough to thicken the custard and you're golden.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        March 18, 2022 at 4:31 pm

        Thank you for this tip. Mine wasn’t thickening on medium/high I turned it up and it started thickening right away!

        Reply
    12. Shawn Mackenzie says

      January 28, 2022 at 2:03 pm

      5 stars
      These lemon bars are exceptionally good. I read comments that made me nervous, but I want to say--Sam's recipes are fantastic and this one even impressed my Mother in Law who assumes vegan food will be brown! I did cook the crust with convection and it came out golden brown and so pretty.....my son asked if I could serve that crust as cookies. Another 5/5 for Sam and thank you for making me look like a good baker!

      Reply
    13. Dave says

      January 28, 2022 at 11:44 am

      5 stars
      I love this recipe and have made it many times. The only change is I use a date and almond or walnut crust layer. So good. Thank you!

      Reply
    14. Robert Lamb says

      January 06, 2022 at 3:55 am

      I was wondering if I can substitute passionfruit juice for the lemon juice? I have a lot of passionfruit, or lilikoi, as it is known in Hawai’i. I also want to do the same thing for the lemon curd recipe.

      Reply
    15. Sara Chicas-Harding says

      December 11, 2021 at 3:34 pm

      5 stars
      Holy MOLY - So good and so easy! If you're not a baker but want to impress this is the recipe to make!

      Reply
    16. Jess says

      October 30, 2021 at 10:48 am

      5 stars
      Really good and easy

      Reply
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