These baked creamy vegan lemon bars are the perfect balance of sweet and tart. It’s basically sunshine in your mouth and the creamy texture is amazing. They are super easy to make and you’ll want to drink the filling when you make it…so so tasty.

The hardest part to this whole recipe is waiting for it to cool. It is very important to let it cool for at least 4 hours in the fridge or overnight for the right consistency. These lemon bars are full of fresh lemon flavor and a healthy treat that actually tastes good. They are also gluten-free, oil-free, and refined sugar free.

The crust is like a chewy oat cookie and the top is a lucious, smooth creamy texture. These won’t last long in your fridge! It’s a filling and nourishing treat that you will feel good about eating! Lemon bars are one of my favorite desserts and these definitely hit the spot.

I used Sunfood raw cashews and ground flaxseeds to make these lemon bars. You can top it with some powdered sugar, lemon slices, or just eat it plain. It’s a refreshing dessert that everyone will love! If you make these creamy vegan lemon bars, make sure to tag me @nutsaboutgreens so I can see your creations!

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 cup rolled oats blended into fine flour
1 cup almond flour
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp water)
1/4 cup tahini (drippy almond or cashew butter would work too)
3-4 tbsp pure maple syrup
scant 1/2 tsp sea salt

For the Filling:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours
3/4 coconut cream, from a can (or put a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight and use only the cream part)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp turmeric (optional, for color only)
1/8 tsp sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, make the flax egg by adding the ground flaxseed with water. Mix and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.
Add the tahini, maple syrup, and salt to the bowl. Mix with a spatula until combined. Add the oat flour and almond flour. Mix until everything is well combined. If it seems too dry, add a little more maple syrup. It should be a thick dough. Transfer dough into the lined pan and firmly press down with your hands until it is evenly spread into the base of the pan. You want to really pack it down. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden brown. Let it cool for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, make the filling. Drain soaked cashews and add to a high speed blender (I love my Vitamix). Add the rest of the filling ingredients into the blender. Blend on high until very creamy and smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. Taste filling and adjust flavors if necessary, adding more lemon zest or juice for tartness or maple syrup for sweetness. You want a very lemony filling that isn’t super sweet.
Pour filling on top of the pre-baked crust and spread into an even layer. Tap pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges dry out a little bit and the center is not liquidy. Let it cool on the counter for 30 minutes. Then place in the fridge, uncovered, to cool completely for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. After it cools completely, lift the bars out with the parchment paper onto a flat surface and slice into bars. Top with powdered sugar or thin slices of lemon if you want. Enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge.

Servings: 16

Author: valeria.chao

Creamy Vegan Lemon Bars (gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar free)