Kyle Oliver
Seriously The Best Vegan and Gluten Free Lemon Squares, with a buttery gluten free shortbread crust and a delicious Hibiscus-Ginger Cocktail pairing.
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Food is one of those things that is so influential for me. There are the food moments that I have and they just stick in my mind. Then there are the food moments I haven’t had, but want. The Best Vegan and Gluten Free Lemon Squares recipe came about because of one of those latter moments. I saw a multitude of different lemon desserts and then a few lemon bars. Well, that was it I had to make them. I didn’t have eggs at the time so I figured I would try a vegan recipe. So I searched around for different lemon bar recipes and then stumbled across this one By Nora of Nora Cooks.
The recipe is absolutely incredible! It hit the stop, exactly what I wanted in a lemon dessert. I changed the recipe a bit to make the crust gluten free and I prefer a little more tart lemon filling, but otherwise the recipe is amazing! These truly are The Best Gluten Free and Vegan Lemon Squares. All the props go to Nora, and now there is a gluten free version of the recipe. I also knew one thing I can do well is create a drink pairing for this. So while I only tweaked the recipe a bit, I figured making a cocktail pairing for it would make this even better.
So next time you are influenced to try some lemon bars, give The Best Vegan and Gluten Free Lemon Squares a try! Be sure to pair it with The Spicy Metropolitan for a treat. Best part of the cocktail, is if you prefer to serve it as an afternoon tea without the booze, leave out the vodka!
The Best Vegan and Gluten Free Lemon Squares Recipe Notes & Substitutions
The recipe is based off the one from Nora by Nora Cooks.
The Crust– The crust combines gluten free flour blend and almond flour. I find almond flour adds a slight nutty flavor which I love in a shortbread. The almond flour also helps the crust brown. However, if you do not have it or are allergic to nuts leave out the almond flour and add more gluten free all purpose flour. It will still work well!
Coconut Milk– Use full fat coconut milk, the kind that comes in a can, not the one near the almond milk. Since there are no eggs in the recipe you need the extra fat for the creaminess.
Lemon Zest– Ok yes, arguably this is optional. But the recipe will not be as good without it. It needs the pop of lemon from the lemon oil in the zest. If you do not want it, leave it out. But really, use it.
Turmeric– This is purely for color, you do not taste it. The egg yolks are what typically colors the lemon squares that yellow color. So without the egg yolks, you need something to add color and turmeric does just that. I like using fresh turmeric grated into the bars, but if you do not have that, use powdered turmeric.
Cornstarch– If you don’t want to use corn you can use arrowroot starch or even tapioca starch. I like cornstarch the best because it seems to thicken and hold its shape better with cornstarch. Arrowroot starch and tapioca work, but I find the consistency and texture a little less desirable. But use what you like best!
Drink pairings– The Spicy Metropolitan, Sweetened Ginger and Hibiscus Tea with Lemon, Sauternes, Riesling (Sweet), Eiswine, Earl Grey, Jasmine, Oolong Tea, Raspberry Oolong Tea, Honey Raspberry Brunch Cocktail.
The Best Vegan and Gluten Free Lemon Squares
Ingredients
Gluten Free Crust
- 3/4 cup Gluten Free Flour
- 1/4 cup Almond Flour
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Melted Vegan Butter
Lemon Filling
- 1 cup Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1-1/2 cups Full Fat Coconut Milk
- 6 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Vegan Butter
- 1/8 tsp Turmeric (for color)
Garnish
- Powdered Sugar for Garnish
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350oF. Put parchment paper into an 8"x8" pan. For a thinner crust use a larger pan, but do not go larger than a 9"x11" pan. (I have made a half recipe for this and used a 9"x5" loaf pan and it works out really well!)
- Add crust ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. Let sit for 1-2 minutes to allow to combine. Then press into the baking pan so it spreads out over the entire bottom of the pan. If you like a thicker crust use a smaller pan.
- Then bake in a preheated oven at 350oF for about 16-20 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Make the filling
- Add the lemon zest to the sugar and mix the two together, smashing between your fingertips. Let sit while measuring out the other ingredients. This helps pull out more lemon flavor.
- Add all the ingredients to a cold pan and mix to combine. Make sure there are no lumps for the cornstarch. It is important to mix the ingredients cold so you do not form lumps. Then place over medium heat and allow to thicken. Let it heat up a bit and stir occasionally. Once it begins to thicken start stirring constantly until it thickens. The whole process will take about 7-10 minutes.
- Once thickened, remove from heat and pour the filling over the pre-baked crust. Put it back in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 30 minutes, until it is easy to handle. Then cover and place in the fridge to chill and set for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with The Spicy Metropolitan cocktail.
