Gluten-Free Cranberry Lemon Bars

These are the best gluten-free cranberry lemon bars! The combination of the sweet lemon crust with the tart cranberry topping blends beautifully. You will love how easy these bars are to make and that they are healthier than most lemon bar recipes since they are refined sugar free and dairy free too!

Table of Contents

• Why you will love this recipe:
• Ingredients and substitutions:
• How to make (step-by-step): 
• Chef's tips and recipe variations: 
• How to store:
• Frequently asked questions:
• Other recipes you will love: 
• Recipe

Why you will love this recipe:

• These gluten-free lemon bars taste amazing! They have a sweet lemon crust that has a shortbread like texture and a tart cranberry topping. The contrast of the flavours blends perfectly to give these bars the most delectable flavour.
• These dessert bars are surprisingly easy to make and also freeze really well. 
• These lemon bars are not only gluten free but are also dairy free and paleo. 
• They are a healthy alternative to most other lemon bar recipes because they are refined sugar free.
• These bars are great to serve any time but they are also great for events like Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas baby showers or bridal showers. 

If you love lemon flavoured desserts you will also love easy lemon and lavender cookies and the best gluten free lemon pop tarts.

Ingredients and substitutions:

• Coconut flour - One of my favourite grain free flours. The sweetness of the coconut blends so well with the lemon to give these bars the best taste. 
• Almond flour - This gluten free flour is one of my favourites to bake with. You could use cashew flour instead. Just be sure you don't use almond meal. 
• Coconut milk - this helps add moisture to these lemon bars. I recommend using full fat coconut milk for the best flavour.
• Coconut butter or coconut manna - to help add natural sweetness to these cranberry lemon bars. 
• Lemons - you will use fresh lemons for both lemon zest and lemon juice to add the most refreshing lemon flavour to these bars. 
• Cranberries - for the delicious cranberry topping on these bars. I recommend using fresh rather than frozen cranberries if possible. 
• Honey - one of my favourite natural sweeteners to give these dessert bars the perfect sweet lemon taste while keeping this recipe refined sugar free. You could use maple syrup instead. 
• Eggs - eggs help bind these bars together and add extra moisture. I have not tried making an egg free version of this recipe.
• Coconut oil - to help give these bars the perfect texture! I do not recommend swapping this for another fat or oil.
• Sea salt - a little sea salt is all you need to help enhance the flavours of these delicious bars.
• Baking soda - to help these bars rise when they bake.

How to make (step-by-step): 

To make the lemon layer: 

Step one:

First you will preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step two:

Next, add all the ingredients for the lemon crust into your standing mixer. Blend on low until the batter is smooth.

Step three:

Then transfer the ingredients to a greased 8"x 8" glass baking dish and spread the batter evenly with a knife or a spoon. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean. 

To make the cranberry layer: 

While the lemon layer is baking, you can make the cranberry layer. 

Step one:

Place a medium sized pot on the stove on low heat. Add the cranberries, coconut milk, coconut oil, honey and sea salt to the pot and bring the ingredients to a boil. Turn down the heat and allow the ingredients to simmer for about 15 minutes. 

Final assembly: 

Step one:

When the lemon crust is done baking, pour the cranberry topping on top and spread evenly with a spoon or knife. Then place the dish in the fridge and allow the cranberry layer to set (this takes about 60 minutes). 

Optional step two:

You have the option of adding a little coconut butter to the top of your bars (this is the white part that you see in the photos). If you would like to do that, melt 3 tablespoons of coconut butter in the microwave (heat on high for 20-30 seconds). Then simply drizzle the coconut butter on top of the cranberry layer when you remove the bars from the fridge. 

Step three:

Next, cut the bars into desired sized pieces, then serve and enjoy! 

Chef's tips and recipe variations: 

• Be sure to use almond flour and not almond meal for this recipe. 
• I do not recommend trying to swap the coconut flour for another flour. 
• If you can't have almond flour I recommend using cashew flour instead. 
• Instead of honey you could use maple syrup. 
• These bars are delicious served either warm or cold.

How to store:

Store these lemon bars in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days. 

These bars also freeze really well for up to 3 months in either a freezer bag or airtight container.

Frequently asked questions:

Other recipes you will love: 

• Gluten Free Dairy Free Brownies with Caramel
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Chocolate Raspberry Cups 
• Gluten Free Carrot Cake Donuts 
• Gluten-free Edible Cookie Dough

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