Keto Lemon Bars

Name: Keto Lemon Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 37 min
Yield: 9
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups almond flour; ¼ cup Swerve, or favorite sweetener; ½ cup coconut flakes, unsweetened; 4 tablespoons (½ stick) melted unsalted butter; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon lemon zest; 4 eggs; 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar free sweetener; ¾ cup of lemon juice (if like it less tart, try ½ cup); 1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder; 1 teaspoon baking powder; pinch salt; zest from one lemon

By Annie Lampella, Pharm.D.

Published July 26, 2019 • Updated June 2, 2025

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Reader Rating

4.4 Stars (10 Reviews) 3 Comments

Easy Kid Friendly

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Sweet and tart keto lemon bars are a classic treat! These bars have a buttery, crunchy low-carb shortbread crust and a tangy, citrus filling.

A lemon bar in from other other lemon squares.

Lemon squares cut up on a board with parchment paper and sliced lemons around.

A small lemon square in front of two lemon squares.

A lemon bar topped with powder sweetener popping out of the row of other bars.

47 Mins

Nutrition Facts

Servings

138

Calories

11.6g

Fat

4.3g

Protein

2.9g

Net Carb

4.1g

Total Carbs

Disclaimer: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.

Keto Lemon Bars Recipe Video

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The Crust Ingredients

1 ½ cups almond flour
¼ cup Swerve, or favorite sweetener
½ cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
4 tablespoons (½ stick) melted unsalted butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest

The Lemon Curd Ingredients

4 eggs
1 ¼ cup powdered sugar free sweetener
¾ cup of lemon juice (if like it less tart, try ½ cup)
1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
zest from one lemon

Keto Lemon Bars Directions

STEP

1

Preheat oven

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
STEP

2

Get a small bowl

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the crust and mix until combined.
STEP

3

Press into dish

Press into a greased, parchment lined square baking dish.
STEP

4

Bake it

Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool and increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
STEP

5

Lemon curd

To make the lemon filling, mix the ingredients for the curd in a bowl.
STEP

6

Pour the lemon

Pour the lemon mixture on top of cooled crust.
STEP

7

Bake it

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
STEP

8

Swerve

Dust with powdered Swerve.

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Low Carb Lemon Bars

These keto lemon bars are a little on the tart side because as you become keto adapted, you don’t have the sweet tooth you once had. But if these keto lemon bars are too tart for you just back off on the lemon juice or add more sweetener to the lemon curd filling.

Coconut Flakes In The Shortbread Keto Crust

The buttery crust on these lemon bars has a little extra crunch from the coconut flakes. Don’t worry if you don’t like the taste of coconut. You’ll hardly notice any coconut flavor from the flakes. It’s just there for crunch and texture. You can always omit the coconut flakes if you despise coconut.

Fresh Lemon Juice For The Best Keto Lemon Bars

You can use store bought, bottled lemon juice in this recipe; however, using fresh squeezed lemon juice will provide the most flavor.

White Bubbles On The Keto Lemon Bars

If you notice some white bubbles on the top of your lemon bars, don’t worry – it’s completely normal. This is caused by air bubbles from the eggs in the keto recipe. It won’t affect the lemony flavor and you can cover it by dusting confectioner’s Swerve on top of the squares after they are cooled.

How To Get Lemon Bars Out Of The Pan For Serving

The easiest way to get any bar out of a baking dish is to first spray the pan with non-stick spray, like avocado oil spray. Then line the dish with parchment paper. Leave about two inches of parchment paper hanging out over the edges of the dish. This will serve as handles to easily lift the keto lemon bars out of the pan after baking.

Arrowroot Powder On The Keto Diet

I like to use arrowroot powder as a thickener in some of my keto recipes. It is a stronger thickening agent than flour so you need very little to thicken your recipes. Arrowroot powder is gluten free. It is the ideal thickener for paleo and grain free diets. It does contain carbohydrates; however, one tablespoon of arrowroot powder has 6.8 g net carbs. One tablespoon is enough to thicken an entire dish in most recipes. For this lemon bar recipe, that means 0.75 g carbs from arrowroot powder are going into each lemon square. If you don’t have access to arrowroot powder, you can substitute with 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum.

Keto Lemon Bars: FAQS

Can I use a different sweetener instead of Swerve?

Absolutely! You can substitute Swerve with any keto-friendly sweetener you prefer, such as erythritol or monk fruit sweetener. Just be sure to adjust the quantity based on the sweetness level.

What can I use instead of almond flour?

If you're looking for a nut-free option, you can use sunflower seed flour or a seed flour blend. Keep in mind that the texture may vary slightly.

How should I store leftover lemon bars?

Store your keto lemon bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze them for longer storage, just make sure to wrap them well.

Can I make these lemon bars dairy-free?

Yes! You can replace the unsalted butter with coconut oil or a dairy-free butter alternative to make the recipe dairy-free.

What’s the best way to cut the lemon bars for serving?

For clean cuts, let the bars cool completely before slicing. Using a sharp knife, dip it in hot water and wipe it dry before cutting, which helps achieve neat edges.

Nutritional information & Macros

Amount Per Serving
Calories	138
Fat	11.6g
Protein	4.3g
Total Carbs	4.1g
Net Carbs	2.9g

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About Annie Lampella, Pharm.D.

Annie Lampella is a Doctor of Pharmacy, mom, and the recipe creator behind KetoFocus. With a B.S. in Genetics from UC Davis and a Pharm.D., she has over 11 years of experience developing family-friendly keto recipes based on the science of human metabolism. She is the author of the Protein Packed cookbook, published by Victory Belt Publishing.

Learn more about Annie →

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