Gluten-Free Lemon Bars with Fresh Lemon Juice

Classic lemon bars with a crisp, buttery shortbread crust and a tart, silky filling made with fresh lemon juice and zest. The crust is baked first, then the filling bakes until just set and chills into clean squares.

Prep: 20 min Cook: 40 min Total: 240 min Serves: 16

At a glance: This easy desserts recipe yields 16 servings in about 4h (20 min prep, 40 min cook). It uses 9 ingredients — including gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, powdered sugar, salt — and walks through 7 steps. Updated October 24, 2026. Browse more desserts recipes or return to all gluten-free recipes.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Shop links in the ingredient list are affiliate links and do not change the recipe.

Cross-Contamination Warning for Gluten-Free Lemon Bars with Fresh Lemon Juice: When preparing this desserts recipe, flour dust travels. Bake this on a day the kitchen is not also handling flour that contains gluten, use clean bowls, beaters and baking sheets, and keep the gluten-free flour blend in its own sealed container.

Gluten-Free Notes for Gluten-Free Lemon Bars with Fresh Lemon Juice: The shortbread crust uses a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and the filling is thickened with cornstarch, so no xanthan gum is needed. Use powdered sugar, cornstarch and a flour blend labeled gluten-free.

Scale Recipe:

servings

Ingredient amounts update automatically

Ingredients

Shop links on this page are for gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, for the crust, powdered sugar, plus more for dusting, granulated sugar. Buy the package that says gluten-free. A shared production line is the usual risk with these pantry items. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Confirm the product is labeled gluten-free before you buy.

1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (about 140 g), for the crust Shop
1/3 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting Shop
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar Shop
2 tbsp cornstarch Shop
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3-4 lemons)
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest

Instructions

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides.
2 Pulse or rub together the gluten-free flour blend, powdered sugar, salt and cold butter until the mixture looks like damp sand and holds together when squeezed.
3 Press it evenly into the pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, until light golden at the edges.
4 While the crust bakes, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar and cornstarch until smooth, then whisk in the lemon juice and zest.
5 Lower the oven to 325°F (165°C). Pour the filling over the hot crust and bake for 20-22 minutes, until the center no longer wobbles when you nudge the pan.
6 Cool in the pan on a rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until cold and firm.
7 Lift out with the parchment, cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts, and dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Tips & Notes

Pour the lemon filling onto the crust while the crust is still hot from the oven. This seals the base so the lemon bars stay crisp underneath.
Bake the lemon bars only until the center stops wobbling. Overbaked filling turns rubbery and can crack.
Dust lemon bars with powdered sugar just before serving. On cold, moist bars it dissolves within an hour, so add a second dusting if they sit out.

Common questions

What cross-contamination risk is specific to Gluten-Free Lemon Bars with Fresh Lemon Juice?

Check gluten-free all-purpose flour blend , for the crust, powdered sugar, plus more for dusting, salt before they go into Gluten-Free Lemon Bars with Fresh Lemon Juice. Flour dust travels. Bake this on a day the kitchen is not also handling flour that contains gluten, use clean bowls, beaters and baking sheets, and keep the gluten-free flour blend in its own sealed container.

Which gluten-free swaps does Gluten-Free Lemon Bars with Fresh Lemon Juice use?

Gluten-Free Lemon Bars with Fresh Lemon Juice relies on 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and 2 tbsp cornstarch. Keep those gluten-free-labeled products in place of a gluten-containing flour or sauce.

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