Are you a lemon lover? It’s probably the only fruit aside from bananas that I enjoy every single day. I love it’s uplifting aroma and zingy flavour and use lemons in hot and cold water throughout the day and always incorporate them in sweet and savoury dishes. Considering how much of a lemon fan I am, it’s a surprise I haven’t made these sooner.
I’ve been wanting to make lemon bars since forever, so I’ve been practicing this recipe all week to get it just right. After a few attempts and many agar agar failures I’ve finally nailed it. They take less than an hour to prepare and the crust comes together in a food processor, which is always a plus for me!
These tangy lemon bars have a buttery shortcrust base and a juicy, tangy jelly topping, kinda like a lemon meringue pie in a bar! Perfect for picnics, grab and go snacks or dessert. The recipe is really flexible too, so you could try adding different flavours, or using a different fruit for the jelly topping. You could even bake these in a tart shape and add an aquafaba meringue topping for a proper lemon meringue pie!
I added some fresh lemon pieces and the last few heads of my elderflower to decorate these, their subtle flavour works wonderfully with lemon (thanks Harry and Megan for the flavour inspo). They’re just as delicious without though, or you could also add some candied lemon pieces.
I hope you enjoy this recipe, friends! I’d love to hear from you below if you try it, or take a snap and tag me on Instagram @bos.kitchen so I can see.
Thanks for stopping by! xoxoxo
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 cup vegan butter
- ¼ cup cornflour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp agar agar powder
- 1.5 cups water
- 3 large lemons, juiced and zested
- 3 tbsp arrowroot
- 4 tbsp icing sugar
- ⅛ tsp turmeric
- Preheat oven to 180•c and lightly grease a small baking pan. I used a 13 x 9 inch pan.
- Prepare crust by adding coconut sugar to a food processor and blending to a fine powder. Now add in the flour, vegan butter, cornflour and salt and pulse until it forms a fine crumb.
- Spread the mix into the prepared baking tin and press into a firm even layer. Chill for around 15 minutes and then bake for 35-40 minutes, until firm and golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Prepare the filling by adding agar agar to a small pan with the cold water. Allow to soak for 15 minutes.
- Squeeze and zest lemons and mix with the arrowroot powder.
- Heat up agar agar and bring to a boil. Add the icing sugar and turmeric and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened. Lower the heat and add in the lemon juice, zest and arrowroot. Keep whisking continuously until thick and smooth.
- Pour the mix onto prepared crust and chill in the fridge until firm, about 1-2 hours. Slice into squares and serve. Keep well in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or frozen up to 1 month.
Thank you so much for sharing these on your blog!