This Gluten-Free Lemon Bars recipe uses store-bought cookies for a crunchy wheat-free crust. Topped with a homemade tart lemon custard, this is one treat everyone will love!
Lemon bars are one of my favorite baked treats. The combination of tart custard and crunchy cookie crust makes these simple sweets the perfect dessert for picnics, potlucks, or family dinners.
Gluten-Free Lemon Bars Recipe
I love using gluten-free gingersnap cookies for the crust in this recipe. They give the bars a pinch of spicy ginger flavor that works well with the tart lemon custard. If you don’t like ginger, or simply prefer another type of cookie, try using gluten-free graham crackers, almond cookies, or vanilla wafers instead.
The custard is made with egg yolks and condensed milk, and flavored with lemon juice and zest. You’ll find that this formula is easy to customize by swapping out the zest and juice for almost any other juice, zest, or purée that you like.
The thick cookie crust provides a sturdy base for these little bars. If you prefer a thinner crust, just halve the ingredients used to make it. If you’d like a thicker custard on top, just double those ingredients and bake for an extra few minutes.
This is definitely one of those recipes that can be played with a little bit, so have fun!
Gluten-free Lemon Bars are best when enjoyed the same day, but they will last a few days in the fridge if need be. Just make sure to cover the baking dish before chilling. I like slicing my pan into nine squares, but you can double that when serving smaller portions.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces gluten-free gingersnap cookies
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Combine cookies, sugar, and salt in food processor and pulse until crumbled.
- Mix cookie crumb mixture with melted butter in a mixing bowl, then spread into 8" x 8" baking pan. Press mixture down to condense the crust.
- Bake crust for about 10 minutes, then remove and set aside to cool.
- Beat egg yolks and zest until light and fluffy. This takes about 5 minutes either with an electric mixer or by hand.
- Whisk in condensed milk and lemon juice, then pour over crust.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until custard sets. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature before chilling in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Serve topped with whipped cream and garnish with extra cookies or lemon slices.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: Try swapping out the lemon juice and zest for another kind of citrus, like pink grapefruit, orange, or lime.

I hope you’ll enjoy sharing these tasty gluten-free lemon bars at your next celebration! For more fun gluten-free baking ideas, check out some of our other recipes. The Gluten-Free Blackberry Peach Crumble, Gluten-Free Apple Pear Galette, and Gluten-Free Rocky Road Bar all look especially good! You can also visit my blog, Mary Makes Good, to check out my own library of delicious gluten-free recipes.
We hope you love this Gluten-Free Lemon Bars recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Mary Helen from Mary Makes Good, as much as we do. If you enjoyed this delicious recipe, be sure to visit our Dessert Section for more like it. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so that you never miss a single recipe, and for daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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