Low Carb Lemon Bars
Who could use a little sunshine, fresh lemon, and happiness right now? Yeah, I thought so. That’s why I made you some lemon bars. And, to make them even better, they have an almond shortbread crust, so they’re lower in carbs.
That doesn’t exactly mean they’re low calorie. But desperate times call for a luscious dessert that won’t spike your blood sugar. AmIright…?
This lemon bar recipe is one of my favorite ways to use up the bounty of lemons that I get from my lemon tree each year. I’m always torn between this one and my lemon olive oil cake.
And if I have more than I can use for lemony desserts, I make preserved lemons to use in savory recipes.
Lemon bars typically have lots of sugar to sweeten the curd topping, and even more sugar and flour in the shortbread crust.
These have less sugar, and you can swap the sugar for a monk fruit-based sweetener.
I also used almond flour instead of regular white wheat flour. Yes, it’s higher in fat, but it’s healthy fat!
These Low Carb Lemon Bars do take a bit of time to make. And there is a thermometer involved. But they’re not hard to make. And since we’re all stuck inside as we practice the art of social distancing, I thought this recipe might give us all something to do.
Oh, by the way, I adapted this recipe from the America’s Test Kitchen Family Favorites Cookbook. They have the BEST recipes!
Low Carb Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup Swerve confectioners sweetener
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter slightly softened and cut into 1-inch pieces
For the Lemon Curd Topping
- 7 egg yolks
- 2 whole large eggs
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Swerve granulated sweetener
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set the oven rack to the middle position. Line an 8" x 8" baking pan with foil, so it hangs over all sides. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
- To make the crust, in a food processor, combine the Almond flour, Swerve confectioners sweetener, and salt. Pulse about 5 times until it's well combined.
- Scatter the 8 tablespoons of butter over the mixture. Pulse about 10 times until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Pour the mixture into the lined baking pan, and press it down well. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
- While the crust is baking, combine the egg yolks, whole eggs, lemon zest, Swerve granulated sweetener, and sugar in a saucepan. Whisk well to combine.
- Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, and add the 4 tablespoons of butter. Gently whisk until the mixture reaches 170°F. Be careful to not overcook it or the eggs will start to scramble!
- Remove it from the heat, and add the cream. Set the mixture aside.
- Remove the crust from the oven, and if there are any bubbles, gently tap them down. Let the crust sit for about 2 minutes, and with a spatula, gently tap it down to make sure it's set.
- Very carefully, pour the warm lemon mixture evenly over the crust. Return it to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the lemon filling is set. When you shake it, it should wiggle only slightly.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and let it cool on a baking rack for about 30 minutes.
- Refrigerate the pan for at least an hour.
- Cut into 16 bars, and if desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar, or Swerve confectioners sugar.
- Refrigerate any leftover lemon bars in a covered container for 3-4 days
Nutrition
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Have you been eating a little bit more desserts and comfort food lately? It’s totally OK! Tell me what you’ve been making with all of your free time!
Eat well!