Luscious Gluten-Free Lemon Squares
Before my daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease, I loved to bring lemon squares to family gatherings. People would fight over the last lemon square. I loved the buttery shortbread crust combined with the mouth-puckering tartness and compelling sweetness.
After my daughter’s celiac diagnosis, I mourned the lack of gluten-free lemon bars. Little did I know that lemon squares are easy to make gluten-free. The density of gluten-free flours helps make a firm crust (I used sorghum and amaranth flours to boost nutrition). And I only needed to substitute cornstarch in the lemon filling to make it gluten-free.
My friend Jennifer told me she makes lemon squares with a crushed macaroon crust during Passover. I definitely need to try that next year!
Lemon squares are easier to cut when they are frozen, since they won’t ooze under the knife. Plus, they taste divine cold, so I store them in my freezer and simply transfer to the table when it’s dessert time.
Luscious Gluten-Free Lemon Squares
(gluten-free, kid-friendly, dairy)
By Gluten-Free Nosh
printable recipe
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 cups gluten-free flour (I used 3/4 cup sorghum flour, 1/2 cup amaranth flour, 1/2 cup tapioca starch, 1/4 cup sweet rice flour)
Filling:
- 4 eggs
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated
Method:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with parchment paper, covering the bottom and sides of the pan.
- In medium bowl, use pastry blender or two knives to combine butter, confectioners’ sugar and gluten-free flours until it takes on a gravely consistency, with small pea-sized lumps of butter coated in flour. Pat mixture into baking pan, making sure the crust is as evenly leveled as possible, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Meanwhile, beat eggs in a medium bowl. Add sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, baking powder and lemon zest and stir until well mixed. Pour egg mixture over baked crust. Return pan to oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes (do not overbake).
- Sprinkle with additional confectioners’ sugar, using a sifter that’s only been used for gluten-free food. Lemon squares are easier to cut when they are frozen. Put pan in freezer. When frozen, lift out lemon squares on the parchment paper. Cut into 24 to 36 squares and store squares in an airtight container in the freezer.
Yield: 24 to 36 lemon squares
This post is linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays at Gluten-Free Homemaker.
Gluten-Free Nosh 
Hello just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you
know a few of the images aren’t loading properly. I’m not sure why but
I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different internet browsers and both
show the same outcome.
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I love, love, love lemon bars. These look great. Thanks for sharing them at Gluten-Free Wednesdays.
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Mmmm … I love lemon bars, too! Thanks for sharing them on your site!
Eve
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I am going to try these out I think. I do not have amaranth flour so I will have to substitute I will let you know how it turns out.
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I was in an alternative-grain mood when I made the recipe. I’m sure that brown rice flour would work very well, instead of the amaranth.
Eve
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These were very yummy!!!! Thanks.
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Glad you liked them! Enjoy,
Eve
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Thank you for the gluten-free recipe. I am making them for pastor appreciation month. My pastor’s wife cannot have gluten and I was at a loss of what to do. I know gluten helps bond things together since I have worked with food a lot. Thank you!
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Hi Eve!
Your lemon squares look awesome! Ironically I’ve been craving them lately, so this was the perfect time to visit your blog. 🙂
It was great meeting you last night. I love your blog and your daughter is A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!!!
-Betsy
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I usually have no tolerance for all the steps that baking requires, but I just may give the lemon squares a try. YOur post made them sound so yummy Eve. Could I use only rice flour instead of combining flour?
~Lisa
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Hi Lisa!
Try the lemon squares — they are yummy and not too hard to make. You definitely don’t need to use the specific gluten-free flours I mentioned. But I wouldn’t use all rice flour, because rice flour is gritty and not as tender. It’s fine when mixed with some other GF flours, but I rarely use it on its own. You can easily sub with Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour, which I use a lot (you can find it at Whole Foods or at some Jewels in Chicago), or you can use another pre-mixed gluten-free flour blend.
All the best,
Eve
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Your lemon squares are world famous. I heard someone in Swakopmund, Namibia, raving about them last night.
Phyllis Adams
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Eve — Thank you. I’ve always loved lemon squares. This is a great recipe.
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Hi Doug,
Thanks for the comment! If you are not gluten-free, you can use two cups of regular flour instead of gluten-free flour, and everything else would be the same.
Best,
Eve
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