Looking for the best lemon bars recipe? How about trying these classic, Healthy Lemon Squares with Cassava Flour Crust? These luscious lemon squares are the perfect dessert, they’re so easy to make too! Simple instructions for how to cut them included.

this RECIPE

Lemon squares or lemon bars - whatever you call them, these delicious, vibrant, real food, naturally sweetened treats are sure to please.

I grew up calling these special bars LEMON SQUARES. That's what my mom called them. I have never viewed them as lemon bars, because "lemon squares" were so special in my home. 

The first gift that I was able to buy with my own money for my mom came from my elementary school's "book drive" - basically a book sale that went on in the library. I bought my mom two Martha Stewart cookbooks. I was so proud and couldn't wait to give them to her. 

One of the cookbooks was Martha Stewart's "Entertaining" cookbook and I can't remember what the second one was. This was way back in the 1980's. 

My mom LOVED these cookbooks and cherished them. She used them too! These books never sat on a shelf collecting dust, they were well loved. My mom had several recipes that she would make from these cookbooks, especially when my mom was entertaining.

My mom loved hosting small dinner parties and other festive parties - she was a designer, so her parties were always special and well thought out. She wanted her guests to feel extra special, and attention to detail was a huge thing.

The menu was just as important - everything needed to be perfect, elegant, yet humble. When a spring party came around, my mom always made lemon squares from a recipe in one of the cookbooks. I loved them so much and so did my mom. 

My mom, whose name was Martha, was the real deal "Martha Stewart" in my mind. All of her friends even called her Martha Stewart. 

The memory of the lemon squares that I grew up with stays with me. My mom adapted them from one of the cookbooks and always topped them with a layer of powdered sugar. They were so pretty!

One of the reasons I loved my mom's lemon squares so much is that they did not taste egg-y. I do NOT like lemon curd that tastes like eggs. If I wanted a quiche or frittata, I'd make one. But when I'm having a dessert with a bold flavor like lemon, I expect the treat to taste sweet and tangy, like lemon. Who else is with me on this? 

Lemon Squares without an egg-y taste. 

When I set out to recreate my mom's lemon squares, I knew I wanted to use quality real food ingredients and natural sweeteners.

There's no cane sugar in my version, of course you can top them with powdered sugar if you'd like. I personally prefer not to - but I have topped them with powdered erythritol-monk fruit before and I've also used powdered maple sugar (but the maple sugar isn't as white in color). 

Most importantly the lemon curd topping is not egg-y at all. It's based off of my homemade honey sweetened lemon curd recipe, that has no egg-y taste of course. It's very tangy, perfectly sweet with all the delicious lemon flavor. 

The thick layer of lemon curd baked on top of the shortbread-like cassava flour crust is truly something special.

I originally made a similar recipe years ago on my dear friend Jessica's site, Delicious Obsessions, except it was a lime version. This grain-free recipe is inspired by those delectable lime bars.

I made a huge batch of these mini lemon squares to share at my Twins Baby Shower months ago. Little did I know what would happen at the end of March.

I birthed my first son naturally which was quickly followed by a nightmare and in the end, 7 days later, I tragically lost my second son. I'll be sharing their birth story on the blog soon, it's A LOT to process, filled with lots of trauma, triggers, sadness and more, but also therapeutic in a way to write. If you're interested in my story, make sure to check back next month, I hope to have it up by then.

LOOKING FOR MORE SPRING DESSERTS? 

• Honey Sweetened Lemon Curd
• Real Food Strawberry Ice Cream
• Real Food Honey Sweetened Whipped Cream
• Easy Healthier Grain Free Chocolate Cake
• 4-Ingredient Paleo Chocolate Caramels {See's Candies Copycat!}

Healthy Lemon Squares with Cassava Flour Crust

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Healthy Lemon Squares with Cassava Flour Crust

Yield: 9 large squares

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Looking for the best lemon bars recipe? How about trying these classic, Healthy Lemon Squares with Cassava Flour Crust? These luscious lemon squares are the perfect dessert, they’re so easy to make too! Simple instructions for how to cut them included.

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Ingredients

Cassava Flour Crust

• 1 cup cassava flour (<-- this is the only brand I recommend and use)
• ¼ cup maple sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup cold grass-fed butter

Lemon Topping

• ½ cup + 2 tablespoon quality honey
• 5 eggs (preferably organic or pasture-raised)
• ⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ⅓ cup cassava flour (<-- this is the only brand I recommend and use)

Instructions

For the Cassava Flour Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 glass square baking pan with unbleached parchment paper, set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cassava flour and maple sugar, giving it a quick stir to incorporate. Cut the butter into small cubes and add the butter and using clean hands, mix until everything is crumbly, making sure that some pea-size pieces of butter remain. Dump this mixture into the lined baking pan, then press the crust mixture down until it's evenly distributed and flat.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are light golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes.

For the Lemon Topping:

1. In a large mixing bowl with high edges, combine the honey, eggs, lemon juice and cassava flour. Using a handheld mixer or whisk, mix vigorously until fully combined.
2. Pour the lemon mixture over the cooled pre-baked crust. Bake for 25-35 minutes until the lemon topping is set.
3. Allow to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for at least an hour or until the pan is cool to the touch. Once the lemon squares have cooled to room temperature, transfer them in the pan to the refrigerator to chill for at least a few hours until cold, or desired temperature.
4. Cut the cold lemon squares into desired large, small or mini squares (see post for details on cutting).

Notes

• Store leftover lemon squares in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• These are delicious topped with a slice of fresh organic strawberries or a raspberry. You can also dust the tops of the lemon squares with powdered erythritol-monk fruit, powdered maple sugar or organic powdered sugar.

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Recommended Products

• 
  IF YOU CARE FSC Certified Parchment Baking Paper
• 
  Anchor Hocking 8-Inch Square Glass Baking Dish
• 
  ZYLISS 6 Piece Kitchen Knife Set with Sheath Covers, Stainless Steel

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 43Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 44mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 4g

This nutritional information was auto-generated based on serving size, number of servings, and typical information for the ingredients listed. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

Are you on Pinterest? I pin lots of yummy real food recipes + more there. I have a board just for Gluten Free Treats too! Come follow along.

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