Looking for a creamy and refreshing no-bake dessert? These vegan lemon bars are the way to go!
I took the classic lemon bars recipe and made it vegan, but with a luscious cheesecake texture. And these bars are no bake, so there’s no need to wait for your oven to pre-heat. (That includes the crust, which is one of my old fave no bake recipes!)
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No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Bars
I love how these turned out! The filling is incredibly easy to make, and it’s the perfect balance of creamy, sweet, and tart. The crust is nutty and buttery (without the butter, of course). It’s a dreamy combination.
I was nervous about how these would set up in the fridge and if they’d be super messy to cut, but they were perfect! They have a sort of cheesecake consistency, so I recommend eating them with a fork.
Turns out they also freeze well, too, so feel free to make an extra batch for later. 😉
If you’re eating these vegan lemon squares directly from the freezer, they’re a bit like an ice cream sandwich. They don’t freeze too hard, and you can easily eat them as finger food. You can also wait to let them thaw out if you want to eat them with that creamy texture.
Be sure to check out these other delicious lemon recipes, too!
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make these easy vegan lemon bars, you’ll need:
- raw cashews
- canned coconut cream (This is not the same as canned coconut milk. If you can’t find canned coconut cream, refrigerate a can of full fate coconut milk and use only the solids that float on the top.)
- maple syrup
- fresh lemon juice
- lemon zest
- coconut oil
- vanilla extract
- salt
And for the no-bake crust:
- raw nuts (walnuts, almonds, or cashews. Or a mix!)
- pitted dates
- rolled oats
- coconut oil
How to Make Lemon Bars Vegan & Gluten Free
Start by placing the cashews into a heat safe-bowl. Pour boiling water over them (enough to cover them completely) and let sit for 1 hour. (Another option: use room temperature water and let soak overnight).
(The hot water softens them so they’re easy to blend smoothly later on.)
Meanwhile, prepare the vegan no-bake pie crust (<- recipe). Start by placing nuts (a mix of walnuts, cashews, and/or almonds), dates, oats, and coconut oil in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is mostly uniform.
Press the mixture into an 8 or 9-inch pan that’s lined with parchment paper. Tip: use a larger piece of parchment paper so the edges come up the sides of the pan. That way you can easily lift the bars out of the pan when they’re ready!
Next, drain the soaked cashews, then place in a blender with the rest of the ingredients (coconut cream, maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and salt).
Blend until the mixture is smooth, then pour over the prepared/chilled date nut crust. Use a spatula to smooth the mixture out on top.
Then, refrigerate overnight so the bars set. (Or, freeze them for 3 hours). Once cool, slice the bars and they’re ready to serve! They can be enjoyed refrigerated, frozen, or thawed.
If you want to get extra fancy, dust the lemon bars with powdered sugar before slicing. You can also add little lemon slices on top if you want!
How to Store Lemon Bars
These creamy lemon bars can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. In an airtight container, stack them with a piece of parchment paper in between each layer. This prevents them from sticking to each other.
Or, like I mentioned before, you can totally freeze these! They should take at least 3 hours to fully freeze. Just make sure to cut them into bars beforehand to make things easier on yourself. 🙂
Are lemon bars vegan? Do they have dairy and gluten?
Classic lemon bars are not typically vegan, dairy free, or gluten free. The filling and crust often contains eggs, butter, and/or flour. In this recipe, we’re swapping those ingredients out for just as tasty vegan, dairy free, and gluten free alternatives, including coconut cream, nuts, dates, oats, and coconut oil.
This also makes them more nutritious than typical lemon bars. They’re also lower in sugar (with no refined sugar at all!), as they’re sweetened with maple syrup.
You’ll find the full no bake vegan lemon bars recipe at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!
For more tasty vegan desserts & snacks, check out these recipes:
- Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Vegan Oatmeal Cookies with Pumpkin
- Zucchini Muffins with Lemon
- Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins
- No Bake Blueberry Custard Pie
- Vegan Strawberry Scones
- Coconut Banana Chia Pudding
Creamy Vegan Lemon Bars (No Bake, Gluten Free & Healthier)
These no bake vegan lemon bars are creamy, with a luscious cheesecake texture and a delicious nutty crust.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 1 recipe No-Bake Vegan Pie Crust (linked in notes)
- 1/2 cup canned coconut cream*
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
- Place the cashews in a heat-safe bowl and pour enough boiling water over to cover the cashews. Let sit for 1 hour. (Alternatively: use room-temperature water and let soak overnight.)
- Meanwhile, prepare Vegan No-Bake Pie Crust recipe as directed and press into an 8 or 9-inch pan lined with parchment paper. Make sure to leave edges of parchment paper that come up the sides of the pan to make it easier to lift the bars out of the pan.
- Drain the cashews and place in a blender with the remaining ingredients (coconut cream through salt). Blend until completely smooth, then pour over the prepared crust. Smooth with a spatula.
- Refrigerate the bars overnight to set up, or freeze for at least 3 hours. Bars can be served refrigerated, frozen, or thawed.
Notes:
Use this No-Bake Vegan Pie Crust recipe to make the crust for these lemon bars.
*Coconut cream is not the same as coconut milk. If you can't find canned coconut cream, refrigerate a can of full fat coconut milk and use only the solids that float on the top, discarding or using the liquid for another recipe.
