These Keto Lemon Bars are really something special! You will fall in love with the contrast between sweetness and the punchy lemony tang. This refreshing recipe is one of my favorite sugar-free summer desserts. Who am I kidding? I enjoy lemon bars all year long, and with just 2 net carbs a bar, I can!
Keto Lemon Bars for the Win!
Can you believe that my husband doesn’t like lemon desserts?
And I am completely fine with that.
Because when I make these Keto Lemon Bars, they are all mine.
Well, except for the ones I don’t hide from the kids.
I like to make them and keep three or four in the fridge and then immediately freeze the rest. That way, when I get the urge for something bright and lemony, all I have to do is pull one out and let it defrost for a bit.
(I have been known to eat these in an almost frozen state. Still delicious!)
Tips for Making This Recipe:
- I like to make the crust a day ahead of time so that it is completely cooled when I am ready to make the rest of the recipe.
- A little xanthan gum goes a long way! Make sure you don’t get casual with your measuring and put too much in!
How to Make Keto Lemon Bars
1 Gather your ingredients. You will need butter, macadamia nuts, Swerve confectioners, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, xanthan gum, and salt.
2 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the crust by mixing together the Swerve, macadamia nuts, and butter in a bowl.
3 Spray an 8 x 8 pan and press the mixture into the pan.
4 Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
5 Whisk together the eggs, yolks, and 1/2 cup Swerve in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, xanthan gum, and remaining 1/4 cup of serve to a boil in a sauce pan. Boil for a minute and then reduce heat to medium. Combine the lemon mixture and the eggs and cook for 5 minutes, whisking constantly.
6 Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Allow to cool slightly, and then transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and process for 2 to three minutes. Spread over the crust and chill for 4 hours, until set.
Frequently Asked Questions for Low Carb Lemon Bars
Are Lemons Keto Friendly?
Yes! Lemons are a keto-friendly fruit. It is important to know that it isn’t a “free” food, meaning it isn’t something that you can eat in unlimited quanities. Lemon does have carbs – about 10 net carbs (and 30 calories) in a 1/2 cup.
Can You Freeze Lemon Bars?
Absolutely! This recipe freezes well.
To freeze, I recommend cutting the bars and freezing them on a baking sheet. Then add to a freezer safe container with parchment paper between the bars.
Can You Make Sugar Free Lemon Bars Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can make this recipe and store it in the refrigerator up to three days before serving. If you are planning on dusting the tops of the bars with Swerve, I recommend waiting to do this until you are serving them.
How Do You Store This Recipe?
Keto Lemon Bars should be stored covered in the refrigerator.
Variations for This Recipe
- You can use a different nut if you like. Pecans are nice here and very keto-friendly.
- If you don’t have or want to use Lemon Essential Oil or Lemon Extract, feel free to leave it off. It won’t have quite as intense of a lemon flavor, but will still be tasty.
- Most any low carb and keto friendly sweetener will work here.
Other Low Carb Desserts to Try:
- These Keto Peanut Butter Cups are pretty spectacular. In fact, the first time I tasted them I did a little happy dance.
- A wholesome recipe that involves chocolate that works just as well for breakfast as it does dessert? Yes, please! You are going to love this Keto Chia Pudding.
- When you are craving something rich and creamy, it doesn’t get much better than this Keto Chocolate Pudding.
- Keto Truffles are a simple recipe that you will make time and again! Perfect for a grab and go snack.
Low Carb Lemon Bars
These Delicious Keto Lemon Bars are a tart and refreshing dessert with a rich buttery crust. You can use different nuts in the crust if you like, or even substitute in a little coconut. Either (good quality) lemon essential oil or lemon extract make and delicious addition, lending an extra punch of lemon flavor, but it is certainly not necessary to the recipe.
Keto Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 6 tablespoons butter preferably grass-fed
- 1 1/2 cup macadamia nuts pulsed in a food processor
- 3 tablespoons Swerve confectioners
Filling
- 4 eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup Swerve confectioners divided
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 drops lemon essential oil (optional) or 1 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Coat an 8 x 8 baking pan with cooking spray.
- Melt butter and stir in macadamia nuts and Swerve.
- Press into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool.
- Filling
- Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup Swerve in a bowl.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, xanthan gum, and remaining 1/4 cup of swerve to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, whisking constantly. Cook for one minute.
- Reduce heat to medium.
- Take 1/4 cup of the hot lemon juice and whisk it into the egg mixture.
- Gradually add the remaining lemon mixture to the eggs and whisk until smooth.
- Pour back into the sauce pan and cook for 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, a spoonful at a time.
- Allow to cool slightly. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy and smooth.
- Spread over the cooled crust.
- Cover and chill for 4 hours.
Nutrition
Other Low Carb Lemon Recipes to Try:
- Low Carb Lemon Meringue Pie from Defiantly Good Food
- Sugar Free Lemon Mug Cake from Sugar Free Mom
- Lemon Coconut Cake from Ditch the Carbs
Swerve is the BOMB isn’t it?! I am obsessed and eat it daily! These bars sound like crowd pleasers too! YUM 🙂
Yes, girl! I LOVE it. Even my super-picky kids don’t complain when I bake with it.
If I can have something like that and still be healthy, I am so sold! I have to make these. They look soooo good.
Thanks so much!
Hey guys, thanks for recommending my lemon coconut cake. Isn’t lemon low-carb baking the best?
Yes, for sure! I must try your cake recipe Libby.
It looks really delicious and mouthwatering. My boyfriend loves lemon, maybe I could try this one too at home, only, I wouldn’t be alone eating it lol. 🙂
It is always great to have someone to share treats with. If you try it let me know how it goes.
This looks like a great recipe! I love anything lemon and this is perfect.
I love Keto Lemon Bars! It’s so easy to do! I hope I can make this on weekends!
I’ve never had lemon bars but these sound delicious! Plus my boyfriend and I are trying to eat healthier together, maybe we can try this!
Yum these looks so good! I can’t believe they are low sugar too, its so hard to find great low sugar recipes for your sweet tooth.
Are these lemon bars made of magic?? 2 net carbs is crazy. I must try this recipe asap.. I’m a huge fan of lemon bars!
I love lemons – this recipe is def for me, will try to prepare! Yummy and healthy! Thanks for the inspiration!
Yum to the yum! I love lemon bars and am glad to see your keto recipe version. I’ll try making these this summer.
My mother always made this, a little different but always good and filling, especially when you have a lot to feed! This is one of my favorite dishes.I love all your recipes. They are good and easy to make.