Sugar Free Lemon Bars
This easy Sugar Free Lemon Bars Recipe comes together in minutes. When you are craving a fresh and vibrant dessert my keto low carb lemon squares will be the perfect fix. This simple bar recipe is also gluten-free, grain-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
I love when readers send me recipes to test. Last month, I received this dough recipe from John in my email and I was intrigued by the use of milk powder. I gave it a try subbing in the heavy cream powder I had in my cupboard. It was a great dough! Very easy to work with and easier to make than a fathead type dough.
Add in my current craving for light and refreshing spring flavors and this recipe for low carb lemon bars was born. I served these to friends a couple of days after making them and everyone loved them. With only 2 net carbs they are the perfect dessert!
For more amazing lemon desserts, try my Keto Lemon Cheesecake, Keto Lemon Curd, and Keto Lemon Cookies.
Ingredients
- Almond Flour – Blanched almond flour has a mild flavor that works well in low carb baked goods. It has a tender crumb that is perfect in cakes, crusts, breads, muffins, cookies, rolls, pies, and biscuits.
- Heavy Cream Powder – you can sub in whole milk powder if necessary but this recipe was developed with heavy cream powder. I do offer other crust options in the next sections of this post.
- Coconut Flour – Coconut flour helps to balance the natural oiliness of almond flour since it is drier and absorbs more liquid than other keto diet friendly flours. A little goes a long way.
- Sugar-Free Sweetener – I like to use my homemade low-carb sweetener blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia in my recipes. By using a combination of sugar alcohols with stevia you can use half the amount required of 1:1 sweeteners and regular sugar.
- Cream Cheese – This makes the crust soft and tender while giving a boost of flavor!
- Large Eggs – Eggs are the binder to hold the crust and filling together.
- Butter – regular salted butter is fine. The salt balances the sweetness of the other ingredients and highlights the tang of the lemon.
- Heavy Cream – aka heavy whipping cream. Using cream makes these so creamy.
- Cream Cheese – I just use the store brand most of the time. Make sure to use full-fat cream cheese in this recipe.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – freshly squeezed is best for the most vibrant lemon flavor. If you must use bottled lemon juice also add some lemon extract.
How to Make the Crust
This cream cheese based crust mixes up in no time. Just add the ingredients for the crust to your stand mixer and turn it on. If you don’t have a stand mixer you can mix this by hand or with an electric mixer.
This dough is unique in its use of heavy cream powder or whole milk powder. This makes the crust softer and enhances the flavor in the gluten free lemon bars.
Press the dough into an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper.
How to Make Sugar Free Lemon Bars
Step One: Mix the ingredients until they are smooth. You can do this by hand in a large bowl or in your stand mixer. As long as you are using softened cream cheese and melted butter the filling comes together quickly.
Step Two: Pour the filling on top of the crust. Bake until no longer jiggly. Cool completely and then chill for a few hours in the fridge for the easiest cutting. Sprinkle with powdered sweetener before serving.
Top Tip💡
For a bolder lemon flavor add a teaspoon or two of lemon extract or lemon zest. You can even add some zest to the crust!
Variations
Strawberry Lemon – Strawberry and lemon is a perfect combination. Layer some fresh strawberry slices in between the crust and filling and bake as directed.
Lime Bars – Swap out the lemon juice for lime juice to make lime bars.
Added Protein – To boost the protein add 1/4 cup of protein powder to the filling.
Storage
I recommend storing this in the refrigerator since they have a lot of dairy ingredients in them. They will last a week in an air tight container in the fridge.
Common Questions
Traditional lemon squares are not keto friendly. They are full of carbs from the sugar and white flour used in them. That’s why I wanted to develop a recipe for low carb sugar free lemon bars!
I don’t recommend using bottled lemon juice for a dessert when lemon is the star flavor. The flavor just isn’t as vibrant as squeezing fresh lemons. If you have to use bottled lemon juice make sure to choose one that tastes good. The rest of the ingredients are costly enough you don’t want to have boring bland keto lemon bars from using a lesser quality bottled juice.
If you’d prefer a crust without heavy cream powder, try my Low Carb Pie Crust or the shortbread crust in my Pecan Tassies recipe.
Yes! You can freeze lemon bars. Just freeze with a bit of space between them on a waxed paper or parchment-lined cookie sheet for an hour or two. Once they are thoroughly chilled wrap individually with plastic wrap.
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Sugar Free Lemon Bars
Ingredients
- 3 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup heavy cream powder (or whole milk powder)
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Filling:
- 1 cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes) finely ground
- 6 tbsp butter softened
- 1/4 cup cream light or heavy
- 3 eggs
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- zest of one lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8×8 baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Beat softened cream cheese with paddle attachment in a stand mixer, scrape the bowl and then add the remaining ingredients.
- Add remaining ingredients into the mixer and mix all together. Mix until mixture leaves sides of the bowl. It is a very soft and delicate dough.
- Press into the bottom of the 8×8 baking dish. Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
- Mix together the ingredients for the filling in the stand mixer until smooth. Pour over the pre-baked crust.
- Bake for 30-35 min or until the filling no longer jiggles if the pan is gently shaken. Cool completely. Chill for 2-3 hours in the fridge for the easiest cutting.
- Gently lift the parchment paper to remove the bars from the pan. Cut into 16 pieces. Sprinkle with powdered sweetener right before serving if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published April 10, 2019. Revised and Republished June 23, 2025.
Made this for the first time exactly as instructed, except used 1-1/2 cups monk fruit and a 9″ pie plate. Baked an additional 20 minutes, 5 minutes at a time. Center still jiggles. Is there an interior temp it should reach?
Taryn!! These are amazing!!!! Mine haven’t completely cooled, but I had to steal a small piece… OMG! I can’t wait to have one tomorrow. I was nervous about the dough/crust. I did use the heavy cream powder 👍🏼 Thank you for your time and sharing your fabulous recipes!!
I really appreciate all your great recipes. can the lemon bars be made without the cream cheese? If so do I need to replace it with something else, like butter for the crust?
Yes, try butter in the crust, but only a few tablespoons. For the filling, you can try ricotta cheese, mascarpone, or maybe sour cream. But I haven’t tested them.
I am wondering about using whey protein powder? I already have that and wouldn’t have to buy additional ingredients. Thoughts?
Good idea! Yes, I think that would work. I would use half the amount though because it has a stronger flavor.
Oh my, yes~ these are likely next in my kitchen! I have a decent lemon bar recipe which I’ve developed somewhat over the years, but I’m intrigued by the addition of the heavy cream powder & cream cheese in both layers. I have it in my filling, but not the crust~ *which I do add a pinch of crushed, dried lavender to. Lavender does for lemon what tarragon does for blackberry, imho. Anyhow, just cruising your site, becoming more joy-filled by the minute….Samantha
P.S. Forgot to mention in my first comment that I found your sweetener blend a couple years ago, but didn’t realize then that you had an entire recipe blog/website. I think I read it under someone else’s youtube video~ another commenter had shared it as an alternative~ & I had already been working on various combinations of my own. I’ve been making & using yours ever since~ so thanks for that too!
I love the combination of lemon and lavender too 🙂
Do you think coconut milk powder would work instead of the cream powder? I can’t seem to find even milk powder. Thanks!
Yes, I think that would work.
Hi!! I have tried a number of your recipes and they were delicious. Just finished making this one and it almost looks like the butter separated from the filling and is on top, kind of like a puddle. Have you ever had something like that happen before… I just saw another person above also had trouble with it setting, so I’ll see if the fridge helps.
Hi Maria, I haven’t had the butter separate. I’m not sure what that would happen. I hope they are better after chilling!
Great recipe! I was looking for something similar to cheesecake, but not exactly cheesecake, and this is it. Lemony and moist. I also added little raspberries, yummy!
Hi Taryn! This looks fabulous. I am considering buying the heavy cream powder but was wondering if you could tell me if you have other recipes that would include this in their ingredients? Can you list them if possible? Thank you!
I also use it in my Chai Tea Mix and Hot Chocolate Mixes.
I want to make this ASAP! One question, though. I worry about the amount of cholesterol in many keto recipes and wonder if you’ve ever substituted the equivalent egg product instead with good results?
I have not. I think all egg white would work. I’m not sure what ‘egg product’ you mean.
Can I use heavy whipping cream instead of the powder?
No, sorry. If you prefer you can just buy powdered milk at a grocery store. The carbs may increase slightly but not by much.