With a shortbread-like crust and fresh lemon flavor, this 6-ingredient Low FODMAP Lemon Bar recipe is a yummy, springtime treat!
I LOVEEEEE anything lemon flavored! And, this Low FODMAP Lemon Bar recipe might take the cake! With a kind-of-crumbly, not-to-sweet, shortbread-like crust and a tangy and pudding-like lemon topping, this yummy bar just screams springtime!
The crust is made using my favorite low FODMAP (and wheat-free/gluten-free) all-purpose flour: Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. This flour is versatile, readily available in most US grocery stores, and has made it easy to convert a lot of my favorite recipes into delicious FODMAP-friendly goodies.
Shopping List
To make these easy low FODMAP bars, add these 6 ingredients to your shopping list:
- Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour (the blue bag) - 1 ¾ cup, divided
- Granulated sugar - 2 cups, divided
- Unsalted butter - ½ cup
- Eggs - 4 large
- Fresh lemon juice - ½ cup (about 3 lemons)
- Powdered sugar - for dusting
Low FODMAP notes
In this section, I share information for ingredients that are either frequently asked about or have suggested serving sizes to remain low FODMAP. We each have unique tolerance levels and nutritional needs. Please listen to your body (and, if possible, work with a FODMAP-trained dietitian) to determine what is best for you. For more low FODMAP serving size info, please refer to the Monash FODMAP app and FODMAP Friendly website or app.
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour (in the blue bag) is my go-to low-FODMAP flour. Wheat flour is high in FODMAPs, whereas gluten-free flours made with rice, potato, and tapioca starch are low FODMAP in amounts up to ⅔ cups or 100 grams.
Although this Bob's Red Mill flour hasn’t specifically been tested, it appears to be low FODMAP by ingredients. It is also readily available across the US. You can usually find this flour in the “health,” “natural,” or gluten-free foods section of the grocery store and online.
Unless you tolerate GOS, avoid the Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour in the red bag while low FODMAPing. This flour is made from higher FODMAP garbanzo beans.
Lemon juice is low FODMAP in servings of 1 tablespoon or 21 grams. Larger servings, greater than ⅔ cup, contain moderate to high levels of the FODMAP, fructans.
Instructions
To make these easy lemon bars, simply:
Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan with butter or line with parchment paper.
Make the crust: In a medium bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups flour and ½ cup sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until crumbly. Then add 3 tablespoons water and mix. (I sometimes use a food processor - pulsing crust ingredients together until crumbly.) Press mixture into the bottom of the greased pan.
Bake the crust for 20-22 minutes until set and kind of puffy looking. (Note: Gluten-free crusts don't usually brown like wheat-based crusts.)
Make the lemon topping: While the crust is baking, whisk together eggs, lemon juice, 1 ½ cups sugar, and ¼ cup flour until smooth. Pour evenly over baked crust.
Bake the bars for 20-25 minutes more or until lemon topping is set. (To test doneness, I put an oven mitt on and gently shake the pan to see if the center no longer jiggles.) Remove baked bars from oven and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
Serve: Dust with a sprinkle of optional powdered sugar. Slice into 16 pieces and serve.
Storage: Cover leftover bars and refrigerate for up to a week.
Similar recipes
- No-Bake Low FODMAP Peanut Butter Brownie Bites
- Low FODMAP Raspberry Vanilla Chia Pudding
- Low FODMAP Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips
Recipe
Low FODMAP Lemon Bar
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 1x
- Diet: Low Lactose
Description
With a shortbread-like crust and fresh lemon flavor, this Low FODMAP Lemon Bar recipe is a yummy, springtime treat!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour (the blue bag)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 3 tablespoons water
Lemon Topping
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour
Optional: Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan with butter or line with parchment paper.
- For the crust: In a medium bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups flour and ½ cup sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until crumbly. Then add 3 tablespoons water and mix. (I sometimes use a food processor - pulsing crust ingredients together until crumbly.) Press mixture into the bottom of the greased pan.
- Bake crust for 20-22 minutes until set and kind of puffy looking. (Note: Gluten-free crusts don't usually brown like wheat-based crusts.)
- For the lemon topping: While the crust is baking, whisk together eggs, lemon juice, 1 ½ cups sugar, and ¼ cup flour until smooth. Pour evenly over baked crust.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes more or until lemon topping is set. (To test doneness, I put an oven mitt on and gently shake the pan to see if the center no longer jiggles.) Remove baked bars from oven and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
- Dust with a sprinkle of optional powdered sugar. Slice into 16 pieces and serve.
Storage: Cover leftover bars and refrigerate for up to a week.
Notes
Low FODMAP Serving: One serving (1 bar) of this recipe contains low FODMAP amounts of ingredients. Individual tolerance may vary. For more information on specific ingredients, please refer to the Monash FODMAP App or check out the "FODMAP Notes" section (above the recipe).
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Pin it for later
sandy says
This recipe looks absolutely delicious but I thought that sugar was not supposed to be consumed in quantities? If I don't have to worry about it then I am definitely making these.
Em Schwartz, MS, RDN says
Hi Sandy, White (granulated) sugar is low in FODMAPs and should be tolerated by *most* with IBS when consumed in reasonable quantities. -Emily
Ashanthi says
I am new to the gluten free life and man oh man!!! If food tastes this good I deff don’t need to be worried. These lemon bars are immaculate. I am not a good baker but this recipe was so easy to follow and it came out looking perfect.
Thank you ♥️
Kasey Jodway says
Can I add blueberries to these?
Ceci Frost says
Hello! I can't have sugar, do you think honey would be a good substitute?
Jasmine says
mine did not come out anything like this.. hahahaha
Beck says
Run don't walk to make this! Pleasantly surprised that its only 5 ingredients all of which I had at home! I couldn't leave it to cool, and only devoured one slice, but my 5yo had 3 slices and had to stop him so I had some fodmap treats for me for the week 😆
Donna says
We are doing FODMAP and my daughter has anaphylactic allergy to eggs as well. Is there any way this could be made without the eggs and just thickened with cornflour/gluten free flour perhaps? If so, do you have any idea amounts? I'm not trying to be difficult just so hard with special diet & severe allergy mixed together. She is gluten, eggs and all nuts/seeds. Thanks!
Em Schwartz, MS, RDN says
Hi Donna, I'm not sure if removing/substituting the eggs in this particular recipe would work. With that said, I found this recipe for an egg-free lemon bar. As written, it is not gluten-free, however, I think it would work to substitute in a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour (like Bob's Red Mill in the blue bag). All of the other ingredients appear to be low FODMAP at the recommended serving size. Hope that helps! -Em
Nadia says
DELICIOUS!!!
Cat says
I am a cook who happens to have IBS. This recipe checks off all the boxes. Delicious and easy on my system. Perfect!!
Sara says
I’m working my way through the low fodmap diet for the first time. I have a massive sweet tooth and these are my saving grace. I’ve made them 4 times and have no intention of stopping. I’m a big baker and these are one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made. They are like crack. Absolutely delicious.
Rachel Moore says
I’ve been starting to feel a little down lately because of the limited diet I’m restricted to, but then I found this recipe! Can’t believe these are low fodmap. The name of your blog is spot on. Excited to make these lemon bars again to share with friends and family. This time they’re all mine.
Alex says
These were amazing once we put them in the fridge and they cooled completely. Fantastic recipe thank you!!
Tara says
My eggs on one side of pan puffed up immediately upon putting in the oven and seem to have curdled. Any idea why? Should eggs have been at room temp? Lower temp to bake the lemon part?
Em Schwartz, MS, RDN says
Hi Tara, I'm sorry to hear this happened. I have not experienced this firsthand, so I did a little research to see if I could find some answers for you. From what I found, curdling can sometimes occur when an oven runs hotter than the set temp. Curdling may also happen if the lemon topping is overbeaten or if the amount of sugar is reduced. The topping may bake unevenly (puff up) if the oven is hotter in some parts compared to others. It's hard to say exactly what was the culprit, but I would suggest maybe starting with cross-checking your oven temperature in a few places (middle rack, back, front, etc.) with an oven-safe thermometer to see if your oven temp is consistent. If your oven temp checks out, you could try room temp eggs or lowering the baking temp (and baking a little longer) to see if you get better results. I wish I had a more clear answer, but I hope that gives you some ideas to try. Best, -Em
Julie Lane says
These are delicious! However, somehow my crust ended up on top?? Any ideas how that might have happened? I ran out of sugar so there was 1/2 cup less (extra tangy and actually really good) and as you called for 4 large eggs and I only had small, I used 5 small eggs. Why did my crust float to the top? I prebaked it.
Em Schwartz, MS, RDN says
Hi Julie, Interesting! I've never had that happen to me. I'm not 100% sure why it might have happened, but possibly the crust needed to be packed more tightly into the bottom of the pan before baking. (If the crust isn't packed tightly enough the liquidy lemon topping could penetrate into the cracks lifting the crust up.) And/or the prebaked crust cooled too much before adding the lemon topping. (Adding the lemon topping to a hot crust helps to "quick-cook" the lemon topping immediately touching the crust. This could, again, help prevent it from seeping into cracks and lifting the crust). Hope that helps! Best, -Em
Taylor says
These were so delicious!!! So easy to make and the gluten free crust is so soft and amazing. So impressed!!