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
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Lanette says
Hi I’m going to make these soon and I have a question. What is the best pan to use? Do you recommend using the parchment paper? You also mentioned buttering the pan, could I use Pam nonstick cooking spray? Thanks in advance
Em Schwartz, MS, RDN says
Hi Lanette, Unless you have a coated metal pan like I do, a glass baking pan is probably best to avoid any potential metallic flavor. You can use parchment paper and/or a neutral-flavored cooking spray in place of butter. -Emily
Lanette says
Thank you so much Emily. I want to make them for my Mom. She has suffered with stomach issues and has lost a lot of weight. She’s doing much better and lemon bars are her favorite. Can’t wait to make them for her. I’m going to buy a glass baking pan.
Lanette says
I’
Kristi Ambrose says
For our July 4th POST celebration I wanted to do Pulled pork sliders, cheesy bacon tater tots, onion rings, baked beans, elote, and a GF key lime pie 🥧 — most of it GF and low FODMAP (minus the beans and onion rings for guests). I later realized condensed milk isn’t ideal for low FODMAP, so I went looking for lemon bars instead.
That’s when my mom had a genius idea: use your recipe but swap lemon juice for lime — and boom, low FODMAP key lime bars! 🌿💚 They were refreshing, flavorful, and best of all, didn’t make me sick. 10/10 will make again.
In fact, I’m baking them again tonight — just the shortbread crust this time, because it’s that good. I’m turning it into cookies to freeze for sweet cravings.
P.S. Yes, the crust really is that good 😂
Thanks for the recipe!
Eileen says
I used a metal pan coated with butter. The lemon reacted with the metal and the bars tasted like metal. The offensive taste lingers. It went straight to the trash. If you try this recipe, use a glass pan.
Em Schwartz, MS, RDN says
Hi Eileen, Sorry to hear this was your experience. While I have not had this issue with my metal pan, I understand this can be an issue with some metal pans (primarily uncoated aluminum) and/or for people sensitive to metallic tastes. To prevent this, you can certainly use a glass pan; if you don't have one, lining your metal pan with parchment paper should help. -Emily
Stephanie says
These are a weekly staple in my house. So delicious. I’ve made them as is and with coconut sugar. I use a GF flour I mix myself. *chef’s kiss*
Karina says
These bars taste amazing however the last two times I have made them, the topping and crust switch places during the second bake and it’s a huge mess! I tried it with and without parchment and had the same result. Anyone else experience this?!!!
I’m wondering if it’s the type of gf flour I used?