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    Lemon Bars

    July 7, 2017 By Meagan Fikes 4 Comments

    Three images of lemon bars stacked vertically with the title "lemon bars" between two of the photos.

    A lemon bar on a white plate with a fork in the background.


    Some links on this site are affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase at one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Additionally, I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. I only link to products and services I personally recommend and believe will benefit my readers. These links help to cover some of my blogging expenses. I appreciate your support!


    Ever since I had to take nightshades out of my diet, I've been having a hard time coming up with new recipes for the blog. Desserts are fun and usually nightshade-free but I like entree recipes the best because they're a huge time-saver for me. Not only do I create my blog recipes over the weekends but I also cook every meal I plan on eating that week so an entree blog recipe takes care of two things at once.

    I still haven't written about why I can't eat nightshades for the remainder of my pregnancy - probably because I'm in denial that I'll be without spicy foods that long. However, a visit with my birth center's nutritionist confirmed I'm out of luck.

    I first removed them back in March after I had developed oral allergies to dairy and bananas. I was also bloating after every meal for probably two months straight which was very unusual for me. It was suggested that I try eliminating nightshades to see if I had any improvement (and hopefully prevent more food allergies from developing). The bloating never came back so I continued eating that way and planned on reintroducing them after my digestive system had adequate time to heal.

    An 8x8 glass dish of not yet sliced lemon bars.

    When I get excited about something, I tend to become completely obsessed with it. I got so wrapped up with focusing on fertility that I completely forgot about adding nightshades back in! (I know, how does somebody forget that their food hasn't had any flavor for the past month!?) Once I saw an unusual temperature rise on my Kindara chart, I strongly suspected we had conceived and knew I shouldn't change my diet while pregnant. I told myself that if I got a negative pregnancy test, I'd add the nightshades back in immediately. Three days later, I got my first positive test!

    I had managed to keep small amounts of nightshade spices and potato starch in my diet which didn't bother me at all. I got desperate and tried very small amounts of foods like salsa and pepperoni but had reactions. The nutritionist basically told me to use my brain. In a very polite way, of course. She said if it makes me feel bad, don't eat it. If it's not bothering me (small amounts of nightshade spices and potato starch), don't worry about it. She also suggested I focus on gut healing by drinking one to two cups of bone broth every day and not skipping my probiotic.

    The good news is after eliminating nightshades I can now eat corn and beans without any problems. Crazy! Although what I could really use is a jar of my favorite salsa and a straw. Or maybe some salt and vinegar chips. Oh well. The other good news is that after not being able to think of a nightshade-free entree, I've defaulted to a yummy dessert recipe :)

    A lemon bar shown from the cut side.

    Like most of my dessert recipes, I made these lemon bars a few times before getting it right. The bottom layer is the same maple shortbread layer I've used in my pecan pie shortbread bars and tiramisu. The lemon layer is tart and sweetened with honey. It's thickened with a little gelatin and egg yolks which is why the process to make it is so similar to crème brûlée.

    I made these this past Mother's Day (not only have I had a hard time coming up with new recipes, I've also struggled to find time to post them). Everybody loved them! I kind of liked them better leftover after the crust had time to soften in the fridge a little but good either way.

    Print

    Recipe

    A lemon bar on a white plate with a fork in the background.

    Lemon Bars

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
    • Author: Meagan Fikes
    • Prep Time: 15 mins
    • Cook Time: 30 mins
    • Total Time: 45 mins
    • Yield: 9 servings 1x
    • Category: Dessert
    • Method: baking
    • Diet: Gluten Free
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    Description

    Sweet and extra tart lemon bars without the gluten or dairy.


    Ingredients

    • 1 C coconut flour
    • ¼ C tapioca starch
    • 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
    • ⅛ tsp salt
    • ¼ C coconut oil, melted
    • ⅓ C maple syrup
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 5 egg yolks
    • 1 ½ C lemon juice
    • ¾ C honey
    • 1 Tbsp gelatin
    • optional toppings/garnishes: lemon slices, lemon zest, or powdered sugar.

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
    2. Whisk together the coconut flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt.
    3. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to combine the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The mixture will become somewhat dry and clump up. This is expected.
    4. Grease an 8X8 glass baking dish with a little coconut oil then firmly and evenly press the shortbread mixture into the dish. Use a fork or toothpick to prick some holes in it before baking. Bake for 12 minutes and allow to cool.
    5. While the shortbread layer bakes/cools, start on the lemon layer. Whisk the egg yolks in a small, heat-safe bowl and set aside.
    6. In a small saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice and honey. Heat the mixture over medium heat while occasionally whisking until hot but not boiling. (You should see steam rise from the sides of the pot.)
    7. Remove from heat and pour a small amount of the lemon mixture into the egg yolks whisk vigorously whisking in order to slowly warm the eggs. Pour this egg mixture back into the sauce pan, continuing to whisk.
    8. Resume heating the mixture over medium heat for another 4-5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened slightly. Dissolve the gelatin into the mixture then transfer to the refrigerator.
    9. Check on the lemon mixture every 20 minutes or so. Once cooled (but not set/firm), it can be poured over the shortbread layer. Place back in the refrigerator until the lemon layer sets up.
    10. Top with powdered sugar or other toppings/garnishes, if desired. Slice into 9 squares and serve.

    Notes

    Potential allergens contained in this recipe may vary due to brands of ingredients used, product reformulations, etc. Please verify that all your ingredients are safe for you to consume and always be mindful of allergen cross contact while cooking.

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    « Open Fire Veggie Curry
    Nightshade-Free Italian Steak Sandwiches »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Darcie

      July 07, 2017 at 9:07 pm

      Oh my goodness how refreshing would these be on a hot summer day! Perfect to have on hand right now! I fell in love with your pecan pie bars so I am sure I will love these too, because well, you know me and lemon!

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        July 08, 2017 at 1:11 pm

        These are definitely a Darcie dessert!

        Reply
    2. Ben Myhre

      July 16, 2017 at 8:26 am

      ooooph! TIL what nightshades are and what a tough one to have to remove from your diet. These bars, however, look delicious.

      Reply
      • Meagan Fikes

        July 16, 2017 at 10:05 am

        Thanks, Ben! I actually reintroduced small amounts of potatoes this past week without issues and the Jackson's Honest salt and vinegar chips have been keeping me sane for the time being ;)

        Reply

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    About Meagan

    About Meagan

    I started out with a passion for creating unique recipes and decorating cakes. In June of 2012, I discovered I was not only severely gluten intolerant but also, many of the foods I was eating I simply couldn't include in my diet anymore. Fortunately, my love for trying new recipes, ingredients, and cooking methods made re-learning how to cook seem more like a fun challenge than an unfortunate circumstance. I'm so happy to say that my dietary restrictions haven't stopped me from doing what I love. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do.

    Some links on this site are affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase at one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only link to products and services I personally recommend and believe will benefit my readers. These links help to cover some of my blogging expenses. I appreciate your support!

    I'm a member of Food Blogger Pro. Learn how to start and grow your food blog.

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    I was going to write some jokes about logging but I was going to write some jokes about logging but you wooden get them. Because they’re super dumb. Ok, I’ll share anyway.
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How do lumberjacks find a missing exponent?
By using LOGarithms
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What did the lumberjack wear to work on casual Friday?
His favorite Tree-shirt
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When is the most stressful time of year for a tree?
Sept-timber
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I told you they were bad, right? 😅 Cut me some slack, they were for a kids birthday party. Oh, and I have more…
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Why did the logger get a gym membership?
He wanted to get lumber jacked 💪
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Why couldn’t the tree answer the riddle?
He was stumped
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What kind of beer do lumberjacks drink?
Loggers 🍻
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Why did the logger have back pain?
He didn’t have enough lumber support
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Embarrassingly enough, I have a bunch more but I’ll save them for a project in a later blog post. For now, I just have the cake.
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This is a 2 part, absolutely massive blog post on making this logging scene cake from start to finish. The cake is chocolate and vanilla layers with cookies & cream filling. And as always, gluten free and dairy free.
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The recipe is at the link in my profile
👉@eatsomethingdelicious
Thanks for chopping by 👋
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#glutenfree #dairyfree #dessert #foodallergies #celiac #glutenintolerant #eatsomethingdelicious #cakedecorating #foodbloggerpro #cake
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Ok enough gross stuff. My finally clean again space has made me so much more focused and motivated to get things done. I’ve burned through most of my work to-do list and made it to the fun stuff that I don’t have to do but just want to. And since I was at that point, I decided to do something for myself by working on my blog. And I went a little overboard by working on 5 blog posts at once. I probably won’t get through them all but I have 3 ready so far.
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This first post is a 30 minute ground beef stroganoff that I made almost 3 years ago. I didn’t do a great job writing down the recipe so I wasn’t able to post it until I figured out what I forgot to write down. Figured it out the other day and it was so good!
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You can get the recipe at the link in my profile
👉@eatsomethingdelicious
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#glutenfree #dairyfree #celiac #eatsomethingdelicious #30minutemeals #foodallergies #foodbloggerpro #glutenintolerant
    Not really a new recipe but I shared my sons 4th b Not really a new recipe but I shared my sons 4th birthday cake on the blog today. Also wrote a recap on everything that’s been going on for the past year since I would normally write about it in my blog posts but haven’t written anything! I don’t know when I’ll be back on there. I’ve only had time for site maintenance and I really miss blogging but I’ll be back on once things slow down. The link to the new post is in my profile!
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#glutenfree #dairyfree #cakedecorating #foodallergies #celiacdisease
    I almost didn’t make this into a casserole becau I almost didn’t make this into a casserole because the sauce and pasta combined made a delicious side dish on their own! @beldolcefood #sponsored my most recent blog post and provided me with their new gluten free fusilli and penne to try out. I used the fusilli in this recipe and the sauce is a creamy, cheesy enchilada sauce made from just 3 ingredients.
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I ended up adding taco meat, fire roasted tomatoes, corn, black beans, and dairy free cheese to make a taco noodle casserole. Then we ate it all and I made it again! This is one of those recipes that will be going in our regular meal rotation.
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This is a pretty versatile recipe. It can be made vegan just by leaving out the meat and it’s just as good. And as I said earlier, the pasta with just the sauce makes a really good side dish. You can also top it with whatever you like such as cilantro, jalapeños, sour cream, scallions, or salsa.
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The recipe and details on @beldolcefood new gluten free pasta is linked in my profile:
@eatsomethingdelicious
Let me know if you try it!
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#glutenfree #dairyfree #glutenfreefacility #pasta #casserole #beldolce #foodallergies #f52grams #foodbloggerpro #celiac #glutenintolerant #eatsomethingdelicious
    I’ll just say it - I’m one of those bloggers t I’ll just say it - I’m one of those bloggers that makes cakes for their blogs “birthdays”. Or uses the blog birthdays as an excuse to make yet another cake recipe....yeah, that’s probably more accurate.
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Definitely felt like I needed a good excuse for this one because it’s my fifth variation of gooey butter cake! However, my site is seven years old so maybe I should have had seven gooey butter cakes ready to go? Guess I’d better get caught up before year eight 😉
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Anyways, I really enjoyed this carrot cake variation of gooey butter cake. The cake layer/crust swaps out the yellow cake mix with spice cake mix and I added in some shredded carrots and raisins. I kept the “gooey” top layer the same except that I topped it with a sprinkle of cinnamon and additional raisins before baking.
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If you want to try the recipe, the link is in my profile: @eatsomethingdelicious
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#gooeybuttercake #foodallergies #glutenfree #dairyfree #foodbloggerpro #baking #celiac #f52grams #f52sweets #glutenintolerant #carrotcake
#glutenfreelife #eatsomethingdelicious
    Here are a few last minute treat ideas! The carame Here are a few last minute treat ideas! The caramel stuffed crispy rice treats recipe is written below. The other recipes (gooey butter cookies, salted caramel turtles, and pumpkin snickerdoodles) can be found at the link in my bio!
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CARAMEL STUFFED CRISPY RICE TREATS
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INGREDIENTS
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• ¼ C dairy free butter, divided
• 4 C mini marshmallows (regular and vegan both work), divided
• 6 C gluten free rice cereal *see notes*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, divided
• 10-11 oz dairy free chewy caramels
• 11.25 oz can sweetened condensed coconut milk
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DIRECTIONS
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1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the dairy free butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add 2 cups of marshmallows and stir until they are melted with no lumps.
2. Remove from heat and stir in ½ tsp of vanilla then gently fold in 3 cups of cereal until it is well-combined with the marshmallows.
3. Using wet hands, press this mixture evenly into the bottom of a 7x11 inch casserole dish and set aside.
4. Unwrap the caramels and add them along with the sweetened condensed coconut milk to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir often to avoid burning. Once this has turned to a completely smooth sauce, pour over the cereal layer.
5. Make your top cereal layer by repeating steps 1 and 2. Distribute this evenly over the caramel layer and pat down with wet hands.
6. Once the treats have cooled down, they will firm up and hold their shape when cut. Cut into squares and serve.
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NOTES
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• Potential allergens contained in this recipe may vary due to brands of ingredients used, product reformulations, etc. Please verify that all your ingredients are safe for you to consume and always be mindful of allergen cross contamination while cooking.
• Double check that the cereal you use is gluten free. At least one brand carries 2 different versions of rice cereal and only one is GF.
• Don't make both cereal layers in one large batch then divide it up. The top layer will cool and firm up before you can layer it on which will make the caramel seep out when you press it down.
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