Keto Shortbread Lemon Bars

Lemon bars that are bursting with zesty fresh lemon flavor in the perfect light, flaky, shortbread cookie bar, oh- and they’re entirely keto-friendly!

Low carb does not mean low taste, nor does it mean zero desserts. This luscious decadent lemon bar has the perfect ratio of bar vs filling.

How to Make Keto Shortbread Lemon Bars

The first step to making these delectable bars is to prepare the shortbread.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, vanilla, and Bochasweet together until smooth and fluffy.

Add the baking powder and almond flour in small batches, allowing it to mix in (about 1/4 of the bowl at a time).

Gently press the mixture into the bottom of a 9″x9″ baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350F for about fifteen minutes, until it reaches a nice golden brown.

While it’s baking, prepare the delectable zesty lemon filling.

Combine fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, and Bochasweet in a heavy saucepan. Whisk the ingredients together, then turn on the heat to low-medium, whisking constantly until it’s thick.

Be sure to whisk CONSTANTLY the entire time until the mixture thickens.

If you fail to do so, the whites will cook prematurely and you’ll end up with little bits of egg white in your filling.

Remove from lemon filling from the heat, whisk in the butter, and the lemon extract. At this point, the shortbread should be just about done.

Once the shortbread is done, remove it from the oven, then pour the warm keto lemon filling into the center of the shortbread. Don’t pour it all over, just pour into one spot in the very center.

The filling will magically spread throughout the entire shortbread, creating three distinct layers. A layer of tasty shortbread on the bottom, a layer of zesty, bright lemon in the middle, and a top layer of shortbread.

If you’d like, reserve about 1/3 of a cup of the lemon filling to spread over the top of the shortbread layer.

Recipe Notes

I don’t recommend using concentrated lemon juice, the flavor just isn’t the same, plus many brands add fillers that can alter the carb count. You can easily create Key Lime shortbread bars by using fresh Key lime juice in place of the fresh lemon juice and changing the lemon extract to lime extract instead.

Keto Shortbread Lemon Bars

Shortbread Bars

2 1/2 c. Superfine Almond Flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
6 Tbs Butter, room temp
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 c. Bochasweet

Cream the butter, vanilla, and bochasweet together until smooth and fluffy. Add the baking powder and almond flour in small batches, allowing it to mix in (about 1/4 of the bowl at a time).

Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9″x9″ baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and pour the warm keto lemon filling over the top.

Lemon Filling

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2-3  large lemons)
1 cup BochaSweet
Zest of 1 large lemon
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Combine fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, and Bochasweet in a heavy saucepan. Whisk the ingredients together, then turn the heat to low-medium, whisking constantly until it’s thick.

Remove from heat, whisk in the butter and lemon extract. Set aside until the shortbread is done.

Keto Shortbread Lemon Bar Nutrition Information:

• Servings: 12
• Calories: 222
• Total Fat per serving 20g, Saturated Fat 6.1g, Polyunsaturated Fat 3.4g
• Cholesterol 67mg
• Sodium: 102mg
• Potassium 196.5mg
• Total Carbohydrates 5.9g, Dietary Fiber 2.5g, Net Carbs 3g