No Added Sugar Lemon Bars
Photography by Simeon Crofts
DIETARY: Diabetic-friendly, Low sugar, Vegetarian, Nut-free
I am a massive fan of lemon flavoured anything - give me a lemon tart, cake, cocktail or sorbet any day of the week! One of the wonderful things about lemons is their natural tangy, sweet flavour. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it! My no added sugar lemon bar is an indulgent treat that you’ll be hard pressed to tell is made without real sugar. The bars taste incredible but won’t cause blood sugar levels to spike, making it ideal for those with diabetes or who simply want to watch their refined sugar intake.
Traditionally, lemon bar is made up of two layers: a crunchy shortbread biscuit topped with a luscious lemon curd that bakes in the oven to set. It’s a bit like a lemon tart cut up into chunky squares!
Xylitol
To counteract the sour lemon flavour, we still need to use a sweetener, so I opted for sugar-free xylitol instead of sugar. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol found naturally in some plants. It has about the same sweetness spoon for spoon as sugar but far fewer calories and has a low glycemic index that doesn’t spike blood sugar or insulin, making it suitable for diabetics.
The method
The biscuit layer is made and baked first before pouring the lemon topping over it while it’s still warm from the oven. When the finished lemon bar comes out of the oven, the biscuit will be a little soft, but it will harden right up again once it has cooled. After an hour or so of cooling, you can put your lemon bars in the fridge to chill. They are delicious served cold from the refrigerator or at room temperature. You can dust the bars with a little monk fruit sweetener icing powder to finish or enjoy them as is. This sweetener is to replace regular icing sugar and is readily available from most supermarkets. Any sweetener icing powder will work but don’t worry; it isn’t an essential ingredient.
If you’re not planning on sharing and need more time to eat your lemon bars, they will keep in the fridge for up to five days or you can freeze them on the day you make them, before adding any powdered sweetener. Freeze the bars then wrap in foil, and they will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
As always with any low sugar treats, I have popped the essential nutritional info below to help you work these scrumptious lemon bars into your diet.
Nutritional information (per lemon bar)
188 calories
24.7g carbohydrate
0.77g sugar (naturally occurring)
5.3g fat
No Added Sugar Lemon Bars
Ingredients
- 150g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsp (36g) xylitol
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 225g plain flour
- 70g plain flour
- 270g xylitol
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 4 lemons
- 1 cup lemon juice
- Monk fruit sweetener icing powder (optional)
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan)/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 20cm x 20cm tin with baking paper.
- In a clean bowl, combine all the ingredients for the shortbread layer. Mix by hand or using a stand mixer until a dough is formed. It may be a little crumbly but should stick together after a few minutes of mixing.
- Press the shortbread into the lined tin and spread evenly. Prick all over with a fork to prevent it from puffing up in the oven. Bake for 18-10 minutes until golden.
- While the shortbread layer is cooking, make the lemon topping. Sift the flour into a clean bowl and add the sugar and salt. Mix to combine then add the eggs. Finally, add in the vanilla extract and the lemon zest and juice. Whisk until well combined.
- When the shortbread comes out of the oven pour the lemon topping over the warm biscuit.
- Put in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the centre is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin before turning out and cutting into squares. Dust with the monk fruit icing powder if using and enjoy. The lemon bars will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.