Lemon Lavender Bars

5 from 1 vote

Enjoy bright flavors by indulging in these Lemon Lavender Bars. These delightful treats combine the zesty essence of lemon with the subtle floral notes of lavender, creating a dessert that is both refreshing and elegant. Whether you're hosting a garden party or craving a sweet indulgence, these bars are sure to impress.

Prep Time45

Resting Time4

Total Time45

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Dairy-Free, Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 351kcal

Author: Jacqui Wormington

Cost: $0.85 per serving

Equipment

Ingredients

Lavender Shortbread Crust

½ cup vegan butter melted
¼ cup cane sugar or monkfruit
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried lavender blooms or 1 teaspoon lavender extract

Lemon Layer

¾ cup lemon juice from about 4 large lemons
¼ cup Belvoir Farm’s Elderflower Syrup Mixer
optional: 2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 ½ cups cane sugar or monkfruit
1 ¼ cups full-fat coconut milk using mostly the white part
6 tablespoons cornstarch

Purple Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
a couple drops of ube extract or purple food coloring

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 355℉ (180℃) and line an 8 by 8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang for easy removal.

Make the shortbread crust:

In a medium bowl, mix the melted vegan butter, sugar and salt. Add the flour and lavender and stir until combined. The dough will be thick.
Press it into the pan with your hands, evenly and firmly.
Bake for 10 -15 minutes until the edges are very lightly browned. Set aside and leave the oven on.

Make the filling:

In a medium-sized saucepan, add sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest or extract (if using) for even more lemon flavor. Stir until combined.
Then also add sugar, elderberry syrup, coconut milk, and cornstarch. Whisk well to dissolve the cornstarch evenly.
Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens.

Assemble:

Pour the filling over the crust. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the oven off and let it cool down in there for 30 minutes. It likely will have a light jiggle in the middle after baking, which will fully set during cooling. There is no need to bake it until fully firm!
Gently transfer to the fridge for an additional 4 to 8 hours. It's best to leave it overnight, until fully set.

Serve:

Once the bars are set, prepare your icing by combining both ingredients in a small bowl. Spread it over the bars with a spatula. You can either let the icing set in the fridge or serve right away!
Lift bars out of the pan by pulling on the parchment paper. You may have to loosen the sides a bit beforehand.
Dust generously with powdered sugar and optional dried lavender blooms. Then cut into 12 squares. For clean cuts wipe your kitchen knife with a damp paper towel before and between each cut.

Notes

Gluten-free lemon lavender bars: For gluten-free vegan lemon bars, use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour, such as Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour.

Storage: Leftover bars will keep good for up to 1 week in a covered container in the fridge. They freeze well, too. For details read our Storage paragrpah above in the blog post.

Nutrition