Frozen Lemon Bars with an Almond Crust (GF)

These Frozen Lemon Bars with an Almond Crust are gluten-free and absolutely delicious! They are perfect for hot summer days when you are looking for something to help you cool off. I couldn’t stop going back for just one more slice, LOL!

I love anything with lemon. Lemon meringue pie, lemon pound cake, lemon cookies, lemon curd … all delicious treats. But my favorite may be lemon bars. I can’t resist the beautiful slightly tart lemon and crispy crust, the perfect combination.

A measuring cup is helpful to press the crumbs into a crust

The naturally refreshing quality of citrus fruits is magnified when you serve them chilled or frozen. These bars will cool you down even on the hottest days. Bring on the heat and humidity, we’ve got the cure right here!

And best of all, they only take 8 ingredients, come together quickly and easily, and can be made ahead making serving day that much easier. That makes these a winner in my book!

Wooden reamers are the best for juicing all kinds of fruits.

The easiest and best way to squeeze lemons or any citrus is using a wooden reamer. The texture of the wood is the best for easy juicing. Just be sure to rinse it right away so the juice doesn’t get absorbed into the wood. This is especially important when juicing blood oranges – they can stain everything!

For the zesting, there is nothing better than a rasp grater and my favorites are those from Microplane. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes with something for every task you have! I have several and use them all the time. Nothing gives you finer or more delicate zest!

You can mix all the parts of this dessert by hand except for the whipped cream. With a heavy-duty stand mixer that only takes a couple of minutes. The whole thing comes together really quickly and then you freeze it for a few hours, leaving you plenty of free time to relax, read a book, or prepare the rest of dinner.

With just the two of us here, I reduced the size to a 9-inch (23 cm) square pan. The original recipe fits a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan and serves a bunch of people. If you are making this for a party, head over to the original website, Let’s Dish by Danelle, to get those ingredient measurements and freezing times. 

These Frozen Lemon Bars are like a lemon mousse, whisked together then frozen. This is one of the lightest and most refreshing desserts you can make and you don’t have to heat up your kitchen with a hot oven. While good all year long, they are particularly delicious on hot and steamy summer nights.

Have a wonderful weekend! See you back here for another treat on Chocolate Monday!

If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!

Key Ingredients for Frozen Lemon Bars:

• Almond Crust: Almond flour, sugar, melted butter
• Filling: Sweetened condensed milk, fresh lemon juice, grated lemon zest, heavy cream, sugar
• Garnishes: Fresh lemon slices, mint sprigs

PRO Tip:

You can use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to help compress a crumb crust in the square pan. This will give you the smoothest, even crust.

PRO Tip:

If you prefer a graham cracker crust, you can swap in an equal amount of graham cracker crumbs for the almond meal. Use GF graham crackers if needed!

How to make Frozen Lemon Bars:

1. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into a buttered and parchment-lined square 9-inch (23cm) baking pan
2. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and zest; set aside
3. In your mixer, whip the cream with the sugar to stiff peaks; fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture until fully incorporated
4. Pour into the crust, smoothing into an even layer and freeze until firm, about 3 hours
5. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving immediately

PRO Tip: What is Folding and How Do I Do It?

Folding is a key skill that is easy to learn. It is often used to blend two separate mixtures together, where one has been beaten to introduce air for lifting – like egg whites or whipped cream.  It is a matter of gently drawing the top materials down to the bottom of the bowl and bringing the materials on the bottom up to the top. Often you will mix in 1/3 of the first mixture to lighten the heavier batter and then fold in the remaining 2/3. By repeating this, eventually your two mixtures will be perfectly blended. The mixture will lighten in color and consistency.

For the easiest folding, you need a deep-sided bowl and a large spatula. Cut straight down through the center, then twist your wrist and draw it up, bringing some of the batter that is on the bottom up to the top. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Keep folding and turning the bowl until the mixtures are completely blended with very few streaks.

PRO Tip:

To get the most juice from the lemons, heat in a microwave for about 15 seconds and roll the fruit on the counter, pressing down firmly with the palm of your hand before cutting in half and squeezing with a wooden reamer.

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• 9-inch (23 cm) square baking pan
• Parchment paper
• Paring knife
• Wooden citrus reamer
• Microplane zester/grater
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Slicing knife

Gluten-Free Tips:

The almond crust is naturally gluten-free as long as you use your own ground almonds or Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal. The filling is naturally gluten-free so this is a recipe you can confidently serve to all your gluten-intolerant or celiac friends and family.

You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

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Yield: about 8 servings

Frozen Lemon Bars with an Almond Crust (GF)

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These refreshing Frozen Lemon Bars are the perfect summertime no-bake treat, with pops of bright flavor from the freshly grated lemon zest and fresh lemon juice filling every bite! Note that they take at least 3 hours to freeze and you need to keep them chilled/frozen so they don’t melt!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup (96g) almond flour (Bob's Red Mill is gluten-free)
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp butter, melted

Filling

• 7 oz (198g) canned sweetened condensed milk (half of a 14 oz can)
• 1-1/2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (from 2 to 3 lemons)
• 1/3 cup (156 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice* (from about 3 lemons)
• 1 cup (227g) cold heavy cream
• 1-1/2 tbsp granulated sugar

Garnishes (optional)

• Lemon slices
• Mint sprigs

Instructions

1. Butter a 9-inch (23cm) square baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving the ends hanging over 2 opposite edges to form a sling. Butter the parchment. Set aside.

2. Prepare the Crust: In a medium bowl combine the almond meal, sugar, and melted butter. Mix thoroughly with a fork, being sure all the dry ingredients are fully moistened, and press evenly into the bottom of the lined 9-inch square pan. You can use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to help compress the crumbs.

3. Make the Filling: In another bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Set aside. Stir again before adding to the whipped cream.

4. With a stand mixer or hand mixer, whisk the heavy cream and sugar together to stiff peaks on high speed. Using a large rubber spatula, fold half the lemon juice mixture into the whipped cream until smooth with no streaks. Add the remaining lemon mixture and fold it in until thoroughly combined, being careful not to deflate the whipped cream. Pour over the prepared crust, smooth into an even layer, and freeze until firm, about 3 hours. Note: Be sure the pan is sitting level in the freezer.

5. To Serve: Let stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes before running a knife along sides not covered by the parchment and using the sling to lift the lemon bars onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice into bars. **

6. Return the rest of the dessert to the freezer (it will melt fairly quickly). Garnish with lemon slices and mint sprigs and serve your guests immediately.

Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com

Notes

* To get the most juice from the lemons, heat in a microwave for about 15 seconds and roll the fruit on the counter, pressing down firmly with the palm of your hand before cutting in half and removing the juice with a wooden reamer.

** To get the cleanest slices, use a very sharp long knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between each cut.

You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

Adapted from a recipe by Let’s Dish Recipes

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 230Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 78mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 4g

The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.

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