Vegan Lemon Cream Bars
🌱 Vegan Lemon Cream Bars 🍋
These Vegan Lemon Cream Bars have a golden cookie crust and a thick lemon cream on top. No eggs. No dairy. The filling is vegan cream cheese, lemon juice, and zest — more like a lemon cheesecake square than a tart lemon curd bar.
I love spreading the cream so you still see the swirl marks. Chill before you cut or the topping smears. Fresh zest is what makes them taste like lemon, not just sweet cream. 💚
Jump to Recipe ↓ 🌱
Why You’ll Love These Bars 💚
- 🌱 Completely vegan
- 🍋 Bright lemon cream
- 🍪 Golden cookie crust
- ❄️ Mostly no-fuss chill
- 🍰 Cheesecake-bar texture
- 🧊 Make-ahead dessert
The Secret to Clean Squares
Bake the crust until it smells toasty. Cool it completely before the cream goes on. Chill at least 3 hours. Use a warm knife and wipe it between cuts. If the filling is soft, give it another hour in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions ❓
What crust should I use? 🍪
Crushed vegan graham crackers or digestive cookies. Shortbread crumbs work too.
Can I make them no-bake? ❄️
Yes. Chill the pressed crust 20 minutes instead of baking. It will be a little more crumbly.
How long do they keep? 🧊
Covered in the fridge 4 days.
🌱 Vegan Lemon Cream Bars
Ingredients 🛒
For the Crust
- 1½ cups vegan graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup melted vegan butter or coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Pinch of salt
For the Lemon Cream
- 16 oz vegan cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons coconut cream (optional, for extra silk)
Instructions 👩🍳
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8 pan.
- Mix crumbs, melted vegan butter, sugar, and salt. Press into the pan. Bake 10–12 minutes. Cool completely.
- Beat vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and coconut cream until smooth.
- Spread over the crust. Chill at least 3 hours.
- Cut into 12 bars.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per bar (1/12) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 210 |
| Protein | 2g |
| Net carbohydrates | 18g |
| Total carbohydrates | 19g |
| Fiber | 1g |
| Total fat | 14g |
| Sodium | 160mg |
Estimates based on a graham crust and vegan cream-cheese lemon topping. Exact numbers may vary by cream cheese brand.
Notes & Tips 💡
- More zest, not more juice, if you want stronger lemon without thinning the cream.
- A thin lemon glaze on top is optional if you want extra shine.
- These slice best cold, then sit 10 minutes before serving.
- If the cream cheese is cold, it will stay lumpy. Soften it first.
These Vegan Lemon Cream Bars are creamy, zesty, and set on a golden crust. Lemon cheesecake in square form. 🍋🌱
If you make them, I’d love to hear how they turned out — leave a comment or tag me!
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