Artificial Food Coloring Free Almond Flour Lemon Bars
Bright, tangy, and buttery-sweet, these lemon bars deliver that classic sunshine-yellow filling and crumbly shortbread-style base without a single synthetic dye in sight. The vivid color comes entirely from fresh lemon juice and zest — no yellow #5, no artificial anything — which is a bigger deal than it sounds when you realize how many conventional dessert mixes and store-bought bars quietly sneak in food dyes for visual appeal. The crust is built from almond flour, coconut oil, and honey, giving it a naturally golden, slightly nutty base that holds up beautifully under the silky filling. Arrowroot starch does the thickening work in the filling, keeping everything clean and smooth while honey stands in as the sweetener throughout. Straining the filling before it hits the crust is a small step that makes a huge difference — you get that glossy, custard-smooth top layer that slices cleanly into perfect squares. A light dusting of powdered sugar right before serving adds a pretty finish that feels indulgent without complicating the ingredient list. These are the kind of bars you can set out at a gathering and feel genuinely good about, knowing every bit of that gorgeous color earned its place.
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Learn more →Ingredients
16 servings
For the crust
- 2 cups almond flour
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 3 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For the filling
- 4 pasteurized eggs
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- 3 tbsp arrowroot starch
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For serving
- 1 tsp powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two opposite sides to use as handles for lifting.
- 2
In a medium bowl, stir together the almond flour, melted coconut oil, 3 tbsp honey, and 1/4 tsp salt until the mixture resembles damp, clumping sand. Press it firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan — use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to compact it into a uniform layer.
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