Creamy Lemon Bars

The zing of fresh, uncooked, lemon juice in the filling, paired with the light, crumbly crust, make these plant-based lemon bars a true delight. (Photo source: Emily Engelking-Rappeport)

| Yield: 8 servings | Time: 45 minutes |

Adapted from Nora Cooks

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cane sugar

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup vegan butter, softened

Filling

3 large lemons, juiced

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 cup cane sugar

1 can full fat coconut milk

6 tablespoons corn starch

Powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

Preparation

For the crust

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9x9 pan with foil or parchment paper, and set aside.

Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and vegan butter—by hand or by food processor—until full blended. Press the crust into the prepared pan and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.

For the filling

In a medium pan, heat the sugar, coconut milk, and corn starch. Whisk until the sugar and cornstarch has dissolved.

Add the lemon juice and zest. (Clean the lemons before zesting.) Continue to whisk over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Make sure it doesn’t come to a boil or the lemon juice will lose its fresh flavor.

Take the pan off of the heat and let it rest, stirring every couple of minutes, until the filling has stopped steaming. Pour over the cooled warm crust, and bake for 15 minutes at 350 F.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating for another hour or two until set.