I have a true love for Australian recipes, like my WeetBix Smoothie, Overnight Weetbix, or Vegan Rocky Road but I have to say, some or high in sugar. Therefore, I like to create a healthier version of the classics, like my healthy caramel slice.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This healthy lemon slice is naturally :
Raw – no oven required, it gets all its texture in the fridge Vegan Gluten-free option Dairy-free Refined sugar-free
What Is A Healthy Lemon Slice?
A healthy lemon slice is a healthier version of the popular Australian dessert called a lemon slice. A lemon slice is usually made from icing sugar, condensed milk, and store-bought Marie biscuit, and therefore quite high in sugar and lacks whole food. On the other hand, a healthy lemon slice is packed with healthy fat from almond flour and cashew butter, fiber from oats, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
How To Make A Healthy Lemon Slice
It’s very easy to make a healthy lemon slice using the wholesome ingredients you have in your pantry.
Ingredients
All you need to make this slice are:
Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut Almond Flour or almond meal Quick Oats or quick oats – The combo of almond flour and oats mimics a biscuit flavor that reminds me of the classic lemon slice, packed with shortbread flavors. Melted Coconut Oil Medjool Dates – pitted Lemon Juice – freshly squeezed Maple Syrup Lemon Zest Vanilla Extract Salt
For the lemon icing, usually made from lemon juice and powdered sugar, I used a healthier combo of ingredients:
Cashew Coconut Butter – or use cashew butter, coconut butter, or even tahini. This last option is slightly bitter. Lemon Juice Coconut Oil Lemon Essence Maple Syrup
Preparation
Healthy Lemon Icing
I am using coconut cashew butter for the icing. It’s a store-bought nut butter that mixes cashew nuts and coconut. The flavors amazingly well with lemon, but feel free to use tahini or cashew butter if you can’t find this mix. In a mixing bowl, add all the icing ingredients and microwave for 20 seconds to soften. Then, mix and combine until a smooth icing. Spread the icing on top of the bar, use the back of a spoon to swirl around, and cover the entire top of this healthy lemon bar. If you like, sprinkle extra desiccated coconut on top of the bar. Place the pan in the freezer for at least 15 minutes again to firm up.
Serving
When the bar has firmed up in the freezer, transfer it to the fridge for 2 to 3 hours. You can slice them now, but they hold their shape better after spending a little while in the fridge. Also, refrigerating the slice enhances the tangy lemon flavors. Next, use the hanging pieces of parchment paper to pull out the slice from the tin. Place the slice on a chopping board and use a long sharp knife to slice into long horizontal bars. You can warm the knife blade before slicing it to make it easier to cut through. Then, I like to serve my lemon slice with a dollop of coconut yogurt and fresh thin slices of lemon.
Storage Instructions
This healthy lemon slice is stored for up to 6 days in the fridge, in an airtight container. You can freeze leftover slices in zip-lock bags for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge the day before or a few hours at room temperature.
Allergy Swaps
Below are some ingredients swap options to adapt this recipe to any food allergies:
Grain-Free – You can skip the oats for more almond meal or almond flour, but the bars are soft. To firm up, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of coconut flour. Sugar-Free – A sugar-free syrup, also called fiber syrup, works well. This is not the same as pancake syrup made with water as the first ingredient. This syrup won’t firm up the bar properly. Nut-Free – You can use sesame seed flour or sunflower seed flour instead of an almond meal. You can make these two flours at home by blending sesame seeds or sunflower seeds on high speed in a blender. Gluten-Free Lemon Bars – You can use more almond flour instead of oats, but it won’t be as firm. You may need to add 2 or 3 tablespoons of coconut flour to firm up the bars if you remove the oats. The remaining ingredients of this healthy lemon bar recipe are gluten-free.
Below are my answers to your common questions about this healthy lemon slice recipe.
More Healthy Bars And Slices
If you like healthy bars for dessert or breakfast, you’ll love these:
