These lemon cheesecake bars are creamy, zesty, and can be made sugar-free! Combining a gluten-free oat-based crust and melt-in-the-mouth dairy-free cheesecake filling, these vegan lemon bars taste decadent but are surprisingly healthy! Perfect for sharing at potlucks, BBQs, parties, Mother’s Day, and more!
Decadent, Creamy, Vegan Lemon Cheesecake Bars
If I were to tell you these lemon cheesecake bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and can even be made sugar-free, would you believe me that they are still incredibly rich, and creamy?! Because they are! I love tart treats like a lemon sheet cake and lemon coconut balls. I’ve even shared a firmer lemon cheesecake tart before. This time, though, I’m sharing these fluffy, light egg-free lemon bars.
These gluten-free cheesecake bars are truly mouthwatering, with a delicious combination of sweet and tart flavor, creamy filling, and slightly crunchy, chewy crust. The dessert is super easy to prepare and requires just 10 ingredients.
The simple crust comprises just 6 wholesome ingredients and no refined sugars – using dates to help sweeten and bind it together. The result is far healthier than the regular shortcrust base used for lemon bars and is a version I use often. For example, with this chocolate strawberry cheesecake, eggless cheesecake, mango tart, and vegan chocolate pie!
Meanwhile, the lemon cheesecake filling is 100% dairy-free, relying on silken tofu to create the creamy, melt-in-the-mouth texture (something I’ve also taken advantage of with these indulgent cheesecake brownies). Eating a soy-free diet? No problem! There are soy-free options in the recipe notes too!
Best of all, this healthy cheesecake recipe requires just one food processor or blender and a baking pan – that’s it! In no time at all, you’ll be enjoying mouthwatering vegan lemon bars!
The Ingredients and Substitutions
The Gluten-Free Crust
- Oats: I used rolled oats, use gluten-free certified, if necessary, for gluten-free cheesecake bars. For a grain-free version, use buckwheat groats.
- Shredded coconut: Unsweetened shredded coconut is best. Alternatively, use 65g nuts of your choice, walnuts, almonds, pistachio, etc. For a nut-free version, you could use sunflower seeds.
- Dates: Use soft pitted dates. I recommend Medjool dates which taste great and are usually soft. If using smaller, harder/dryer dates, they may need to be soaked in hot water to soften.
- Vanilla extract: Helps to add ‘cookie’ flavoring naturally to the vegan squares.
- Milk: Use any plant-based milk. I use coconut milk for these vegan lemon bars.
- Salt: Just a pinch to enhance and balance the flavors.
The Healthy Cheesecake Filling
- Silken tofu: One package of firm silken tofu helps to create the perfect creamy vegan cheesecake filling. Check the recipe notes for soy-free alternatives.
- Lemon: You’ll need the juice and zest, so make sure to use fresh lemon. Wash it before zesting and preferably use organic lemons.
- Sugar: I actually made sugar-free lemon cheesecake bars by using Xylitol in place of sugar. However, you can use regular sugar too. You’ll need granulated sugar for the filling and powdered to dust over the bars before serving.
- Coconut oil: This will help to add richness and texture to the vegan lemon cheesecake filling.
- Cornstarch: This is needed to thicken the lemon vegan cheesecake filling. You could also use arrowroot starch.
- Turmeric (optional): For extra yellow color in the vegan lemon bars.
For the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information, please read the recipe card below.
How to Make Vegan Lemon Cheesecake Bars
I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the ingredient in grams for the best and most accurate results.
Step 1: Prepare the gluten-free crust
- First, process the oats, coconut, and a pinch of salt in a blender or food processor. Then add the dates, vanilla extract, and plant-based milk. Process until you have a crumbly mixture that holds together when pressed between your fingers.
If it isn’t sticky enough, add one more date – optionally soak it beforehand to soften it.
- Then, line a 7×7 or 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper (with a slight overhang) and press the crust into the pan, using the back of a spoon to level it.
Step 2: Prepare the lemon vegan cheesecake filling
- Preheat the oven to 375F/190C.
- To prepare the filling, combine all the filling ingredients in your blender/food processor and process until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the lemon filling over the crust and tap the pan against your kitchen counter to release any air bubbles.
Step 3: Bake the lemon cheesecake bars
- Bake the vegan lemon bars in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges begin to look slightly dry. Then remove it from the oven and allow it to cool before transferring to the fridge for a further two hours (minimum).
The vegan cheesecake will still be wobbly when you first remove it from the oven. Allowing it to chill before slicing it into bars is critical, so try not to be impatient.
- Use the overhang of parchment paper to help pull the lemon cheesecake out of the pan and then slice into bars, dust with a little powdered sugar, and enjoy!
You can cut the cheesecake into 6 large bars as I have. Alternatively, cut the vegan lemon bars into slightly smaller 8 bars (cut the bars through the center horizontally and vertically, then slice each quarter in half.). You could even make them into bite-sized pieces by cutting those pieces in half for 16 pieces (perfect for a dessert party tray!). Make sure to wipe the knife between cuts for the cleanest slices.
How to Make-Ahead and Store?
Make-ahead: These lemon cheesecake squares slice better when well chilled, so I recommend making them a day in advance, then slice and powder with sugar right before serving.
To Store: Store leftover bars in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a week.
To freeze: Lay the vegan squares on a baking tray (with space between), freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container/bag and store for up to 1 month. Allow the bar to thaw in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
- For a soy-free version: You can either use one cup of dairy-free thick yogurt or one cup of the thick coconut cream in a can of coconut milk (leave it to chill in the fridge overnight, then open, drain the liquid, and use the thick cream). However, as these options aren’t as thick as the silken tofu, I recommend adding one cup of soaked cashews (soaked in boiling water for one hour or overnight in room temp water). Otherwise, the bars won’t set properly. You could also use 350g (12.3oz) vegan curd (quark) or cream cheese without any cashews.
- Adjust the flavors: You can try the egg-free lemon bars filling raw. Give it a taste and adjust (more sugar, more lemon juice) if needed.
- Swap the citrus: As delicious as these lemon cheesecake bars are, did you know you can use the same recipe with lime, orange, or even grapefruit too?!
- When making ahead: Dust them with powdered sugar just before serving. Otherwise, it just melts into the cheesecake layer.
- Don’t overdo the turmeric: Keep in mind that the color will become more pronounced as it cooks.
More Creamy Vegan Desserts
- Blueberry cream pie
- Strawberry coconut cheesecake
- Vegan cheesecake tartlets
- Fruity cheesecake
- Raw vegan blueberry cheesecake
- Strawberry Mousse
- Vegan chocolate pudding
- Banana pudding
If you try this gluten-free lemon cheesecake bars recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan #elavegan – I love seeing them
Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup (90 g) oats gluten-free if needed (see notes)
- 1 scant cup (65 g) shredded unsweetened coconut (see notes)
- 1 Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup soft pitted (100 g) dates
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp (40 ml) plant-based milk (I used coconut milk)
Filling:
- 1 (12.3 oz) package (350 g) firm silken tofu liquid drained (see notes for soy-free alternatives)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice
- Zest from one lemon
- 1/2 cup (90 g) Xylitol or sugar
- 3 tbsp (42 g) coconut oil
- 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 2 tbsp powdered Xylitol or icing sugar (for dusting)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Pinch of turmeric for color (optional)
Instructions
- I recommend measuring the ingredients in grams on a kitchen scale.
- To make the crust, process the shredded unsweetened coconut, oats, and pinch of salt in a blender or food processor.
- Add the dates, vanilla extract, and plant-based milk and blend again until you have a crumbly mixture which holds together when you press it between your fingers.
- Press the crust into a 7x7″ or 8×8″ baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- To make the filling, blend all the "filling ingredients" in a blender or food processor until very smooth and creamy.
- Pour the cream on top of the crust.
- Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes (or until the edges appear slightly dry) and let cool. The center will still be wobbly, but that's fine. It's best to put the baking pan into the fridge for a couple of hours to set. The cream will firm up once it cools. Cut into bars and dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge.
Notes
- For a grain-free option use buckwheat groats instead of oats.
- Coconut: You can use 65 grams nuts of choice instead of shredded unsweetened coconut.
- For a soy-free version, use 1 cup of the thick cream of a can of coconut milk (put the unopened can in the fridge overnight, don't shake it, and use only the thick cream, not the water).
- Another possibility would be to use 1 cup of soy-free yogurt (e.g. coconut yogurt).
- Because silken tofu is thicker than yogurt and coconut cream though, I would suggest also adding 1 cup of soaked cashews (soak in hot water for an hour, then discard the water) otherwise the lemon bars will be too soft.
- You could also use 12.3 oz (350 grams) of vegan curd (quark) or vegan cream cheese instead of silken tofu and leave out the 1 cup of soaked cashews!
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Michael Habony
Is there a way to replace the coconut oil(saturated fat) with something healthier?
A no oil version?
Ela
Hi Michael, you could try cashew butter for an oil-free version. 🙂
Airike
Fab cake. Made it for Father’s Day yesterday. Great success. Thank you 🙂
Ela
Hi Airike, I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Jessica Lim
Hi Ela, can I use toaster oven to toaster to toast the cheesecake at a low temperature?
Ela
Hi Jessica, I never tried that, so I am not sure. 🙂
Jessica Lim
Thanks for replying! I plan to try it and shall update here if it’s a success:)
Jessica Lim
Hi Ela, can I use tapioca starch in replacement for the cornstarch?
Ela
Hi Jessica, it might work fine (I never tried it), but the result could be different since tapioca makes everything slightly gummy.
Jessica Lim
Thank you for getting back! I just tried using 1 tbsp of potato starch & 1 tbsp of tapioca starch to replace cornstarch, i also replaced a few lemon with orange and place it in the toaster. The result was unexpected :(. I guess i would use this recipe on an oven next time 🙂 I toasted it for slightly longer and it turned out like tapioca cake hahahha. however, i was glad at the healthy ingredients used in this recipe, thanks Ela. When i scooped up the cake, it was only slightly oily! healthy! 🙂 oh and i also replaced the sugar with organic cane sugar:) I wish i can post a photo here to send it to you to see!
Jessica Lim
Wanted to share and add on more of my observation here, in case if there are people like me who are trying out toaster as well. Since we are all learning here :). Hi Ela, I was also wondering if I should toast the crust first since my crust did not turn out crunchy and the filling turned our harder haha. Was thinking to toast the crust first, then separately, add in the filling to freeze. Wondering, if it is necessary to bake/toast the filling? could i put the filling in the freezer immediately after processing it in the blender ? Just some thoughts aloud and hope to get some guidance if possible 🙂
Ela
Hi Jessica, I never tried toasting the cake, so unfortunately I really have no idea. I definitely recommend following my instructions and using an oven or trying out a different recipe. 🙂
You have to bake the filling because of the cornstarch. If you want to make a no-bake cream, you can leave out the cornstarch and put the cake in the freezer. However, the cream will be quite soft once thawed. Adding agar powder (boiled with a little water) would help, like I did in this no-bake cheesecake. 🙂
Carolyn
Hello, I’m not vegan, but I’d like to try this. Would this work if I replace the silken tofu with whole fat plain yogurt?
Ela
Hi Carolyn, I think it might work.
Kelsey
I have everything for this except for coconut shreds. Think they’d be ok without?
Ela
No, you can’t just leave it out. But you can use 65 grams nuts (or seeds) of choice instead of shredded unsweetened coconut, as mentioned in the recipe notes. 🙂
Rita
What would you use with the coconut milk instead of cashews? Allergies to both cashews and soy. Would other thickeners (even maybe gelatin –we are not pure vegan, just allergic to eggs), or starches work? Ground chia? Not sure how much to use.
Thanks for the help. We just found you last week, and made your bread, trying again today. Soo excited to put that Bosch to work and have a simple recipe! Do you know if a Bosch can handle a triple recipe? This bread is cheaper and healthier than the one or two commercial breads we can buy without gluten and eggs, so we are very grateful!
Ela
Hello Rita, if you just use the coconut cream (the thick part of a chilled can of coconut milk) I would suggest using 350 grams. You should also increase the amount of cornstarch by one tablespoon (use 3 tbsp in total). Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
Soo Yan
Hi Ela, do you think potato or tapioca starch would work the same? I only have these on hand. I googled and it seems like tapioca starch browns baked goods and makes them chewier?
Ela
Hello! Correct, tapioca starch makes everything chewier/gummier. You could try 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch and 1 tablespoon of potato starch. I think this combo might work! 🙂
Jessica Lim
Could I use two tablespoons of tapioca starch?
Ela
You need to experiment. As mentioned before, I wouldn’t really recommend it.
Camellia
Been dying to make these forever! And i finally did it today with a friend. They turned out delicious! So tasty… Only i used coconut sugar in place of Xylitol/regular sugar … they the colour came out caramel looking, but the heavenly lemony taste came out just the same! … I will try to round up this xylitol for next time. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
Ela
That’s wonderful, Camellia! I am so glad they turned out amazing. 🙂
Nina
I love it ???? making it now for the second time with the silk tofu option. I just use normal vanilla bec its healthier I think ???? my bff also really loves it ????
Ela
So glad you liked the bars, Nina. 🙂
Sue
Just love, love your recipes! This is my 6th recipe I’ve tried of yours and it turned out great like the others. I used ground up cashew and coconut cream instead of soy. The color turned out to be beige, but it didn’t matter. Loved by the family. Thank you!
Ela
Sounds so delicious with cashews and coconut cream. I am glad it turned out amazing, and I am happy you like my recipes. Thanks for your great feedback! 🙂
kathleen
I was wondering about a sweet potato in this.
Ela
I never made the recipe with sweet potato. 🙂
Corinna Meyr
These were sooo delicious! The fresh lemon juice and zest gave this the most fantastic lemon flavor … could’ve eaten the crust without baking it first it was so yummy… mine didn’t come out pretty enough to take pics but they taste amazing and are super easy to make .. had no idea silken tofu could come out like a cheesecake filling .. thank you for this awesome recipe!
Ela
That’s awesome! I am so glad you liked the recipe, Corinna. Thank you for your feedback. 🙂
Krizzy Lybear
OK – MADE this and it is SUPER easy. I am not a dessert cook but following this recipe was simple and so so so EASY. Thank you Ella.
The lemon slice is DIVINE. I was skeptical but I am a believer! I wish I could post photos.
Ela
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Krizzy! Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Estelle
HI ! Lovely recipes however I tried this one using vegan cream cheese (from violife which is coconut based ) and baking it just completely melted the cream! Don’t understand how baking coconut oil and cream can harden at 180 degrees. Thanks for helping me out as I want to serve your dessert at my cafe !
Ela
I only made the recipe with silken tofu (and once with yogurt + cashews), however, the cornstarch helps to thicken the filling. Did it not firm up after cooling?
Aina
Backst du eigentlich mit Ober-/Unterhitze, oder Umluft? Weiß nicht was der Standard in den USA ist 😉
Ela
Ich habe einen Gasofen. 😉
Madalina
Hey, Ela
This recipe looks amazing and I would love to try it. However, I can’t have dates. Is there anythung else I could use instead?
Thank you and congratulations for your amazing blog!
Ela
Hello! You can use any other dried fruit (figs, raisins, apricots etc) instead. 🙂
Madalina
Hey! Thank you so much for your reply. However, I know realise that I wasn’t clear enough in my comment. I can’t have any dried fruit or any fruit that is too seeet (namely raisins, figs, dates, grapes, bananas and other such).
I was thinking that I could maybe supplement the oats quantity, sweeten it with some erythritol and maybe use some almond buter or some flax seeds to tie it all together.
Do you think it could work like this?
Thank you so much!
Ela
Hey! Ok, I understand. So I just tried it out for you! Instead of the 100 g dates, I used 50 grams of Erythritol (about a heaped 1/4 cup) and two flax eggs. To make the flax eggs, mix 2 tbsp ground flax seeds with 1/4 cup water (60 ml) and let it sit for 5 minutes. I left out the plant-based milk because the mixture hold together quite well and wasn’t too dry. Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
Madalina
Thank you so much! You truly are a Godsent! I will try it as soon as I can and I will let you know!
Madalina
Hi, Ela
So I managed to try the recipe yesterday and it is a blast! Even my husband who normally only likes sugar filled, traditional desserts was delighted – I could barely keep him away from the cake long enough for it to cool down.
I did, however, end up using some milk in the mixture too because mine turned out a bit dry without it.
Nevertheless, a complete success!
Wishing you all the best and thank you again for your amazing recipes and support,
Madalina
Ela
Terrific! Thanks so much for your great feedback, Madalina! Would you mind leaving a rating as well?
Thanks and much love, Ela 🙂
Madalina
Sorry, I forgot to rate it – it’s a definite 5 star!
For those checking out the comments, I tried the recipe with the coconut milk and the cashews and it turned out AMAZING! Perfect lemon tarts and this is an all time favourite even for my husband who has had numerous recipes of regular gluten, sugary lemon tarts.
Una
Great recipe iits a must try thank you
Ela
You are very welcome! 🙂
Bianca Zapatka
These look so good ???? Love fresh desserts with lemon flavor! ❤️
Ela
Thank you, Bianca! I hope you will give them a try. 🙂
Rachel
Hi there, I love your blog. I am not yet vegan, and barely pass at vegetarian but I am trying to get there. I think your website will really help me with making the changes I need to make.
thanks again 🙂
Ela
Awesome, Rachel! That makes me so happy. All the best to you! 🙂
Mizra
Oh I can’t wait to try this recipe! I love lemon so much and since i’m a beginner at plant-based life style due to my health concern i’d love to try this recipe soon, hope i can find lemon in my local market, because I live in a small village in Indonesia where Lemon is quite hard to find ????
Ela
Hi Mizra! I hope you will like the recipe. You can use fresh lime juice, however, I would recommend using less because limes are more acidic than lemons. Have fun trying. 🙂