This healthy lemon slice is an easy healthy no baked lemon dessert that is also refined sugar-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
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
- First, line a slice pan with baking paper and lightly oil the pan with cooking oil spray or coconut oil. Set aside. Add oats, coconut, salt, and almond flour to a food processor. Blend on high speed until it looks like fine flour.
- Add the pitted dates and blend again until they turn into tiny pieces. Next, add the liquid ingredients: maple syrup, melted coconut oil, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- Stir or process on medium speed until the ingredients come together into a moist mixture. You should be able to squeeze the batter and make it hold together. If it is too dry, add the optional coconut milk or simply water, one tablespoon at a time.
- Process after each addition and stop when the mixture is soft, moist, and sticky.
- Pour the filling into the lined tin and press firmly to compact the mixture into the pan.
- Freeze the slice for 10 minutes to firm up the lemon filling quickly.
- Or place in the fridge but it takes about an hour to firm up so I don’t like this option.
- Meanwhile, prepare the healthy lemon icing.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are my answers to your common questions about this healthy lemon slice recipe.
You can make this slice with fresh pineapple juice, orange juice, or lime juice. All these juices go well with coconut flavors.
A classic lemon slice is a popular New Zealand and Australian dessert made from condensed milk, Marie biscuit, coconut, and lemon juice.
It’s usually a no-bake dessert. This is not to confused with lemon bars, which are made with a baked shortbread layer and eggs and lemon custard filling.
More Healthy Bars And Slices
If you like healthy bars for dessert or breakfast, you’ll love these:
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Healthy Lemon Slice
Ingredients
Lemon Slice Base
- 1 ½ cup Almond Meal
- 1 ½ cup Desiccated Coconut
- 1 ½ cup Quick Oats
- ⅓ cup Melted Coconut Oil
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice - freshly squeezed
- ⅓ cup Maple Syrup - or brown rice syrup
- 6 pitted Medjool Dates
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Zest
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Lemon Icing
- ½ cup Tahini - or coconut butter or cashew butter
- ½ cup Coconut Oil
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice - or brown rice syrup
- 2-3 drops Natural Lemon Essence
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest - optional
Instructions
- Line a 9-inch x 5-inch slice tin with baking paper. Lightly oil the paper with coconut oil. Set aside.
Lemon Coconut layer
- In the bowl of a food processor, add almond meal, coconut, and oats. Blend on high speed until it looks like fine flour.
- Add pitted dates and blend again on high speed until coarse.
- Add melted coconut oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and salt.
- Process again on medium-high speed until it comes together into a sticky, moist batter. It should hold well if you press it in your hands. If too dry, process again, adding one tablespoon of the optional coconut milk (or water) at a time.
- Transfer the lemon mixture to the lined pan and press firmly to compact the mixture into a single layer in the tin.
- Place the slice in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. Meanwhile, you prepare the lemon icing.
Healthy Lemon Icing
- Whisk coconut cashew butter, lemon juice, lemon essence, melted coconut oil, and maple syrup in a small mixing bowl. If your nut butter is too firm, microwave the glass bowl for 20 seconds to soften.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the lemon icing on top. Tilt the pan to spread all around, or use the back of a spoon.
- Freeze the bar again for at least 15 minutes to set the icing.
- When the icing is not soft anymore, place the tin in the fridge for 2-3 hours before slicing.
Storage
- Slice crosswise into eight large bars, then divide each into two even portions. You will end up with 24 small lemon slices.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freeze for up to 1 month in zip-lock bags and thaw at room temperature.
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