What We’re Cooking This Weekend: Vegan Lemon Lavender Bars

We're welcoming in summer with a delicious dessert recipe that is perfect to bring to a dinner party or pack up for a picnic. These Lemon Lavender Bars are a light, aromatic dessert that will absolutely hook you in on the first bite. And yes, they’re vegan–no need for eggs or milk to make the lemon curd you usually get in lemon bars. Instead, we’ll be using Califia Farms' Oat Barista Blend to achieve the perfect texture.

How do you make lemon curd without eggs? The eggs in lemon curds are used to make custard, but you can easily do this without the use of real eggs by mixing together cornstarch, Califia Farms Oat Barista Blend, and lemons. The cornstarch will thicken this whole mixture simulating a smooth, creamy, and citrusy custard, perfect for cakes, cupcakes, or in this case lemon lavender bars.

Vegan Lemon Lavender Bars

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 25 Min

Passive Time: 1 Hour

Total Time: 1 Hour, 35 Min

Makes 9 Bars

Equipment: 8x8” Baking Tray, Parchment Paper

Ingredients

Shortbread Base

• ¼ Cup Sugar
• ½ Cup Vegan Butter, melted
• 1 ¼ Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Tbsp Ground Lavender, culinary grade
• ¼ Tsp Salt

Lemon Curd 

• 1 Cup Sugar
• ½ Cup Cornstarch
• Lemon Juice, from 4 lemons
• 1 ¼ Cup Califia Farms Oat Barista Blend
• Lemon Zest, from 4 lemons
• Pinch of Turmeric, a little less than 1/8th tsp
• ¼ Cup Vegan Butter
• ¼ Cup Flour

Garnish

• Powdered Sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and line an 8x8 baking tray with parchment paper leaving some of the parchment paper hanging from the edges. This will make it easier to take your lemon bars out.
2. In a bowl, add your sugar and melted butter. Whisk until combined. Add your flour, ground lavender, and salt. Using a rubber spatula, mix until combined and it forms a dough.
3. Transfer your shortbread dough to your baking tray and press it out until it’s evenly spread out. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Once finished baking, remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you make your lemon curd.
4. In a saucepan, add your sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, turmeric, and Califia Farms Oat Barista Blend. Whisk it until it’s well mixed. Heat your mixture up over a stove on medium heat and keep whisking until it starts to thicken and form a custard-like consistency. Be sure to scrape the sides as you are mixing.
5. Once it’s thickened up to a custard-like consistency, remove it from the heat. Add your vegan butter and mix it in until the butter has melted and is combined. Carefully fold in your flour until it’s just combined, being sure not to over mix.
6. Pour your lemon curd over your lavender shortbread and spread it out evenly with a rubber spatula or spoon. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes. Once it's cooled down a bit, chill in the fridge for 1 hour or until the lemon curd has firmed up a bit. Cut into 9 large bars or 16 small squares. Dust on some powdered sugar and enjoy!

Nutritional

Calories 305 | Total Fat 11.7g | Saturated Fat 3.5g | Sodium 207mg | Total Carbohydrate 48.3g | Dietary Fiber 1g | Total Sugars 31.5g | Protein 2.9g | Vitamin D 14mcg | Calcium 71mg | Iron 1mg | Potassium 29mg |