Vegan Blueberry Lemon Bars

The creamiest vegan blueberry lemon bars with a classic shortcrust base, a custard-like lemon filling and plenty of fresh berries!

Spring is in the air which means plenty of light and zesty desserts. These vegan blueberry lemon bars (or vegan blueberry lemon slice) has the texture of a classic Aussie vanilla slice. Custardy, melts in your mouth but with an easy shortbread base!

It can be kept at room temperature and can be served to vegans and non-vegans alike, because it reminds me of the corner bakery!

Making the easy base for the blueberry lemon bars

We need a firm base for these to hold up the custard. I used 3 simple ingredients: flour, melted butter (or coconut oil) and sugar.

I simply mixed them all in a bowl until combined. You can do this in a food processor for ease!

Then press the mixture into a lined baking tin. I found it easiest to use my fingers first then to flatten and smooth it with a cake scraper. Try to make sure the base is as firm as possible because any gaps will cause your slice to crumble.

I baked the base in the oven for around 10 minutes until it was golden brown. This firms up the base!

How to make the filling for the blueberry lemon bars

For the filling, we need:

• Thick canned coconut cream (I used Ayam coconut cream)
• Corn starch aka corn flour
• Sweetener such as rice malt or maple syrup or sugar
• Lemon
• Blueberries (I used local Australian blueberries)

The natural fats in the coconut cream and the thickening ability of corn starch helps the filling to set.

It’s *very* important that you use only the thick part of the cream otherwise your lemon bars will be a puddly mess.

If you prefer less of a ‘pudding-like’ texture and more of a firm slice, I’d recommend adding another setting agent such as coconut oil or vegan butter (this is in the recipe card below)

Simply add all the ingredients to a heavy-based saucepan (except the blueberries) over heat and stir until it thickens. The custard is ready when:

• The mixture *thickly* coats the back of a spoon
• It is a pourable custard consistency
• You can drizzle the custard on the surface and the drizzle marks stay there for around 10 seconds (as pictured)

When I make vegan custard that needs to set, my ‘motto’ is to make sure it’s a little thicker than necessary (so cook it for a little longer)!

Tips for cutting the blueberry lemon bars

The bars are easy to cut with a sharp knife! However, here are my top tips:

• Sharpen your knife before you cut the bars
• If the custard of your bars are ‘sticky’, run your knife under warm water and cut them while the knife is wet and warm
• Clean your knife between each cut to ensure the edges are clean and smooth

Check out my other vegan blueberry recipes

• Berry Swirl Buns
• Baked Vegan Cheesecake with Berries
• Vegan Lemon Blueberry Sheet Cake
• Ultimate Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
• Almond butter mousse and blueberry jelly slice
• Blueberry Chamomile Donuts

Please leave a comment below if you made this recipe, have any questions or thoughts! Your comment will help other readers and Rainbow Nourishments.