Amazing No Bake Lemon Bars in a Jar | Keto | THM-S

These tasty desserts are wonderful for a summer picnic or any time you entertain.

They look so pretty sitting on a tray, don’t you think?

And they’re perfect for portion control!

Not that I would ever be a little generous when I cut one for myself…

But these desserts are the perfect portion.

And I’m not the type to take two.

Usually!

Although these delicious jars filled with an almond flour crust, homemade lemon curd, and whipped cream are pretty tempting…

Tips for Making No Bake Lemon Bar Jars

This recipe is gluten free and sugar free, so it’s perfect for any low carb lifestyle.

I’ve included some tips in the notes section of the printable recipe on the blog if you want to make the bars with sugar.

You can even get creative and use key lime juice to make these into Key Lime Jars!

The recipe is very easy to make, but it does take a little time to make the lemon curd, and there are some tricks for getting it to come out just right.

But first, the crust!

No Bake Almond Flour Crusts

The crust layer is so easy to make!

Just melt some butter and low carb sweetener together.

Mix in the almond flour to make a crumbly dough and voila!

It works out to be about 2 scant Tablespoons of the crust in each of the little cups.

You can tamp the crust down, or just leave it as is and the lemon curd will seep into it a bit more.

For a fun alternative, you can hold back about 2 Tablespoons of the crust and use it as a garnish on top of the jars.

How to Make Lemon Curd

One of the main ingredients of lemon bars is egg yolks.

They’re what give them that bright yellow color.

Typically lemon bars are baked so the egg yolks are cooked through.

But unless you have tempered glass jars that are made to go in the oven, you’ll need to make a lemon curd filling.

It’s very simple to make lemon curd, but it does take a little patience.

And the process is hands on.

Start out with egg yolks, lemon juice, and sweetener.

You can use a squeezer like this one to get fresh lemon juice, or I recommend this brand of bottled lemon juice.

I added some unflavored gelatin to help it to set up more like a lemon bar.

There are three important factors for making a perfect lemon curd:

1. Use a heavyweight sauce pan to help prevent it from sticking.
2. Don’t raise the heat above medium low, even if it feels like it’s taking forever!
3. Whisk the mixture constantly.

I know it might be tempting to stop whisking.

Or to raise the temperature just a little bit.

But don’t do it!

If you do, you’ll end up with lemony scrambled eggs.

And I promise that’s not what you want…

All of a sudden you’ll notice that the mixture will begin to thicken up.

It’s very noticeable, so keep whisking until its obviously thick.

I enjoy fried eggs that are still a little runny, so I don’t worry about the temperature of my lemon curd.

Whisk in the butter once the curd is thickened.

Keep whisking until it’s melted.

Please note: You can use a thermometer and keep whisking until the mixture is 160 degrees F if you are concerned about food safety.

Remove the pan from the heat.

The lemon curd is thick enough that it sticks to the back of a spoon!

Now, use that spoon to carefully mix in 2 Tablespoons of whipping cream.

Using a spoon will help prevent air bubbles from forming.

Now divide the lemon curd equally between the cups.

And return the jars to the fridge.

Let the curd cool completely.

It takes about 15 minutes for the curd to cool all the way.

You can leave them in the fridge longer and wait to add the whipped topping until just before you serve them.

Or you can make the whipped cream while they cool.

Make the Whipped Cream

If you’re in a pinch, you can totally just use canned whipped cream on top!

But I like making my own to reduce the amount of sugar in these cups.

Start out mixing the cream and the sweetener (I used Swerve confectioners sweetener) at a low speed until it thickens up a bit.

Otherwise it gets splashy…

Be sure to use a powdered sweetener to avoid any grittiness to your whipped cream.

Once the cream is making soft peaks, add the vanilla extract at a low speed.

Be careful not to over mix the cream or it will begin to turn to butter!

Spoon the whipped cream over the lemon curd to fill the jars.

You might need to tap the jars to get the cream to settle.

I place a dish towel on the counter and tap the bottom of the jar on the dish towel to do this step.

If you reserved some of the crust, sprinkle it over top of the jars.

To make your No Bake Lemon Bars in a jar extra pretty, top each jar with a thinly sliced lemon.

Now sit back and enjoy this delicious summery dessert!

And be ready to share the link with anyone who tries one because they’re that good.

Be sure to leave a star rating and review after you make the recipe!

This helps other people to find and enjoy it too.

Plus it means the world to us!

If you have any questions or suggestions, contact me or leave a comment!