Lemon bars are one of God’s gifts to us. There is absolutely no party that I ever hosted that didn’t include these delicious confections. I mean, the zesty and sweet taste that all the ingredients hold makes my heart happy.
Nothing can ever beat my aunt’s lemon bars. Believe me, I spent half a lifetime trying to find an answer to the famous questions ‘How to store lemon bars’ and ‘Can I freeze lemon bars?’
So if the question of “Can you freeze lemon bars” ever haunted your mind like it did mine. Then I am here to assure you that, yes. You can, in fact, freeze your leftover lemon bars and store them for later use. Freezing lemon bars will most certainly keep them as fresh as possible. Just keep in mind that the sooner you rush them into the freezer, the fresher they are going to taste after defrosting.
Before we go on with the detailed steps of freezing your delicious lemon bars, I am going to first share with you my aunt’s amazing keto-friendly lemon bars recipe that doesn’t require any baking, so that you can enjoy it as much as I do!
Lemon Bars Recipe
You can keep the resulting lemon bars for up to a week in the fridge!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of almond flour
- ⅓ cup of maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
- 2 cups of shredded coconut
- A pinch of salt
Steps of making:
- Start by mixing all your wet ingredients in a large bowl, including the maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and the lemon zest.
- The dry ingredients should follow once you have mixed all the wet content together.
- Stir everything together until they are well combined and form a thick paste.
- Prepare your 6’’ tray by spreading parchment paper on top. In case you have a silicone baking sheet, then you don’t have to line it with parchment paper.
- Pour your paste onto the parchment paper and try to even it out as much as you can using a spoon or just your fingers.
- Move the tray to the fridge and allow it to refrigerate for at least two hours.
- Cut the batter into 9 square bars using a sharp knife. Enjoy!
Now that we have settled the steps of making this delicious dessert. Finally, it is time to talk about all the steps and details that you need to follow so you can store it in the freezer.
How to freeze lemon bars?
It couldn’t be simpler than the following steps. Just bear in mind that the sooner you freeze the freshly made lemon bars, the better the outcome will be.
- Start by tightly wrapping each lemon bar with double plastic wrap. It is recommended to slice your lemon paste into bars before attempting to freeze them so that it is easier for you to defrost one bar at a time instead of the whole thing.
- Place the wrapped bars into a freezer bag after releasing as much of the air as you can from the bag, seal it tightly.
- Place a label on the bag with the date and the contents inside to distinguish it from the other food inside the freezer.
The pros to freezing lemon bars
- It doesn’t take too long to thaw when you take it off the freezer since they are sliced into small bars. So if you were ever faced with a surprising visit from your favorite cousin, go ahead and pull them out of the freezer.
- Both lemon and sugar help in maintaining and preserving the lemon bars for as long as possible in the freezer.
- Doesn’t take much space in or out of the freezer.
- Perfect for the hot, summery weather, and a great snack in any party.
- They aren’t like the typical food that’s stored in the freezer, meaning they don’t have the tendency to lose their taste or texture or get freezer burns if they stayed in the freezer. In fact, they can stay for up to 6 months without losing their amazing taste.
The cons to freezing lemon bars
- Freezer can turn the powdered sugar on top of the lemon bars into a gummy and tough layer. But you can avoid that by not adding the powdered sugar layer prior to freezing.
- Freezing can sometimes turn the lemon bars a bit sticky. Adding some powdered sugar can fix that.
- Freezing in two-step processes has better results than in one step.
How to defrost lemon bars?
Nothing is simpler than taking as many of the frozen lemon bars as you will need off the freezer and allowing them to thaw in the fridge for a couple of hours. For an even quicker thawing you can move them from the fridge to the warm oven for a few minutes to allow them to gain that soft and chewy texture before enjoying them.
The defrosted lemon bars can stay for only 2 days in the fridge and no more. And you can never refreeze any defrosted bars, especially if they contain any dairy product, like condensed milk!
You have seen how easy and simple it is to freeze and thaw your lemon bars. It is an amazing way to store your leftover lemon bars. But since not everyone shares the same opinion on the idea of freezing lemon bars, I decided to share the pros and cons of such a method so that you can judge for yourself.
Frequently asked questions:
Here are some of the most asked questions regarding freezing lemon bars that I encountered from different people. I thought about sharing them with you so that you will have all the answers ready if it ever crossed your mind.
How long do lemon bars keep in the freezer?
Well, they can stay for up to 6 months, believe it, or not. But don’t push it and attempt to freeze them for longer. That’s why I like to put the date on the label on the freezer bag before storing it.
How to keep lemon bars good for longer?
Vacuum sealing is your answer!
I know it might feel like these appliances aren’t of great necessity. But, trust me. They are. When you see the results you will regret not acquiring them sooner. Vacuum sealers basically suck up all the air in the freezer bag, not allowing any oxygen to be present in the bag. In consequence, there is a minimal chance for lemon bars to go bad.
Why do the lemon bars have to be wrapped separately?
Because freezing and defrosting can cause lemon bars to turn sticky and wet, that’s why wrapping each bar can eliminate any chance of clumping of bars together. In addition to the fact that it allows you to defrost whichever number you need without getting the whole thing out of the freezer, slicing it, and then returning it back to the freezer.
Do I have to store them in a freezer bag if I’ve already wrapped them?
Freezer bags are just an extra step that is usually taken to ensure that lemon bars will come out of the freezer, freezer burn-free!
If you don’t want to place the wrapped bars inside a freezer bag, you don’t have to. Or you can just place them in a freezer-friendly plastic dish. The most important thing is to wrap them in plastic wrap.
Can I store lemon bars in the fridge after thawing?
Yes. You absolutely can. In fact, they can stay from 5 to 7 days in the fridge after defrosting. That can be due to the lemon and sugar that is added to the paste that act as natural preservatives to the lemon bars.
Remember that you can add whatever you think suits these lemon bars. You don’t have to stick exactly to my aunt’s recipe. One thing I learned was good is adding some lemon juice into the batter, it enhances the sweet taste. Also, adding some graham cracker crust with two tablespoons of batter really takes these lemon bars to a whole new level!
Hi, I’m Julie, the passionate foodie and founder of Juliesfamilykitchen.com. I created this blog out of a drive to prove someone wrong, and then I realized how much I truly enjoy cooking and trying new recipes. In my free time, when I’m not running around after my kids or spending quality time with my partner, you can usually find me in the kitchen experimenting with new dishes.