Lemon Poppyseed Cookie Bars | Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free

Imagine it’s a lovely spring or summer day, the sun is shining, there’s a gentle breeze and you can step outside with just a light jacket. You start to crave something sweet yet light to enjoy while still feeling great. That’s the type of day that’s perfect for Lemon Poppyseed Cookie Bars.

Lemon poppyseed is often made as a muffin. A bakery case classic. A bright, citrusy treat with little black, even slightly nutty poppyseeds.

I wanted to take those wonderful flavors, the fresh lemon zest, the soft crumb, the subtle crunch of poppyseeds, and create a luscious cookie bar that tastes like sinking your teeth into a lovely bite of sunshine.

These bars are soft, chewy, and bursting with bright lemon flavor.

I love having them on hand for spring gatherings. For a picnic treat. To bring to a potluck brunch or BBQ.

And they’re so good, no one would ever guess they’re vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. They’ll just ask you for the recipe.

A little flavor background

Lemon and poppyseed have been paired together in European baking for centuries—poppyseeds are common in Eastern European desserts, while lemon brings freshness and balance. Somewhere along the way, we got lemon poppyseed muffins, and the combo is now the beloved classic.

The beauty of cookie bars

It’s not that I don’t like round cookies. Quite the opposite, I LOVE cookies. Cookie Bars are cookies, but even easier! Cookie bars skip the scooping and shaping—just press the dough into a pan, bake, and slice. Whether you’re after big, chewy squares or bite-sized morsels, these bars are as versatile as they are delightful. So if you’re a busy human like I am, feeling like you could always use more time in the day, cookie bars are really a life hack.

Why weighing ingredients is a baking game-changer

Measuring by weight is a game-changer—it’s the easiest way to bake consistent, delicious results. A cup of flour can vary depending on how it’s scooped, but 120 grams? Always the same. Plus, it cuts down on dishes! But don’t worry, I’ve included cup measurements too, so you can bake however you feel most comfortable.

How to enjoy your Lemon Poppyseed Cookie Bars

• On a dessert spread: Add them to your dessert table, especially lovely as a brunch dessert.
• As a gift: Pack them in decorative tins or bakery boxes with a lovely ribbon. Makes a thoughtful hostess gift.
• On a picnic: While soft, they travel well and are a light, feel good outdoor dessert.

Tips for irresistible Lemon Poppyseed Cookie Bars

• Use fresh, high-quality poppyseeds: I buy these organic poppyseeds online for the best price.
• Avoid overbaking: Take them out when the edges are just set for a soft, chewy center.
• Cool before slicing: This makes for clean, beautiful cuts.

Baking tools I recommend

Here’s a quick rundown of the key tools that I use to make this recipe:

• 13×9 inch baking pan: I like this one because it comes with a lid.
• Parchment paper: A must for easy removal from the pan and mess-free slicing.
• Silicone spatula: Perfect for mixing and spreading.
• Kitchen scale: For precision and fewer dishes.
• Cute gift boxes: Turn your treats into thoughtful gifts.

The best vegan and gluten-free ingredients

If you haven’t already, grab my free vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free ingredient cheatsheet—it’s got the list of ingredients I keep in my kitchen to bake Goodies that no one would guess are vegan and gluten-free. I buy just one type of gluten-free flour, for example. Once you have the essentials, you can bake anything that you (or those around you) are craving. Celebrate the season and life’s moments big and small.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, helping to support my small business.

Let’s bake! How to make Lemon Poppyseed Cookie Bars

Print Recipe

Lemon Poppyseed Cookie Bars | Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free

Author: Rachel Mastandrea Turula Courses: Dessert Recipe Keys: Dairy Free Egg Free Gluten Free Vegan

Prep Time 25 mins Cook Time 28 mins Total Time 1 hr 3 mins

Servings: 12

Description

Soft, luscious, perfectly sweet lemon poppyseed cookie bars. No one would guess they're vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. A lovely, easy spring and summer dessert for activities from picnics to potlucks and school activities to BBQs and birthday parties.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 340 g plant butter, room temperature (3 sticks / 1.5 cups)
• 594 g sugar (3 cups)
• 180 g unsweetened non-dairy yogurt (3/4 cup)
• 5 g vanilla extract (1 tsp)
• 60 g lemon juice (1/4 cup, from about 4 lemons)
• 4 tsp lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)
• 600 g King Arthur measure for measure gluten-free flour (5 cups (sub all purpose flour for non-gf))
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ¹⁄₂ tsp salt
• 40 g poppyseeds (4 tbps)

Instructions

1. Position the rack to the middle position in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the softened butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. About 4 minutes.
3. While that's mixing, sift together the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the poppyseeds. Set aside.
4. After the butter-sugar mixture is fluffy, add in the non-dairy yogurt, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix again on a medium speed for about 1 minute, until fully combined.
5. With the mixture on the lowest speed, slowly add in the flour mixture, scoop by scoop until all of it has been added. Mix until it’s all just combined together. Try not to overmix (or else your cookie bars may be tough).
6. Line a 13×9 inch pan with parchment paper.
7. Dump the sugar cookie dough into the parchment-lined baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the dough out evenly. Sprinkle a bit more lemon zest over the top.
8. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 28 minutes, until the sides just start to pull away from the pan, and the top looks fully set.
9. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a cooling rack or hot pad.
10. Once completely cooled, use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board.
11. Use a sharp knife to cut the bars into your desired size. I typically cut them into ~3×3 inch squares: 4 across and 3 down = 12 bars total. If you want to make a taster tray, cut those 12 bars into quarters, which will give you 48 minis.
12. Eat, serve, share, and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Enjoy within 1 week, or, freeze them for up to 6 months.

Note

I include both the volume (cups) and weight (grams/ounce) measurements in the recipe. I highly recommend baking by weight (i.e. 120 grams per cup of flour, rather than 1 cup of flour). It’s more accurate, consistent, and results in fewer dishes! That said, baking by volume is also wonderful. Do whatever is most convenient for you.

For a 13×9 inch baking pan, I like this one because it comes with a lid.

Gluten-free option: For gluten-free, I use + recommend King Arthur measure-for-measure gluten-free flour.

I typically order these organic poppyseeds online for the best price, especially if you love to make lemon poppyseed bakes.

For vegan butter, I use + recommend soy-free earth balance sticks, country crock plant butter sticks, or Violife plant butter.

Keywords: vegan lemon bars, gluten-free lemon bars, lemon poppyseed cookie bars