Gluten Free Lemon Bites Recipe

I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for anything lemon. Ha! See what I did there? Sucker — lemon?? Anyway, it’s true. I love lemon. Even more than chocolate — I know — blasphemy!

But I am what I am. Which is why these gluten free lemon bites are so right up my alley.

Problem is, they have been off limits to me until now. My daughter orders them every time we are in the local coffee shop but I’ve never been able to try them because of course they’re not gluten free.

Not that I would eat them from their gluten bakery even if they did offer a gluten free variety, but don’t get me started on that.

When she ordered more again this past weekend, I determined to replicate the recipe so I could enjoy them, too. Oh AND not pay .75 per lemon bite (sorry buy local)!

I wanted to make as close an approximation to the ones from the coffee shop, so I stuck to their ingredient list, only I used my gfJules Flour instead of wheat flour and I made them dairy-free. While I was at it, I also added some protein because, why not?

When you can add an ingredient that is not only dairy-free/vegan but also adds some nutritional benefit to something delicious, it just seems like the right thing to do. 

Feel free to use regular milk or your favorite dairy-free variety, but if you’re thinking that some added plant-based protein is a good call here too, then I highly recommend using OWYN* vanilla protein drinks. 

All OWYN products are also all certified gluten free, vegan, non-GMO and even low-FODMAP, plus they’re loaded with healthy things you (or your kids) would never taste, like Omega 3s, plant-based protein and fiber. I promise no one will know these gluten free lemon bites could ever be anything but a total unhealthy treat! 

Using a gluten free and vegan protein drink in place of milk is just about the easiest way to add a secret healthy boost to these otherwise decadent gluten free lemon bites!

To make these gluten free lemon bites also egg-free, check out my recommended list of vegan egg replacers to find the one that suits your needs. I’m thinking aquafaba would be a win here.

By the way, I’m still not really sure why the coffee shop dips the BOTTOMS of these bites in the glaze … I tried it both ways.

Which way do you think looks better: dipped tops or dipped bottoms?

I suppose it doesn’t much matter — they taste delicious either way!

I can happily report back that my daughter — taste-tester extraordinaire — says my gluten free lemon bites taste just the same as the coffee shop’s wheat and dairy-based ones … except they are lighter! How many times have you heard that about something that’s gluten free?

I actually hear that a lot from people tasting recipes made with my award-winning gfJules Flour because my flour is so light and fine; foods made with my flour are therefore also light and fine and taste clean, so the lemon really shines through in these puppies.

My father also chimed in with his review which was that these taste like gluten free Lemon Twinkies. Hmmmm. I’ll take that as a win!

Gluten Free Lemon Bites Recipe

Continue to Content

Gluten Free Lemon Bites Recipe

Yield: 48-50 gluten free lemon bites

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Light and fluffy, with just the right amount of sweet and tart, these gluten free lemon bites are equally perfect for dessert or a breakfast/brunch treat!

Print

Ingredients

LEMON BITES

• 3/4 cup + 1 Tbs. milk, dairy or non-dairy (soy, almond, cashew, hemp, rice, etc.) OR use OWYN® milk or other GF protein drink
• 2 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 cup butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature or substitute like aquafaba
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups (337.5 grams) gfJules® Gluten Free All Purpose Flour OR 275 grams gfJules Nada Flour*
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1 Tbs. lemon zest

GLAZE

• 2 Tbs. melted butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
• 1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. lemon zest for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F (convection) or 350° F (static).

Butter (or use vegan butter) 48 mini muffin cups. I like to dip a paper towel into a butter tub and then swirl it around each muffin cup to fully coat the cups for easy release of the baked muffins. Or line with mini muffin papers.

Measure and mix together the milk and lemon juice and set aside. The milk will begin to curdle while you prepare the rest of the batter.

In a large mixing bowl, whip butter and sugar at medium-high speed for 6-8 minutes, until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing in between each egg addition. Add vanilla with last egg ingredient.

Whisk together gfJules® Flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.

Slowly stir in the whisked dry ingredients, alternating with the milk mixture and stirring until fully integrated. Fold lemon zest in last.

Scoop batter into prepared pans with a spoon or small cookie scoop, filling only 3/4 full. If you're like me and you wind up with more batter than you have pans, it is ok to wait until the first batch is baked and then re-use the pans because each round of pans will only need to bake for 10 minutes.

Bake until a toothpick in the centers comes out with only a few moist crumbs — approximately 10 minutes. The edges of the lemon bites will become lightly browned as well.

Remove lemon bites to cool on a wire rack.

When completely cooled, glaze following the directions below.

Lemon Glaze

To make the glaze, melt butter and whisk together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice.

Transfer to a wide-mouth bowl and dredge each lemon bite through the glaze (either the bottom or the top) then sprinkle with lemon zest.

Put bites aside to allow time for the glaze to set before serving.

Notes

* 1 cup Nada Flour = 110 grams

Recommended Products

I may earn a small amount from qualifying affiliate purchases; this amount goes to fund this blog and does not cost you anything additional.

• 
  Cookie Scoop Set, 3 PCS Ice Cream Scoop with Trigger, 18/8 Stainless Steel, Perfect for Cookie, Ice Cream, Cupcake, Muffin, Meatball
• 
  Wilton Perfect Results Premium Non-Stick Mini Muffin and Cupcake Pan, 24-Cup
• 
  Earth Balance Vegan, Lactose Free, Non-Dairy, Gluten Free, No MSG, Non-GMO Buttery Sticks 16 ounce (Pack of 6)
• 
  gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

Nutrition Information

Yield 50 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 67Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 20mgSodium 89mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 0gSugar 8gProtein 1g

Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment (and maybe even a picture!) below or share a photo on Instagram! Be sure to tag me! @gfJules

Pin for later!

*I’ve partnered with OWYN (Only What You Need) to use their products in order to increase the nutrition in many popular gluten-free recipes. Some links to products may be affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own.  See my disclosure policy for more information. Working with select brands I love allows me to keep bringing you free recipes, and I hope that in the process, you’ll learn about some of the safe gluten free products I choose for my family. Thanks so much for your support!