The refreshing taste of lime makes this a delightful summer dessert for yourself or a party. With Marion's Gluten-Free Lemon Bar Mix, you can enjoy allergy-friendly, dairy-free, or vegan lime bars by substituting lime juice for lemon juice and following our alternative baking tips. Other variations include adding rum (or another liquor flavoring), shredded coconut, or a few drops of green natural coloring. Adults only if alcohol is used. For coconut lovers, add 1 tablespoon of shredded coconut with the crust, or simply substitute the new Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread for butter or margarine.

Note: Marion's Gluten-Free Lemon Bar crust mix is the heavier pouch with the words "crust mix" imprinted. Marion's Gluten-Free Lemon Bar filling blend is the lighter pouch with the words "filling" imprinted in small letters.

Gluten-free refreshing raspberry or strawberry lemon bars are perfect for summer and a natural way to get more than 1/3 of your daily vitamin C requirements. If you garnish this recipe with 1 ½ cups of fresh blueberries, you also get the benefit of 3 grams of fiber per serving and the true look of summer! Enjoy the wonderful combination of fresh strawberry, banana, and a hint of lemon.

To make these delicious bars, simply add 1 cup of pureed fruit to Marion's Basic Lemon Bar recipe. Marion’s favorite is using raspberries only, but you have plenty of options. You may choose strawberries instead of raspberries, or you may prepare a puree consisting of 1 small banana and sufficient fresh strawberries (approximately 1 cup of medium strawberries) to yield 1 cup of pureed mixed fruit. Another option is to combine strawberries with a small mango. For a little extra punch, add 1 tablespoon of shredded coconut to the crust, or rum or other alcoholic flavoring to the crust, fruit filling or both. Adults only if alcohol is used.

In the box: Marion's Gluten-Free Lemon Bar crust mix is the heavier pouch with the words "crust mix" imprinted. Marion's Gluten-Free Lemon Bar filling blend is the lighter pouch with the words "filling" imprinted in small letters.

What You Need:

• 1 box Marion's Smart Delights Lemon Bar Mix
• 5 large eggs (4 eggs will also work but result in a little less filling)
• 1 stick cold, unsalted butter or dairy-free margarine
• 8-10 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup pureed fruit (Note: The below nutritional information is based on bars made from 1 small banana and 1 cup of medium strawberries.)
• 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch baking pan
• Parchment paper
• Optional for crust: GF baking spray. 1 tablespoon of shredded coconut. A few drops of rum or other alcoholic flavoring.
• Optional for filling: For darker red color, 3-5 drops red natural food coloring mixed with your pureed fruit. For a sweeter bar, sprinkle with powdered sugar after baking or add an extra tablespoon of your favorite sweetener with the pureed fruit.
• Optional for garnish: 1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries
  

For those of you who want to benefit from heart-healthy fats, we suggest substituting extra light olive oil in place of butter or margarine. We suggest using the 1/3 cup (75 ml) extra light olive oil version (this is our favorite).

Using olive oil is not only a more heart-healthy alternative, but it also results in a slightly thinner and extra crispy crust. For those of you who like crispy and crunchy this is an extra delight.

Baking with extra light olive oil will require a few slight baking adjustments. Given the nutritional benefits and the extra crunch crust these little adjustments are well worth the slight extra effort.

Tasty 1/3 Cup (75 ml) Extra Light Olive Oil Crust

As always, we have your special health needs in mind! So yes, this tastes like a delightful dessert, but it's also gluten-free, low sodium, reduced sugar, and provides the health benefits of whole grains.