Yes, we have these awesome Vegan Meyer Lemon Bars for you today but… could you help us out with an issue we’re dealing with?
A few days ago, we found one of our recipes (written word by word, pictures included) posted on the website of a so-called fitness celebrity, who took full credit for. We contacted them and asked them to please either remove the post, or give us credit for the recipe. We received a response apologizing for what happened. The explanation they gave us was that someone who no longer works on their team was responsible for posting the recipe, and they assured us it would never happen again.
Something didn’t sit right with me, especially after receiving that response, so I started browsing through the website, looking at the recipes posted. Just as I suspected, I found a lot of work from other bloggers and, just like happened with us, they did not get credit for it. Some were just images, some were full recipes, copied to a t.
I found myself getting more and more enraged, the more unaccredited recipes I found. How could someone who is supposed to be a “role model” for healthy lifestyle, do something like this? How can someone blatantly take another person’s work and pass it as theirs? In my eyes, that is no different than going into a store and walking away with something without paying for it. It is no different than stealing.
This whole thing has been eating at me for days, and I’ve been asking myself why that is. They did what we asked for after all, so my not just let it go? Here’s why: because it’s wrong. And because it’s unfair. It’s unfair, because as food bloggers, every recipe and every picture we post requires hard work, time and dedication. And for someone to take the easy road and use it to their benefit, is just wrong. But the main reason why I can’t let it go, is because yes, we were able to catch it and stop it. But what about all the other bloggers out there who have no idea this is happening? Shouldn’t they have the right to know, so they can decide what to do?
So here’s my “moral dilemma”: do I try to contact these bloggers and let them know what’s going on? Or do I just let it go, since we got what we asked for? And please understand, I’m not trying to be vindictive here. I just want to do what is right and what is fair.
Any input would be greatly appreciated… Thank you for listening!
Vegan Meyer Lemon Bars
Prep Time: 2 hours 20 mins- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours 55 mins
Yield: 8 bars
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- For The Shortbread:
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 tsp natural vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp water
- Pinch of salt
- For The Lemon Curd:
- 1 cup canned light coconut milk
- 1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice (about 2 large)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 1/2 tbsp corn starch
- Pinch of turmeric (optional, just for color)
- Pinch of salt
- 2-3 tbsp confectioners’ sugar (to taste)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1-2 tsp natural vanilla extract (to taste)
Instructions
- To prepare the shortbread
- Preheat oven to 325F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper
- In a medium bowl, cream together coconut oil and granulated sugar for about one minute. Add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and continue beating for another minute, until creamy
- Reduce speed, add flour, water and salt and mix until just incorporated
- Using your hands, pull the mix together to form a dough
- Press the dough as evenly as possible onto the lined pan, so it slightly comes up the sides. Prick the dough with a fork several times (this will prevent it from bubbling up)
- Bake at 325F for about 30-33 minutes or until lightly golden. Set aside to cool completely
- In the meantime, prepare the lemon curd. Combine coconut milk, lemon juice, maple syrup, corn starch, turmeric and salt in a small sauce pan and whisk well. Place the saucepan on the stove over medium heat and cook until it thickens ( this should take about 5-6 minutes), whisking often
- Remove from heat and whisk in confectioners’ sugar, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Set aside to cool, about 10 minutes
- Pour the lemon curd over the shortbread crust and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Cut into bars
Yael @ Nosherium says
First off, these lemon bars look delicious! Secondly, this kind of abuse is pretty rampant. I would be inclined to contact the celebrity’s team again and tell them to audit their posts, because you recognize some copyrighted content in other posts. If you don’t receive a favorable response, you can let individual bloggers know, or just tag some of them in a social media blast about it. Thank you for being vigilant!
Vicky & Ruth says
We have a feeling the “someone who doesn’t work here anymore did it” was just an excuse… We will do something about it, one way or another. Thank yuo for your input!
Renee Glass says
Regarding the issue of recipes being copied from other sites. I agree with you that it’s not moral. But, having said that, there is no such thing as copyrite on the net and unfortunately people can do as they please. They have to live with themselves.
To contact the other bloggers – well, it’s ok, but makes no difference.
I collect cookbooks and can’t tell you how often I’ve come across recipes that have clearly been plagiarised. It certainly cheapens the book in my eyes, but once again, nothing one can do about it.
I love your recipes, especially since they are all kosher.
Thank you so much
Renee
Sydney Australia
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Renee!
Yes, we agree with you, there isn’t much we can do about them copying the recipes. But when we contacted them and asked them to give us credit for our work, they did (my guess is, they saw some people posting comments about it on social media and wanted to take care of it right away). So, if the bloggers affected contact them and ask the same, they might get the credit they deserve also…
Thank you for your input and for the love!!
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Photos are copywritten, as is unique text, like the story told about the recipe. A list of ingredients is not copywritten. Simple, basic instructions are not copywritten, but if instructions use unique language and descriptions, then they could have copy rights. A collection of recipes is copywritten. People have had good luck fighting infringements by filing DCMA take downs with Google, hosting companies, and sometimes with Facebook. Or by sending bills for use of photos. So, if a blogger wants to pursue it, there is recourse. Some bloggers say that recipe theft is rampant, but they get tired of the time and energy it takes to fight it. A bit like whack-a-mole, another one always pops up.
Vicky & Ruth says
That is very useful, great information Dana, thank you so much. A lot of us are faced with these kinds of situations often, and we are not sure what to do. All these recipes were copied word by word (typos and mistakes included!!), and some posts just had pictures from other people, where no credit was given. Thank you again for your input.
Denise says
Of course let the other bloggers know! Theft is theft.
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you Denise. We totally agree with you on that!!
Wendy says
Yes I would definitely let them know
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you Wendy. We feel it’s the right thing to do too!
Paula Zevin says
Dear Ruth and Vicky, your recipes are so good and you two are great! I say, if you have any questions about whether to contact the bloggers who “borrowed” photos and recipes, get some legal advice first. While anyone’s first impulse might be to go ahead and do it, there may be ramifications you didn’t think about. Plus, with solid legal advice and support, your case may be even stronger than you think. I hope that you keep sharing your creations and thoughts with us for a long time to come!
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Paula,
Thank you for your comment. That is definitely a great suggestion and we ‘re working on it. Thanks for the love!
Donna Reich says
I was so sorry to learn what happened to you. Personally, I love reading and trying out your great recipe suggestions because they work! You are very much on target and so very delicious!!!
Take the “high” road! Your site is a winner! You have a supportive and loyal following.
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you for the love and support Donna! <3
CINDY says
I think you should inform the other bloggers about the situation… this is not a kosher situation that you are faced with!
Vicky & Ruth says
Not kosher at all Cindy. We would want to know if it happened to us…
Diane Gauley says
You are taking ‘the high road’ by not releasing the celebrity’s name. And what you want is to treat other bloggers as you would like to be treated yourself. I would say trust your instincts…..they seem quite worthy of trust.
Hanna says
Firstly, these bars look amazing and you know why? The photography!! My mouth was literally watering looking at them. That takes talent to create a picture that makes your mouth water. No way someone else should post your art on their site without your permission. The problem here is that this “star” or the person responding for them, should have looked at every recipe on the site to be sure this didn’t happen anywhere else. Now, lets presume the former employee didn’t inform anyone of where they got the recipes. Knowing what you do, you should either contact the person who apologized and tell them you know these other recipes belong to other bloggers and ask them to remove them as well or contact your friends and let them decided.
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you!!!! It is pretty obvious to us that they were blaming the former employee instead of taking responsibility. There are SO many recipes… I can’t believe only one person was in charge of posting them. We contacted them again asking to refrain from posting the entire recipe, or use photos without permission in the future. They assured us it would never happen again…
ReenaTeena says
I would let any bloggers know. You would want to know, so I assume others would , too. I know this kind if thing happens quite a bit, but perhaps if enough bloggers complain to this so-called fitness celebrity , it might happen less. I’m thinking “tweeting” to the celebrity might be overdoing it and might invite negativity.
Vicky & Ruth says
Yes, we absolutely would want to know. That’s why we feel strongly about letting the other bloggers know. And we agree, doing it privately is the way to go. Our intention is not to cause any harm, we just want to be fair. Thank you for your input!
Dianna Fine says
Sometimes I just have to answer a question by asking another question!! If some other blogger had found your recipes on the fitness celebrity’s website, would you want them to let you know about it? That’s probably your answer!! And if your recipes are copyrighted, what happened was illegal – otherwise, it’s just immoral. Either way, it doesn’t feel good to be “ripped off!” Apparently, this fitness celeb, believes s/he can just keep getting away with this. You may want to round up the other bloggers and all start calling and complaining but s/he will just find another blogger to rip off!. If the celeb is required to be certified, you can probably file a complaint with his/her licensing board. And you can have an attorney send the celeb a letter with a complaint. It just depends on what you believe you need to do to feel better about this!
*** LOVE your recipes!!!
Vicky & Ruth says
Big fat yes, we would want to know!! I guess we were looking for suggestions on the best way to approach the issue. The thing is, regardless of what we decide to do, the bloggers involved should have the chance to handle it however they see fit. That’s why we feel like they should know. Thanks for your comment and for the love!
Raquel says
That’s a really tough dilemma! They don’t have any right to take your recipes that you worked very hard on, I would tell different bloggers and see if they care. But if enough of you can get up and make some noise than hopefully you could stop them from stealing!!! btw- love the lemon meyer bars 🙂 Good luck!!
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
We agree!! Last thing they want is to look bad in front of their followers, believe me! And yes, these are awesome, but not as good as yours!! 😉
Jeannie says
I would let the other bloggers know. They may not be aware of what happened. Wouldn’t you want someone to contact you with that information. What they do with it is up to them. It’s a professional courtesy.
Vicky & Ruth says
Yes, absolutely. Which is why we feel they should know. Like you said, so THEY can decide what to do about it. Thank you for sharing your opinion with us 🙂
Jordyn says
Yes, you should contact the other bloggers. Just as you deserve the recognation for your work, these other people deserve it as well. They should be given the option of telling the site whether they want the recipe/pictures removed or credit given. This is your work/your livelihood. Don’t ever apologize for doing what is right for you.
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Agreed 100%. They absolutely deserve the recognition and the right to decide what to do! We work very hard every day to put out these recipes and photos, so it’s only fair. Thanks for your input 🙂
Esther Hausman says
Yes. You absolutely should tell the other bloggers if you can identify them. It’s like getting your stolen bike back from someone who supposedly didn’t realize it was stolen then watching that person walk over take your neighbors bike. I would even go so far as calling out this “superstar” on his/her deception. You all work very hard to give us awesome FREE pictures and recipes. The LEAST one can do is give you all credit. Good luck and keep us posted! From a fellow Sepharadit
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you Esther. One of the things that got to us the most was reading “This is MY recipe for XXX ” on her site… And even though I don’t believe anyone can copyright a recipe, this is OUR work. For someone to copy it word by word and even use pictures, and take credit for it, is just wrong. We will definitely keep you posted. Thank you!!! 🙂
Baker says
We are a household that loves lemon bars, and we love this one! I even made it gluten free, by substituting a gluten-free flour blend, and it was also great.
And for the “moral dilemma”, if you really “just want to do what is right and what is fair,” than go ahead, you had the answer all the time. – Zomick’s
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
That sounds great!!! Glad it worked out 🙂 … And yes, we did have the answer all along. Thank you!!
Arjan Khalsa says
Addressing the dilemma that you’re facing… I also have my own website and post bi-weekly health tips. I don’t mind people using my things, but I really appreciate when they ask or, at least, leave my name and website in the credits. Conversely, when I’m reposting someone else’s information, I always ask the blogger. I usually receive a response from them , but, if I don’t, I may or may not post it, but I ALWAYS give credit to the person’ who originally posted the recipe. It’s the absolute right thing to do. You ladies work hard, and it’s important that you’re credited with any copies of your work. Thank you for all of your amazing recipes! My family loves the ones I’ve made and I’m looking forward to vegan lemon bars…. I love them so much and haven’t been able to find vegan ones. Woohoo!
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you for the kind words! We hope you enjoy the bars!! And you are absolutely right. We make sure to ALWAYS give credit when we use someone’s work, so we expect others to do the dame! It is the right thing to do. Thank you again for your comment 🙂
Nancye Smith says
I feel you have a right to inform these people that they are impersonating the Author which is ethically wrong. Secondly I would report them to whoever is responsible for your site copyright. To me it’s like using someone else’s credit card!! Those guys should be reprimanded severely…
Good luck…
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you for your feedback Nancye. We started informing other bloggers.
Agness of Run Agness Run says
Fantastic recipe for a dessert! Love lemons, plus when combined in a dessert, prefect!
Deli posts says
I made these last night, and they were awesome! Thank you for sharing this great recipe. May God bless you.
★★★★★
Tara says
Hey – just wanted to let you know that I made these lemon bars tonight and my kids loved them! Just curious – mine were white, not yellow, and I followed your recipe exactly. How did yours come out such a lovely color?
★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Tara,
We added a pinch of turmeric while cooking the lemon curd (after adding the corn starch), and totally forgot to include that step on the recipe. So sorry about that! Thank you for bringing it up to our attention. So glad to hear your kids liked them!! 🙂
Kales says
Oh my gosh, where was this recipe during Christmas time!? It’s similar-ish to what I was making (I mostly winged it) but it’s nice to actually have a nice recipe from someone who knows what they’re doing. I’m very excited to try this, it’s likely loads better than the last two batches I made.
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi there!! So glad you found this recipe! We really hope you enjoy it 🙂
Kt says
Hello!
The lemon bars look delicious!
I want to bake them for a friend’s birthday but I don’t have access to maple syrup in the markets nearby. Is there any way I can use sugar/ honey to make these gorgeous beauties?
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi there!
You can definitely use honey here. You can also use agave nectar if it’s available near you. Hope you like them!
Gwendolyn Mercer says
Tell the food bloggers about the recipes. My grandmother always said “people can only treat you as bad as you let them”. People work and are kind enough to share the fruits of them labor. No one should steal their thunder! That being said, I’m about to try making these vegan lemon bars
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you for your feedback. We ended up reaching out to as many bloggers as we could. Let them take take it from there. It was the right thing to do.
Hope you enjoy the bars! 🙂
Samantha says
Could you freeze these bars?
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Samantha, we don’t think these bar will freeze well. However, if you try freezing them, we would appreciate if you let us know the results. Thanks
Just Me says
Can these squares be frozen????
Vicky & Ruth says
We don’t think they can be frozen, sorry
Ana says
First of all, can’t wait to try this recipe for a friend who has several allergies and just loves lemon squares but hasn’t had one in years.
Regarding your dilemma, I totally agree with you but as someone else mentioned, be very careful. My first thought was that if you start telling others about this particular website, they in turn could turn around and file a defamation suit against you. So please follow your heart but get some legal advice first.
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you so much for your comment. You are absolutely right, it’s always better to act with caution in situations like this one.
Hope you and your friend enjoy the bars!
Alessandra says
Drag themmm. They didn’t work for those recipes. They didn’t put in the time, money, or frustration to figure out how to cook those dishes. It’s stealing plain and simple.
Melinda J Martinez says
YOU DEFINITELY SHOULD MAKE OTHER BLOGGERS AWARE. GOOD FOR YOU. IT’S OBVIOUS YOU ARE NOT BEING VINDICTIVE AT ALL. YOU ARE STANDING UP FOR WHAT’S RIGHT. DON’T STAY SILENT.
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you so much for your feedback. We believe that letting the affected bloggers know what was happening was the right thing to do. We, for sure would like to know!
Roschelle says
Yes, you should
tell them…like you said, “they are stealing.”
Margaret says
I love lemon bars, really most anything lemon. I made these Meyer lemon bars. I am not vegan, yet because my son has been over twenty years, I have made many vegan recipes. The photo shared with these bars looks nothing like the end result of the recipe I followed. While the flavor is good, the texture is more like creamy yogurt and the color is more like Grade A butter or Earth Balance. I added turmeric for color though it was optional and that did not make the custard the bright lemony yellow I associate with lemon bars.or that is featured in your photos. It begs me to ask if you used food coloring? I also believe lemon zest is an essential ingredient in lemon bars.
I will not make this recipe again.
★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Margaret,
Thank you for your comment. We’re very sorry this recipe didn’t work for you. We never use any artificial coloring in our recipes. The only thing we used for color here was turmeric. We will retest the recipe to check the consistency, in case there was an error in the ingredients.
Thanks again.
Tree Jay says
This review is just about the lemon bar themselves. I would give them 3.5/5 stars.
They turned out pretty tasty. Some comments though… The shortbread turned out very hard (baked it for 31min) in an 8×11 pan. It wasn’t overcooked or too thin though, in fact it was pretty thick! Flavor was good. The curd portion tasted good but the texture was more reminiscent of pudding/jello. It was more loose/watery than curd/custard like. I would love to find a way to make the texture closer to that of a non-vegan lemon bar.
★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi!
Thank you so much for your feedback. We retested the recipe for the third time, just to make sure our measurements were correct and didn’t make a mistake. Our curd came out pretty thick, and close to a non-vegan curd consistency (maybe not as rich). Other people have given us the same feedback as you, so we are not quite sure why this is happening.
Rebecca says
I also followed the recipe exactly and my curd never thickened or set in the fridge (even though I left it on the stove for at least twice as long as the recipe called for). I ended up pouring that off and just eating the crust, which was delicious, but I am also at a loss for why that hapoened…
★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for you message. We retested the recipe, and It worked again. We are really not sure what’s happening! Did you use canned coconut milk, and not beverage? Also, did you add the confectioners sugar and coconut oil at the end? These are the only things we can think of. Otherwise, we are at a loss too!
Eileen says
I love this recipe & look forward to making it
One question is I do not use coconut oil or any coconut milk. Is there a replacement
I sure hope so
Thanks
Eileen
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Eileen, thank you for your question. You can replace the coconut oil with vegan butter if you are vegan or regular butter if you are not. You can replace the coconut milk for unsweetened non dairy creamer (or one with little sugar) if you want to make it vegan or light cream if you are ok with dairy.
Marie says
I’m not seeing where is says melted or unmelted coconut oil.
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Marie,
On step #3 of the recipe you cream the coconut oil, not melted.
On step #9 you also add more coconut oil, not melted, since it will melt with in the hot vegan lemon curd.
Eileen says
Delicious! Thank you so much for the vegan option! Love the real use of lemons. Yummmm.
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you co Eileen, we are really thrilled that you loved our vegan lemon bars!
Brigitte says
I will make this recipe today , I was trying to get some feedback about the recipe but the only feedback was not on the recipe . people are using recipe to blog it would be nice to find out from other viewers if this recipe was successful I like to read comments about a recipe before I make it . Sometime they give you some tips . Well I will report soon after I am done . I am planning on using your custard with somebodyelse’s crust. I found a very low fat oats almond crust .
Thank you
Brigitte says
I am just done making this lemon curd , the taste is really nice and healthy I ommited the oil and I used tapioca flour for the cornstarch and that’s why maybe my curd was set but still need it to be thicker it’s fine that’s all I had . I am eating it more like a yoghourt on my almond oat crust which I love. Thanks I will try again with arrowroot .
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Brigitte,
Thank you so much for trying the recipe and for the feedback. Some people have left comments saying that the curd didn’t set, while others were very happy with the consistency. We have retested the recipe a few times, and it worked, so we’re not quite sure why. Adding the oil at the end definitely helps to thicken it. We love the idea of the almond crust!
Joy says
Thanks you for posting this! A friend just sent me a box of meyer lemons; life is looking good! As for your dilemma: I’d contact the other bloggers so that you can work together to shut this theft down. This site stole your work, your effort, your investment of time. It’s wrong, and if it goes unpunished, it gives a green light to the behavior.
Good luck.
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Joy,
Thank you so much for your feedback. We totally agree! We ended up contacting them and emailing other bloggers involved. Enjoy the Meyer lemons and we hope you like our recipe!!