• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Country Cook

Recipes for the busy cook!

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Country Cook TV
  • Media/PR
  • Contact

3-Ingredient Lemon Crumble Bars

February 20, 2013 by Brandie @ The Country Cook 68 Comments

Share
Tweet
Pin
Stumble
You never know where a recipe will take you. I love the story of how this particular recipe plopped into my lap. While hanging out on facebook, answering some questions, I got a question from a reader named Toni (hi Toni!). She had a couple of cans of lemon pie filling in her pantry and she wanted some ideas on how to use them up. I suggested a recipe I had on the site here called Lemon Dream Cake. But I also decided to ask folks on facebook if they had any recipe suggestions. Well, someone did!  Sandi G. (Hi Sandi!), shared a crazy-easy recipe to use up a can of lemon pie filling.  And I fell in love with the idea of it because it only had 3 ingredients! Yep, only three. And because it’s lemon and I just cannot resist anything lemon.  It sings to me.
And because it’s yellow. I love yellow.Yellow makes me happy. It is sunshine wrapped up in a color. Maybe that’s why I love lemon flavors so much. It makes me happy before I even put it in my mouth. And I’ve been writing recipes long enough to know that low-ingredient recipes can be deceiving.  At first you think, “How can that be good with just that little bit in there?” But you go on and make it, hoping it will prove you wrong. And then it does. And it turns out amazing (usually.) Well folks, that is what this recipe will do. It will surprise you in it’s simplicity and flavor. Don’t try to make it more complicated. It really is only just 3 ingredients. So thank you Toni for asking that question and thank you to Sandi for sharing her recipe with the rest of us. Here it is…don’t blink, you might miss it.
Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
1 can lemon pie filling
3 Ingredient Lemon Crumble Bars

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, y’all know I’m a big fan of these nonstick sprays that have flour in it. It is so awesome for baking.

In a bowl, combine softened butter with dry cake mix.

Mix until crumbly. Now at this point, you might think to yourself, this stuff is so crumbly, how is it going to pack into the baking dish and make a crust? Well, I thought the same thing. But it all pushes together nicely and bakes up so well.  Just make sure you are using real butter for this, I’m not so sure margarine would hold up in this recipe. But if anyone tries it, let me know.
Before you go any further, you’ll need to set aside 1/2 cup of this crumbly mixture.
Take the rest of the crust mixture and press it into a 9×13 baking dish. Spread it out evenly and then just go around and pack it down in there with your hands.
Spoon lemon pie filling onto crust.
3 Ingredient Lemon Crumble Bars

Do your best to spread it out as evenly as possible.3 Ingredient Lemon Crumble Bars

Then take the 1/2 cup of crust mixture that you set aside earlier and sprinkle all over lemon pie filling.

This is going to give you a nice little crumble topping.

Bake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes. The crumble on top will just start to turn a very light golden brown. Then slice up and serve. This crust slices up very nicely. I like to eat it while it is still a little warm but it was really good nice and cold from being stored in the refrigerator. I bet that would be delicious during the hot summer months.

Here’s a close up so you can see the layers.

Note: This should be covered and stored in the fridge.  I found if I just covered it and left it out that the crust would soften up a bit so put in the refrigerator if not eating it all the same day it’s made.

Enjoy!

5 from 4 votes
Print
3-Ingredient Lemon Crumble Bars
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 500 kcal
Author: Brandie @ The Country Cook
Ingredients
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup) softened to room temperature
  • 1 can lemon pie filling
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
  2. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  3. In a bowl, combine softened butter with dry cake mix.
  4. Mix until crumbly.
  5. Before you go any further, you'll need to set aside 1/2 cup of this crumbly mixture.
  6. Take the rest of the crust mixture and press it into a 9 x 13 baking dish.
  7. Spread it out evenly and then just go around and pack it down in there with your hands.
  8. Spoon lemon pie filling onto crust.
  9. Then take the 1/2 cup of crust mixture that you set aside earlier and sprinkle all over lemon pie filling.
  10. Bake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes.
  11. The crumble on top will just start to turn a very light golden brown.
  12. Slice up and serve.
Recipe Notes

This crust slices up very nicely. I like to eat it while it is still a little warm but it was really good nice and cold from being stored in the refrigerator. This should be covered and stored in the fridge. I found if I just covered it and left it out that the crust would soften up a bit so put in the refrigerator if not eating it all the same day it's made.

Nutrition Facts
3-Ingredient Lemon Crumble Bars
Amount Per Serving
Calories 500
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

More from my site

  • No Bake Preacher CookiesNo Bake Preacher Cookies
  • Cherry Pie BarsCherry Pie Bars
  • Lemon Dream CakeLemon Dream Cake
  • Peanut Butter Bomb CakePeanut Butter Bomb Cake
Share
Tweet
Pin
Stumble

Filed Under: dessert

« Reese’s Peanut Butter Cake
Easy Baked Churros »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carrie Wells says

    February 20, 2013 at 2:47 pm

    I am pinning this one! That looks wonderful and I love everything lemon!

    Reply
  2. Toni says

    February 20, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    I'm going to make these today as soon as the butter comes to room temperature! Sounds easy to make! I'm sure they will be gone in 2 days!

    Reply
  3. Youngbloods says

    February 20, 2013 at 8:13 pm

    Sounds AWESOME!!! Also, I might try cherry filling!!!

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      July 11, 2013 at 7:24 pm

      cherry sounds good

      Reply
    • Debby May says

      March 28, 2016 at 11:03 pm

      Think I'll try key lime,,,,

      Reply
  4. The Better Baker says

    February 20, 2013 at 8:24 pm

    I am making these soon! Thanks for sharing this simple and yummy recipe!

    Reply
  5. Joan says

    February 20, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    Yum! I can't wait to make this recipe. I love cake mix recipes.

    Reply
  6. Donna V says

    February 20, 2013 at 9:32 pm

    Yummmm

    Reply
  7. Lu D. says

    February 21, 2013 at 1:09 am

    Made these tonight!! Great! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Anonymous says

    February 22, 2013 at 9:17 pm

    This sounds fantastic! I'm going to make them for my boyfriend and I this weekend. Question first… how many ounces should the can of lemon pie filling be? Thank you! 🙂

    Sincerely,
    Autumn (the one with the military boyfriend) lol

    Reply
  9. Lynn Huntley says

    February 22, 2013 at 5:32 pm

    A Lemon Lover's Dream come true!! I love anything lemon and I think I found a new favorite:) You have several lemon recipes I'm going to try~ Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines

    Reply
  10. Kari Lindsay says

    February 22, 2013 at 5:50 pm

    A 3 ingredient recipe; that's crazy…Crazy is good! Even a non-baker can whip up a batch of these pretty bars.

    Reply
  11. Amy Greenberg says

    February 28, 2013 at 10:31 pm

    I don't even like lemon anything (except for lemonade), but these look delicious and SUPER DUPER easy! I have to try this and might have to try it with other flavors too. Thanks!

    Reply
  12. Anonymous says

    March 1, 2013 at 3:32 am

    Brandie, although I'm not a big lemon fan, I think the flavor possibilites for this recipe are many…
    Mostly, I just wanted to say that your blog is one of my VERY favorites…and I subscribe to many blogs…and I'm always excited to see your emails. LOVE the Weekend Potluck! Keep doing what you're doing – it rocks!
    Debbie

    DebNJoizee919@aol.com

    Reply
  13. Kalamity Kelli says

    February 28, 2013 at 11:26 pm

    How wonderful! I love this – it's easy and I can do it. 🙂 I will be doing this very soon.

    Reply
  14. Fiddlesticks says

    March 3, 2013 at 10:00 pm

    Just wondering if you have tried this recipe with a lemon cake ?
    Do you think maybe that would be over kill on the lemon flavor ?
    Thanks !

    Reply
    • Lorraine says

      June 27, 2017 at 12:20 am

      I was just thinking the same thing. I don’t think there is such a thing as too much lemon flavour!! lol

      Reply
  15. Anonymous says

    March 10, 2013 at 2:42 am

    Trying this recipe but with chocolate cake and raspberry pie filling, hopefully it's yummy 🙂

    Reply
  16. alongcomesmary says

    March 10, 2013 at 8:24 am

    YUM! I want to make these & do a blog review, fingers crossed they're as good as yours!;)

    Reply
  17. P. Lea says

    March 14, 2013 at 12:24 am

    I am a bit picky with my lemon desserts. I like them to really taste like lemon, tangy lemon and not sweet and fake. How does this one turn out?

    Reply
  18. craftattack says

    March 15, 2013 at 8:54 am

    Thanks for sharing, looks good! Valerie

    Reply
  19. The Country Cook says

    March 15, 2013 at 1:33 pm

    Fiddlesticks-hmmmm. Possibly. It just depends on how much you LOVE lemon.
    P. Lea, this is a sweet lemon dessert, not really tangy. ~Brandie

    Reply
  20. Leah Noel-Kayhan says

    March 22, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    This was so easy and so very delicious. I still cant believe how simple it was! Great recipe!

    Reply
  21. Brandie @ The Country Cook says

    March 23, 2013 at 3:41 pm

    Thank you Leah! I'm glad you liked this one!!

    Reply
  22. Maria says

    March 28, 2013 at 11:59 pm

    Hi! I've made something similiar but add the step of mixing the lemon filling with a block of cream cheese. Very yummy and helps up the tang factor a bit!

    Reply
  23. Dee Drew says

    April 10, 2013 at 5:32 am

    I tried this recipe tonight and it was delicious ! I only had margarine on hand it the crust turned out fine, but the crumble was not very crumbly. I would recommend using butter. It tastes a lot like the lemon girl scout cookies to me. My husband said that it tastes like a Hostess Lemon pie. I will say that I had a hard time finding the canned lemon pie filling. All 3 of the local grocery stores near me had shelf space for it, but no cans on the shelf. Hope they are not discontinuing it. I would love to make this again !!

    Reply
  24. musicmom27 says

    April 24, 2013 at 1:43 am

    i just made this and used butter. it didn't get crumbly so i added a couple tablespoons of flour to mix with the 1/2 cup for the topping. worked! i also used a can and a half of pie filling. we'll see what happens!

    Reply
  25. musicmom27 says

    April 27, 2013 at 3:58 am

    this is going in the keeper file! the kids and i just loved it!

    Reply
  26. deadmomrunning says

    May 15, 2013 at 1:55 am

    YOu may want to try cooking the crust just a few minutes then spreading the filling and crumbs…the filling often will spread eaiser when the crust is cooked a bit.
    I wonder what it would be like with cream cheese beat into the filling!?

    Reply
  27. Eve says

    June 5, 2013 at 9:50 pm

    Good, cheap, easy……..some fillings are more tangy than others I have found. I'm thinking pumpkin pie filling for thanksgiving.

    Reply
  28. Anonymous says

    July 3, 2013 at 8:35 pm

    I love the recipes I find Here and thought I would give one back I have no idea where it came from but was posted to my facebook and they came out great,Thought you might like to try them too!
    Two Ingredient Lemon Bars……
    2 Ingredient Lemon Bars
    Oh yeah you read that right only Two simple ingredients to make these melt in your mouth ( middle of the pie) lemon squares!
    Yep this is like you cut your self a slice right out of the middle of the pie!
    This is all you need:
    1 box angel food cake mix( I use Betty Crocker)
    2 cans lemon pie filling
    I used two 21 oz cans of Comstock pie filling ( total of 42 oz)
    Mix dry cake mix and cans of pie filling together in large bowl.
    I just mixed it by hand…
    Pour into greased 9 x 13″ baking pan.
    Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is starting to brown.
    NOTE…Mine took the full 25 minutes to get done and did not brown on top at all :))
    Cool on wire rack and sprinkle with powered sugar. It has a melt in your mouth spongy texture.

    Reply
  29. Anonymous says

    July 22, 2013 at 12:10 am

    Hello,
    Made your simply recipe that was posted on Pinterest. Yummy lemon bars, used angel food cake mix. Thank you so much I had all three ingredients.
    Thank you.
    RedBlackberry

    Reply
  30. KayleneP says

    August 10, 2013 at 3:31 am

    This looks divine and I love how easy it is. Thanks for a great recipe, will be pinning this one!

    Reply
  31. krista storoy says

    September 12, 2013 at 10:16 pm

    This look absolutely delishious! Will be making it soon!

    Reply
  32. Anonymous says

    December 10, 2013 at 9:32 pm

    Thank-you for this easy recipe it's so easy even for a beginner like myself I added coconut on top because I needed to get rid of what I had left over my family loved it I will definitely be making this more often. 🙂

    Reply
  33. Latresia says

    December 22, 2013 at 6:01 am

    Does it matter if butter is unsalted or not?

    Reply
  34. Anonymous says

    February 16, 2014 at 11:22 pm

    Great reciepe. I love lemon. Although I did not use lemon but I did try it with blueberry (use about 1/2 can ) and strawberry and blackberry preserves. I know you said don't try and make changes..but I also love almonds so I added almond extract to cake mix and chopped almonds to crumb topping…wonderful!: I have tried some of you receipes and have a lot more to try…. keep them coming they are easy and delicious. Maureen

    Reply
  35. Cookielady says

    February 17, 2014 at 5:39 pm

    Hey-
    Love your blog and I've actually made several of your recipes which can't be said for any of the other blogs I follow. My question is, do you think I can you lemon curd instead of lemon pie filling? I have a jar to use up. Thanks.

    Reply
  36. chubbybunny says

    May 31, 2014 at 1:30 pm

    This would be even more awesome made with a Lemon Cake Mix. I find most lemon fillings very sweet, so I always add some lemon zest and fresh lemon juice, to cut the sweetness. I'm going to try these soon.

    Reply
  37. carol says

    June 12, 2014 at 9:00 pm

    these squares look yummy, how many cups of lemon would I use for this recipe as I buy the lemon at the bulk store. Thanks so much.

    Reply
  38. mmw2008 says

    July 3, 2014 at 11:10 pm

    Wow looks good and so beautiful, as if I'm looking at the sun..nice!

    Reply
  39. Sharon says

    July 12, 2014 at 9:52 pm

    This is super yummy. I like it cold. The first time I made it, I used margarine. Tastes good, but doesn't make a nice crumble. I made it again today with butter. Much better on the crumble.
    This recipe is a definite keeper. Quick and easy. Tastes like the lemon Hostess Pie. I am going to try key lime next time. 😀

    Reply
  40. Anonymous says

    July 16, 2014 at 2:02 am

    Discovered your blog and wonderful recipes. I was wondering how long till they firm up and what to do to make more crumbly(not enough topping). We still enjoyed. Looking forward to trying more recipes. Thanks.

    Reply
  41. Brandy says

    July 25, 2014 at 2:21 am

    These came out so good! Can't believe how good considering it's so easy and only 3 ingredients. My boyfriend thought he wouldn't like them since he's not a fan of lemon, but he loved them! Definitely a recipe I'll be making again.

    Reply
  42. Anonymous says

    July 27, 2014 at 4:30 pm

    Has anyone use Jello Lemon Pie Filling instead of the canned Lemon? Just curious. Thanks

    Reply
  43. Anonymous says

    July 28, 2014 at 3:20 pm

    As usual, another great easy treat! This also works with key lime canned filling….if you are lucky enough to have a store that carries it. Simple, easy and not expensive to make…usually have all the ingredients on hand. Thanks for another winner!

    Reply
  44. Carrie Fraser says

    July 29, 2014 at 2:36 pm

    Just had a great big slice of your lemon bars, which I made with a lemon cake mix and I have to say, these are AMAZING! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  45. Steffany says

    December 5, 2014 at 5:01 pm

    Mine started to fall apart when I started putting it on a serving plate, so i improvised. I scooped it all into a bowl, added 1 package of white chocolate pudding mix and a small tub of cool whip. Stirred it up, crunched up a 1/2 package of graham crackers, sprinkled them on top and ta-da! I had raving reviews for this yummy nearly failed dessert!

    Reply
  46. nagymom says

    March 23, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    I made this today (just took out of the oven in fact) for a church fellowship dinner. I had butter, but it's a precious commodity :), so I used half a stick of margarine and 4 ounces of cream cheese. I tasted some crumbles and it is soooo good. Can't wait to try this this evening. Just hope I get to it before it's gone. Ha.

    Reply
  47. Anonymous says

    January 31, 2016 at 9:38 pm

    This would work well with key lime pie filling. Spice cake mix with apple pie filling would also be good!

    Reply
  48. Anonymous says

    March 19, 2016 at 2:32 pm

    Can I double this recipe in same size pan for a thicker bar?

    Reply
  49. Hadas says

    March 20, 2016 at 9:22 pm

    Thanks so much for this easy and delicious recipe!

    I did try it with margarine, and it worked fine, except that I needed to add flour (about 2 Tbsp) to the topping to make it "crumby" enough.

    I also used key lime pie filling instead of lemon (though that needs to be diluted with milk or cream or it's too intense.

    Thanks again for the recipe!

    Reply
  50. Brandie (The Country Cook) says

    March 24, 2016 at 3:00 pm

    So glad it worked out well for you Hadas. Love the key lime idea!

    Reply
  51. Unknown says

    July 1, 2016 at 7:36 pm

    Hi Brandie! I LOVE your blog! I have made several recipes from it and get rave reviews everywhere I take one of your dishes (especially the Crock-pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta & the Coconut Cream Poke Cake!) and this was no exception! I first made it with lemon and it was fabulous! Then my husband asked if I could do the same thing with apple; it was just as good! Now I've made these with just about every kind of pie filling I can find an they always turn out perfect!
    The only thing I do different is I make it in an 8×8 pan so it is thicker.

    Reply
  52. Anonymous says

    July 2, 2016 at 6:19 pm

    Brandi! These are the only lemon bars I have gotten to turn out so nicely, thank you for the recipe. My hubby loves lemon bars and I felt like a failure before I found your recipe lol. All of your recipes are my "secret" recipes…I hope no one that I know finds them HAHA! love you!

    Reply
    • Brandie (The Country Cook) says

      July 6, 2016 at 3:46 am

      We will keep it our little secret! So glad you are enjoying them.

      Reply
  53. Anonymous says

    September 3, 2016 at 5:15 pm

    This recipe turned out great. It came together in a snap & clean up was minimal. Greatest of all…….it tastes great:)

    Reply
  54. Bridget Gratton says

    January 15, 2017 at 3:14 pm

    It’s that 1 stick butter or 1 cup butter ?

    Reply
    • Brandie @ The Country Cook says

      January 15, 2017 at 7:05 pm

      Hi Bridget, it is 1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter.

      Reply
  55. Terri says

    January 30, 2017 at 3:52 pm

    No canned lemon pie filling here. Could I use the lemon pudding mix in the box….cook it and let it cool before using in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Brandie @ The Country Cook says

      January 31, 2017 at 6:31 am

      Hi Terri! I’m sorry, I have only tried it with the lemon pie filling. :/

      Reply
  56. Haley W. says

    February 26, 2017 at 12:22 pm

    I have some leftover lemon pie filling that I made for lemon meringue, I’m gonna use this recipe for the leftovers. Thanks! 🙂

    Reply
  57. Maria Harden says

    June 2, 2017 at 6:39 pm

    Not sure if it is because I live in Canada, or what, but I cannot find cans of lemon pie filling anywhere. I can, however, find the packages of lemon pie filling that you cook. Would this work just as well, do you think?

    Reply
  58. Rita Zepper says

    June 10, 2017 at 7:46 am

    You could use lemon cake mix….also, any canned pie filling works….I’ve made several of these and they turn out yummy.

    Reply
  59. Marie Cassista says

    July 7, 2017 at 3:10 pm

    Any body know if it freezes well

    Reply
  60. Jess says

    July 27, 2017 at 11:54 am

    Never seen nonstick spray with flour in it. Might just be that I haven’t bought nonstick spray in years or could just be that it is not a Canadian thing? Sounds good though.

    Reply
  61. Cathy says

    February 24, 2018 at 5:15 pm

    Love this recipe. It’s in the oven right now. I am also avid calorie counter. I noticed you had calculated 500 calories for 1/12th of recipe. How come my calorie count is 275? Were you calculating in the nonstick baking spray? I used 0 calorie Pam for greasing. If it comes out, I’ve cut the calories, right? Let me know if you can, if your calculation was just a courtesy estimate or if I missed something.. (For my calculations, I used the figures on the ingredients themselves.) Thanks again for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • Brandie @ The Country Cook says

      February 25, 2018 at 10:35 am

      Hey Cathy! The recipe card system I used put that in as a default. Weird. I definitely encourage anyone who counts calories and nutrition facts to use their own trusted calculators (which you did) 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never Miss A Recipe!

Subscribe to our email newsletter.

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake

Featured Posts

Vegetarian Taco Salad
Garbanzo Bean Salad recipe from The Country Cook
Superfood Salad
French Potato Salad with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette

Oreo Pudding Poke Cake

Coconut Cream Poke Cake

Privacy Policy ~ Disclosure ~ Contact ~ Advertise ~ Nutritional Information Disclosure
© Copyright 2010-2018 - The Country Cook - Brandie Skibinski

All Rights Reserved. Unless otherwise noted, all images and content here on
The Country Cook are original and copyright protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.