Home » Dessert Recipes » 3-Ingredient Lemon Bars

3-Ingredient Lemon Bars

These Easy Lemon Crumble Bars only have 3 ingredients! This summertime dessert recipe only needs cake mix, butter and lemon pie filling!

EASY LEMON CRUMBLE BARS

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.

Easy 3-Ingredient Lemon Crumble Bars, sliced, on parchment paper.

CAKE MIX RECIPE IDEAS

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.

3-Ingredient Lemon Crumble Bars shown stacked with 3 bars on top of each other.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

  • yellow cake mix
  • salted butter
  • lemon pie filling
yellow cake mix, stick butter, lemon pie filling.

HOW TO MAKE EASY LEMON BARS:

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 Baker’s Joy nonstick spray. It has flour in it. It is so awesome for baking. In a bowl, combine softened butter with dry cake mix.

softened butter and yellow cake mix combined in a bowl with an electric mixer.

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.

crumble topping shown in a clear bowl with a measuring cup inside.

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. Do your best to spread it out as evenly as possible.

spreading lemon pie filling over cake mix/butter mixture pressed into a 9x13 baking dish

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.

sprinkled crumble topping over lemon pie filling.

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.

Easy Lemon Crumble Bars shown fully baked on a piece of parchment paper.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Originally published: February 2013
Updated & Republished: June 2019

Easy 3-Ingredient Lemon Crumble Bars

3-Ingredient Lemon Bars (+Video)

These Easy Lemon Crumble Bars only have 3 ingredients! No one will guess how easy this dessert recipe is to make. Cake mix, butter and lemon pie filling!
4.81 from 81 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
  • 1 stick salted butter (1/2 cup) softened to room temperature
  • 22 ounce can lemon pie filling

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a bowl, combine softened butter with dry cake mix. Mix until crumbly.
  • Set aside 1/2 cup of this crumbly mixture for the topping. 
  • Take the rest of the crust mixture and press it into baking dish.
  • Spread it out evenly and then just go around and pack it down in there with your hands.
  • Spoon lemon pie filling evenly onto crust layer.
  • Then take the 1/2 cup of crust mixture that you set aside earlier and sprinkle all over lemon pie filling.
  • Bake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes. The crumble on top will just start to turn a very light golden brown.
  • Allow to cool then slice up and serve.

Video

YouTube video

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.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 313mg | Sugar: 18g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

Leave a Reply

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

Recipe Rating




114 Comments

  1. 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!

  2. 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.

  3. 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!

  4. 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!

  5. 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!

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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. 😀

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. 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

  13. 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. 🙂

  14. 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

  15. 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.

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

  17. 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!?