When you need a quick dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth, these 2 Ingredient Lemon Bars are the dessert for you! Full of lemon pie filling and cake mix, it doesn't get easier than this!
These easy lemon bars barely made it a day in my house. This yummy recipe was so good, my husband and son fought over them! They have big lemon flavor for the lemon lovers in your life!
When Spring rolls around, it's time to bring out all the lemon recipes! These Lemon Cheesecake Bars are some of my favorite, Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough Muffins, 3 Ingredient Lemon Cake Mix Cookies, Lemon Blueberry Sour Cream Muffins are perfect for breakfast, and this Blueberry Zucchini Bread with Lemon Icing is a winner too!
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Why You'll Love These Lemon Cake Bars
- You only need a few simple ingredients! There's nothing better than a few ingredient desserts! This simple recipe makes the best lemon bars!
- They are great for a special occasion! A traditional lemon bar is a classic dessert for special occasions, but they can be time consuming. These lemon bars have a cake-like texture and are lighter than air! Dust them with powdered sugar for a show stopping dessert!
- They are simple to make! No need to break out the hand mixer or stand mixer, these airy lemon bars are mixed by hand and then baked!
Ingredients for Lemon Bars from Cake Mix
- One Can of Lemon Pie Filling. You can easily find this in the baking section of your local grocery store.
- Dry cake mix. We are using a box of cake mix here. Lemon cake mix will up the lemon flavor. If you prefer yellow cake mix, just add some lemon zest or lemon juice to the mixture.
See printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Lemon Bars from Cake Mix
Tips for These 2 Ingredients Lemon Bars
- Line the baking dish with parchment paper to ensure the lemon bars do not stick and they come out of the pan easily.
- Be sure to cool the baking dish to room temperature before trying to cut them into lemon squares. This will make sure the bars stay together and don't fall apart.
- To up the lemon flavor of this lemon bar recipe even more, add in some lemon zest or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice!
Storing 2 Ingredient Lemon Bars
Once the lemon bars are cut, place them in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator or on the counter for up to 4 days. You can also place plastic wrap over the baking dish and keep them right in the baking dish.
Can I freeze these lemon bars?
Yes! Once they have cooled to room temperature, wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag. Freeze them for up to 3 months. Do not dust them with powdered sugar before you freeze them.
Recipe FAQs
After the lemons bars are cut, sprinkle them with a little powdered sugar. You can also serve them with fresh berries, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or some homemade whipped cream!
A metal pan is the better choice for this recipe. Metal heats up faster and more evenly, which helps the bars bake through without the edges getting too dark before the center sets. If you only have a glass pan, you can still use it, just keep an eye on the bars toward the end of baking since glass tends to hold heat longer and can cause the edges to overbake.
Make sure the bars are completely cool before you cut into them. Cutting them while warm is the main reason they fall apart or stick to the knife. Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts for the neatest squares. Lining your baking dish with parchment paper also helps, since it lets you lift the entire batch out of the pan before slicing instead of cutting straight in the dish.
Look for a golden top and check the center. The middle should no longer jiggle when you gently shake the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. If the top is browning too fast but the center still looks wet, loosely tent it with foil for the last few minutes of baking so it can finish cooking through without burning.
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Bars with Cake Mix
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can Lemon Pie Filling 22 ounces
- 1 Box Lemon Cake Mix 15.25 ounces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter. Set that aside.
- Mix together the lemon cake mix with the lemon pie filling until a batter forms.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake the lemon bars for 35-40 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden brown and no longer jiggles.
- Allow the lemon bars to cool to room temperature. Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Line the baking dish with parchment paper to ensure the lemon bars do not stick and they come out of the pan easily.
- Be sure to cool the baking dish to room temperature before trying to cut them into lemon squares. This will make sure the bars stay together and don't fall apart.
- To up the lemon flavor of this lemon bar recipe even more, add in some lemon zest or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice!
Linda Strahorn says
I can’t wait to try this
Lavonne Smith says
In the oven right now smell so good, making these for Christmas Eve party for all my lemon loving family.
Bonnie says
375 was too hot in my oven. The dessert came out too dark brown. Perhaps 350 would be better. While it was very easy to make it did not taste like lemon bars. It tasted like lemon angel food cake.
Lynn Polito says
Yes, the cake mix makes them a little more light than a traditional lemon bar.
Dawn says
I found this recipe this morning at work and grabbed a can of lemon pie filling before I left. I was excited to make these this afternoon. I just made them and they smell so delicious!! I can’t wait till Sunday on Mothers Day to dig in!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lynn Polito says
I hope you enjoyed them!
Melissa says
Sooo easy to make you Def. Earned a 5 star.in this...
Lynn Polito says
Yay! I am so happy you enjoyed them!