There are some recipes that hardly seem like recipes at all, and that is often what makes them keepers. This little Midwestern-style dessert bar has that church-supper, magazine-clipping charm to it: a cake mix, a stick of butter, and a can of pie filling turned into something sunny and dependable. It is the sort of thing a practical home cook tucks into her recipe box for busy weekends, potlucks, and those days when you want something sweet without hauling out every bowl in the kitchen.
These bars are lovely served well chilled or at cool room temperature with a cup of coffee or hot tea. If you want to dress them up a bit, a small spoonful of whipped cream on the side works nicely, and for spring or summer tables they fit right in beside fresh berries or a simple fruit salad.
Oven Baked 3-Ingredient Lemon Crumb Bars
Servings: 12 bars
Ingredients
1 box (15.25 oz) lemon cake mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 can (21 oz) lemon pie filling
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8x8-inch glass baking dish.
2. In a mixing bowl, stir the dry lemon cake mix with the melted butter until a soft, crumbly dough forms.
3. Press about two-thirds of the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared glass dish to make the crust.
4. Spread the lemon pie filling over the crust in an even layer, reaching close to the edges.
5. Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the lemon layer.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crumb topping is lightly golden.
7. Cool completely, then chill for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares so the bars slice neatly.
Variations & Tips
Use the right dish: A glass 8x8-inch baking dish works especially well here and makes it easy to see when the edges are set. If your dish is a little larger, the bars may bake faster and come out thinner, so start checking early.
For clean squares: The hardest part of this recipe is waiting. Let the bars cool all the way, then chill them before slicing. A sharp knife wiped clean between cuts will give you the neatest little squares.
Add a simple finish: If you want to make them feel company-ready, dust the cooled bars very lightly with powdered sugar just before serving. It is not necessary, but it does make the sunny lemon color stand out nicely.
Try another filling: This same old-fashioned method works with other pie fillings too. Cherry, blueberry, or apple will give you a different dessert with the same easy crumb-bar idea, though lemon has a brightness that is hard to beat.