Easy Lemon Bars with Lemon Pie Filling
My daughter adores lemon desserts and I wanted to make something she’d love. However, I’ve made umpteen lemon desserts over the years — including a Better-Than-Starbucks Copycat Lemon Bread, Lmon Cookies, multiple lemon bars, lemon cakes — and was trying to think of a new and unique lemon dessert. Then I remembered that the Glazed Cherry Pie Bars I recently made would be great with a lemon filling. I swapped cherry pie filling for lemon filling and topped the bars with a lemon glaze to boost the lemon flavor even more. The crust is buttery, soft, and tender while the filling is juicy and luscious with the perfect amount of sweet-yet-tart flavor. And pie bars are so much faster and easier than making a pie. A definite bonus. It’s a great recipe for parties, events, and holiday celebrations because it makes enough to feed a crowd. But not an issue here with my little lemon lover.
What’s in Lemon Pie Bars?
To make these lemon bars with lemon pie filling, you’ll need:
Unsalted butter Granulated sugar Salt Vanilla extract Eggs Almond extract All-purpose flour Lemon pie filling Confectioners’ sugar Lemon juice
How to Make Lemon Pie Bars
Beat together the butter and sugar, then stir in the eggs and extracts. Add the flour last, mixing until just combined. Turn about 75% of the dough into a jelly roll pan and smooth out into an even layer. Top with lemon pie filling. Dollop the remaining dough over top. Bake the lemon pie bars until the dough around the edges of the pan is a light golden brown. Let the bars cool completely before topping with the lemon glaze.
Do I Have to Use a Jelly Roll Pan?
No! I baked the bars using a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan and appreciate that they don’t turn out overly thick. However, you could probably use a 9×13-inch pan noting the bars will be thicker and the baking time will be longer.
Tips for Making This Easy Lemon Dessert
For even more lemon flavor, use lemon extract instead of almond extract. If you do use the almond extract, don’t add any more than the recipe calls for. Unlike vanilla extract — which I always add with a very generous hand — almond extract is very potent and can quickly overwhelm a dessert. You can serve these bars chilled or at room temperature. My family likes them cold, but I like them warm. Do what you like!
More Lemon Dessert Ideas:
Lemon Lemonies – Like brownies, but made with lemon and white chocolate! Dense, chewy, not cakey and packed with big, bold lemon flavor! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
The Best Lemon Loaf (Better-Than-Starbucks Copycat) – Took years but I finally recreated it! Easy, no mixer, no cake mix, dangerously good!!
Lightened Up Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake – No BUTTER in this healthier cake with big juicy blueberries and refreshing lemon! It’s a keeper!
Blueberry Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze – Almost more berries than cake in this soft, fluffy cake!
Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Glaze – An easy little cake with big lemon flavor!! Soft, fluffy, and foolproof if you like puckering up!
Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting — Soft, fluffy, moist, very lemony cupcakes from scratch! Easy one-bowl, no-mixer recipe for cupcakes that taste like they’re from a bakery!
Softbatch Glazed Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies — Big, bold lemon flavor packed into super soft cookies thanks to the cream cheese! Tangy-sweet perfection! Lemon lovers are going to adore these easy cookies!
Soft and Chewy Lemon Cookies – Packed with big, bold lemon flavor for all you lemon lovers! They’re soft, chewy and not at all cakey!
Strawberry Lemonade Bars — Imagine crossing lemon bars with a strawberry pie. These easy bars taste like strawberry lemonade! Sooo good!
