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Glazed Lemon Pie Bars

Glazed Lemon Pie Bars — Buttery soft crust with luscious lemon filling and a lemon glaze boosts the bold lemon flavor even more!! If you like lemon pie, you’ll love these easy bars that are so much easier than making pie!!

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 — multiple lemon bars and lemon cakes — and was trying to think of a new and unique lemon dessert.

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!

Ingredients

Bars

▢ 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
▢ 2 cups granulated sugar
▢ ½ teaspoon salt , or to taste
▢ 4 large eggs
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ ¼ teaspoon almond extract , or 1/2 teaspoon if you love almond extract; lemon extract may be substituted
▢ 3 cups all-purpose flour
▢ two 23-ounce jars lemon pie filling

Glaze

▢ 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar , sifted if yours is particularly lumpy
▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ ½ teaspoon almond extract , lemon extract may be substituted
▢ 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice , as necessary for consistency

Instructions

Bars:

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray; set aside. Optionally, line the pan with a sheet of foil and spray with cooking spray. The advantage is you can lift the bars out by the foil and cut them more neatly on a cutting board.
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and handheld electric mixer), add the butter, sugar, salt, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the extracts and beat on medium-high speed to incorporate, about 30 seconds.
Gradually add the flour and beat on medium-low speed to incorporate, about 1 minute.
Turn about 75% of the dough out into a prepared pan and spread with a spatula to create a smooth, even, flat layer. It’s sticky, tacky, and requires some patience, but just keep spreading and finessing it into the corners.
Add the pie filling and spread to evenly distribute leaving a 1/4-inch bare margin from edges of pan. It spreads while baking and trying to prevent filling from sticking to sides of pan is advised so it doesn’t burn.
Drop remaining dough by 2-teaspoonfuls over pie filling. It’s very sticky and I find it easiest to use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop filled about halfway. The dough will spread together somewhat as the bars bake.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until dough on top and around the edges is very lightly golden brown.
Allow bars to cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Glaze:

To a medium bowl, add the confectioners’ sugar, extracts, and enough lemon juice to reach desired consistency.
Evenly drizzle glaze over the bars and serve immediately.

Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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More Lemon Dessert Ideas:

Strawberry Lemonade Bars — Imagine crossing lemon bars with a strawberry pie. These easy bars taste like strawberry lemonade! Sooo good!