Lemon Crumb Bars Recipe

Reviewed on Feb. 25, 2013 by lynffin

i'm re-posting here, after reading other posts below.i made these bars, so maybe i can help clear up any recipe direction confusion.

basically, you mix the dry ingredients with the butter to make crumbly mixture. set aside 2 cups for the topping. the remainder gets pressed into the bottom of the greased 13*9 pan for the crust, or the bottom of the bar. bake it. meantime, mix your wet ingredients. pour wet ingredient mixture over crust.(this will be the middle of your bar). Sprinkle the 2 cups of dry crumbly mix you reserved earlier over the wet layer and bake it again.

if you didn't taste enough lemon, try the suggestion i saw below about waiting till the next day.

it's not just crackers on the top. it's a crumbly version of the crust.

they should taste sweet and salty.

hope this helps someone.

:)

Reviewed on Feb. 25, 2013 by lynffin

i freaking love these bars! the combination of salty and sweet is so good! i made them a couple of weeks ago and my mouth wants more! (my@$$? not so much!haha)

Reviewed on Oct. 03, 2012 by mystic2102

Made this on request.. The person I made them for thought they were good but I would not make them again. Too much crumb/crust and not enough filling at all, and I even used less crackers then called for.

Reviewed on Apr. 07, 2012 by BabsR

This Bar is all crumb and very little lemon. I''m very disappointed. The picture must have used double the filling.

Reviewed on Dec. 29, 2011 by jensweetser

I followed this recipe exactly and found it to be a bit dry. I think if I did make it again, I would scale back on the crackers and/or double the filling.

Reviewed on Apr. 10, 2011 by hairweare2

I enjoyed this recipe. I changed it alittle using vanilla wafers and doing a lemon cheesecake center.

Reviewed on Mar. 28, 2011 by rumbamel

Oh and I also only used 50 crackers instead of 60. I guess it depends on how much you crush them down.

Reviewed on Mar. 28, 2011 by rumbamel

This was very tasty, but I don't know how she got her nutrition that was listed in the magazine. I used Smart Balance which is 1/2 the calories and 1/2 the fat. My sweetened condensed milk is lower in calories and fat free, yet my calculations yielded for 24 servings 178.4 cal and 3.6 fat??? Still very good. I used Better Crocker Lemon cake mix, Shop n Save's wheat saltine's and large eggs. HMMMM.

Thanks for the recipe.

Reviewed on Feb. 01, 2011 by dcroz21

Has a great flavor and you would never know it is low-fat. A good recipe to share with others.

Reviewed on Oct. 20, 2010 by CarolFloyd

A friend helped my daughter paint several rooms and requested these as payment. I sent some to work and she loved them!!

Reviewed on Apr. 27, 2010 by kitkat1201

OMG - I used the Nilla Wafers version and between work and home I have had to make this twice in the past 2 weeks to keep up with the demand. These are great - and they keep well in the fridge also. Double Yum.

Reviewed on Apr. 27, 2010 by rosannetut

these came out very dry..i did use vanilla wafers...definately lessen the baking time...would not make again.

Reviewed on Apr. 25, 2010 by kerred84

I'm sorry. I was very disappointed. There is more saltine taste than lemon. Even my husband said they were just "ok"

Reviewed on Apr. 21, 2010 by Dutaxa

Quick and easy and everyone loved it! I also lined the pan with foil to make it easier to cut. Will try with the wafers next time-but I'm scared that might be too sweet.

Reviewed on Apr. 18, 2010 by jessicadidion

AWESOME! A great alternative to heavier chocolate desserts. Nilla wafers were a GREAT substitution.

Reviewed on Apr. 17, 2010 by JBETCH

Very easy and quick to make. Delicious!

Reviewed on Apr. 16, 2010 by mwms

These were much better the second day that the first. When I first cut them, I thought the flavor seemed more like lemon extract than lemon juice but the next morning they tasted like fresh lemon. The directions were confusing. First, one sleeve of Saltine Crackers (about 30) crushed makes almost exactly 2 cups of crumbs, you do not need 60 crackers. I did as one other reviewer did and used a pastry blender to cut the butter into the cake mix and then added the crackers and the egg. I believe you could achieve the same results by using vegetable oil and stirring it into the cake mix and then adding the crackers and the eggs. This would simply the procedure. After this part is mixed, put 2 cups into a measuring cup to sprinkle on the top. Also line your pan with foil and spray lightly with non stick spray. Then you can just lift the cookies out to cut them. Next time, I think I would try a white or yellow cake mix and also add a little more lemon juice to the filling. They would be good with key lime or some other juice in the filling too.

The only other change I made was to add ½ tsp salt to the filling.

Reviewed on Apr. 14, 2010 by MaryThompson

I've had this recipe for a while. Every time I make them & share them at a potluck or gathering, people ask for the recipe. Fun & different to make and ssssooooooo delicious!

Reviewed on Apr. 13, 2010 by tkarinas

Lemon crumb bars are simple to make, you just have to follow the directions. My family loves this recipe and we make it regularly, as it's so simple and tastes so good.

Reviewed on Apr. 13, 2010 by zucchinilady

I have a lemon tree in my yard and always looking for new recipes - this sounds so good, guess I will have to really pay attention as to the mixing part! Can't wait to try this!!

Reviewed on Mar. 30, 2010 by Joene

This recipe turns out GREAT. Just read the recipe slowly. It truly does make sense.we like it made with regular crackers and also NILLA Wafers.

Reviewed on Aug. 29, 2009 by TamsC

I used crushed vanilla wafers instead of the saltines. The bars turned out wonderful! Took them to a gathering and left with an empty pan. This is a very simple and easy recipe.

Reviewed on Feb. 23, 2009 by wiscook

they are wonderful, maybe you had to many crackers,

Reviewed on Jun. 28, 2008 by maria71267

I USE VANILLA WAFERS IN STEAD!!! HAVE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING BUT GOOD REVEIWS. (THE PLATE IS ALWAYS EMPTY)

I HOPE THIS HELPS

Reviewed on Jun. 22, 2008 by anemoneme

Made these yesterday. I was hoping they would be as good as they looked because they looked picture perfect. The saltine flavor was strongest. I could not get past that to taste any lemon flavor really. To us it was just salty and the sweet taste was over powered by the crackers. Sorry.

Reviewed on Jun. 20, 2008 by colleen10

Thanks to everyone for clearing that up.  I sure was confused but I think I understand it now.

Reviewed on Jun. 19, 2008 by love2cook

I asked one of our Home Economists, and here's what she said:

The reader misread the directions. Directions read to:  combine cake mix, butter and egg + cracker crumbs. Set aside 2 cups (of cake mix mixture, which will include the crumbs).

Reviewed on Jun. 19, 2008 by Robync12861

You are both wrong about how to make these lemon bars.  The recipe is pretty self-explanatory.  Read it again....  You blend the cake mix, cold butter and 2 cups of crushed saltines together - - yes, blend, using a pastry blender so that you incorporate the cold butter and get coarse crumbs.  You save 2 cups of this for the topping pressing the remainder mixture on the bottom of the 9x13 baking dish.  You then mix the lemon juice, sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice for the filling.  Pour this over the crust.  Top with reserved topping and bake.

Reviewed on Jun. 18, 2008 by mrylgrbr

After you mix the cracker crumbs with the cake mix, you should have more than two cups of ingredients.........it seems to me that it is the combined mixture that you save two cups of.......I would put the cake mix, egg yolks and cold butter in a food processor for mixing......the two cups of cake and cracker crumbs are for the topping...........sounds pretty simple, I am going to try it.

Reviewed on Jun. 18, 2008 by redridinghoo

Good evening,

Do you have to use saltine crackers won't it taste really

salty

Help,

Phyllis

Reviewed on Jun. 18, 2008 by colleen10

The recipe calls for 2 cups or cracker crumbs. Then it says to stir the crumbs into the cake and then goes on to say to to save 2 cups for the topping and put the remaining crumbs in the bottom of the 13x9 pan. How can you save 2 cups for the topping when there are only 2 cups to begin with? How many cups of cracker crumbs so you really need? 2 cups for the cake, 2 cups for the pan and 2 cups for the topping?

Also how can you BEAT cold butter into the cake mix? It seems to me that if it is cold it would have to be cut in as in pastry. A lot of questions but I'm confused.