Easy 2-Ingredient Lemon Bars

These easy 2-ingredient lemon bars come together with just angel food cake mix and lemon pie filling. They bake up light and spongy with a bright lemon flavor that makes them hard to stop eating.

Some recipes sound too simple to actually work. This is one of them, and it absolutely does.

All you need is a box of angel food cake mix and a can of lemon pie filling. Stir them together, pour the batter into a pan, and bake for 25 minutes. The result is a light, spongy bar with a bright lemon flavor that tastes like it came from a bakery.

This is the kind of dessert I make when I want to bring something to a gathering without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. The pan comes back empty every time.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This recipe uses only two ingredients, so there is very little prep and almost nothing to measure.
• The bars bake up light and spongy with a fresh lemon flavor that is not too sweet.
• They are easy to transport and hold up well at parties, potlucks, or on a dessert table.
• A dusting of powdered sugar at the end makes them look a little more finished without any extra effort.

What Makes This Recipe Work

• Angel food cake mix is very light and airy, which gives the bars a spongy, almost cloud-like texture after baking.
• Lemon pie filling already has the right sweetness and citrus flavor built in, so the bars taste balanced without any extra ingredients.
• The two ingredients react together as they bake and create a texture that is more like a soft, springy bar than a traditional dense lemon square.
• Baking at 350°F for about 25 minutes gives the bars time to set without drying out.

A Few Important Notes Before You Start

These bars are very forgiving, but a couple of things are worth knowing before you make them.

Check your angel food cake mix box size

Angel food cake mix boxes have changed sizes over the years. Most boxes today are 14.5 to 16 oz. Any size in that range will work well with one standard 21 oz can of lemon pie filling.

If your box is smaller than 14 oz, the batter may be too wet. Just check the box before you start.

Use lemon pie filling, not lemon curd or lemon pudding

These three products look similar on the shelf, but they behave very differently in this recipe. Lemon curd and lemon pudding will not set the same way and the bars will not come out right.

The can you want is labeled lemon pie filling, and it should be 21 oz. Lucky Leaf is a commonly available brand.

What You’ll Need to Make Easy 2-Ingredient Lemon Bars

• 14.5 to 16 oz box of angel food cake mix (dry, not prepared)
• 21 oz can of lemon pie filling (not lemon curd or lemon pudding)
• Powdered sugar for dusting (optional, but recommended)

How to Make Easy 2-Ingredient Lemon Bars

Preheat the Oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix the Batter

Empty the dry angel food cake mix and the lemon pie filling into a large bowl. Use a wooden spoon to stir until the two are fully combined. Make sure you use a bowl with tall sides. The cake mix is very light and powdery and will puff up a bit as you start mixing.

Pour and Spread

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it to the edges with your spoon so the pan is filled evenly.

Bake

Bake for approximately 25 minutes. The bars are done when the top is lightly golden, the edges are set, and the center springs back when you gently press it. If the center still feels wet or jiggly, give it another 2 to 3 minutes. Every oven is a little different, so watch the bars rather than the clock on the last few minutes.

Cool Completely Before Cutting

This step matters. Let the bars cool completely in the pan before cutting them. If you cut them while they are still warm, they will fall apart and the texture will seem off. Give them at least 30 to 45 minutes on the counter, or speed things up by putting the pan in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Dust and Serve

Once cooled, dust the top with powdered sugar if you like, then cut into 12 bars and serve.

Ingredient Highlights

• Angel food cake mix creates a light, airy base that bakes up spongy and soft rather than dense or heavy.
• Lemon pie filling provides both the flavor and the moisture that holds the bars together, so no additional eggs, oil, or water are needed.
• Powdered sugar is optional, but a light dusting makes the bars look a lot more finished and adds a little sweetness to the top.

Make It Your Way

• Swap the lemon pie filling for strawberry, blueberry, or cherry pie filling for a completely different flavor using the same easy method.
• Cut the cooled bars into smaller squares if you are serving them on a dessert table where people will be sampling multiple things.
• Store leftover bars in the refrigerator and serve them cold, which makes the texture a little firmer and the lemon flavor come through even more.

More Easy Desserts to Try

If you enjoy simple desserts like this one, these are a few others worth keeping in your back pocket:

• The Best Snickerdoodle Zucchini Bread Recipe is one of the most popular recipes on the site and comes together with simple ingredients.
• The Easiest Ever Lemon Poppy Seed Bread is a good option if you want something lemon-flavored in a different format.
• These 2-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookie Croissants follow the same idea as this recipe and are just as easy to pull together.

Simple Tips

• Use a bowl with high sides when mixing so the dry cake mix does not puff out when you start stirring.
• Check the doneness by pressing the center lightly. It should spring back rather than feel wet or soft.
• Let the bars cool fully before cutting. This is the most common reason bars fall apart or seem underdone when they are actually ready.
• A powdered sugar shaker makes dusting the top quick and even, and they are inexpensive and useful for all kinds of baking.

Final Thoughts

These are one of those recipes that feel a little too easy for how good they turn out. Two ingredients, one bowl, one pan, and you have a dessert people genuinely enjoy.

Once you make them the first time, they will probably become your go-to when you need something sweet without much effort.