This might not be as healthy as the Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken that I made the other day, but…. LEMON!! Worth the splurge! When we visit my parents I like going out to eat dinner at one of their favorite places because you can order a piece of pie with your meal. I just love the lemon pie! But have I ever made lemon pie? That would involve a lot of work and a lot of baking. My best substitution? Lemon Cookie Bars! Okay so they don’t have the fluffy whipped topping but in my book the powdered sugar dusting is quite delicious!
You will start out my making the same cookie dough that I used for these cookie bars I made a while back. I’m noticing a citrus trend here….. especially when I think about crispy citrus carnitas and orange chicken. I could go on but this would turn into a landmine of links.
I kept it even easier by using a jar of lemon curd as the topping. You should find it right along with the jams and jellies at the grocery store. If you are super ambitious I’m sure you can find a recipe for homemade as well.
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“Bake” these in your crockpot on high for a few hours (exactly 2 1/2 hours for me!). Let them cool and give them a good ‘ole coating of sifted powdered sugar.
I used a 6 quart oval slow cooker for this recipe and I cut them up into 12 little squares of lemony goodness!
You could double the recipe and make it in a casserole style slow cooker
too!
- 12 tablespoons butter 1-1/2 sticks, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 cups flour
- 10 oz jar lemon curd
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar or more if you wish!
- Spray crock well with nonstick spray
- In large bowl beat together butter, sugar, vanilla and salt (I used my hand held mixer)
- Add in egg and mix until combined
- Slowly add flour and mix until dough is formed
- Press dough evenly in the bottom of the crock
- Spread lemon curd evenly over the top
- Cover and bake on high 2-4 hours (mine took 2.5 hours exactly)
Let cool in crock then cut into squares and remove
- Dust with powdered sugar using sifter or fine mesh strainer
- Store in airtight container
The cookie bars are done when the edges are lightly browned and the middle is just starting to set. They will cook a little more as they cool in the crock so be careful not to wait too long to turn off the heat.
How perfect is slow cooker baking – especially when you don’t want to heat up the house in the summer-time?!?
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Lisa A Keuhlen says
December 30, 2018 at 7:52 pmNew Year’s Resolution: to read reviews and comments before I make anything. I, too, burned my bars in under 2 hours. I guess my slow cooker is a beast. Maybe give a LOW setting timeframe? Hubs is still willing to pick at them, but they definitely won’t be accompanying me to work.
Sheena McGrath says
November 6, 2016 at 9:26 amThe lemon squares sound really good, and I’m glad I persisted and looked it up on my laptop, but I had a hard time viewing it on my phone. It may just be me, but I thought you should be aware of this, because I would have been sorry to miss this and the orange chicken recipes.
Jennifer says
November 6, 2016 at 9:38 amHi Sheena! Thanks for letting me know? What was the issue you were having?
Billie Scarborough says
September 25, 2015 at 2:16 amI love my crock pot but now ***lemon bars***?????? This moves that pot into the WORSHIP arena! !!
Two questions though – can the pot be lines with parchment paper to make removal easier? Secondly, why can’t you make meringue on top the bars …. or at least Ready Whip?
Jennifer says
September 25, 2015 at 8:01 amHaha! I do love to push the limits of what can be done in a slow cooker 🙂 Yes, you can line it with parchment paper or foil to make it even easier. And yes, meringue or whipped cream are totally acceptable 😉
Thomas Porter says
July 22, 2015 at 4:06 amNow I just have to Find (Real) Lemons; and NOT Limons!
KalynsKitchen says
May 31, 2014 at 12:46 pmDrooling here!
Jennifer says
May 31, 2014 at 1:09 pmhaha!! Thanks!!
Katie T says
October 14, 2015 at 1:00 pmSaw your recipe for crockpot lemon bars and sounded great…followed recipe exactly and after 1 1/2 hours in my Rival 6 quart slow cooker on high we could smell something burning…the lemon bars were stuck to the bottom and partially black and the middle of the bars were uncooked and gooey….not happy and have not had any trouble with my slow cooker for other recipes…I would not give this recipe even 1 star as I wasted time and ingredients…sorry.
Jennifer says
October 14, 2015 at 2:23 pmSo sorry it didn’t work out for you 🙁 I’ve made them several times (and in various slow cookers just to test) and not run across the same issue…. I’m bummed too!!