Sugar Cookie Lemonade Crumble
Sugar cookie meets lemonade and it’s love at first bite. Before you know it, Sugar Cookie Lemonade Crumble is born and taste buds are happy. Easy to make using a sugar cookie mix, the tart lemony filling of lemonade and cream cheese is a perfect match for the delicious sugar cookie crust.
Any time of year lemonade is good, and well…let’s face it, so are sugar cookies. Paring these two is simply crowd-pleasing, kid approved, and year-long gimme some.
Added to all that, you have the ease of an easy-to-make recipe that fits nicely in a 13 x 9 dish.
Perfect for potlucks or taking to the office, but also, makes enough for sharing.
Sugar Cookie Crust and Crumbles
Making the crust is as easy as it gets next to a premade crust. Using a bag of sugar cookie mix (I use Betty Crocker), mix in softened butter.
Once the mixture is crumbly, take out 1/2 cup for the crumble topping.
The rest goes into the greased 13 x 9 dish. Pat the mixture into a flat even layer as your crust.
Lemonade/Cream Cheese Layer
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until thoroughly blended. Do not over mix.
The creamy lemonade and cream cheese layer is thick and smooth. Because of the thickness, drop by spoonfuls onto the crust and spread by gently pushing down with a spreader. This helps to not loosen the crust.
You’re almost there. Lastly, add that 1/2 cup of crumbles you set aside in the beginning and sprinkle evenly over the top.
Bake the dessert in your preheated oven set at 350° for about 30 minutes. Cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate for about 3 hours before serving.
The texture is so nice once it’s had time to set up in the refrigerator.
Try these other recipes for more great dessert bars:
Sugar Cookie Lemonade Crumble
Ingredients
The crust and crumble topping:
- 17.5 oz. bag sugar cookie mix (like Betty Crocker)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
Lemonade filling:
- 16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp. flour
- 3/4 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3.4 oz. box instant lemon pudding mix
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and grease bottom of 13 x 9 baking dish with shortening.
The crust and crumble topping:
- In large bowl, mix sugar cookie mix and butter together with a pastry blender or a fork until crumbly. Set aside 1/2 cup for topping. Press remaining mix in bottom of dish.
Lemonade filling:
- Using electric mixer, thoroughly blend cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add flour, lemonade concentrate, vanilla, pudding, and egg. Beat until smooth.
- Drop filling evenly onto crust in spoonfuls and gently spread by pushing down with a spreader.
- Sprinkle reserved 1/2 cup crumbles on top.
- Bake for approx. 30 minutes. Cool 1 hour, then refrigerate 3 hours to set up. Enjoy!
Nutrition
For other lemony desserts, please check out this No Bake Lemon Blueberry Dessert and these Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes. Happy baking and have a blessed day.
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Looks perfect for summer ❤️
Do you make the Lemon Pudding before mixing it into the cream cheese? Or are you just using the powder?
Hi Nicole: You’re just using the pudding mix here.
These look so good! What a fun twist on a lemon bar! It is nice to get a little different flavor in the springtime! https://healthyhomecleaning.com
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Yes, it keeps well…I was happily surprised the crust didn’t get soggy after a few days, but it was gone by the 3rd day anyway. 😉
I don’t love cookie mixes. Could i just make sugar cookie dough?
Hi Erica, of course you can. One thought is that I don’t make the cookie dough per package directions; I make it drier. You might need to reduce one of the wet ingredients in the dough. Also, I don’t know how much your cookie dough makes, so you’ll have to use your own judgement as to how much to save for the crumbles vs. the crust. Let me know how it turns out.
Does the lemonade concentrate need to be thawed?
No, it doesn’t. I do,however, make a half pitcher of lemonade with the remaining concentrate. 😉
My husband and I loved this.
Thank you, Karen, I’m really glad to hear that.
I made this and took to work for a Sunday treat for my staff. Amazing and so easy to make!! Fantastic lemon flavor!! Got rave reviews from everyone and I will definitely make again! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much, Debbie. I’m glad you liked it.
I made last Sunday for a Memorial Day BBQ they were a hit. I love anything made with lemon 🍋
Wonderful, I’m so glad you liked it.
I find lemon bars can be a little “eggy” tasting. This recipe is not, great lemon flavor, no “eggy” aftertaste. It is a great summer bar. My family loves it. Big hit.
Thanks, Krista, I’m glad you like them.
Does this need to stay refrigerated? Or can it be left out after it sets up?
Hi Jennifer, with the cream cheese in it, definitely refrigerate. Thanks for the question, hope you liked it.
Making it right now! I wanted something to put in my cake stand to help brighten up my kitchen and have something yummy to snack on! I figured it would need to be refrigerated but I wanted to ask.
Ah, that’s great. I wish I had some! lol Let me know how you like them.
can I substitute freshly squeezed lemon juice for the lemonade concentrate? And how much juice would I use? Can’t wait to try! Yummy
Hi Laurie: the lemonade concentrate is all liquid, (frozen water, lemon juice, sugar, etc.), so I would put the same amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice as the substitute. Let me know how it turns out.
“Spread by pushing down with a spreader”….what’s a spreader?
Hi Robin…a spreader is something you frost a cake with, comes in different sizes. You can also use the back of a spoon or a spatula. Hope this helps.
I want to make these for a friend who is craving sugar cookies and lemon cake but she’s looking for a very mild lemon flavor. I was thinking of using vanilla pudding instead and keeping the lemonade for the lemon flavor. Do you think that combination will work?
I think that’s a great idea. Let me know how it turns out.
Why is the lemon part coming out so liquified?
Oh, wow…I have no idea, sorry you’re having trouble. The lemonade filling is actually quite thick. Once the dry pudding hits the cream cheese, flour, and sugar, it’s very thick. The lemonade gives it flavor, but it also makes it more spreadable. Did you maybe use the whole frozen lemonade can instead of 3/4 cup? Maybe double check the quantities you put in, and make sure you let it set up in the refrigerator for a few hours. Good luck!
I need a substitute for the egg, any ideas?
Hi Emily: Sure, I’ve got a couple good egg substitutes for you. An egg is approx. 1/4 cup, so you’ll need an equal amount to replace it. Most common are unsweetened applesauce, plain yogurt (non-dairy or regular), or buttermilk. These won’t change the flavor in these lemonade bars. You can also use ripe banana, but I’m thinking it might add banana flavor to the lemon. I hope this helps.
what is the pudding mix for? can i leave it out?
The pudding is for flavor, texture, and quantity…I would not leave it out.
any substitutions that are homemade?
Hi Jen, thanks for the question. I designed this recipe to be quick and easy, so I used pre-made ingredients like the sugar cookie mix, the frozen lemonade concentrate, and the instant pudding mix. I don’t currently have a sugar cookie recipe on my blog, but maybe I should. I think cooking from scratch is always a great idea, although it takes a little more time.
Making a batch this week and wondering if they freeze well?
If so, I’ll double it and make ahead for Christmas Eve family dinner…be ahead of schedule for once! 🙂
Hi Julie. Both milk and cream cheese can become grainy when frozen, so not sure I would want this for you on Christmas Day. The taste would be the same, but the texture wouldn’t.
I’m wondering if I could use 17.5 ounces of Trefoil cookies. I will test and let you know how it works out.
I’m not exactly sure what your plan is…the recipe calls for sugar cookie “mix,” so that the batter forms the bottom layer. If you do something with premade trefoil cookies, please let me know how it turns out.
Quick, easy and tasty! My grocery didn’t have lemon instant pudding so I subbed in cheesecake flavor and it was still lemony enough with great flavor.
Thank you, glad you liked it. Good to know the cheesecake flavor worked in place of the lemon. Vanilla would probably work, too, but who doesn’t love cheesecake?
Would these lemon bars freeze well?
Hi Patty, thanks for the question. I haven’t tried freezing this particular dessert, because freezing cream cheese can change its texture. I’m sorry I can’t give you a better answer.
Can this be frozen? If so for how long?
Hi Kim, thanks for the question. I tend to not freeze items containing cream cheese, because the cream cheese can change texture during the freezing process. It’s not that you can’t freeze them, it’s just that I don’t, but if you do, make sure it’s tightly sealed and probably not more than 3 months. I hope this helps.
Making these Lemon bars for a gathering… will they keep a couple days in the refrigerator before serving?
Hi Terri. A couple, 3, or 4 at tops, then the crust starts to get soggy. Hope this helps and have a great time at your gathering.
Can the lemon bars be frozen?
Hi Terri. I don’t usually freeze cream cheese, because the texture can change. So, in other words, you can freeze them, but I can’t guarantee the texture won’t be changed. I hope this helps.
what about making a strawberry lemonade sugar cookie crumble? I have some Smucker’s strawberry real fruit ice cream topping in my fridge and was thinking about how yummy strawberry lemonade is and I wondered if it was possible to make this sugar cookie lemonade crumble with some of the strawberry ice cream topping. maybe swirl some in the lemonade filling leaving nice marble streaks of strawberry topping throughout it and then bake it like usual. not really mix it in but gently fold the strawberry topping through the filling maybe using a butterknife. You basically would drop a dollop of it onto the filling and then swirl it gently into the filling just enough to make a swirl pattern then bake it as per recipe. I don’t know how much you could add though as I am sure that too much strawberry stuff would mess up the nice lemonade taste.
It sounds delicious. I hope you’ll let us all know if you try it and how it turned out.
Hi there! When I bake these for 30 mins on 350, how will I know if they are done or not?
Hi Alana: great question. It’s not like you can stick a toothpick in the center to come out clean. Here’s the thing with this recipe; the cookie dough (crust) will be done within the 30 minutes, and so will the egg. The rest of the ingredients set up during the refrigeration time. I hope this helps.
This was great! My coworkers cleaned the pan. I used limeade as my store was out of lemonade and it came out great 🙂
That’s great, Emma, nice when they clean you out, and great idea using the limeade, even if they have the lemonade. LOL Sometimes it’s good to mix things up a bit.
I brought this to a cookout. Everyone loved them, told me not to throw out the recipe. Some even asked to the recipe.
I love that, thank you.
So good! Thank you!
You’re so welcome, Jessie. I appreciate you trying the recipe.