Trying out Betty Crocker’s Supreme Lemon bar mix

Following our previous attempt at lemon bar box mixes with Krusteaz’s box mix, my hopes were high when I picked up this lemon bar mix from Betty Crocker. In my area, these are the only two lemon bar box mixes that I could find so I took to the internet to find out more and I couldn’t find a different company with a lemon bar box mix. These two companies are the main competition so today we will see which one is better.

Betty Crocker’s box mix is a simpler box mix that only requires eggs and water. You start out by combining the packaged filling mix, the eggs, and the water. I used a whisk to mix it all together and then set it aside. This lemon mixture had a taste very similar to lemonade, it tasted like they used real lemons in the mix, as they claim on the box.

Next I pulled out the “ready-mixed crust” dry mix they provide in the box. I thought this was really neat since I expected to have to mix the crust mix with butter or something similar to Krusteaz’s process, but it was pre-made and ready to be flattened into the pan. This reduced an extra step and the number of dirty dishes to clean so this was a win for me. The crust mix was very powdery and crumbly but as I pressed it into the 8×8 pan with a spatula it came together nicely into a smooth layer. The crust mix tasted like a dusty, less sweet version of pie dough. It was exactly what I would expect for a crust layer. You don’t want it too sweet or too flavorful as it would take away from the lemon top. The crust is meant to cut the sweetness of the bar and provide an additional texture to the dessert and stability since the lemon top is soft. It’s crucial but not the main star by any means.

You put this crust layer in the oven first. The box called for 10 minutes and I found it was ready at 9 minutes. Once baked, you pull the pan out of the oven and you then pour the whisked lemon mixture over the hot crust and put it back into the oven supposedly for 27-32 minutes or until browned. My mixture was browning at 23 minutes so I pulled it out. The baked lemon bars came out of the oven with the top covered in holes and very textured. I did use a whisk to mix the lemon mixture so I am unsure if that caused excess air bubbles in the mixture or if this is the intended look. Luckily, it is nothing that a little powdered sugar can’t fix.

I learned my lesson last time and waited patiently for my lemon bars to cool before cutting. Once they were cool, I cut the pan into 16 pieces, an easy 4×4 in the square pan. Using a sifter, I sprinkled a bit of powdered sugar on the top to complete the look. It isn’t mentioned on the box recipe but these bars are pictured with powdered sugar so I felt it was essential to add on. These bars were good. They had a real lemon flavor that really shines through and they taste fantastic. I however didn’t like the the consistency of the crust or the lemon mixture. It all seemed almost over cooked, like they should have been softer and maybe moister. Despite all of that, it was seriously an enjoyable lemon bar and I would eat them again. However, they didn’t live up to my experience with the Krusteaz box mix so I wouldn’t pick this box mix up again.

This mixture as prepared is a total is 2290 calories. If divided into 16 each lemon bar is 143 calories.

Here are the links to products used today:
Betty Crocker’s Lemon Bar Mix – https://amzn.to/4e7ZCc2
Whisk set – https://amzn.to/3AN05lX
Oven Mitts – https://amzn.to/3JYq5Mg
8×8 baking pan – https://amzn.to/4dyO2Yb
Plastic Measuring Cup – https://amzn.to/4bDJIoV
*These are affiliate links meaning if you click on the link and buy the product, I will earn a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more.