Sally’s Baking Addiction shares a lemon oatmeal crumble bar recipe, that takes just minutes to make. Sally says it is “a little more work than your standard Oatmeal Cookie Bars”, but totally worth the effort and taste!
Sally’s Baking Addiction has a recipe for an oatmeal lemon crumble bars. The blueberry bars are made with oats, flour, butter and sugar. Read more in detail here: blueberry bars sally’s baking addiction.
These oatmeal lemon crumble bars are creamy, crumbly, and refreshing, with a simple crumb crust and a two-ingredient Filling: Lemon. You won’t be sorry if you make a batch of these if you like lemon bars but want something with a bit more texture.
These lemon crumble bars were first published in 2012. I used store-bought cookie mix for the crust and topping when I made them a decade ago. While using a cookie mix is a simple and convenient alternative, I like these bars with a crumble made from scratch… I believe you will as well!
Today I’m going to show you my handmade version, and I swear they’re almost as simple. The oatmeal lemon crumble bars are notorious for not getting it out of the kitchen, but if any do, they stack and store well for gift-giving, bake sales, and brunches!
Why Are These Oatmeal Lemon Crumble Bars So Popular?
- There are just 9 simple components in all.
- The topping and the crust are prepared from the same dough.
- In 15 minutes, you can go from mixing bowls to oven.
- Altogether creamy, crumbly, soft, & crisp
- Like oatmeal cookies & lemon bars combined– surprisingly, this flavor duo works!
- Stack easily for storing, transporting, & gifting
- Another dish that doesn’t need the use of eggs.
And feel free to swap in lime juice & zest for the lemon!
You’ll need a total of 9 ingredients:
- 7 for the crust & crumble topping: Like fig bars and cranberry bars, the The topping and the crust are prepared from the same dough.. So convenient! Start with butter and brown sugar, and then add vanilla extract before mixing in flour, baking powder, salt, and oats.
- 2 for the creamy Filling: Lemon: To prepare the Filling: Lemon, all you need is sweetened condensed milk and lemons. Have you tasted my luscious lemon pie? That recipe was modified from today’s filling. This filling’s basis is sweetened condensed milk, which thickens and takes on a somewhat burnt taste as it bakes. (For example, while preparing dulce de leche for a banoffee pie!) We don’t need any eggs in the filling, unlike the lemon pie, since we don’t need as much structure– the crumble topping keeps everything together!
Let me demonstrate how they fit together.
On the left, you can see: Bring the crumble ingredients together, and don’t worry if it appears dry or crumbly at first.
On the right, you can see: Half of the mixture should be pressed into an 8-inch pan coated with parchment paper and baked for 12 minutes to allow the crust to firm.
A rich Filling: Lemon is to be expected. I actually use a bit more lemon juice than the original recipe, which is reflected in the printable version below. Pour the filling onto the heated crust and spread it out evenly, then top with the leftover crumble mixture. That concludes our discussion. You’ve completed your preparations.
3 Suggestions for Success
Though it’s a really easy recipe, here are 3 Suggestions for Success that have helped me perfect these creamy lemon bars.
- Avoid pushing the mixture too tightly into your prepared pan. Imagine how thick the crust will be after baking if it is extremely solid even before baking. With your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup, gently press the mixture down.
- Use a citrus zester: Lemon zest infuses the Filling: Lemon with a lot of flavor. If you require a zester, I suggest (affiliate link) this zester, which I use and enjoy.
- Avoid overbaking: It’s tough to tell when the bars are done, so go with the underbaking option. Keep in mind that as the bars cool, they will continue to set. The crust and edges will be rather solid if overbaked. It takes around 23-25 minutes for the completely prepared bars to bake in the oven.
Finally, these creamy lemon bars need an 8-inch pan (affiliate link). I don’t advocate stretching the recipe onto a 9-inch pan since the bars will be quite thin.
symbol of a clock cutlery, cutlery, cutlery, cutlery, cutlery, cut symbol of a flag instagram instagram instagram instagram instagram instagram instagram instagram facebook facebook iconfacebook iconfacebook iconfacebook iconfacebook iconfacebook iconfacebook icon squares iconsquares iconsquares iconsquares iconsquares iconsquares iconsquares iconsquares symbol of a heart solid heart icon solid heart icon
Description
The oatmeal crust, thick and creamy Filling: Lemon, and additional oatmeal crumble on top make these simple lemon crumble bars.
Crust & Topping
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter (85 g), melted to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (pure)
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon powdered baking soda
- salt (1/4 teaspoon)
- 1 cup (85g) quick oats or old-fashioned whole oats (not instant)
Filling: Lemon
- 1 can full-fat sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
- 6 teaspoons (90 mL) lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1 tblsp lemon juice 1 tblsp lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Using parchment paper, line an 8-inch square pan.
- To make the crust/topping, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed for 1 minute using a handheld or stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment. With a rubber spatula, scrape along the sides and up the bottom of the bowl, then add the vanilla essence. For around 30 seconds, beat on medium-high speed until everything is incorporated. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and oats in a mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until everything is well blended. Scrape along the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as required to ensure complete mixing. The mixture will seem crumbly and dry. Between 3-3.5 cups of crust/crumble mixture will be left.
- Half of the crumble mixture should be lightly pressed into the bottom of the baking pan. Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the Filling: Lemon: Whisk sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest together. Mixture will be thick.
- Filling should be poured and distributed evenly over the pre-baked crust (while crust is hot). On top, crush the remaining crumble mixture.
- Return the bars to the oven for 22-25 minutes, or until the sides are gently browned and the center is set. Overbaking should be avoided. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool. Allow bars to cool fully.
- Using the parchment paper overhang on the sides, lift the bars out. Squares should be cut off.
- Cover and store leftover bars at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Instructions for Freezing: Freeze cut bars in single layers between parchment paper sheets in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Recipe updated in 2022. Older version used 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie mix for the crust & topping. Cut 1/2 cup (115g) cold unsalted butter into cookie mix with a pastry cutter and then stir in 1 egg. This mixture replaced the homemade crust & topping recipe above. Continue with step 3 above.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Use sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk. There are no good substitutes for sweetened condensed milk in this recipe; it’s the most important component. (Half-and-half or heavy cream may be used as a substitute, but you’ll have to experiment with different quantities of sugar since they’re both unsweetened.) 1 can full-fat sweetened condensed milk, 14 oz. The filling will not set if you use fat-free cream cheese. Keep in mind that the can’s indicated weight is 14 ounces. 1 liquid cup is about equal to 1 standard 14-ounce can.
- Can I Double This Recipe? Yes. Double each ingredient. Increase crust pre-bake time to 18 minutes. Increase the bake time after adding the filling & crumble topping to 35 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and appear set.
Oatmeal lemon crumble bars are a popular recipe.
Subscribe
Baking Made Simple
Are you a first-time visitor to our site? Starting with this email series is a terrific idea. I’ll guide you through a handful of my most popular recipes and explain why they’re so successful.
These “easy lemon bars recipe” are easy to make and have a delicious lemony flavor. They’re perfect for summertime!
Related Tags
- sally’s baking addiction cannoli
- sally’s baking addiction lemon cheesecake
- lemon cream cheese oatmeal bars
- cheesecake bars with oatmeal crust
- lemon shortbread slice
