Oatmeal Lemon Cream Crumb Bars

Oatmeal lemon bars with a buttery, crumbly oatmeal crust and crumb topping, with sweet, creamy lemon filling. These moist and chewy lemon oatmeal cream bars come together quickly, and are wonderful enjoyed cold from the fridge.

You might also love these high altitude tested recipes for oatmeal cream pie cookie bars, oatmeal butterscotch cookies, and old fashioned iced oatmeal cookies.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Quick and Easy. The crumble mixture is used for both the oatmeal crust and crumb topping, and you only need three simple ingredients for the lemon filling.

Soft and Chewy for Days. These creamy lemon oatmeal bars are really moist, and they stay so soft for days afterwards.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

• Flour + Oats. A combination of all purpose flour and rolled oats gives the crumble mixture structure and strength.
• Light Brown Sugar. Sweetens the crumble.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Baking Powder. Leavening agent, giving the crumble a little lift so it isn’t too dense.
• Unsalted Butter. Binds the crumble mixture together.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk. Gives the filling a smooth, sweet, creamy texture that pairs so well with the lemons.
• Lemons. You’ll be using both fresh lemon zest and lemon juice in the filling. I also added a little lemon extract, to boost the flavor a bit more.

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Lightly spray an 8 inch square baking pan with non-stick baking spray, or line with parchment paper.
• In a bowl (or a food processor), combine the flour, brown sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the cold butter, and use a pastry cutter (or food processor) to cut in the butter until moist and crumbly. Add the oats, and stir together by hand until combined.
• Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crumble mixture for the topping, and gently press the remainder into the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 20 minutes.

• Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon extract, until smooth and thick.
• Remove the pan from the oven, and spread the filling over the hot crust. Sprinkle the filling with the reserved crumble. Return the pan to the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes until set, and the topping is a pale golden brown.

• Cool the bars completely before cutting into squares. You can serve these at room temperature, but I think they’re best eaten chilled.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of oats do you use?

I use old fashioned rolled oats. Don’t use quick oats or steel cut oats for this recipe.

Do these bars need to be refrigerated?

Yes. With the sweetened condensed milk filling, these bars are best kept chilled in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.

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