Creamy, crumbly, and refreshing, these oatmeal lemon crumble bars come together with a simple crumb crust and a 2-ingredient lemon filling. If you love lemon bars but are looking for a little more texture, you won’t regret making a batch!
I originally published this recipe in 2012 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips. I’ve also made a change to the previous store-bought crumble recipe so that the recipe is now completely from-scratch—but still very easy!
When I first started making this dessert recipe a decade ago, I used store-bought cookie mix for the crust and topping. While cookie mix makes a quick and handy shortcut, I prefer these bars with a from-scratch crumble… and I think you will too!
Today I’m showing you my homemade variation and I promise they’re nearly just as easy. The oatmeal lemon crumble bars have a way of not making it out of the kitchen, but should any survive your taste-testing, they stack and store easily for gift-giving, bake sales, and brunches!
One reader, Sylvia, commented: “This is yet another winning recipe. They are so good. And so easy. I love that the crust and topping use the same mixture. The lemon filling is so flavorful and creamy. Thank you, Sally! ★★★★★“
Another reader, Leslie, commented: “These are nothing short of INCREDIBLE!! I LOVE lemon and have made countless recipes with lemons, and this one is by far the best. My non-lemon loving husband already asked when I will make them again! Ha! ★★★★★“
Why You’ll Love These Oatmeal Lemon Crumble Bars
- Only 9 simple ingredients total
- Crust and topping are made from the same mixture
- From mixing bowls to oven in 15 minutes
- Altogether creamy, crumbly, soft, & crisp
- Like oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (minus the chocolate!) & lemon bars combined—surprisingly, this flavor duo works!
- Stack easily for storing, transporting, & gifting
- Another egg-free baking recipe
- One of those lemon dessert recipes that you’ll return to again and again
And feel free to swap in lime juice & zest for the lemon!
You Need 9 Ingredients Total:
- 7 for the crust & crumble topping: Like fig bars, cherry pie bars, peach bars, and cranberry bars, the crust and topping are made from the same mixture. 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 lemon filling: You need sweetened condensed milk and lemons to make the lemon filling—that’s it! Have you ever tried my creamy lemon pie? I actually adapted that recipe from today’s filling. Sweetened condensed milk is the base of this filling and as it bakes, it thickens and takes on a slightly caramelized flavor. (Like when making dulce de leche for banoffee pie!) Unlike the lemon pie, we don’t need any eggs in the filling because we aren’t looking for quite as much structure; the crumble topping holds everything in place!
Let Me Show You How These Come Together
Pictured below on the left: Bring the crumble mixture together and do not get nervous if it seems dry or crumbly.
Pictured below on the right: Press half of the mixture into a lined 8-inch pan and bake it for 12 minutes so the crust can set.
PS: Here’s how I like to line square baking pans. So easy! Lining the pan makes it much easier to remove the bars before slicing and serving. I use the same tip when making rice krispie treats and M&M cookie bars, too.
Expect a very thick lemon filling. I actually add a little more lemon juice than the original recipe and the printable recipe below reflects that change. Pour and spread the filling on the warm crust and then sprinkle with remaining crumble mixture. That’s it! Your prep work is done.
3 Success Tips
Though it’s a really easy recipe, here are 3 success tips that have helped me perfect these creamy lemon bars.
- Don’t pack the crust in too tight: When pressing the mixture into your lined pan, avoid packing it in too tight. If the crust is very firm even before baking, imagine how dense it will be after baking. Press the mixture down very lightly with your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup.
- Use a citrus zester: Lemon zest carries a lot of flavor in the lemon filling. If you need a recommendation for a zester, I use and love (affiliate link) this zester.
- Avoid over-baking: It can be difficult to determine when the bars are done, but err on the side of under-baking. And keep in mind that the bars will continue to set as they cool. If over-baked, the crust and edges will be quite firm. Once the fully assembled bars go in the oven, they take about 23–25 minutes.
And lastly, you need an (affiliate link) 8-inch pan for these creamy lemon bars. Stretching the recipe into a 9-inch pan yields very thin bars, so I don’t recommend that size.
Oatmeal Lemon Crumble Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 38 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 16 bars
- Category: Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These easy lemon crumble bars feature an oatmeal crust, thick and creamy lemon filling, and more oatmeal crumble on top.
Ingredients
Crust & Topping
- 7 Tablespoons (99g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (yes, 7 Tbsp!)
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (85g) old-fashioned whole oats or quick oats (not instant)
Lemon Filling
- 1 (14-ounce weight) can full-fat sweetened condensed milk
- 6 Tablespoons (90ml) lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
- For the crust/topping: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until combined, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula and then add the vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and oats. Beat on medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. Mixture will appear dry and be crumbly. You will have between 3–3.5 cups of crust/crumble mixture.
- Lightly press a little more than half of crumble mixture into bottom of prepared baking pan. (You want a little more mixture for the crust than for the topping.) Bake for 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the lemon filling: Whisk sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest together. Mixture will be thick.
- Pour and spread filling over pre-baked crust (while crust is hot). Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture on top.
- Return bars to the oven and bake for 22–25 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned and appear set. Avoid over-baking. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Cool bars completely.
- Lift the bars out using the parchment paper overhang on the sides. Cut into squares.
- Cover leftover bars and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze cut bars in single layers between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before enjoying.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Square Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer
- 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: Make sure you are using sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk. There are no successful replacements for sweetened condensed milk in this particular recipe—it’s really the key ingredient. (Sometimes half-and-half or heavy cream works as a substitution, but then you’ll have to test with varying amounts of sugar since both are unsweetened.) Use one 14-ounce can full-fat sweetened condensed milk. Do not use fat-free because the filling will not set. Keep in mind that 14 ounces is the listed weight on the can. 1 standard 14-ounce can is a little over 1 liquid cup.
- Can I Double This Recipe? Yes. Double each ingredient and bake in a 9×13-inch pan. 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.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Made these squares today. For me, personally they are delicious! All other lemon square recipes I have are being deleted.
Any thoughts on using coconut condensed milk. Have to manage amount of dairy consumed..
Hi Natasha, we haven’t tested that exact substitution, but please do let us know if you try it and how the bars come out. We hope you enjoy them!
Hi i used coconut condensed milk, added a bit of tapioca flour to thicken it during cooking, or came out yummy and a bit soft and chewy, but firm enough to hold, might need to cook a little more closer to 30min for the middle part to firm up.
These are great! I added fresh rosemary to the crust/crumble mixture.
How do you adjust this to use already made lemon curd that’s been cooked?
Hi Liz, we don’t recommend replacing the lemon filling with lemon curd. Lemon curd won’t quite set up the same here. You could drizzle some lemon curd on top of the finished bars if desired.
When you give the oven temperature is it for a fan oven or should I reduce the given temperature? Thank yiu
Hi Margaret, all of the recipes on this site are written for conventional settings. Convection ovens are fantastic for cooking and roasting. If you have the choice, we recommend conventional settings when baking cakes, breads, etc. The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection (fan) settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
Has anyone tried this with limes? I happen to have an abundance of those right now!
Hi Anna, you can absolutely use limes here instead. Enjoy!
Could almond flour be used in place of regular?
I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Helen, we don’t recommend almond flour as it has very different baking properties and is not always a 1:1 swap. We haven’t tested it, but you might have success experimenting with a gluten-free all-purpose flour like Bob’s Red Mill or Cup4Cup. If you give anything a try, we’d love to know how it goes!
I would love to make a gluten free version of this for my daughter. Could you suggest any substitutes for the flour?
Hi G, we haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flours, but some readers have reported success using 1:1 flour substitutes (like Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill). If you try it, let us know how it goes!
I’m really excited to try these! I’m wondering: could I make these with shortbread as the bottom and keep the crumble as the topping (using your recipe from apple bars or lemon bars for the shortbread)? I’m just obsessed with that shortbread. Thanks!
We haven’t tested it but can’t see why not!
I think that’s a great idea to try.
Could you use a coconut milk based sweetened condensed milk for those of us who can’t have dairy?
Hi Kim, we haven’t tested that exact substitution, but please do let us know if you try it and how the bars come out. We hope you enjoy them!
If you did omit the dairy in your recipe, I would love to know how it turned out. And if you could include the brand of non-dairy products used I’d appreciate that too. I may do the same on the 4th as a friend joining us is vegan
These are nothing short of INCREDIBLE!! I LOVE lemon and have made countless recipes with lemons, and this one is by far the best. My non-lemon loving husband already asked when I will make them again! Ha!
Is there a way I could combine graham cracker crumbs (I always like to morph recipes! with the oatmeal crust? I’m going to try but would love your input/ideas/thoughts. And could you also make your lemon cream pie like the mini key lime pies in cupcake tins? All sound so delish! Thanks.
Hi Caryn, we haven’t tested a version of these with graham cracker crumbs, but it sounds delicious! It would take some tinkering, but let us know if you decide to do any experimenting. That should work just fine to make mini lemon cream pie! We’re unsure of the exact bake time.
I am definitely making this for our family reunion in August. Always looking for desserts that hold up well in August Midwest heat. Will let you know how it turns out. Love your recipes! Thank you!
Delicious, but next time I’ll add more lemon! Loved the texture and how easy they were to make. Just not lemony enough for us.
These came out great! I added some freeze dried lemon powder to the filling. Very lemony!!!
So, I couldn’t wait for the batch to cool completely and yes, it is amazing warm!! I love lemon everything and the oatmeal makes it healthy (he-he). Thank you for the recipe!
These are so delicious, as well as being quick and easy, AND made from simple ingredients that I almost always have on hand. They are sweet and creamy and almost remind me of having a lemon yogurt parfait. Do note that they are VERY sweet, though. I even increased both the lemon zest and the lemon juice in the filling. If you’re looking for a tart lemon flavor, I’d recommend Sally’s classic lemon bars recipe, instead, which are very tart and always a hit.
If I wanted to make a coconut lime version of these-what are your thoughts on switching out the butter for coconut oil? Or is butter a must here? And same amount of lime? And what’s the amount of coconut, as a mix in, that would be appropriate here. Thank you!
Hi Suji, we haven’t tested a coconut lime version of these bars, but it sounds delicious! Solid coconut oil should be an OK swap in the crust, but it may end up a little greasy. You can use the same amount of lime juice & zest. You could add coconut to the filling, or try adding it to the crust, replacing some of the oats. We’re unsure on exact amounts. Let us know what you try! You may also love our coconut lime cookies recipe.
I would be tempted to keep the butter & add toasted coconut to the crumble mix instead. The flavour combo sounds delicious!
If you wanted to use something closer to butter that’s made from coconut,try melt brand “butter” it’s vegan… No affiliation in my part… Just sharing info..
Absolutely delicious! I love making this recipe, and have tried a few additions to make it more fun. I most recently made this with a layer of blackberry filling on top of the lemon filling and it’s an amazing match! I’ve enjoyed other variations from blueberry to strawberry as well. Great sitting a summer recipe and my husband loves them for breakfast.
This recipe was delicious! I melted the butter because I was too lazy to cream it with the mixer, and I used lime instead of lemon because lemons are hard to find where I live in South America. I also didn’t pre-bake the crust. The rest I did as written. This turned out so good and the kids I made it for loved it!
I doubled the recipe for a work party! So many people asked for the recipe and already knew of Sally’s fantastic blog. Great lemon flavor and an easy option for transporting because it can be served at room temp. Even my skeptical partner polished off the rest of the batch when I got home.
Hi there! Trying to make small substitutions in my diet to be a tad healthier. Since we are using oatmeal in the recipe for the crust, can I use oat flour instead of all purpose? If so, do I need to add more baking powder?
Hi Eileen, we don’t recommend it. Oat flour has different baking properties than all purpose flour and isn’t always a 1:1 swap. It would take some recipe testing to properly incorporate it here. Hope you enjoy the bars!
Easy and delicious!
These were delicious! I only had low-fat sweetened condensed milk so I added 1 tbsp Ultra-Sperse, and it thickened perfectly. I used 125g Better Batter AP Gluten Free Flour (with xanthan gum) and it was a great gluten free dessert. Thank you.
Great recipe! Came out perfect and everyone loved them. Question: Would a grapefruit version work? If so, just sub out lemon zest and juice for equal amounts of grapefruit zest and juice? Would love your thoughts on this flavor and if you’ve tried it. Appreciate your expertise and recipes so very much. THANKS for all you do!
Hi Diane, we haven’t tested it, but a grapefruit version should be just fine! Let us know if you give it a try.
I have a whole bag of lemons I’m trying to use up, and this recipe did not disappoint. But then again I had no doubt in you Sally. These were wonderful. My family devoured them. I definitely will make again.
These are amazing!!!! My husband might even like these better than traditional Lemon Bars. They are light and flaky and don’t have an overpowering lemon taste
How would it taste to use Limes instead of Lemons for a change
Hi Devetta, you can absolutely use limes here instead. Enjoy!
Sally, I live in Canada and Eagle Brand Condensed Milk only comes in 300 ml cans….is this enough for your Oatmeal Lemon Crumble Bars??
Hi RJ, That will get you about 10 ounces, so you’ll need a little less than a can and a half.
I weighed the contents of my 300mL can of PC condensed milk and it came to 13.something ounces, so I’m guessing they’re the same size but it’s a very dense liquid.
My can was also very settled to the bottom and formed the stickiest substance on earth…I couldn’t get it all out lol