Oatmeal Lemon Cream Bars

These easy lemon bars have a creamy lemon filling between two thick crumbly oatmeal layers.  A delightful balance of sweet and tangy!

Summer break started here in the good ol’ south almost one month ago.  We already took our summer vacation trips.  One to LEGOLAND Florida Resort (more on that in a future post) and then immediately the following week we made our bi-annual Gladd family trip to Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina.  We even had our church’s VBS last week and now this week I’m wondering “what in the world are we going to do??”

I’m not one who signs my kids up for all sorts of summer camps, but maybe I should have?  I need to get creative this summer with them!  We’ll hit the pool probably every day and I’ve been working on a chore/activity chart (because Judah loves structure).  But, I could totally use your ideas for summer activity ideas, or even ways to enjoy our down times!

All that aside, summer is a great time to enjoy fruity desserts which is where this recipe comes in.  I love lemon or berry or any fruity type of sweets during the summer!  Similar to my Blueberry Crumb Bars, these lemon bars can be served at room temperature, cold, or warm right out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream!

Enjoy!

One year ago:  Apple Butter Cherry Cobbler Bars
Two years ago:  Grilled Chicken Tacos with Spiced Mayo and Avocado Salsa
Three years ago:  Slice ‘n Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies
Five years ago:  Lemon Scones
Eight years ago:  Strawberry Cupcakes

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Oatmeal Lemon Cream Bars

These easy lemon bars have a creamy lemon filling between two thick crumbly oatmeal layers. A delightful balance of sweet and tangy!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 16 servings

Ingredients

For the oatmeal crust and topping:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter , melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the lemon filling:

• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the oatmeal crust and topping:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking dish; set aside. Combine the flour, oats, salt and baking soda in a medium sized mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the sugars until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla and melted butter and mix until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Gently press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven and set aside, leaving the oven on at 350 degrees.

For the lemon filling:

1. Whisk together the condensed milk, lemon zest and juice, egg yolks and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour into the baking pan over the baked crust. Spread evenly. Crumble the remaining oatmeal crust evenly over top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, until light golden. Remove and let set to cool at room temperature. Refrigerate for 1 hour and cut into squares once cooled, or serve warm with ice cream. Store covered in the fridge.
2. Recipe Source: Cooking Classy