Sweet and cool oatmeal lemon cream bars will appeal to both children and adults. If you are tired of oatmeal cookies and want something new, be sure to try this recipe. The bottom and top layer is a baked oat crust. Inside there is a sweet filling of sweetened condensed milk with lemon notes. If you don’t like lemon, you can try replacing it with orange.

By the way, you can use this recipe to make oatmeal cookies only. Simply spread all of the dough over the parchment, bake and cut into pieces.

WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE OATMEAL LEMON CREAM BARS?

All ingredients are readily available to make these bars. To make oatmeal lemon cream bars from scratch,

let’s start with the dough. Combine flour, oatmeal, salt, and baking soda, then add sugar, pour in melted butter, vanilla and knead to wet dough. Divide it into 2 parts. Tamp one part into an 8 * 8 inch parchment-lined baking dish.

Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, egg yolks, lemon juice, and zest.

Pour the filling over the baked crust and crush the remaining half of the dough over the filling, covering it completely. Bake for another 25 minutes, then cool at room temperature and refrigerate for at least an hour.

HOW TO MAKE OATMEAL LEMON CREAM BARS

• Step 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Sprinkle oil on an 8 * 8-inch baking dish. I prefer to line it with a sheet of parchment, so I can easily get the bar out of the baking dish by simply pulling it out by the free edges of the parchment.
  In a large bowl, combine the sifted flour, oatmeal, salt, and baking soda.
• Step 2. Pour white and brown sugar into the same bowl and mix thoroughly.

• Step 3. Melt the butter, cool slightly, and pour with vanilla into a bowl of flour and oatmeal. Stir well until all ingredients are wet and sticky.

• Step 4. Divide the resulting dough into 2 equal parts. Place one half of the dough in the prepared baking dish and press gently, filling the baking dish evenly.
• Step 5. Place in oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly.

• Step 6. In a bowl, combine the condensed milk, vanilla, lemon juice, zest, and yolks. Stir until smooth and pour over the first layer into a baking dish.

• Step 7. Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal dough on top, carefully breaking up the lumps with your fingers and evenly covering the entire filling.

• Step 8. Bake in the oven for another 25 minutes. Then remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Remove the Oatmeal Lemon Cream Bars from the baking dish by the loose edges of the parchment, cut into portions and serve.

SHOULD LEMON BARS BE REFRIGERATED AFTER BAKING?

For convenient cutting and serving, I highly recommend chilling them in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Most of the time I cook oatmeal lemon cream bars in the evening and leave them in the refrigerator overnight.

So the filling will definitely solidify. Be sure the egg yolks are large enough. If the eggs are small, use 3 or 4 yolks.

HOW TO FREEZE OATMEAL LEMON CREAM BARS?

Wait until the bars are completely cool, remove them from the mold by the free edges of the parchment, and wrap them in foil. Or fold in a large container with an airtight lid. Put in the freezer and store for 3-4 months. Defrost the bars in the refrigerator overnight before use.

TIPS FOR BAKING THE PERFECT OATMEAL LEMON CREAM BARS

1. Use large egg yolks. If the eggs are small, use 3 or 4 yolks.
2. Optionally, you can use any oatmeal, quick or old fashioned. I prefer to use medium cooking (5-7 minutes).
3. Warm bars can be served with ice cream.