Lemon Oatmeal Crumb Bars

Three decorative plates with roses on them with a lemon crumb bar on top and fork to the side. Fresh lemons in the background.

4.38 from 27 votes

Delicious zesty Lemon Crumb Bars with incredible shortbread crust, perfect for lemon dessert lovers. Enjoy these creamy lemon bars for any occasion or everyday eating.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Desserts & Treats

Cuisine: American

Servings: bars

Calories: 307kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

Crust and Topping:

1 ¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour*
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
6 Tbsp coconut oil melted**
1/3 cup pure maple syrup***
Pinch sea salt

Creamy Lemon Filling:

1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/2 cup lemon juice
5 Tbsp pure maple syrup***
3 Tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour****

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper.
Mix together the all of the ingredients (both the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients) for the crust and crumb topping in a large bowl until well-combined. The mixture should be thick and resemble regular cookie dough. If it appears too crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of additional melted coconut oil.
Measure out ⅔ cup of the mixture and set it aside to be used as the crumb topping later. Press the rest of the crust mixture into the parchment-lined pan in an even layer. I find it’s easiest to do this using my hands.
Bake the crust for 15 minutes, just until the edges begin to turn slightly golden brown.
While the crust is baking, prepare the lemon filling.
Add all of the ingredients for the lemon filling mixture to a small saucepan and whisk together while heating over medium-high heat. Continue whisking constantly until everything is well combined and the mixture is thick and creamy. This should only take about 1 to 3 minutes.
Once the crust is out of the oven, immediately pour the lemon filling over the crust and spread it into an even layer. Crumble the reserved crumb mixture over top of the lemon filling.
Bake lemon bars for 15 to 20 minutes or until it appears as though the filling has set up and the crumble topping is slightly crispy.
Allow bars to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving. For the best results, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or foil once it has cooled off and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill completely.
These bars taste even better after they have sat and chilled in the refrigerator, so if you have the time, I recommend making them in advance of when you need them.

Notes

*To make the recipe grain-free, omit the gluten-free all-purpose flour and the rolled oats and use 2 ½ cups of almond flour for the crust and topping instead. Leave all the other ingredients for the crust/topping the same. Use tapioca flour in the creamy lemon filling.

**Use 1/2 cup of unsalted butter (melted) if you aren't dairy-free.

***Replace the pure maple syrup with granulated cane sugar if you’d like. For sweeter bars, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of regular cane sugar to both the crust mixture and the lemon filling.

****Use tapioca flour, arrowroot flour or cornstarch instead of gluten-free flour if you’d like.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I recommend using a container with a lid instead of a zip lock bag for storage because the lemon filling is slightly gooey. When stored in a bag, the bars can get easily mashed, unless stored securely on a flat surface.

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