Lemon Crumb Bars

Fresh, creamy lemon filling between crumbly streusel layers made with a rolled oat shortbread is the perfect combo of sweet and tart in this refreshing crumb bar recipe.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. JUMP TO THE RECIPE
2. A FEW RECIPE NOTES
3. CLEANING LEMONS WITH A VINEGAR SALT BATH
4. MORE TREATS WITH SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK

You know how sometimes you just want something that’s not chocolate?

ME NEITHER!!

Ha! 😆 But apparently this is a thing because my friend Dawn doesn’t like chocolate and is always game for sweet treats that aren’t chocolate.

I'll never wrap my brain around someone not liking chocolate. Maybe it's some biological predisposition like people have with cilantro and asparagus??

But sometimes I do get a craving for other sweets too. Especially lemon (and coconut)!

I love the "magic" that happens to make the lemon filling in these. The acid from the lemon juice reacts with the sweetened condensed milk to thicken it into a lemon cream that's almost like pudding! The same thing happens in the Italian Bakeless Cake (also a favorite of mine!).

A FEW NOTES ABOUT MAKING LEMON CRUMB BARS

• The recipe calls for 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice - two lemons typically yield about 1/2 cup  juice if that helps with your shopping list.
• You can clean the lemons before zesting with a Vinegar Salt Bath (see section below for details).
• If you need to use more than half of the crumb mixture to cover the bottom of the pan, that’s OK. You can use up to 2/3 of the mixture.
• I prefer these made as pictured, which is in a 13x9 pan. For thicker bars, you can use a 9x9 pan but you will need to pre-bake the bottom crust 15 minutes then allow to cool 10-15 minutes. Both are lovely, I just like the "cookie feel" the thinner bars have and don't have the patience to pre-bake the bottom crust.

HOW TO CLEAN LEMONS AND OTHER CITRUS FRUIT WITH A VINEGAR SALT BATH

Warm white vinegar paired with salt is effective in killing many types of mold and foodborne bacteria (such as salmonella, E. coli and listeria). It also works well to remove pesticides and wax.

DIRECTIONS:  Combine 1 cup boiling water, 2 cups white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of salt in a bowl then stir until salt dissolves. Soak whole lemons in mixture for 30 seconds then rinse with cold water. Dry with paper towels before zesting.

A quick vinegar bath won’t protect against everything, but it definitely helps against threats most often found in produce. This solution can only be used with fruit and vegetables with thick, continuous skin or rind.

MORE TREATS WITH SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK

• Coconut Macaroon Kisses - A tender and light, yet rich and dreamy recipe for chewy coconut cookies topped with Hershey’s Kiss chocolate drops.
• One-Bowl Chewy Chocolate Cookies - Sweetened condensed milk and just a few simple ingredients make this recipe for chewy, fudgy, brownie-like cookies a breeze to whip together!
• Man Bars - Easy and unique cookie bars made with graham cracker crumbs and chocolate chips, cut and rolled in powdered sugar.
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars - This easy recipe features a peanut butter fudge layer between an oatmeal cookie base studded with chocolate chips on top.
• Almond Joy Magic Cookie Bars - A true spin on the original classic recipe with almonds, chocolate chips, coconut and chocolate graham cracker crumbs that Almond Joy fans will love!

Recipe for Lemon Crumb Bars

Lemon Crumb Bars

Yield: 12

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Fresh, creamy lemon filling between crumbly streusel layers made with a rolled oat shortbread is the perfect combo of sweet and tart in this refreshing crumb bar recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• Zest from 2 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup quick-cook oats

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
2. Combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon zest in small bowl, stir well then set aside at least 5 minutes. The lemon juice will thicken the condensed milk as it sets.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
4. Combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl then beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture and oats then mix until crumbly.
5. Press half of crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of prepared pan, covering the bottom completely to make a crust.
6. Spread lemon mixture evenly over bottom crust then sprinkle remaining crumb mixture evenly on top.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until edges start to brown. Cool in pan completely then cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

• Two lemons typically yield about 1/2 cup of lemon juice.
• Clean lemons with Vinegar Salt Bath before zesting if desired (see section above recipe card for recipe and details).
• If you need to use more than half of the crumb mixture to cover the bottom of the pan, that’s OK. You can use up to 2/3 of the mixture.
• I prefer these made as pictured, which is in a 13x9 pan. For thicker bars, you can use a 9x9 pan but you will need to pre-bake the bottom crust 15 minutes then allow to cool 10-15 minutes. Both are lovely, I just like the "cookie feel" the thinner bars have and don't have the patience to pre-bake the bottom crust.

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2017/05/lemon-crumb-bars.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2017

lemon, fresh, crumb, crumble, streusel, oats, oatmeal, sweetened condensed milk, no without eggs, egg-free, best, how to, bars, zest, tart, recipe, vinegar, salt, bath, rinse, cleaning citrus

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