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Old Fashioned Lemon Oatmeal Bars

by Jessie Daye

First published: June 10, 2025 | Updated: June 10, 2026
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Lemon Oatmeal Bars

Crust & Topping

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste (or extract)

1 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour, leveled

2 cups old-fashioned whole oats

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Lemon Filling

1 (14-ounce) can full-fat sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup lemon curd

6 tablespoons (90ml) lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

Old Fashioned Lemon Oatmeal Bars

Author: Jessie Daye
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Cook 35 minutes
Buttery oatmeal bars with a tangy lemon filling

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour leveled
  • 2 cups old-fashioned whole oats
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 can full-fat sweetened condensed milk 14-ounce
  • ¼ cup lemon curd
  • 6 tablespoons lemon juice about 2 lemons
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest about 1 lemon

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the bars out easily once cooled. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until creamy and well combined (about 2 minutes). Add the vanilla, flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix until combined. Stir in the oats until the mixture becomes a crumbly dough.
  3. Set aside about 1/3 of the oat mixture for the topping. Press the remaining 2/3 of the oat mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
  4. While the crust bakes, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon curd, and lemon zest in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
  5. Remove the crust from the oven. Pour the lemon filling evenly over the warm crust. Swirl in dollops of lemon curd on top of this layer for extra lemon flavor. Crumble the reserved oat mixture over the top of the lemon layer.
  6. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until the top is lightly golden.
  7. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan at room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Notes

For extra lemon flavor, swirl in dollops of lemon curd on top of the filling layer before adding the oat topping. Bars must cool completely at room temperature and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.

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Hi, I'm Jessie. 

I’m a Los Angeles mama, home renovator, and lifelong creative, sharing the things that make everyday life a little more beautiful. I believe food is one of the best ways to bring people together, which is why I love cooking: it turns an ordinary Tuesday into something worth remembering. From recipes I make on repeat to DIY projects, home design, and a little bit of real life in between — welcome to my corner of the internet. I’m so glad you’re here.

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