Lemon Curd Bars

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One of the things I love about this lemon curd bar recipe is that the crust has an oatmeal base! I also love that perfect layer of lemon curd: not too much and not too little.

Closer view of the lemon bars on two plates with tea, lemon and the pan behind themPin

Okay, it’s no surprise that I made lemon curd.  Here’s the recipe.  Lemon reminds me of my grandmother!  Holy moly, she made the best lemon desserts.  Seriously.  I could cry thinking of her lemon meringue pies, her lemon bread and other lemon delicacies I can’t quite put into words.

Lemon is one of the few flavors I would pick over chocolate.  Lemon desserts and cocktails are so scrumptious!  But I don’t eat them as much as I do chocolate.  So I welcome the change and leap in the air when I think of eating these lemon curd bars.

What do I think about lemon bars I see either in coffee shops or online?  They have too much lemon curd in them.  And don’t get me started on the idea of spreading frosting on them.  Not only do I not want to eat that much sugar, but the taste is too rich for me.  I think of the saying “less is more” with these lemon curd bars. That is definitely the truth.

What do I think of that fantastically delicious oat/flour/butter mixture that serves as both the crust and the topping to sandwich the perfect amount of lemon curd? It starts my heart singing!

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Helpful tips

  • Make your own lemon curd as it is so easy.  I would not recommend using canned lemon filling.
  • Make sure you grease your pan liberally.
  • When you bake these bars, the lemon curd more often than not gets crispy around the sides.  Don’t worry about it.  They are yummy taste treats and the crispy sides are fun to eat first.
  • Make sure to have your butter at room temperature before placing it in your mixer.

How to make lemon curd bars

Pre-step

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and liberally grease an 8 x 8 pan.

Step one

Gather the ingredients – old fashioned oats, brown sugar, flour, room temperature butter and baking soda. (A)

Step two

Grab your stand mixer and place 6 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in it.  Turn the mixer on medium and cream the two ingredients together. (B)

On left - oatmeal, sugars, butter, lemon curd and baking soda. On right - butter and sugars mixed in a mixerPin

Step three

Add 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup rolled oats, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. (C) Turn the mixer on again and mix until everything is incorporated.

Step four

Take 3/4 of the dough and press it in the greased pan. (D)

On left - flour, oats and baking soda added to the butter/sugar mixture. On right square pan with the crust layer pressed downPin

Step five

Spread about 1.5 – 2 cups of the lemon curd on the dough layer. (E)

Step six

Take the rest of the oat mixture and crumble it over the lemon curd. (F)

On left - lemon curd dolloped on the crust layer. On right, more batter poured on the curd layerPin

Step seven

Place the pan into the oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

Freshly baked lemon bars in a square pan with two oven mitts in the backgroundPin

Let the lemon bars cool 10 minutes before you cut into them.

Time to serve the bars.

A piece of the lemon bar being lifted out of the pan and over a plate with a fork on itPin

Doesn’t that look good?  I like the crispy little edges.  When I’m left to my own devices, I eat that part first.

Lemon bars on two white plates with tea and the pan of bars in the backgroundPin

Soooooo good.

I hope you enjoyed this lemon curd bars recipe!

Please feel free to leave me a lemon lovin’ comment.

And as always, may all your dishes be delish.

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM and PINTEREST  to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

Spatula with a lemon bar on it held over a square pan with more bars in itPin

Lemon Curd Bars

These lemon curd bars are delicious and easy to make! My family loves them.
5 from 26 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Keyword: fruit bars, lemon curd bars, ways to use lemon curd
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 9 bars
Calories: 276kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons butter (softened – room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup spelt flour (or any flour)
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup oats (old fashioned)
  • 1.5 cup lemon curd (1.5 – 2 cups)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 F
  • Grease pan
  • In a mixer, add butter and sugar. Mix on medium until incorporated
  • Add flour, baking soda, salt and rolled oats and turn the mixer on medium. Mix until incorporated
  • Press 3/4 of the dough in the bottom of the pan
  • Spread lemon curd over that layer
  • Sprinkle the remaining dough on top of the lemon curd layer
  • Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Mine took 20 minutes
  • Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting them into bars
  • Serve
  • Smile
  • Enjoy
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Notes

Tips for Making this Lemony treat:
  • Make your own lemon curd as it is so easy.  I would not recommend using canned lemon filling.
  • Make sure you grease your pan liberally.
  • When you bake these bars, the lemon curd more often than not gets crispy around the sides.  Don’t worry about it.  They are yummy taste treats and the crispy sides are fun to eat first.
  • Make sure to have your butter at room temperature before placing it in your mixer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
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Originally published May of 2017.

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54 Comments

  1. These look wonderful! I am a “middle” piece person myself. Love all of the topping, yum!

  2. These lemon curd bars look fantastic! They’ll be a real crowd-pleaser at summer potluck parties! So nice that you have those memories of your grandmother surrounding your love for all things lemon!

  3. I love the name of this first of all and second, they look delicious. How sweet that you always return containers with food in them. Wish I was your neighbor!

  4. These look so tasty! I do make lemon bars but the addition of oatmeal crumble on top takes it to the next level. I’m definitely making this!

  5. Yum! I will definitely give these a go. I love lemon anything. Love the way it can make your face cave in too! ?

  6. Mmm, I could use a piece or two with my morning coffee. We love lemon desserts! Saving this one. 🙂

  7. This is one outstanding recipe! I love the oat mixture with the lemon. I could eat a whole pan of these things.

  8. Lemon curd is a favorite treat of mine but I’ve never made bars with it before, what a delicious idea! I’m looking forward to making this with my kids sometime this week. Thanks so much for the beautiful post.

  9. YES please. I am a LEMON lover. I can eat lemon curd by the spoonful. What a great dessert for Easter dinner.

  10. The oatmeal crumble on the top…wow! This is such a brilliant addition, I’ll try your way soon. Thanks for the amazing recipe.

  11. I think I agree with you in picking lemon over chocolate. I never thought about that, but it’s true now that you brought that up. My lemon trees are covered in fruit right now so I think these bars will perfect.

  12. I love lemon bars! These look so delicious and unique – different than my usual recipe. Can’t wait to try this!

    1. Thanks Natalie! I love lemon bars done this way. I love them with shortbread too but this is my favorite.

  13. I’m such a huge fan of anything lemony, these look so easy to put together and so delicious! Look forward to trying them this Spring!

  14. I LOVE lemon curd! It’s such a staple in our house – we put it on pancakes or waffles, stir it into yogurt, put a dollop on top of a slice of pound cake. But one thing I haven’t tried is baking it into lemon bars. Can’t wait to try this recipe!

  15. I like this version of a lemon bar with oats! They look so good, and I love the tang from the lemon curd. I too love chocolate but cannot resist lemon desserts 🙂 .

  16. Lemon curd is seriously one of my favorites and in these bars with the oats and brown sugar….YUM! I can only imagine the flavor is AMAZING!

  17. Lemons are amazing this time of year. And these bars look fantastic! I’m so into lemony desserts lately so I will definitely give this recipe a try. Love that you you used spelt flour.

  18. I’d pick lemon over chocolate too! These bars look yummy with an old fashioned appeal. The kind you’d take to a potluck!

  19. These beautiful little lemon curd bars remind me of summer picnics! I LOVE! the oatmeal base, they look so delicious and a little crunchy ! 🙂

  20. I am loving your recipe! Lemon is a favorite flavor and you have made the recipe so easy to follow! This is a winner of a recipe for me!

  21. Those lemon curd bars look fantastic! With summer approaching,they’ll be a crowd pleaser for any gathering!