One more easy and delicious recipe for Superbowl! I always tend to lean toward chocolate recipes for the big game but this time decided to go in the complete opposite direction and go with lots and lots of LEMON! I absolutely love citrus desserts like Key Lime Pie, Lemon Cheesecake, Lemon Bars and Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake, just to name a few. And these Lemon Creme Crumb Bars can now be added to my list of favorite citrus sweets!
I was craving something similar to the lemon sandwich cookie from the Girl Scouts but these bars blow those sandwich cookies out of the water and beyond satisfied my craving! The crunchy oat and coconut crust and topping is so buttery and slightly salty with just the right amount of sweetness. Then there’s the gooey, creamy lemon filling. Oh. My. Word. It’s similar to the texture of key lime pie filling but not quite as firm. And just the right amount of real, tart lemon juice.
This is the kind of dessert that isn’t too rich and I could eat 2 or 3 (or 6!) pieces of. I promise these will be a hit for Superbowl or any party you bring them to!
Enjoy!
- 2½ c. All-Purpose Flour
- 2½ c. Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
- 1¼ t. Salt
- 1 t. Baking Soda
- 1 c. Granulated Sugar
- 1 c. Brown Sugar, packed
- 3 Sticks Unsalted Butter, melted
- 2 T. Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1½ c. Sweetened Flaked Coconut, toasted
- 1 c. White Chocolate Chips
- 2, 14 oz. Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 2 T. Finely Grated Lemon Zest
- ⅔ c. Fresh Lemon Juice (5-6 Large Lemons)
- 4 Large Egg Yolks
- 1 t. Lemon Extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9x13 baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, rolled oats, salt and baking soda. Stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until no clumps of sugar remain. Stir in vanilla and melted butter until evenly moistened. Stir in toasted coconut. Spoon half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan and gently press into an even layer. Stir white chocolate chips into remaining crumb crust mixture and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolks and lemon extract until well blended. Pour mixture over crumb crust in baking pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle top evenly with remaining crumb mixture. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cool, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, then remove and cut into squares. Store in and airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve chilled.
I usually eat chocolate cookies but these lemon crumb bars really suit me as they look both crunchy and melty. Love both textures combination so much!