Creamy lemon crumble bars are my favorite nut-free, egg-free lemon bars. I love the creamy lemon filling sandwiched between a brown sugar and oatmeal topping and crust.
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Easy Cookie Bar Recipe That is Egg-Free and Nut-Free
One of my favorite desserts are lemon bars and when I shared my Meyer Lemon Bar with Brown Butter (Nut-Free) Recipe, some of you wanted my egg-free recipe too! I tried an egg-free lemon bar made with a combination of lemon juice and a thickener once and didn’t love it. Pioneer Woman’s Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares is good but it’s too sweet for me.
My family likes the creamy filling made from sweetened condensed milk and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. I make the lemon crumble bars in a slightly smaller pan so that that the creamy layer is thicker and creamier. Since I juice my own lemons, I remove the seeds but add the lemon pulp for a burst of flavor and more fiber to the sweetened condensed milk and mix until smooth.
Due to using a 9×9 pan which is smaller than 9×11, I reduce the crust and topping ingredients by 25% so that it’s less sweet. Bump up the ratio of oats and flour for more fiber and nutrition. I should have used 6 tablespoons of butter (3/4 of a stick) but accidentally used 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) and it worked. I also use a fat-free sweetened condensed milk so that overall the recipe is less sweet, reduced fat, with more fiber but still a delicious dessert.
The end results of my adaptations are a lemon bar with a sturdy crust, a creamy filling that is very lemony, and topped with crumbly, granola-like pieces. This lemon crumble bar recipe is nut-free and egg-free, and easy to make dairy-free if not allergic to coconut.
How to Make Lemon Crumble Bars
This recipe is very easy to make without an electric mixer and uses pantry staples, butter, and fresh lemons. Line the pan with parchment paper so that it’s easy to lift cut, serve, and clean up. Rub a tiny bit of butter on the parchment paper which will help the crust crisp up while baking. Combine all the dry ingredients with butter using a pastry cutter (or two knives) and then press about 2 cups of the oatmeal mixture into a parchment paper lined 9×9 metal baking pan.
Zest some lemons with a zester, the lemons should easily glide over the zester. Then cut the zested lemons in half and juice them. Use a spoon to remove the seeds but keep the juicy lemon pulp. Combine the lemon juice with the sweetened condensed milk and then pour over the prepared crust. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture and then bake.
Allergy Aware Lemon Bars
This recipes is free of peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, fish, shellfish, and sesame as written.
The recipe does use milk products such as butter and sweetened condensed milk. However you can substitute with a dairy-free buttery baking stick and a sweetened condensed milk made with coconut.
The other top allergen is wheat. It’s possible to use a wheat-free and gluten-free flour. However one of the key ingredients in the recipe is oats, which may have cross-contact with wheat.
The Best Egg-Free Lemon Bar: Creamy Lemon Crumble
Equipment
- 1 9×9 baking pan
- 1 pastry cutter
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup all-purpose flour can use whole wheat if desired
- 1 cup oatmeal old-fashioned
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar light or dark
- 3 large lemons zest and 1/2 cup juice, or 4 small/medium lemons
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, fat-free regular is ok too
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and check that a rack is in the middle position. Line a 9×9 square baking pan with a piece of parchment paper. Lightly butter the bottom of the parchment paper, set aside tha pan and the butter to soften.
- In a medium bowl, combine the 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup oatmeal, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt with a pastry cutter. Add the 3/4 cup brown sugar and the remaining 4 ounces unsalted butter, use the pastry cutter to combine the ingredients until the mixture is crumbly. Spread about 2 cups the oatmeal mixture into your parchment lined baking pan and use a flat smooth surface to press the mixture together and slightly up the sides of the pan about 1/4 inch.
- Over a second medium-sized mixing bowl, zest 3 large lemons and then juice them. You will need 1/2 cup lemon juice (pulp included) and juice the last lemon as needed. Add the lemon juice and 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, fat-free to the bowl. Use a spatula or whisk to stir until the lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk are combined.
- Pour the lemon filling over the prepared pan and avoid pouring over the edge of the crust. Use the back of a spoon to spread the filling evenly and leaving a slight border. Sprinkle the remaining filling over the filling and bake on a middle rack for 25-30 minutes. The lemon bars are ready a few minutes after you start to smell the butter and lemon and when the topping looks a light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow the lemon bars to cool down for 30 minutes. Use a sharp knife and press down to cut them into 16 pieces (I use a cleaver!). Allow the filling to set in the refrigerator for a few hours but they are tempting to enjoy warm.
Nutrition
Related Recipes
If you love egg-free and nut-free lemon recipes, you might like my recipe for Delicious Lemon Vanilla Crinkle Cookies Recipe. I also have shared a recipe for Blueberry Lemon Muffins Recipe that’s perfect for a sweet snack.
People who are also allergic to dairy will enjoy this Easy Lemon Cake recipe that is free of nuts, eggs, and dairy!
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