4 Ingredient Lemon Oatmeal Bars
These healthier lemon oatmeal bars need just 4 ingredients. No flour, eggs, added sugar, butter or oil. They are easy to make and customize.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz/296 ml ) whole milk, divided
- 1 cup (141g) pitted and halved Medjool dates, cup measurement is after dates are pitted and halved
- 2 tbsp (1 fl oz/30ml) lemon juice + 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 cups (186g) rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Heat 1 cup of milk in microwave or on the stove until hot but not boiling. Add it to a small mixing bowl and add in the pitted date halves and let them soak for about 15 minutes until they are very soft. Add dates and the soaking milk into a small food processor or blender and blend until you have a thin smooth puree and there are only very small flecks of date skin visible. Your mixture will be very liquidy. This is normal. Transfer the puree to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the remaining milk into the puree. Stir in the lemon juice and zest. Add in the oats and mix with a spatula until the oats are evenly incorporated. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes. During this time, the oats should absorb most of the liquid from the batter.
- Transfer your batter to your prepared baking pan. Smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until surface is light golden brown and the bars are cooked through. When you apply light pressure on the surface, it should not completely sink in but should bounce back slightly. Let bars cool fully before cutting and serving. You can also add frosting on top before serving. Store uneaten bars in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- Please note these are meant to be healthier oatmeal bars so they are not as rich and sweet as typical oatmeal bars. They taste like lemon flavored soft baked oats and are lightly sweet. You can add more richness or sweetness with other mix-ins.
- Dates note: This recipe works best with Medjool dates which have a softer flesh. The gram measurement and cup measurement are for after the dates have been pitted and halved. Don't measure the dates with a cup while the dates are whole because you won't be able to fit as many whole dates compared to halved pitted dates.
- If you want to reduce the sugar in this recipe, you can use 3/4 cup of dates instead of 1 cup and it will still work.
- I used Joolies Medjool Dates.*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- This recipe works best with whole milk rather than low fat or fat free milk because whole milk adds a little fat and richness to the bars. You can likely use a dairy free milk alternative such as coconut milk or almond milk but I did not test the recipe with dairy free milk alternatives.
- Frosting note: You can use whatever you favorite frosting is. To keep the bars healthier, I just topped them with sweetened vanilla Greek yogurt and some lemon zest. You can also top with lemon flavored Greek yogurt for even more lemon flavor.
Serving: 1bar, Calories: 98kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0.5g, Sodium: 9mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, NET CARBS: 17
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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