Name: Lemon Oat Bars
Yield: Makes 12 large or 24 small bars
Ingredients: Two 14 oz (396 g) cans sweetened condensed milk; ½ cup (120 g) lemon juice; 3 Tbsp. heavy cream; 1 Tbsp. lemon zest; ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract; Pinch salt; 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour; 1½ cups (120 g) rolled oats; ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar; ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar; ½ tsp. baking soda; ½ tsp. salt; 1 cup (2 sticks or 227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Photo by Sarah Kieffer

We made a version of these lemon oat bars at a café I worked at in South Minneapolis, and they always sold out quickly. Over the years, I tinkered with the recipe by adding more sweetened condensed milk, a little salt, and some crème fraîche. They are great make-ahead bars, perfect for holidays, events, or just afternoon snacking.

This recipe was excerpted from '100 Cookies' by Sarah Kieffer. Buy the full book on Amazon. Get more of our favorite bar cookies →