Lemon Oatmeal Crumble

Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I love all the weekend days (I include Friday in this count as well) in different ways. While I view Friday and Saturday for socializing and taking in as many activities as possible, Sunday has become my “me” day. Unless I’ve had to skip a workout earlier in the week, I usually don’t exercise on Sundays and it’s the one day when I don’t let myself run around doing a million things. Instead, I rest. I sleep in, read the paper with a caffeinated beverage in tow, clear out the dvr, take Bax to the dog park, paint, and do anything else that strikes my fancy. It’s truly the day I most appreciate being an adult and the freedom to do as I please.

This Sunday, I awoke with the realization that I would be out of town the next two weekends. Although I’m beyond excited to be visiting two of my absolute favorite people, my absence means I won’t have another “me” Sunday until May! Determined to make the most out of the day, I decided to break out Mr. Red and see what taste bud pleasers I could whip up. Sadly, the first recipe was a swing and a miss. 


For reasons that are both slightly unclear and very frustrating, I cannot make a pancake to save my life! This recipe had a lot of potential too. It met my requirement of being whole wheat and included not only my favorite pancake ingredient (blueberries), but also allowed me to use 3 of the almost dozen bananas that I had in layaway in the freezer and most of the buttermilk I had on had (and whose expiration was imminent). I’m not entirely sure where the ultimate issue with the recipe lay, as the batter was also a little moister than it should have been, so I felt like I started off with one foot in the grave. In the end, despite my best efforts to ensure my griddle plate was properly heated before adding the dough, I ended up with burnt and slightly raw pancakes. It was upsetting. The only silver lining was that I did manage to flip them without completely destroying them, as is my usual custom. But, I would be lying if I said my confidence wasn’t hurt by a failing of that magnitude so early in the morning. TF, in his infinite pancake making wisdom, would later tell me my issue this time was that my griddle had gotten too hot. Such a delicate process, clearly I’m not ready for it.

Blueberry banana buttermilk pancakes...before things went a-rye 

Later in the day, after the wounds from the morning’s failings had time to heal, I returned to the kitchen, this time in the name of dessert. Once again, the lemons were taunting me from the top of the fridge. 


Since it was obscenely hot in the District on Sunday (I moved here from Oklahoma to escape the heat, 90 degree temperatures in April is not what I signed on for), a light lemon treat sounded divine. As an added bonus, and to keep myself from eating the whole thing, I decided I could give the majority of the finished product to my parents as a thank you for babysitting Bax dog during my upcoming jet setting around the country. The only problem with deciding on a recipe was that I couldn’t found one that looked like what I was picturing in my head and didn’t require condensed milk. 


I’ll be honest, I hate condensed milk, it creeps me out like no other and I prefer to go through life pretending it doesn’t exist. Consequently, I keep none in the home and since it was a thousand degrees outside by this point in the day (a gross exaggeration perhaps, but in my laziness I really just wasn’t into leaving the air condition for a can of something I hate) I found myself at a baking crossroads. Determined to produce something delicious and lemony, I decided I had no choice but to improvise.

Despite my shaken confidence, I decided I was still brave enough to pull portions of several different recipes into one finished product that would either be delectable or an epic fail. 

Lemon Oatmeal Crumble

First up, the crust. Craving a crumble top and bottom with lemon enclosed in the middle, I created an oatmeal crumble.

Oatmeal Crumble Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked old fashioned oats
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Oatmeal Crumble Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix together ingredients until they resemble a coarse crumble
3. Reserve 1 and 1/2 cups of the crumble and spread remainder onto the bottom of a 13x9 greased baking dish
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes

Lemon Filling Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Got rid of a lot of lemons with this recipe (finally putting a dent in my stash)

Lemon Filing Preparation

1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs and remaining 2/3 cup granulated sugar until blended
2. Add remaining 2 tablespoons flour, lemon zest and juice, and buttermilk; beat until smooth
3. Pour filling evenly over the baked crumble and top with remaining crumble from earlier
4. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and top is starting to turn golden

I got a little nervous at this juncture, fearing that the top and bottom layers of the crumble were going to become one because the lemon filling was too soft

My fears were unwarranted...it turned out amazing 

Delicious and just what I craved