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Lemon cheesecake bars are a simple and sweet treat with a graham cracker crust, cheesecake filling and lemon curd filling swirled throughout. They are the perfect dessert for every occasion!
Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Lemon desserts of any kind are so refreshing. They tend to be a fan favorite, from the kids to the grandparents. These cheesecake bars are not only a refreshing favorite but a creamy and delicious dessert that is so simple to make.
I’m not sure if my favorite part is the rich and smooth cream cheese and lemon filling, or the perfect graham cracker crust. This combo is to die for and makes the perfect dessert whether you’re heading to a potluck or a family get together.
Ingredients
I like to break the ingredients list for this one down into two parts –crust and filling.
Graham Cracker Crust:
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Sugar
- Butter
Filling:
- Full fat cream cheese (you will want to bring the cream cheese to room temperature)
- Eggs (you will want to bring the eggs to room temperature)
- Sour cream
- Sugar
- 1 Large Lemon
- Jar of lemon curd
How to Make Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- Bake the crust.
- Mix together the ingredients for the filling and spread evenly over the baked and cooled crust.
- Drop spoonfuls of lemon curd over the cheesecake base and swirl together (not going all the way to the crust, just on top).
- Bake for 40 minutes (center will be a little jiggly but don’t worry, it will firm up as it cools!)
- Cool at least 3 hours and once cooled down you are ready to serve! (preferably cooled overnight in the fridge to make for easier slicing)
Pro Tips
Tip 1: Use one large lemon for all of the lemon ingredients. If you do it right, you can zest the lemon first and leave it in a bowl to use when needed. Then, cut the lemon in half and juice it to get your fresh lemon juice.
That way, you are using the entire lemon and there is no waste! If you juice it first, it makes it more difficult to get the zest!
Tip 2: If you don’t have a juicer at home for your lemons, that’s no problem! You can use the backside of a spoon to make sure that you get all the juice possible out of your lemon.
Tip 3: These are much better if they have the chance to cool completely overnight in the fridge. That way they can stiffen up and will be much easier to cut.
I recommend making them one day before you actually plan to serve them.
Tip 4: Use the back of a knife when swirling the lemon curd into the cheesecake mixture, but do so carefully! When you’re swirling the two together, you do not want to over swirl, or your risk losing the beautiful pattern it creates.
How to Store Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Make sure that in between serving, you store your lemon cheesecake bars in the fridge!
That way they will stay nice as fresh, and they will keep their shape. If you leave them out for too long they may get too warm and melt a bit.
Note: these bars will stay fresh for about 3 days if kept in the refrigerator!
MORE LEMON DESSERTS
Lemon Lush | Lemon Icebox Cake | Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins | Lemon Meringue Cookies | Blueberry Crumble Bars {with Lemon Zest Crumble} | Strawberry Lemonade Bars
Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Lemon cheesecake bars are a simple and sweet treat with a graham cracker crust, cheesecake filling and lemon curd filling swirled throughout. They are the perfect dessert for every occasion!
Ingredients
CRUST:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 8 tablespoons butter (melted)
FILLING:
- 3 8 ounce bars full fat cream cheese (room temperature)
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about one large lemon)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about the zest of one lemon)
- 1 12.7 ounce jar lemon curd
Instructions
-
Line 9x13 pan with foil or parchment paper.
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-
In a medium bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Press into the prepared 9x13 pan.
-
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
-
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
-
In a large mixing bowl add the cream cheese, eggs, sour cream, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Beat until smooth and no lumps remain.
-
Pour filling onto graham cracker base.
-
Drop spoonfuls of lemon curd randomly over the top of the cheesecake base. Using a knife gently swirl the lemon curd into the dough (not going all the way to the crust but just on top).
-
Bake for 40 minutes at 325 degrees. Center will be slightly jiggly in the center and will firm up as they cool.
-
Allow them to cool at least 3 hours and once cooled down preferably continued cooling overnight in the fridge to make for easier slicing.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Tips for Making Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Tip 1: Use one large lemon for all of the lemon ingredients. If you do it right, you can zest the lemon first and leave it in a bowl to use when needed. Then, cut the lemon in half and juice it to get your fresh lemon juice. That way, you are using the entire lemon and there is no waste! If you juice it first, it makes it more difficult to get the zest!
Tip 2: If you don’t have a juicer at home for your lemons, that’s no problem! You can use the backside of a spoon to make sure that you get all the juice possible out of your lemon.
Tip 3: These are much better if they have the chance to cool completely overnight in the fridge. That way they can stiffen up and will be much easier to cut. I recommend making them one day before you actually plan to serve them.
Tip 4: Use the back of a knife when swirling the lemon curd into the cheesecake mixture, but do so carefully! When you’re swirling the two together, you do not want to over swirl, or your risk losing the beautiful pattern it creates.
Nutrition per serving
This is the perfect combination of tart sweetness. The creamy filling with the lemon curd is seriously so delicious! And it’s all topped off by the amazing graham cracker crust. These lemon cheesecake bars are a timeless, tasty treat that’s perfect for all types of occasions!
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