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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
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, lemon zest, and melted butter in a bowl until completely combined.
Pro-Tip: If you need to crush the cookies for the crust, pulse in a blender or food processor for the perfect consistency.
Press the crust mixture into baking dish and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Pro-Tip: Use the bottom of a flat measuring cup to press the crust into the bottom of the pan. This ensures a nice firm base for the bars.
Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest, just until well combined.
Pro-Tip: Make sure your cream cheese is room temperature, or it may leave lumps in the filling.
Add the eggs and mix until the filling is completely incorporated.
Evenly pour the filling on top of the crust.
Drop the lemon curd by teaspoon on top of the filling.
Pro-Tip: If a brighter shade of lemon curd for the swirl is desired, you can add 2 – 3 drops of yellow food coloring.
Swirl the lemon curd and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.
Pro-Tip: Use the back of a knife or a toothpick to swirl. 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.
Remove from the oven. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature. Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Pro-Tip: Before slicing, you can place the cheesecake in the freezer for 15 – 20 minutes for a cleaner cut.
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!
Looking for something chocolaty? Try this Twix Cheesecake! It is ah-mazing!
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 Meltaway Cookies | Lemon Lava Cake | Lemon Puppy Chow | Lemon Drop Cakes
Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Video
Ingredients
CRUST:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 8 tbsp salted sweet cream butter melted
- 2 tsp fresh lemon zest
FILLING:
- 16 ounce packages cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup lemon curd (for the lemon swirl)
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray and set it aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, lemon zest, and melted butter. Stir until the mixture is completely combined.
- Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325°F.
Filling:
- Using a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on low speed, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest, just until well combined.
- Keeping the mixer speed on low, add the eggs one at a time. Mix until the filling is completely incorporated.
- Evenly pour the filling on top of the crust.
- Drop the lemon curd by teaspoon on top of the filling. Use a knife, toothpick, or offset spatula to shallowly swirl the lemon curd, being careful not to swirl too deep. Bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven, allow the cheesecake to sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Jenn’s Notes
- 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!
- 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.
Nutrition Info
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!
Originally posted March 7, 2020
