These double lemon cheesecake bars are the perfect combination of sweet and citrus! Made with an easy graham crust and topped with two layers of lemon! Perfect make-ahead recipe and freezer friendly!
Recipe Features
- Quick and Easy- Unlike a full cheesecake recipe, these bars bake in just 20 minutes!
- Bold Lemon Flavor- A double dose of lemon thanks to the lemon curd topping.
- Freezer Friendly- You can freeze these bars for up to 2 months if stored properly.
Bar recipes are easily my favorite desserts. They are by far the easiest to make and the best to share- for more reasons than I can count. These lemon curd cheesecake bars rise above the rest for so many reasons.
They take less than 30-minutes to make, taste INCREDIBLE. can be made in advance AND are freezer friendly. It checks all of the boxes of a must- make treat recipe.
Lemon Square Cheesecake Ingredients
The ingredient list for this one is minimal. It is simple and includes a lot of pantry staples. Make sure all of the refrigerated ingredients come to room temperature before you begin. This ensures a quick mix and helps give you the best texture for your bars.
- Butter- I use salted, but unsalted works just as well.
- Graham Crackers- I’ve tested both name brand and store brand. Both taste equally delicious.
- Flour- Regular all-purpose flour is what we suggest.
- Sugar- White granulated sugar.
- Cream Cheese- Softened slightly to help the mixing process.
- Eggs- Large eggs that are whole.
- Vanilla Extract- Always use pure vanilla, never imitation.
- Lemons- Both the juice and the zest.
Lemon Curd
The real punch of lemon comes from the lemon curd topping. For this you need only a few simple ingredients:
- Lemons- Both the juice and the zest
- Sugar- White granulated sugar.
- Eggs- Large whole eggs.
- Butter- Salted butter is our favorite for this curd.
Optionally, you can use store bought lemon curd. However, this homemade version takes less than 10 minutes and tastes one thousand times better.
Step By Step Instructions
These lemon cream cheese bars are simply delicious. They are fuss and fail-free to make. But first, you’ll need to decide if you’d like a thicker bar or thinner. For a thicker bar follow these directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mist a 9×9 square pan non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- Stir the butter, graham crackers, flour, and 2 tablespoons of sugar together with a fork. Press into the bottom of you prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until light brown.
- Cream together the cream cheese and 2/3 cup sugar until combined and fluffy. Add the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla to the bowl and slowly mix until fully incorporated. Pour over your warm crust,
- Bake 30 minutes or until the center looks like it has set. Cool until room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 hours if not overnight.
- Once cooled, top with homemade or store bought lemon curd. Recipe can be found below in the recipe card.
For lemon cheesecake bars in a 9×13 cook only 20 minutes. This will give you a slightly thinner bar vs the thicker version of the 9 inch pan.
Helpful Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Use a blender or food processor to crush the graham crackers for the crust. Having a finer texture will ensure that it hold well together. This eliminates the crumbly crust you can end up with if you leave the pieces bigger.
- Using room temperature ingredients is key to give your lemon cream cheese bars with graham cracker crust the perfect texture. It helps even mix without over mixing.
- Use a hand mixer vs a stand mixer for this same reason. You have more control and can make sure the batter does not overmix.
- This recipe looks amazing decorated with candy lemon peel.
How To Store Cheesecake Bars
- These lemon cheesecake bars can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours before you need to refrigerate them. That makes them ideal for serving during gatherings and parties.
- You can also store them in an airtight container, or cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- To freeze them, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, place in a sealed container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Best served when left at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften.
More Lemon Recipes
- Lemonade Frosty
- Lemon Loaf Cake
- Strawberry Lemonade Cupcake Recipe
- Easy Lemon Cookies
- Strawberry Lemon Margaritas
More Cheesecake Recipes
- Easy No-Bake Cheesecake
- Classic Baked Cheesecake
- Cheesecake Ice Cream Recipe
- Banana Cheesecake Recipe
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars
- Easy Cheesecake Bars
- Key Lime Cheesecake Recipe
- Caramel Cheesecake Bars
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars
- Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast
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Easy Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the Bars:
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 3/4 cup finely crushed graham crackers
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1-1/2 8 oz package cream cheese softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Curd Topping:
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest about one lemon
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup butter cubed
Instructions
For the Bars:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mist a 9×9 square pan non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- Stir the butter, graham crackers, flour, and 2 tablespoons of sugar together with a fork. Press into the bottom of you prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until light brown.
- Cream together the cream cheese and 2/3 cup sugar until combined and fluffy. Add the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla to the bowl and slowly mix until fully incorporated. Pour over your warm crust,
- Bake 30 minutes or until the center looks like it has set. Cool until room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 hours if not overnight.
- Once cooled, top with homemade or store bought lemon curd. Recipe can be found below in the recipe card.
For the Lemon Curd Topping:
- Combine all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan.
- Cook over low/medium heat until thickened, making sure to whisk the entire time cooking.
- Cool slightly before spreading onto your cooked and cooled cheesecake bars.
*For lemon cheesecake bars in a 9×13 cook only 20 minutes. This will give you a slightly thinner bar vs the thicker version of the 9 inch pan.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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