Lemon Cheesecake Bars
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Get ready to zest up your life with these Lemon Cheesecake Bars! Imagine tangy, zesty lemons meeting creamy, dreamy cheesecake, all nestled on a buttery, crumbly crust. These bars are the perfect mix of tart and sweet, creating a symphony of flavors that dance on your taste buds. Whether you’re a cheesecake aficionado or a lemon lover, these bars are sure to brighten your day and your dessert table.
Love lemon treats? I’ve got you! Here are a few other super popular lemon desserts to give a try: Frosted Lemonade, Lemon Mug Cake, and Lemon Meringue Pie Bars!
Why You’ll Love These Cheesecake Bars
- The Perfect Balance of Flavors: The tangy lemon cuts through the richness of the cheesecake, offering a perfectly balanced flavor that’s not too sweet and not too tart. It’s a taste bud tango!
- Easy to Make, Easier to Impress: These bars are simpler to make than a whole cheesecake, but they still bring that ‘wow’ factor to any table. They’re the perfect plus-one for potlucks, picnics, or parties.
- Portability: Unlike a traditional cheesecake, these bars are easy to cut, serve, and transport. They’re the ideal grab-and-go treat for busy bees.
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.
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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.
Biting into a Lemon Cheesecake Bar is like taking a little slice of sunshine. The top layer is a vibrant, zesty lemon curd that tantalizes your taste buds with its perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Beneath this lies the creamy, rich heart of the cheesecake, smooth and decadent, melting effortlessly in your mouth. Every bite is a delightful contrast – the brightness of the lemon, the indulgence of the cheesecake, and the comforting solidity of the crust.
Lemon Cheesecake Bar Ingredients
The ingredient list for these easy lemon cheesecake bars 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.
- Crust: Graham cracker crumbs, butter and flour are all you need for that perfect golden brown crust base. The graham crackers offer a sweet crunchy texture while the butter and flour work to hold the crust together. It’s the perfect foundation.
- Sugar: It balances out the tanginess of the cream cheese, making your cheesecake bars delightfully sweet and indulgent.
- Cream Cheese: Go for the full-fat variety. It gives the cheesecake bars that luxurious, creamy texture and full, rich flavor. Low-fat versions can be tempting for a healthier twist, but they often result in a less creamy texture and can impact the overall richness of your bars.
- Eggs: Eggs are the structure superstars. They help bind all the ingredients together, giving your cheesecake bars that firm yet smooth texture. Without eggs, your bars might be more likely to crumble or fall apart.
- Vanilla Extract: It adds a subtle, warm, and slightly sweet flavor that enhances the overall taste without overpowering it.
- Lemons: Both the juice and the lemon zest combine together to give you the ultimate flavor explosion.
- Lemon Curd: You can use store bought or homemade lemon curd for this recipe.
Lemon Cream Cheese Bars
These creamy lemon cheesecake 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:
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mist a 9×9 square pan non-stick baking spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside for later.
- CRUST: Stir the melted butter, fine crumbs of the graham crackers, flour, and 2 tablespoons of sugar together with a fork in a medium bowl. Press into the bottom of you prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown.
- CREAMY CHEESECAKE FILLING: Add the cream cheese and 2/3 cup of sugar to a large bowl with a hand mixer, or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until combined and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Mix at low speed until fully incorporated. Pour over the baked crust.
- BAKE: Bake for 30 minutes or until the center looks like it has set. Cool until room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, if not overnight.
- LEMON LAYER: 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.
Helpful Tools
- Parchment Paper: (affiliate) This is a game-changer for easy removal of the bars from the pan. It also makes cleanup a breeze.
- Food Processor: (affiliate) For quickly and evenly crushing those graham crackers for the crust. A blender can work too, but a processor does it best.
- Electric Mixer: (affiliate) Whether it’s a stand mixer or a handheld one, this makes creaming the cheese and sugar together smooth and effortless.
- Rubber Spatula: (affiliate) Perfect for scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is well-mixed.
Recipe Notes:
Fresh lemon juice is best for flavor, but if you’re in a pinch, bottled works. Just make sure it’s 100% lemon juice with no added ingredients.
Aim for about 1 to 1.5 inches thick. This ensures a good balance between the crust, cheesecake, and lemon curd layers.
For bars, a water bath isn’t necessary. Just bake them at a lower temperature to avoid cracks.
The edges should be set, but the center will still be slightly wobbly. It’ll firm up as it cools.
Yes! Lemon curd can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Chill them for at least 4 hours, but overnight is best for the flavors to meld together.
Yes, they freeze well. Just wrap them tightly and thaw in the fridge before serving.
Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts for clean slices.
More Cheesecake Bars to Try
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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
- 1½ (8 oz) package cream cheese (softened)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1½ 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
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
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
This is sooo good! Very refreshing. The curd is also so delicious but only used 1/3 of the curd on top of the cheesecake and it gave it a perfect tanginess without overpowering the cheesecake. Highly recommend. If you like the freshness of lemon in recipes, this is a must try.
Thanks so much, Tina! I’m thrilled you loved the bars and found the perfect balance with the curd. Lemon lovers unite—your tip will definitely help others customize to their taste!
made the cake for my daughter in laws birthday. it was a big hit. Everyone loved it,!