Cheesecake Lemon Bars
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This is one of the all-time best spring desserts! I don’t know if dessert can get much better than these over-the-top Lemon Cheesecake Bars! With these you don’t just get one or two layers of utter decadence but FOUR layers of heavenly, sublimely lemony, utterly creamy, melt-in your-mouth bliss!
Easy Lemon Cheesecake Bars
You will most definitely wow your family or guests with these delicious lemon bars. How could you go wrong with buttery shortbread, a perfectly fresh and tart lemon bar filling, a rich and creamy cheesecake, and lusciously smooth sweetened sour cream all together in one bar? You just can’t!
Yes, it may seem these have an overdose of sugar, but it’s not much more than that cake I just baked. Also keep this in mind it will be split between about 20 servings.
But who am I kidding, with these lemon cheesecake bars I’m not counting anything — I’m indulging in all of their goodness because they are worth every calorie!
Self-control, gone. Good bye. Hello, lemon cheesecake bars!
I actually originally shared these bars a few years ago, but I never did like the pictures. Since Easter is just around the corner, it’s given me the perfect excuse to remake them — so that I can remind you this is the dessert you should be making this Easter Sunday!
Seriously, do it. You won’t regret it! I can’t get over how good these are every time I make them!
Lemon Cheesecake Bars Ingredients
For these easy lemon cream cheese bars, you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Lemon zest and juice
- Eggs
- Cream cheese
- Vanilla extract
- Sour cream
How to Make Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13×9-inch baking dish.
- Make the shortbread layer and press into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake in preheated oven until set.
- Prep lemon layer and set aside, then make cheesecake layer.
- Spread lemon filling over cooled crust, followed by the cheesecake layer.
- Bake until filling only jiggles slightly.
- Allow lemon bars to cool completely to room temperature, then chill in fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Spread sour cream layer over the chilled lemon cheesecake bars, then slice and serve.
Can I Make These Bars in Advance?
Yes, these bars keep well in the fridge up to two days before serving. Note that the crust won’t be super crisp, but it shouldn’t become soggy since the crust and filling are both baked.
How Should I Garnish These Bars?
I topped my lemon cheesecake bars with small lemon wedges and fresh berries. You can also add fresh mint leaves for an extra pop of color!
Tips for the Best Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must for this recipe. It’s much stronger and brighter than the bottled stuff.
- The cream cheese should be so soft it’s almost melted. If the cream cheese isn’t soft enough, the cheesecake layer will be tough to spread over the lemon filling.
- These bars must be completely chilled before you add the sour cream layer on top!
More Lemon Dessert Recipes You’ll Love:
- Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Classic Lemon Bars
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
- Lemon Cheesecake Mousse
- Lemon Sugar Cookies
Follow Cooking Classy
Cheesecake Lemon Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread layer
- 1 1/2 cups (213g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
- 1/2 cup (68g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (6 oz) unsalted butter, cold and diced into small cubes
Lemon Layer
- 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 cup (4.6 oz) lemon juice
- 4 large eggs
Cheesecake Layer
- 2 (8 oz) pkgs. cream cheese, softened well*
- 3/4 cup (165g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (2 oz) sour cream
Sour Cream Layer
- 1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
- 4 Tbsp (34g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, set aside.
- For the shortbread layer: In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, powdered sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and spread and pat into an even layer. Bake in preheated oven until set, about 15 - 18 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly while preparing fillings.
- For the lemon layer: In a mixing bowl whisk sugar and flour, then add in lemon zest, lemon juice and eggs whisk until well blended. Set aside.
- For the cheesecake layer: In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on low speed, cream together cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Mix in eggs one at at time adding in vanilla with second egg. Mix in 1/4 cup sour cream. Tap bowl against countertop about 10 times to release any large air bubbles.
- Pour lemon filling over crust, then evenly drizzle cheesecake filling by the spoonful over lemon layer (work to evenly distribute, layers will separate once baked). Skim off any air bubbles.
- Gently spread cheesecake filling into an even layer. Bake in preheated oven until filling only jiggles slightly, about 29 - 33 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool at room temperature 45 minutes then transfer to refrigerator and chill at least 2 hours.
- For the sour cream layer: In a small mixing bowl whisk together sour cream and powdered sugar. Spread into an even layer over chilled bars.
- Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.
Notes
- *Cream cheese should be softened until it's nearly be melted. This way it's runnier and it will make the cheesecake filling easier to drizzle over the top of the lemon layer.
- Recipe source: adapted with some changes from allrecipes