These lemon cheesecake bars are a homemade lemon bar that has a buttery graham cracker crust, and sweet and tart lemon cheesecake filling. Slice and serve up this decadent dessert for a weeknight dinner, bake sale, potlucks, and more. There is never a wrong time to enjoy these lemon bars.
I love lemon desserts, and if you do too, you have to see these recipes. This blueberry lemon tart, or try out this lemon bread, or try this vegan lemon cake.
This Lemon Cheesecake Bars...
- Sweet and Tangy
- Lemon Bars with a Twist
- Easy to Make
- Sliceable Dessert
How to Make Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Full steps on how to make lemon cheesecake bars in the printable recipe card below. This is a quick walk through.
- Preheat the oven and prep your baking dish.
- Then in a bowl whip up the graham cracker crust.
- Press the crust into the the pan, and then set it aside.
- Next in a stand mixer whip up the cheesecake batter. Then stir in the lemon and sour cream and lemon zest.
- Transfer cheesecake mixture to the pan, and bake as directed.
- Allow to cool and then refrigerate until fully cooled.
Tips for Success
Room Temperature Cream Cheese
Make sure the cream cheese is softened otherwise it will not cream and it can curdle a bit. If you don't remember to set it out, place the cream cheese in the foil in warm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes, drain water. Then if not fully softened repeat with another bowl of warm water.
Mixer
Use a hand or stand mixer to speed up the mixing. I find that you having a mixer is key for getting it whipped up easy and quickly.
Variations to Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Lime
Swap the lemon with lime to make these a lime cheesecake bar recipe! Just swap the lemon with lime in juice and the zest.
Whipped Cream
You can pipe on some whipped cream on the edges. It will add tons of flavor to the bars.
Golden Oreo Crust
Instead of graham crackers crush up Golden Oreos to replace the graham cracker crust. It will add more sweetness. Or even reach for vanilla wafers.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars FAQs
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, go ahead and double the recipe. Use a 9x13 baking dish instead of a 9x9 size pan. You will have to cook a bit longer but other than that all will be the same.
How to store the lemon cheesecake bars?
Store your cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the fridge. These bars can store up to 5 days in the fridge. Then slice and serve up the bars.
Can you freeze these cheesecake bars?
Yes, place in a freezer friendly container. Then freeze the bars for up to 3 months. Simply thaw in the fridge overnight and then enjoy the cream cheese lemon bars.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham crumbs
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
For the cheesecake:
- 2 x 8oz. Cream cheese
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F, line the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan with parchment and set aside
- In a large bowl, stir together the graham crumbs, melted butter, and sugar until fully mixed
- Then press into the bottom of prepared pan and set aside
- Use a stand mixer to cream the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, add the eggs on e at a time, mixing well after each
- Stir in the sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt until smooth
- Transfer cheesecake mixture to the crust and bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until center is no longer jiggly
- Allow to cool for 30 minutes before transferring to the fridge to cool completely (3-4 hours)
- Slice and serve cold once cheesecake has set
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