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Lemon Cheesecake Bars are not your ordinary lemon bar. They have a layer of cheesecake like filling that takes these lemon bars far to a whole new level!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Crowd Pleaser. Today’s recipe for Lemon Cheesecake Bars are a favorite of my family and just about everyone who tries them.
Perfect Flavor and Texture. I received this recipe from one of my wonderful blog readers. When Rachel shared it with me, she promised me they would become my new favorite lemon recipe. She was right! The cheesecake layer makes for a much creamier and yummier lemon bar! It’s a fun, dressed up version of the classic lemon bar.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter, I used salted butter
- Flour
- Sugar, both brown sugar and granulated sugar
- Salt
- Cream Cheese, full fat cream cheese softened at room temperature
- Egg
- Milk, 2 percent but use what you have on hand.
- Lemons, you want fresh squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor
- Vanilla Extract
How to make Lemon Cheesecake Bars
These bars are a three step process and take a little big longer than traditional lemon bars but trust me, it is totally worth the effort!
Shortbread Layer:
- Cut cold butter into pieces.
- In a food processor (or blender on low, pulse setting) Process all ingredients until mixture becomes tiny and fine pieces.
- Sprinkle mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish and press evenly into bottom of pan.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 12 minutes and remove from oven.
Cheesecake Layer:
- In medium bowl, blend cream cheese until smooth.
- Add sugar and mix well.
- Cream together butter, flour, sugar and salt until smooth.
- Pour cream cheese mixture evenly over hot crust. Pour slowly and gently, a little at a time.
- Bake 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
Lemon Layer:
- In a bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until combined well. Whisk by hand or use an electric mixer.
- Stir in lemon juice and flour.
- Pour GENTLY and smoothly liquid over semi-baked cheesecake layer. If some of the cheesecake layer lifts up, don’t worry. It will be fine. A sprinkle of powdered sugar will hide any flaws.
- Bake at 300 F for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle powdered sugar over top if desired.
- Cool for an hour and then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips from Leigh Anne
- Allow bars to cool completely and set up before cutting. You will get a cleaner, prettier bar. I often refrigerate them before cutting.
- Remember to keep any leftovers in the refrigerator.
- Softening your cream cheese at room temperature for several hours will prevent a lumpy cheesecake layer.
- If you don’t have a food processor blender, you can make the shortbread layer by using a pastry cutter to blend the ingredients together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use bottled lemon juice?
The flavor of bottled lemon juice is very different than that of fresh squeezed lemon juice. The results will not taste the same. For the best lemon flavor I would recommend using real lemons.
Do lemon cheesecake bars need to be refrigerated?
Yes, because of the cheesecake layer they should be kept refrigerated in an airtight container. You can bring them to room temperature before serving. They will last for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
Can I freeze lemon bars?
Yes. Cool the lemon cheesecake bars completely, Wrap the entire slab of lemon bars or individual pieces in several layers of plastic wrap. Place that into a zippered freezer bag and then into the freezer. Kept airtight they will last in the freezer for 2 months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
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Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 3/4 cup butter chilled
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Cheesecake:
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Lemon Layer:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup flour
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat oven to 325 F
- Cut butter into pieces.
- In a food processor (or blender on low, pulse setting) Process all shortbread ingredients until mixture becomes tiny and fine pieces.
- Sprinkle mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan and press evenly into bottom of pan.
- Bake for 12 minutes and remove from oven.
Cheesecake Layer:
- In medium bowl, blend cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar and mix well
- Cream together the rest of the ingredients until smooth.
- Pour cheesecake evenly over hot crust. Pour slowly and gently, a little at a time.
- Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
Lemon Layer:
- In a bowl whisk together eggs and sugar until combined well. Stir in lemon juice and flour.
- Pour gently and smoothly over semi-baked cheesecake. Don't worry if some of the shortbread crust lifts up.
- Bake at 300 for 25-30 minutes.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired and then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips & Notes:
- Allow them to cool completely and set up before cutting. You will get a cleaner, prettier bar. I often refrigerate them before cutting.
- Remember to keep any leftovers in the refrigerator.
- Softening your cream cheese at room temperature for several hours will prevent a lumpy cheesecake layer.
- If you don’t have a food processor blender, you can make the shortbread layer by using a pastry cutter to blend the ingredients together.
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Nutrition Facts:
Don McPhee says
The wife brought home a bag of lemons so I chose to make these bars because we had almost all the ingredients. I added lemon zest to the cheesecake and lemon topping. Had to substitute 1/4 cup sugar with icing sugar because I ran out. Baked 27 minutes and the very edges just brown. Other timings were exactly as ordered. Edges came away without much effort, next time parchment paper.
Tastes great. I will be proud to have these as a part of a Christmas gift.
Adela says
Hi there just wondering if this can be frozen??
Leigh Anne says
I have never frozen them so I’m not sure how they would hold up.
Pam says
Making this right now (last layer on and in the oven)… I have a question/concern. When I added that last egg/lemon layer to the hot cheesecake layer, I think some of the eggs cooked/scrambled. I could see chunks floating in the liquid as I was putting it in the oven. I’ve read that sometimes these 2 layers mix, but I don’t think that’s what happened to me – pretty sure it was chunks of scrambled egg. Is this normal, or are the bars going to taste eggy now?
Thank you
Leigh Anne says
Pam, It is just some of the dough from underneath lifting up. They will still be delicious!
Rhea says
I made these bars far a vacation with extended family and they were delicious. BUT, something very mysterious happened. First of all, as some other commenters mentioned, when I poured the lemon layer some of it got mixed up with the cream cheese layer. So I was expecting it to be more of a 2 layer bar, with the lemon/cheesecake layer combined. But the weird thing was, that as we got past the first row of bars, we noticed that the lemon layer was on the very bottom, the crust layer in the middle and the cheescake layer on top. How on earth did this happen???? I’m baffled. The edges were in 3 layers as intended, but the inner rows were flipped around. So weird. How would that lemon layer seep through the already bake crust and already baked cheesecake? I’m so curious!
Leigh Anne says
Rhea, Curious indeed! Not sure what happened. When I pour the 2nd layer on, do it very slowly and gently. You will still get some of the other layer lifting up but it still tastes good!!
Sara Wachter says
next time i will try letting the cheesecake layer cool a few minutes before pouring the lemon layer. i poured the lemon layer as per the instructions and the cheesecake layer completely separated. hopefully they will still look and taste amazing as i am making them for a special occasion.