Lemon Cheesecake Bars
User Reviews
5
Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Description
The base is a shortbread crust made from flour, cornstarch, sugar, butter, salt, and lemon zest pulsed until coarse and baked until set. The cheesecake filling blends softened cream cheese, eggs, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and salt into a smooth batter that bakes atop the crust until just browned, producing a dense but creamy texture. After cooling, the lemon curd is spread evenly to add a fresh, tart topping.
The bars are prepared in a 9×13-inch pan lined with parchment paper left overhanging for easy removal. Cutting into 24 bars yields moderate-sized servings. The combination of buttery crust, rich cheesecake, and zesty lemon curd balances sweet and tangy flavors with smooth and crumbly textures.
Bars store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to five days or can be frozen after cooling. To freeze, chill uncovered on a tray before wrapping to maintain texture and flavor. A graham cracker crust can substitute for the shortbread for a different base texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon lemon freshly grated, zest
Cheesecake Layer
- 24 ounce cream cheese 3 packages, softened
- 3 large egg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Lemon Layer
- 1½ cups lemon curd
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray then line it with parchment paper, but with the parchment paper hanging off the sides to make it easy to lift out bars.
- Make Crust: Add all the crust ingredients to a food processor and pulse a few times until mixture resembles a dry coarse meal.
- Bake Crust: Transfer the crumb mixture to the prepared baking dish and press it down evenly into the bottom. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Make Cheesecake Layer: Using a hand mixer, mix the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, sugar, sour cream, vanilla and salt, and continue to mix until the batter is well combined and smooth.
- Bake The Cheesecake: Pour the cheesecake batter over the baked crust and bake for 45 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake has browned slightly. Set the cheesecake aside until it fully cools down.
- Add Lemon Curd: Pour the lemon curd over the cooled cheesecake and spread it evenly with a spatula. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until the cheesecake and lemon curd layers set.
- Cut & Serve: Carefully lift the cheesecake out of the pan and slice it into your desired size bars. I cut it 4 x 6, making 24 bars.
Notes
- You can substitute a graham cracker crust in place of the shortbread crust for a different texture.
- Leave enough overhang of parchment paper to easily lift the whole pan of bars out for cutting.
- The recipe yields about 24 bars when cut into 4 by 6 pieces; adjust cuts as desired.
- Store baked bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- To freeze, cool bars uncovered on a tray until frozen, then wrap tightly with plastic and foil; frozen bars keep up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 222 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1square | |
| Calories | 222kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 27g | 9% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 51mg | 17% |
| Sodium | 262mg | 11% |
| Potassium | 94mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 21g | 42% |
| Vitamin A | 339IU | 7% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 54mg | 5% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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