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Individual slices of lemon cheesecake bars on a marble counter with fresh lemons. One slice has a bight taken out of it.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

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5 from 2 reviews

Pucker up! Sweet, tangy, creamy lemon cheesecake filling swirled with dollops of bright, flavorful lemon curd sits on top of a classic Graham Cracker crust in these glorious lemon cheesecake bars. 

  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 16 bars 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

Crust

  • 1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake

  • 16oz Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 150 grams (3/4 Cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 oz (2 tablespoons) heavy cream, at room temperature
  • 1 oz (2 tablespoons) sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 2 Large Eggs + 1 Large Yolk, at room temp.
  • 3-4oz lemon curd, homemade or store-bought

Instructions

Crust 

  1. Preheat oven to 325F/163C and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a food processor crush the Graham Crackers into fine crumbs. In a small bowl combine the crushed graham crackers and sugar, mixing to combine. Add the melted butter. Once combined press into prepared pan, use the bottom of a cup to help tightly pack the crust. 
  3. Bake crust for 5-10 minutes, until lightly golden then let cool while you make the crust. 

 

Cheesecake 

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon zest for 2 minutes on low-medium speed. Add heavy cream, lemon juice, and sour cream mixing until fully combined. Add in eggs and mix until just combined, do not over mix. You should have a creamy batter with no lumps.
  2. Pour on top of prepared crust. Spoon 16-20 small dollops of lemon curd and use a knife to swirl into bars. Place pan on the middle rack in the oven then place a deep pan underneath, I use a 9”x13” pan and fill that with water to create a very moist, even tempered environment for the cheesecake to bake in. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center stops jiggling a lot. Open the oven door and let the bars cool inside for 30 minutes. Then set the pan on a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes, then place in the fridge to chill for 2 hours or overnight. 
  3. Drizzle more lemon curd on top, if desired, or serve with whipped cream. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

Crust 5 minutes prep; 10 minutes cook time

Cheesecake 10 minutes prep; 30 minutes cook time; 30 minutes cool time in the oven; 2 hours chill time

  • Author: Elizabeth Waterson
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Chill Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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