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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bake crust for 5-10 minutes, until lightly golden then let cool while you make the crust.
Cheesecake
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cheesecake bars, lemon cheesecake, lemon desserts