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Easy Lemon Cheesecake Bars are perfect for almost any occasion! Made with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, cream cheese, and sour cream, they’re tangy, sweet, and so delicious. If you love lemon and cheesecake, you have to try this recipe!
Lemon Cheesecake Bar Recipe
Spring is slowly but surely on its way, and that means lots and lots of lemon recipes are in order! And since I know so many of you love lemon as much as I do, I couldn’t keep these luscious double lemon cheesecake bars from you another minute longer. They’re SO creamy! And loaded with tangy lemon flavor. But the best part? They’re so darn easy! You can whip them up in about 20 minutes, and they only require 30 minutes of bake time. Plus, no water bath or springform pan required! So if you’ve been too scared to try your hand at cheesecake, you should definitely try this lemon bars recipe!!! It’s perfect for experienced bakers and novice ones.
Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make Lemon Cheesecake Bars:
- cream cheese: always use full-fat!!! and be sure your cream cheese is very soft before you begin assembling the batter!
- sour cream: makes the cheesecake batter tangy and creamy. Again, use full-fat.
- sugar: granulated sugar works best for this recipe! we use a little more than most cheesecake recipes to balance out the tart from the lemon.
- eggs: you’ll use whole eggs and egg yolks for this recipe.
- a few whole lemons: because you’ll be using the lemon juice and the lemon zest, be sure to grab at least 3. and if you have extra, you can slice them up and use them for decor!
- and finally, heavy cream: this makes the cheesecake batter creamy, creamy, creamy! do not substitute this with milk or even half and half.
Oops! I almost forgot: you’ll also need graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar to make the crunchy graham cracker crust! Brown sugar should not be used as a sub! You can make your own graham cracker crumbs by crushing sheets of graham crackers in a blender or food processor. Or, save yourself the extra step and buy them pre-crushed at the grocery store.
How to make Lemon Cheesecake Bars:
- The first step is to make your crust! So after you preheat your oven to 350 degrees, you’ll simply combine the graham cracker crumbs, the melted butter, and the sugar, then press the down into a 9×13-inch baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. THIS STEP IN SUPER IMPORTANT IF YOU WANT A CRISPY CRUST! And we all know no one wants a soggy bottom 😉
- Ok, so now that your crust has been pre-baked and is cooling, you can get started on the batter. But first! Be sure to reduce the oven to 325 degrees!
- You’re going to need a food processor, high-power blender, or stand mixer to make this recipe.Add your cream cheese and sour cream to the body of your electric mixer and beat it until it’s smooth and completely lump free. You’ll probably need to scrape down the sides a few times. But be patient here! Because no one wants a lumpy cheesecake.Once your mixture is silky smooth, you’ll beat in the sugar and lemon zest, then add the eggs and the yolks. Finally, you’ll pour in the cream and the lemon juice. Then pour the lemon filling into the prepared pan (on top of the partially baked crust) and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Or until the the edges are set but the middle is still jiggly. Don’t be afraid to pull them out when they’re jiggly!!! I promise, they will firm up!
- The final step is also the hardest step: let them cool completely in the baking pan!!! At least 4 hours in the fridge.
CHEESECAKE TIP: be sure not to over beat the batter. You want all of the ingredients to be well combined. But if you beat it excessively, too much air gets in the batter and can cause the cheesecake bars to puff up while baking, then collapse when they come out of the oven.
Can I Freeze Cheesecake Bars?
Yes, of course! Simply cool these lemon cheesecake bars completely, then wrap the whole slab, or slices, in multiple layers of saran wrap, then place in a freezer bag, and place in the freezer. These cheesecake bars will keep, stored properly in the freezer, for two months. Defrost overnight, in the fridge, before serving.
For more Lemon Cheesecake Recipes, Check Out:
For more Cheesecake Bars Recipes, Check Out:
P.S. If you’re serving more than 6 people… I suggest baking a double batch of these lemon cheesecake bars! Because everytime I serve them my guests go back for seconds, and sometimes THIRDS! This is the best lemon cheesecake… in bar form! Try serving them with fresh berries and lemon slices! You could also top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream or a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Enjoy!
AND IF YOU TRY THIS RECIPE FOR LEMON CHEESECAKE BARS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND DON’T FORGET TO SNAP A PIC AND TAG IT #BAKERBYNATURE ON INSTAGRAM! SEEING YOUR KITCHEN CREATIONS MAKES OUR DAY.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted
For the Lemon Cheesecake Bars:
- 3 (8 ounce) packages full-fat cream cheese very soft
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream at room temperature
- 1 and 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks at room temperature
- 1/3 cup heavy cream at room temperature
- 1/2 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing two of the sides to overlap (you want an overhang of at least 2-inches on two sides) and spray lightly with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter and, using a rubber spatula, mix well to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom - and slightly up the sides - of the prepared pan.
- Bake the crust in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside on a cooling rack until needed.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees (F).
For the Lemon Cheesecake Bars:
- In the body of a high power blender, food processor, stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand held electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sour cream until completely smooth.
- Add sugar and lemon zest and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. On low speed, add in the eggs and yolks and beat until just combined. Don't over mix here!
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the heavy cream. Fold in the lemon juice, mixing just until combined.
- Pour filling on top of prepared crust, and spread evenly.
- Check to ensure your oven has cooled to 325°F, then place the pan in the oven and bake for 38 to 40 minutes, or until the edges have set and the middle is still a little jiggly. The cheesecake will firm up a lot as they cool.
- Remove the bars from the oven, and cool at room temperature for one hour. Then refrigerate for at least 5 hours, or overnight.
- When you're ready to serve: use the foil overhang to lift the cheesecake bars from the pan and transfer them to a cutting board. Using a large, sharp knife, slice the slab into squares, wiping the knife clean with a damp cloth between slices. Top with lemon slices, if desired. Serve at once.
Hello!! Thank you for sharing your recipe. Can’t wait to try. Question: could this be used as a normal cheesecake recipe? Or, not cut it into squares, but use as a normal cheesecake – just flavored? I imagine so…but curious? Thanks!!
Hi! I have a full-sized lemon cheesecake recipe here!
can i bake this in a 8-inch round pan instead? if yes, how long should i bake them for??
Do you think I could use key limes in this recipe? It looks so yummy! I’m thinking about making them for my husband’s birthday which is also Easter this year. Thank you!!!!
Yes, definitely!!!
OMG This taste like a frosted lemonade from Chic-fil-A!!! Just with a Graham cracker crust.
When you say “fold in the heavy cream”, are you whipping it first or just adding in the liquid heavy cream?
Hi Linda. Just adding the liquid heavy cream to the batter 🙂
These are seriously the best. I made them last weekend, was going to take them to work, but was too selfish to share. I froze them in squares and my husband and I finished them by Friday. They are so good I’m making another batch today and am planning on taking to work tomorrow… We’ll see what happens.
Hi ,
These lemon cheesecake bars are the best I’ve
Ever made! My husband was sad when I shared
Them with a friend !!! Making them again for
Easter..
Love all your recipes so much.
Happy Easter .
This lemon cheesecake was fantastic. Everybody loved it. Followed recipe direction, but did not put tin foil in pan, only lightly butter glass pan. It cut with no problem after being thoroughly cooled. WIll definitely make this again.
Love these Lemon cheesecake bars, this recipe is definitely a keeper! The bars were so creamy, delicious and just the right amount of lemon. The entire family enjoyed them.
I just made these bars for my mom for Mother’s Day. They were AMAZING. The crust is perfect; buttery and just the right consistency. And the cheesecake is so lemony and creamy and delicious. I am not a huge fan of lemon zest, so I put in four teaspoons of lemon extract instead. You really do need to refrigerate overnight for the cheesecake to set, but the wait is so worth it. And the whole recipe is so simple and quick to make too! I am really glad I tried these; they are definitely a new favorite! 🙂
This tasted delicious! I should have left it in for the full 38 minutes (I took it out at 35 mins) and just 4-hours in the fridge wasn’t enough (it wasn’t fully setup until the next day). If I make these small changes next time, it will be perfect!
I’m in Australia and I notice many recipes call for graham crackers. What can I substitute for the base
can i bake and freeze this is a store bought pastry pie crust?
Hello- can this be made in a cupcake tin?
Thank you-
Can I bake this in a pastry pie crust?
I made this for our family Christmas dinner and it was a hit. Delicious and easy – can’t beat that combination!
So happy to hear it, Nancy!
Made these and they are creamy and delicious! Did find that when she says take out when a ‘little jiggly’ she means only around the center. I think my oven isn’t sealing properly because after 38 minutes, they were in fact jiggly, but only about 1” from around the edges. After refrigerating over night, they are set, but creamy to the touch as if not quite done. Hoping that won’t be a problem!
Just made these bars tonight. We all agreed-superb.texture and flavor were all I’d hoped for. Thanks for this recipe.
Loved this recipe! We are social distancing, so I made half in an 8×8 pan. That made 9 servings. The sweetness to tartness ratio was perfect and the texture was delightful. This would be wonderful with blueberries in the summer. We are thinking of using ginger snaps for the crust next time.
I use the Goya Maria Cookies to make my cheesecake crust and it’s delicious too!!!
This was my first cheesecake and it definitely didn’t disappoint us!! I did add more lemon juice because I felt it needed more lemon flavor. I used gluten free graham crackers for the crust. What a fantastic recipe!!
I didn’t take a picture, but I made this to give to friends and family. I think I mixed it too long and it took longer to bake. It cracked. It was still a little jiggly after spending the night in the fridge. And it tasted absolutely fabulous! Who cares about the rest because it was marvelous!
It was a big hit! Next time I want to make it with Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger snaps for the crust
So creamy and soo lemony. A big hit at our summer bbq, tart and cool and refreshing. Mine cake out too runny, we had to eat them with forks because they would just fall apart when you picked the bars up, but i think i just needed to bake it a little longer so they’d be more firm. Delicious treat!
I have a family of cheesecake lovers- I tried this recipe, after searching for a good alternative to the traditional, round cheesecake- In a word, Amazing!!! I used this for a double birthday celebration- huge hit! No reason to ever make a round cheesecake again! only got better with refrigeration- hardly lasted 2 days afterward!
These are so delish and surprisingly easy!! A real winner I’ve gone back to more than once
This is by far the best cheesecake I have ever tasted. My family went crazy for them. They literally fought over them. I’m from Philadelphia and of course up north cheesecake is the best. I felt at home eating this. This is going to be new family recipe. I will never make another recipe. I have tried all the different variations you have and they are all delectable.
Do you use a 9X13X2 pan or a 9x13x1 pan?
i made the lemon cheesecake bars for my friend;s birthday. IT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS.i would not change a thing about it. LOVE IT
What a nice friend you are! So happy they were a hit 🙂
A little too much lemon and too sweet for my taste buds, maybe because I’m pregnant? Blame those crazy taste buds! Anyways besides that, it tasted good not too bad. Very creamy and you REALLY have to wait overnight or else it will be a slushy mess. Please just wait it will be worth it if you are a lemon lover 🙂
Just made these for my daughters birthday tomorrow, she requested “anything lemon” since Covid completely changes her tastebuds and lemon desserts are all she likes now. Found this recipe and it’s amazing. Huge and fluffy…used the fresh lemons from my tree. Just put this in my special handwritten recipe book to pass down to kids and grandkids. Thanks for a winner.
Thank you for this Ashley, I have a few questions, can you substitue sour cream for unsweetened yoghurt? also when add the whip cream to the rest of the batter, does it need to be whipped?