Lemon Cheesecake Bars
These Lemon Cheesecake Bars are made with a shortbread base and topped with a creamy Lemony filling. This cheesecake bar is the perfect addition to your Holiday Cookie tray or even as a Summer or anytime dessert! So delicious it will be eaten first.
Lemon Cheesecake bars were always a Christmas tradition in my home in Canada. My Mom made these every year! Have I ever said I love cheesecake? Well, I do! And these, I must say, are the easiest and tastiest ones out there, from the almond shortbread crust to the creamy lemon filling. They are perfect.
Now I make them with my daughters each holiday season, and I always think I’ll make a batch and freeze them, but it never works. Not because they aren’t freezer-friendly, but we can’t resist eating them first!
If you want a fantastic dessert bar for the holidays, you must give these a try. My Italian friends and family always look forward to a gift box at Christmas filled with all their favourite Cookies and Bars, including these lemon cheesecake bars.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Salt
- Packed brown sugar
- Finely chopped almonds
- Melted butter
- Softened Cream cheese – I don’t recommend using light or fat-free cream cheese. The full-fat cream cheese makes the best creamy, rich filling.
- Granulated sugar
- Large egg –
- Fresh lemon juice
- Lemon zest
How To Make Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Make the crust first by combining the flour, sugar, almonds, and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Mix until it’s crumbly. If it’s too dry and crumbly, add a little more melted butter.
Firmly press the dough into the prepared pan and bake the crust. Let it cool for about 5-10 minutes before you add the filling.
While the crust bakes, you can make the filling. With a handheld electric mixer and a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and zest at medium speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Spread the cheesecake batter over the warm crust and then bake the bars until set.
Take the pan out of the oven and run a knife around the edge of the crust. Cool the bars to room temperature, and then cover the baking pan with plastic wrap. Chill them in the refrigerator for at least two hours before slicing them with a sharp knife.
Recipe Tips
- To make it even easier to slice the bars, line the baking pan with parchment paper so you can lift the cheesecake out in one piece before cutting it into squares.
- Be sure to plan because the bars need time to cool and then need to be chilled for at least two hours. This allows the lemon cheesecake filling to set fully.
- For extra flavor, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or almond extract to the cream cheese filling.
- You can also use a graham cracker crust for this recipe.
- For the holidays, I slice small bars to give away to friends and family. You can also serve large pieces for dessert to finish a meal.
Recipe FAQs
Gently shake the cheesecake (be careful it’s very hot). If it looks almost set, with only a small centre circle that jiggles slightly it is done. The cheesecake will firm up while it cools.
Fresh lemon juice and zest give the best flavor, but bottled lemon juice and dried zest can be used in a pinch, though the flavor may be different.
Blanched, slivered almonds, whole almonds (chopped) or pre-chopped almonds can be used.
For clean cuts, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between each cut.
How to store Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Keep the bars in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them. Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in a single layer. They will keep for several days in the fridge as long as they properly stored.
How to Freeze the bars
Freeze them in a freezer safe container, I find it easiest to cut them into squares, place the squares on a cookie sheet and freeze for an hour or 2 until firm, then move to a freezer safe container, be sure to place parchment paper between the layers. They will keep for about 2-3 months in the freezer. Thaw the cookies in the fridge, best to remove the layers before thawing.
More Delicious Bar and Square Recipes
I’ve always loved these Lemon cheesecake bars, and everyone who tries one loves them, too. They’re cold and creamy with that delicious almond crust. If you love lemon desserts, you need to try them. Enjoy!
Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
FOR THE BASE
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 7 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons almonds (finely chopped)
- 6 tablespoons butter (melted & cooled)*
*If you find the mixture too crumbly add another 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- 10 ounces Cream Cheese (whole not light) room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- zest from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350F (180 C). Lightly grease and flour, spray or line with parchment paper an 8 inch (21 cm) square cake pan.
FOR THE BASE
- In a small bowl with a fork combine flour, sugar and almonds, add butter and combine just until mixture is crumbly. Place mixture in the prepared cake pan and press down firmly. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool approximately 5 – 10 minutes before adding the filling.
CREAM CHEESE FILLING
- While the base is baking make the filling, in a medium bowl beat at medium speed the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon juice and zest together until smooth and creamy, approximately 2 minutes.
- Spread the filling evenly on top. Bake again for approximately 20-25 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edge of the pan, let cool, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 2 hours before cutting. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Republished from July 2016.
Is it possible to use cream fraiche instead of cream cheese?
Hi Robin, apparently you can because it is baked, unbaked cheesecake not a good idea because it won’t set properly. Let me know how it goes. Take care!
I’m planning to make this and would like to make it in a larger pan. When i clicked on the 3X’s field, it did adjust the recipe ingredients but it did not say what size pan to bake it in or for how long to bake it. Might you have that information?
Thanks
Hi Pat, I would use a 9×13 pan and maybe 5 minutes more, but check on it. Hope that helps. Take care!
Will try that. Thanks!
About to make for my fourth year! My eldest grandson’s favorite and an absolute hit everywhere they go! So refresging. Thank you!
Hi Kelly thanks so much, they were always one of my favourites also. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Is it possible to do this receipe ‘gluten free’?
Hi Ronnie, I don’t really know because I have never made them gluten free. If you try it let me know how it goes.
Hi,
This looks delicious and I’d love to make it. The recipe description says to use an 8″ square pan but the recipe card says to use a 9″ square pan. Can this be made with either? I only have an 8″ pan.
Many thanks,
Chelsea
Hi Chelsea, yes you can make it in an 8 inch pan, it will just be a little bit thicker. Happy New Year.
This recipe sounds easy and delicious. I plan on making this today and was wondering since I have two 8 oz bricks of cream cheese that I would like to use up. Is it possible to adjust the recipe for the 16 oz a cream cheese. Thank you!
Hi Glo if you go to the servings you can move the lever to 27 squares and that will give you the ingredients you need for 16 ounces of cream cheese. Hope that helps.
EASY, QUICK AND DELICIOUS LIGHT FLUFFY LEMONY CHEESECAKE TYPE BAR DESERT! 5 STARS!!!
SHERRY FROM WEST DEPTFORD, NJ
Hi Sherry, thanks so glad you liked them. Take care.
225 g does not equal 12 oz, it is only 8 oz, which amount did you use?
Hi Annette, yes you are correct, it should be 340 grams, which is what I used. Thanks.
This recipe sounds delicious and I am going to make it very soon … but thought you should know that while the recipe ingredients call for sugar and brown sugar, the directions for both crust and filling each just say “sugar”. I assume the brown sugar is for the crust.
Hi Kat, the recipe card at the bottom of the post, does give the type of sugar and amount for the base and for the filling. And yes the brown sugar is for the filling. Let me know how it goes.
are the almonds measured out before or after they’ve been chopped
Hi Marie, the measurement is for chopped almonds. Hope you like it.
Hi Rosemary
I would like to make this but omitt the Almonds, as I have a family member who has a very strong allergy to nuts.
Is there anything else that can replace the almonds?
I have made a base with desiccated coconut.
Thanks Rosa
Hi Rosa, I would leave it out and just make a simple shortbread base. Or how about some granola and I do like the idea of coconut. Let me know how it goes. Take care!