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Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd

These are the most delicious Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd. Made with a biscuit base, a creamy cheesecake layer with swirled in Homemade Lemon Curd! They are a perfect dessert bar.

Lemon cheesecake bar on a plate.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd

I’m a huge fan of all things lemon! If you love lemon too, you’ll love these cheesecake bars. And other lemon desserts like Mini Lemon Cheesecakes and Lemon Cream Cheese Danish are some of my favorites that never disappoint!

A stack of lemon cheesecake bars.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars

What’s are These Cheesecake Squares Like

  • Difficulty – These cheesecake bars are a little time consuming but not difficult. If you follow all the steps in the recipe card, you won’t find them difficult at all!
  • Taste – These cheesecake bars are a sweet and decadent treat. the crumb base is buttery with a creamy cheesecake filling and a very sweet and zesty lemon topping.
  • Serving – This recipe makes 16 cheesecake bars. In the recipe card at the end of the post you can easily adjust the serving size.
Lemon cheesecake bars on a baking rack.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd

Ingredients

The ingredient list for these cheesecake bars are broken down into three different groups.

Lemon Curd

  • Eggs – I always use large eggs at room temperature for baking.
  • Sugar – Granulated white sugar works great for making lemon curd.
  • Lemon juice – I used fresh squeezed lemon juice for this recipe.
  • Butter – Unsalted butter is used to add a little extra richness to the lemon curd.

Crust

  • Cookie crumbs – You can use any kind of cookie crumbs that you like.
  • Butter – Unsalted melted butter is added to the cookie crumbs to make a base for the cheesecakes bars.

Filling

  • Cream cheese – It’s best to bring the cream cheese to room temperature so there are no lumps.
  • Sugar – Again, I used granulated white sugar.
  • Flour – A small amount of all purpose flour is added to the cheesecake layer to add stability.
  • Eggs – Large eggs at room temperature.
  • Whipping cream – Whipping cream is also called heavy cream. It’s added to the cheesecake mixture for richness.
  • Vanilla extract – This enhances the flavour in the cheesecake.

NOTE, The full recipe and ingredient list can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Ingredients to make lemon cheesecake bars.
Ingredients to make Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Instructions

  1. Prepare baking pan – Grease and line with parchment paper an 8 x 8 inch deep sided baking pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.
  2. Make the lemon curd – First, make the lemon curd. In a stainless steel bowl placed over simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly. This is really important, otherwise you risk the chance of it curdling. Continue to stir until it becomes thick. This will take between 5-10 minutes. Once it has reached a lovely thick and creamy texture, immediately remove from heat. Put through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut in the butter and give a good stir. Set aside.
  3. Make the crumb base – Make the crust by combining the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Stir to combine. Press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the prepared 8 inch square pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
  4. Make the filling – In the bowl of your electric mixer place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth. This will only take a couple of minutes. As you are mixing, scrape down the sides as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour the filling.
  5. Finish cheesecake squares – Spoon the lemon curd over the top. Using a sharp knife, make swirls through the lemon curd.
  6. Bake – Bake between 50 – 55 minutes until the cheesecake is baked through and a little wobbly in the centre.
  7. Cool – Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about one hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before cutting.
  8. Serving – Keep chilled in the refrigerator until serving.

Recipe Tips

  • Make ahead lemon curd – The Homemade Lemon Curd can be made and stored in the fridge up to one month before using.
  • Firmly press the cookie crumbs – Make sure to press the cookie crumbs into the baking pan. If not, they will crumble apart after baking.
  • Allow to cool – It’s important to refrigerate the cheesecake squares for about 2 hours before cutting.
Lemon cheesecake bars on a plate.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd

Substitutions

  • Homemade lemon curd – You could use store bought lemon curd no problem. And for a flavour change your could substitute lime juice or orange juice to make the curd for a completely different flavour.
  • Biscuit base – I used digestive cookie crumbs. Alternatively you could use graham wafer crumbs, vanilla wafers or any other cookie crumbs that you like. You could also made a shortbread base. Find the recipe for a shortbread base in the Apple Pie Crumble Bar recipe.
Lemon cheesecake bars on a rack.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Storage

  • In the Refrigerator – Put your lemon cheesecake bars in an airtight container and store them in your fridge. They will keep up to about 4 days.
  • In the Freezer – Place the cooled cheesecake bars in an airtight container and store them in the freezer up to three months.
Lemon cheesecake bars on a serving plate.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to use fresh lemon juice for lemon curd?

It’s best to use fresh squeezed lemon juice for lemon curd for the best flavour. However, you can use bottle lemon juice if you don’t have access to fresh lemons.

What kind of cream cheese is best for cheesecake?

Any kind of full fat cream cheese works best for cheesecake. It’s important to bring cream cheese to room temperature before mixing so there are no lumps.

Can you serve lemon cheesecake bars warm?

Lemon cheesecake bars are best served cold from the fridge. You can serve them at room temperature but you can’t serve them warm.

Lemon cheesecake bars on a plate with lemons.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars


Lemon Curd Cookies

Sweet and buttery Lemon Curd Cookies. A soft and chewy thumbprint cookie filled with sweet and creamy lemon curd. These are the perfect cookies to enjoy through spring and summer!
Check out this recipe
A stack of lemon curd cookies.

Mini Lemon Cheesecakes

Brighten up January with these deliciously beautiful Mini Lemon Cheesecakes! Perfectly proportioned, fresh and lemony cheesecakes will brighten even the gloomiest of January days. Take a look!
Check out this recipe

Lemon Cream Cheese Danish

This Lemon Cream Cheese Danish is everything you need right now. Using puff pastry with a cream cheese and Lemon Curd filling, it's delicious. Then topped off with a sweet glaze to make it just a little bit extra.
Check out this recipe
freshly baked lemon cream cheese danish

Lemon cheesecake bars on a plate.
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Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd

These are the most delicious Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd. Made with a biscuit base, a creamy cheesecake layer with swirled in Homemade Lemon Curd! They are a perfect dessert bar.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Cool time3 hours
Total Time4 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: North American
Keyword: cheesecake, lemon desserts
Servings: 16 Bars
Calories: 271kcal
Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

Lemon Curd

  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Crust:

  • 1 cup cookie crumbs
  • 1/4 cup butter melted

Filling:

  • 16 oz cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Grease and line with parchment paper an 8 x 8 inch deep sided baking pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.
  • First, make the lemon curd. In a stainless steel bowl placed over simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly. This is really important, otherwise you risk the chance of it curdling. Continue to stir until it becomes thick. This will take between 5-10 minutes. Once it has reached a lovely thick and creamy texture, immediately remove from heat. Put through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut in the butter and give a good stir. Set aside.
  • Make the crust by combining the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Stir to combine. Press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the prepared 8 inch square pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
  • For Filling: In bowl of your electric mixer place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth. This will only take a couple of minutes. As you are mixing, scrape down the sides as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour the filling.
  • Spoon the lemon curd over the top. Using a sharp knife, make swirls through the lemon curd.
  • Bake between 50 – 55 minutes until the cheesecake is baked through and a little wobbly in the centre.
  • Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about one hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before cutting.
  • Keep chilled in the refrigerator until serving.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts
Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd
Amount Per Serving (1 cheesecake bar)
Calories 271 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 102mg34%
Sodium 168mg7%
Potassium 73mg2%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 0.3g1%
Sugar 23g26%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 653IU13%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 41mg4%
Iron 0.5mg3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping by & Hope to See You Soon!

By on January 25th, 2024
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About Julia Pinney

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2 Comments on “Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd”

    • Hi Hannah, If you look in the recipe card in the first step you will see it’s baked at 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. I hope this helps.

      Reply
5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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