Lemon bars and cheesecake are two of the best desserts out there. This recipe combines them both, with a tart and sweet lemon bar base topped with a rich and creamy cheesecake layer. The combination of texture and flavor is perfect in these bars. If you love cheesecake and love lemon then you should really try these, they're delicious.
Ingredients
- for the crust:
- butter - 1 cup (225 g), softened
- sugar - 1/2 cup
- all purpose flour - 2 cups
- for the lemon filling:
- eggs - 4
- sugar - 1 1/2 cups
- all purpose flour - 1/4 cup
- lemons - 2, juiced
- lemon zest - 1 tbsp or more for more zesty bars
- for the cheesecake topping:
- cream cheese - 2 8oz (200 g) packages
- sugar - 1 cup
- eggs - 2, beaten
how to
- Preheat an oven to 350 F (175 C) and lightly great a large (9 x 13") baking dish.
for the crust:
- Put the butter, sugar and flour in a medium bowl and blend together with your hands or a pastry cutter until it form small bread crumb like pieces. Press this mixture gently into the bottom of the prepared baking dish then bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove and let cool slightly. (while it cools, make the lemon filling and cream cheese topping)
for the lemon filling:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest. Pour this mixture on top of the prepared crust and skim off any bubbles from the surface.
for the cheesecake topping:
- Use an electric mixer and mix the cream cheese and sugar until blended then mix in the beaten eggs and spread over the lemon mixture. (the mixtures will separate while baking)
- Bake until the filling is set, about 30 - 35 minutes.
I live at an altitude of 5200 feet. It took 50 minutes of baking to get the end results. Is there any adjustments for the altitude, like a little more flour?
Made these for my lemon-loving son. He said they were just ok and preferred other things I have made. I followed the directions to the T. I always try recipes twice to see if I missed something, so we will see how the second go round goes.
I just made these again love them can never stop at one I also put a layer of apples on half can’t wait for it too finish cooking
Hmmmm apples sound good – let me know how they come out. 🙂
Can i half this recipe? and if i can How would i do it? Thanks
Sure you can. Just use maybe a 9×9″ pan and halve all the ingredients. Cook the base for the same amount of time, but when you’re baking the lemon bars, start checking them about 5 or 6 minutes before the quoted cooking time to see if they’re set. : )
I am going to try this with gluten-free flour, and cornstarch in the filling instead of flour. I know it takes 1/2 the amount of cornstarch, so that will be the changes, but my mouth is watering already…. 😉
YUM – sounds like they’ll be just perfect. Let me know! 🙂
Can these be frozen? If so for how long
Sure they can, just wrap them tight – I would say up to 2 months and they’d be great. 🙂
Just put first layer in oven :).
Great! Please let me know how they turn out for you, I LOVE this recipe. 🙂 Enjoy!!
These look amazing. I can’t wait to try them although that could be a little dangerous because I am not sure I could stop eating at just one of them.
They’re so good. One or two . . . maybe three is ok. 🙂
White sugar? Is this the same as powdered sugar?
No, not powdered sugar, just regular sugar. 🙂
How much lemon juice and zest? Did you use the jumbo lemons or regulars size?
About 1/3 of a cup of lemon juice, minimum 1 tbsp lemon zest, you can but 2 in (I did) if you like a very lemony bar.
For the cheesecake topping, do the beaten eggs include the whites and the yolk?????
Yes, it’s two eggs. Whites and yolks.