Lemon Curd Cheesecake Bars

Lemon curd cheesecake bars combine two favorite dessert flavors into one irresistible recipe!  Lemon desserts are some of my favorites, bringing balanced tart and sweet flavor plus sunshine yellow color. A creamy, dreamy cheesecake filling provides rich contrast to the lemon for the perfect pairing.  The bars have a classic Graham cracker crust that slices up beautifully for easy serving and adds a toasted, nutty note to the dessert.

Lemon curd delivers all of the bright, tart, and sweet flavor to these cheesecake bars.  Make a batch of my simple Whole Egg Lemon Curd to get the best flavor in these bars (no double boiler needed!).  The recipe makes enough for these lemon curd cheesecake bars plus a bit extra for snacking or breakfast.

Cheesecake bars are a favorite for baking for a crowd with a no-fuss recipe and fail-proof results.  No worrying about cracking, no need for a water bath, and 24 servings all at once!  If these lemon cheesecake bars look delicious, you need to try these Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake or Cranberry Cheesecake bars next!

Ingredients

I include ingredient notes here when I think they'll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!

• Graham Crackers - Use your favorite brand of Graham crackers here, the recipe requires two "brick" packages.
• Salted Butter - This recipe was developed with salted butter. If you only have unsalted butter on hand, add about ¼ teaspoon of salt to the crust mixture before processing.
• Cream Cheese - Use standard cream cheese for the recipe.  It isn't necessary to bring the cream cheese to room temperature before preparing the filling, the food processor will effectively blend all of the ingredients well.
• Greek Yogurt - Greek yogurt helps to lighten the filling a bit and improves the texture of the final dessert.
• Lemon Zest - Adding lemon zest to the filling will highlight those aromas of fresh lemon that aren't as present in lemon curd, especially a store bought version.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk - This magical ingredient gives a silky smooth texture to the bars without any additional eggs. It's a canned pantry staple that you can always have on hand.
• Lemon Curd - Prepare your own lemon curd for the best results and the brightest flavor and color in the bars. A store bought version will also work, so don't skip making these bars just because you don't want to make homemade lemon curd!

Prepare the Graham Cracker Crust

Preheat the oven to 350°F for both preparing the crust and baking the bars.  Clear out some space in your refrigerator for chilling the baked bars, too!

Prepare a 9" x 13" baking pan by lining it with a long piece of parchment paper so that "handles" are formed on the long edges which will help you remove the bars for slicing later.  Spray the inside surfaces of the pan with cooking spray.

Add the Graham crackers to the bowl of your food processor and process until they are broken down into a fine sand-like texture.  Scrape down the sides of the processor to get all the crumbs.

Add the melted butter and sugar to the crumbs and process the mixture together.  Stop once or twice to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl to ensure all the ingredients are incorporated.

The final crust mixture should be uniform and like wet sand.

Press the crust mixture into the prepared pan with the bottom of a flat measuring cup or drinking glass (or your fingers) so that it is well compressed into a smooth layer.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes until it is a light golden brown.  Remove it from the oven and set it aside while you prepare the filling.

Prepare the Cheesecake Filling

Brush the crumbs out of the food processor bowl and add to it the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and optional lemon zest.

Process the filling until it is completely smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl to ensure all the ingredients are incorporated.

Spread the filling in a smooth layer over the baked Graham cracker crust. An offset spatula or a silicone spatula are good tools for this task.

Spoon lines of lemon curd parallel to the short sides of the pan, using up the full 10 ounces or 1 cup of curd.

Bake, Chill, and Slice the Bars

Bake the cheesecake bars for 22-25 minutes, or until the center doesn't jiggle and the edges are a light golden color.  Allow the bars to cool for 30 minutes on the countertop.  Cover the bars with a clean kitchen towel and refrigerate them for an additional 3-4 hours.

Score along the edges of the baking pan with a knife. Lift out the bars by the handles, moving them to a cutting board. Slice the bars into 24 pieces before serving.

Top Tips

Covering the bars with a towel while they chill is a better method than plastic wrap as condensation can form on the plastic and then drip onto the bars, making things soggy. If you use plastic wrap, just take care to lift it off the bars without letting any condensation drip. 

Chilling overnight is perfectly fine and may give you an even easier time when slicing the bars.  To get the cleanest slices, use a large chef's knife. Rinse the blade with warm water and dry it in between slices.

Substitutions and Variations

The substitutions listed below have been tested in this recipe and work well. If you successfully make any other ingredient substitutions, let us know in the comments!

• Sour Cream Cheesecake - Swap sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt in the recipe if that's what you have on hand.
• Neufchâtel Cheese - You can use a light cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese in place of standard cream cheese for a slightly less rich cheesecake bar that's just as delicious as the original.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these bars as dessert, with afternoon coffee or tea, or even for breakfast at my house.  They are best served cold right from the refrigerator.

Equipment

A few kitchen tools will help make preparing these cheesecake bars an easy job, but here are some of my favorites (plus alternatives):

• Food Processor - The filling is extra smooth when you use a food processor with at least a 9-cup capacity.  Alternatively, you can use a standard blender with a pitcher large enough to accommodate the filling ingredients. If you allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature, an electric mixer and a large bowl will also do the trick.
• Microplane Zester - These long wand-style graters make quick work of any citrus, Parmesan cheese, or chocolate but don't cut so deeply that you end up with bitter citrus pith.  The small holes of a box grater will also work, just take care to only grate the yellow part of the lemons.
• Offset Spatula - Offset spatulas have an L-shaped bend near the handle. They allow you to smooth frostings, fillings, and batters completely flat without running your fingers through things accidentally.

Storage

These lemon curd cheesecake bars should be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.  You can store them in the original baking pan or transfer them to an airtight container.  If you need to stack the bars, add parchment paper between the layers to prevent crumbs from sticking to the surface of the bars.

Make Ahead Options

You can prepare these lemon curd cheesecake bars the day before you need them and chill them until you are ready to slice and serve them to friends and family.

FAQ