Lemon Cheesecake Bars

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Also known as lemon cheesecake squares, these easy lemon cheesecake bars with a shortbread crust are creamy, zesty, and delicious!

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

Chill Time4

Total Time5 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 186kcal

1 cup crushed cookies shortbread, graham crackers, etc. about 1 ½ cups uncrushed
2 tbsp butter melted

Preheat oven to 325℉.
Line a 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. Set aside.
If you haven’t done so yet, finely crush your cookies.
Mix in 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
Pour the crushed cookie mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.Gently press the cookies evenly along the bottom of the pan. The bottom of a glass or measuring cup can help.
Using the bottom of a flat glass or measuring cup, or your hands, gently press the cookies in an even layer in the bottom of the dish.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookie crust starts to get golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool.

Add the softened cream cheese, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest to a bowl. Mix until very well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
Beat in the eggs and mix until smooth. Add to the baking pan and gently tap smooth out and to remove any air bubbles
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes, until the edges start to puff up but the cheesecake remains giggly in the center. Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature until no longer warm, about 45-60 minutes.
Chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Mix the sugar, egg, cornstarch, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest, in a saucepan.
Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, being sure to continuously stir the mixture so the eggs don’t over cook. You’re looking to activate the cornstarch, so you want to make sure to bring the mixture to a boil for 30-60 seconds. The mixture will go from a milky yellow color to a deeper slightly translucent yellow.
Once the colors turns and the mixture comes to a boil, turn down the heat. If you continue boiling the cornstarch can lose its thickening ability.
Continue to another minute or so until it is your desired thickness. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat. If you want a perfectly smooth topping, strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the zest.
Immediately pour onto the chilled lemon bars, slice, and enjoy!

You can use both unsalted or salted butter for the cookie crust.
The flour is optional, but can help prevent the cheesecake from cracking since we are not cooking the cheesecake bars in a water bath.
Try to only zest the yellow parts of the lemon. The white part can be bitter.
This recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 9 x13 inch pan.
These bars will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen 1-2 months.