Like many people, I am a huge fan of cheesecake. When I saw this recipe for cheesecake bars with lemon, I hopped right on board. Everything about them sounded delicious and heavenly.
Words can’t accurately describe this rich, luscious, decadent dessert. The graham cracker crust is the perfect match for the creamy, cheesecake filling. The filling has just the right ratio of cheese, sugar and eggs. And, of course with the addition of lemon juice, it is perfect! It’s like a mouthful of happy! These delightful little bars are a “must try”. Trust me, you are missing out on something wonderful if you don’t indulge.
This recipe is courtesy of The Perfect Cookie and will make about 16 bars. You had better whip up two batches, because these are going to disappear quickly!
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Ingredients for Cheesecake Bars
For the Crust:
7 whole graham crackers, broken into 1 inch pieces
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooked
3 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
For the Filling:
1 pound of cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325 and adjust oven rack to middle position.
Make foil sling for an 8 – inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over the edges of the pan. Push foil into corners of the pan , smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.
For the crust:
Process graham crackers in food processor to fine, even crumbs, about 30 seconds.
Add melted butter, sugar, flour, and salt and pulse to combine, about 10 pulses.
Sprinkle mixture into prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer.
Bake until crust is fragrant and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
Let crust cool completely in pan on wire rack.
For the filling:
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
Gradually add the sugar and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
Add sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix until incorporated, about 10 seconds.
Pour filling over crust and spread into an even layer until edges are set but center still jiggles slightly.
Bake for 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through the baking.
Let cake cool completely in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours.
Refrigerate until completely chilled at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
Using foil overhang, remove the cheesecake from pan.
Cut into 16 pieces before serving.
– Uncut bars can be frozen for up to 1 month; let wrapped bars thaw at room temperature for 4 hours before serving.
It’s that simple.
