Lemon Cheesecake Bars
These Lemon Cheesecake Bars are decadent, delicious, and best of all easy. Although this is a baked cheesecake, it’s easy to make and delivers an overload or rich, creamy lemon flavor.
We love cheesecake in all forms, and one of our favorite ways to serve it is as cheesecake bars. We love to make these lemon cheesecake bars for family and friends during the spring and summer for a zest, warm-weather treat. BUT you can make them any time of year.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- List of It only uses a few simple ingredients.
- It only takes a few minutes and a few simple steps to bake.
- It explodes with lemon flavor in each and every bite.
🛒Ingredients
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You’ll only need some simple ingredients to make this cheesecake, and most of them are probably in your kitchen right now. Anything you don’t have can be easily found at your local grocery store. The main ingredients are listed here, but you’ll find the complete list along with amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Vanilla wafers
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Vanilla
- Marshmallow fluff
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice
- Mint leaves
🔪 How to Make Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Making these bars is super easy. If you follow the directions, you’ll have no issues. Even beginners can do it!
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then, spray a 9×9 baking dish with nonstick spray. Crush the vanilla wafers in a baggie with a rolling pin or in a food processor.
Step 2: Make the Crust
Mix the crushed vanilla wafers with the melted butter until fully combined. Then, press the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove the baked crust and allow it to cool while you make the cheesecake filling.
Step 3: Make the Cheesecake Filling
Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until creamy. then, add the vanilla extract and eggs and mix again. Add the marshmallow fluff and mix once more until combined. Finally, add the lemon zest and juice and mix until fully combined.
Step 4: Bake
Pour the filling over the crust and smooth it to an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes or until the center is set.
Step 5: Cool
Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to sit for 10 minutes. Then, transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack and let it cool to room temperature.
Step 6: Make the Glaze
While the cheesecake cools, whisk the sugar, egg, lemon juice, lemon zest, and mint leaves together in a saucepan. then, add melted butter and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the glaze comes to a custard-like consistency. Transfer to a bowl and place it in the refrigerator until the cheesecake has cooled.
Step 7: Complete the Cheesecake Bars
Spoon the cooled glaze evenly over the room-temperature cheesecake. Then, chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours. Cut into 12 squares and serve cold. Enjoy!
📝Variations
- Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake – Make a blueberry glaze for a lemon blueberry cheesecake.
- Vanilla Wafer Crust – Try using graham crackers for a slightly different flavor.
- Fresh Lemon Juice – You can use RealLemon if you don’t have fresh.
If these lemon cheesecake bars sound good, then you’ll want to take a look at this lemon bar cheesecake.
🥄 Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- 9×9 baking dish
- Saucepan
- Whisk
🥫 Storage
Store for up to 5 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. For longer storage, you can freeze it for up to a month in an air-tight, freezer-safe container.
💭 Tips
- Be sure your cream cheese is fully softened for the best texture and to avoid little bits of raw cream cheese in your batter.
- Follow the baking instructions exactly to prevent cracking.
- Pay close attention to your glaze and stir constantly to avoid scorching.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Baked cheesecake can crack due to temperature and humidity changes in the oven. Never open the door while baking, and don’t be afraid to use a water bath, as well.
When you understand cheesecake it’s not actually finicky. Cheesecake expands and contracts as it bakes. When the temperature is changed, the outside of the cheesecake can cook at a different rate than the inside. This causes the cheesecake to crack. If you leave the oven alone, your cheesecake shouldn’t crack.
Cheesecake is done with the edges are set and the center just barely jiggles when you shake it – kind of like Jell-O.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy cheesecake bars? Then try these delicious recipes:
📌 PIN IT!!
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- mixing bowls
- 9×9 baking dish
- Saucepan
- Whisk
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups Vanilla wafers finely crushed
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter melted
Filling
- 16 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Marshmallow fluff
- 2 tablepoons Lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
Topping/Glaze
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup Lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
- 1 tablespoons Mint leaves finely chopped – optional
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Start by taking the vanilla wafer crumbs and mixing with the melted butter until fully incorporated.
- Place the mixture into a prepared 9×9 baking dish.
- Distribute evenly and press down the mixture to compact it.
- Bake the crust for 8 minutes.
- Once done baking, take out and allow to cool while preparing the filling.
- Keep the oven set at 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, place in the cream cheese and granulated sugar.
- Beat until creamy and smooth.
- Once creamy, add the vanilla extract and eggs.
- Once mixed, add the marshmallow fluff.
- Mix until well incorporated.
- Add in the lemon zest and juice, mix until fully incorporated.
- Pour the filling over the crust and evenly distribute it.
- Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Once the 20 minutes are up, without opening the door, turn the temperature down to 200 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes or until the center is set.
- Once the baking is complete, turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack and allow to come to room temperature.
- While the cheesecake is cooling, prepare the glaze.
- Start by placing the sugar, egg, lemon juice, lemon zest and mint leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk until fully mixed.
- Once mixed, add the melted butter.
- Allow the glaze to cook while constantly stirring.
- The glaze will thicken over time and should come to a custard consistency.
- Once thickened, remove from the heat and transfer into a small bowl.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator to cool until the cheesecake has reached room temperature.
- Once the cheesecake has reached room temperature, spoon the glaze over the surface of the cheesecake, being sure to spread it out evenly over the entire surface.
- Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least three hours to fully set.
- Once chilled, cut into 12 squares and serve cold.
