lemon curd cheesecake bars

Get ready for your next favorite dessert & one you’ll want to make all spring & summer long – Lemon Curd Cheesecake Bars – a buttery cookie base, vanilla cheesecake with lemon curd swirled throughout. This is the most heavenly cheesecake ever – cut into bars. We’ve taken two favorite desserts – lemon bars & cheesecake & made them one.

Cheesecake cooked in a rectangular baking pan means it cuts easily into bars making it perfect for sharing & feeding a larger group.

This recipe has been in the Fresh Hunger vault for years & finally it’s time to share. Like all cheesecake recipes – this is make ahead. If you don’t feel like making your own lemon curd, then buy a good quality one from the store – just stay away from the artificially flavored, fluorescent kind. Homemade is always best & lemon curd isn’t difficult to make so give it a crack. The results are worth it.

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4 from 2 votes

Lemon Curd Cheesecake Bars

You’ll need a 9 x 12 inch baking pan & parchment paper for this recipe. Make the lemon curd the day before or buy a good quality lemon curd from the store. 

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

chill8 hours hrs

Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Australian

Author: Lovoni

Ingredients

LEMON CURD

• 1/2 cup butter cubed
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks

BASE

• 11 oz box plain vanilla cookies
• 3/4 cup melted butter

FILLING

• 3 x 8 oz packages cream cheese softened
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the lemon curd:

• Pace butter, sugar & juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk over low heat until the butter is melted & sugar is dissolved; remove from heat. Vigorously whisk in eggs. Whisk constantly over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened; strain through a fine sieve. Pour into sterilized jar; seal with sterilized lids. Chill for 8 hours or overnight until cold. Cover & chill until completely cooled.

To make the base:

• Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and line a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33cm) baking pan with parchment (baking) paper. In a food processor, process cookies & butter until fine crumbs. Press over base of pan (a flat bottom glass works good for this); chill until ready to use.

To make the filling:

• In a food processor, process all ingredients until completely smooth; spread over crumb base. Dollop lemon curd over filling & carefully swirl through the filling using a flat-bladed knife or skewer & being careful not to touch the base. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until set. Let cool before covering & chilling in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight. Cuts into 18 – 24 pieces.

Here are some more lemon curd recipes to tempt you: Lemon Curd Cream Pastries & Coconut Lemon Curd Cake.