Description

Creamy, tangy lemon‑cream cheese bars built on a crisp buttery shortbread base—elegant and refreshing with the richness of cheesecake and the brightness of citrus.

Ingredients

Crust: all‑purpose flour, granulated sugar, salt, cold unsalted butter (cubed)

Filling: cream cheese (softened), granulated sugar, a little flour, fresh lemon juice and zest, eggs, vanilla extract (optional)

Powdered sugar (for dusting)

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line a 9×13‑inch pan with foil or parchment, leaving an overhang.
Mix flour, sugar, salt, and cubed butter until coarse crumbs form. Press firmly into the prepared pan.
Bake crust for ~10 minutes until lightly golden. Reduce oven temperature to around 325 °F (160 °C).
Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, then add flour, lemon juice, zest, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
Pour filling over warm crust, spread evenly, and bake 30–45 minutes until edges are set and center jiggles slightly.
Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight) to firm.
Lift bars out using overhang and slice into squares. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

Use fresh lemon juice and zest for best brightness.

Add citrus variations: lime, orange zest, or swirl lemon curd.

Try graham cracker or vanilla wafer crust for different flavor.

Top with berries, toasted coconut, or chopped pistachios for visual interest.

Chill fully before slicing for clean edges.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bar
Calories: 210
Sugar: 18g
Sodium: 180mg
Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Unsaturated Fat: 4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 22g
Fiber: 0.5g
Protein: 3g
Cholesterol: 55mg