This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Save-A-Lot. The opinions and text are all mine.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars: This decadent dessert is the combination of lemon bars and cheesecake. With great burst of lemon flavor, they aren’t too sweet, and are utterly delicious.
Lemon Bars meet cheesecake in this delightfully refreshing spring dessert. These easy bars start with a cake mix, and are amplified until they are better than the box with burst of lemon flavor, and just enough sweetness to enjoy! Top with fresh berries and lemon zest for a bright, fresh, treat.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars
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Sometimes in life you want the ultimate dessert, and you want it to be Eazy Peazy. Which is why this dessert is one of my favorites. It starts with a boxed cake mix I picked up at Save-A-Lot, then made better by skipping the traditional use, and instead repurposing the mix.
Instead of a cake, I used it to form the crusty bottom of our lemon cheesecake bars. Using a lemon cake mix, and adding extra fresh lemon juice helped to really bring up the lemon flavor. Then it is topped with a thin cheesecake layer, baked it all up, and then topped with even more no-bake cheesecake goodness.
The most challenging part of this dessert is being patient while it cools and sets. When you first pull it out of the oven, the top of the bars will be a little wet, and gooey. But by letting it chill in the fridge for an hour or so, they set into that lemon bar like goodness.
Then you top them with a special cheesecake layer or cream cheese, powdered sugar, and plenty of lemon juice for that extra burst of citrus-y goodness.
Stand alone, it is phenomenal. Add some fresh berries, and it is out of this world. It is the ideal spring dessert because it is just so light and bright. It makes you welcome flowers and sunshine!
I got all of my fresh berries at Save-A-Lot, and the lemons. They were big, juicy, and a great price. I could not have been happier. They always have such a nice produce selection along with great prices.
Can we just talk about how great berries and lemon are together? They are like the ultimate combination of delicious-ness. Now I like these to be rather thin, so you get just the right amount of the three layers in each bite. But if you want a thicker bar, feel free to bake in an 8×8 pan, and increase baking time by about 5 minutes.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 box 16.25 ounces unprepared, Lemon Cake Mix (Ginger Evans brand)
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbs lemon juice
Cheesecake Layer:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 Tbs lemon juice
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbs lemon zest
- 2 eggs
Topping:
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbs lemon zest
- 1-2 Tbs lemon juice fresh
Garnish:
- Berries of choice
- Lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, mix together crust ingredients using a hand mixer, until combined.
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray
- Press crust mixture into the bottom, spreading it evenly.
- In a clean bowl, use hand mixer to cream together cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest. Once smooth, add in the 2 eggs, and beat until mixed well.
- Spread evenly over crust mixture.
- Bake in preheated oven for 23-26 minutes, until crust is lightly browned, and cheescake mixture is set.
- Refrigerate for an hour.
- Meanwhile, mix together topping by combining everything in a large bowl, and beating until smooth, use as much lemon juice as needed to get the consistency you want.
- Once bars are cooled, spread topping mixture over top, and let chill.
- Slice into 12 even sized bars, top with fresh berries and additional lemon zest, and enjoy.
- Leftovers should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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