Lemon Cheesecake Bars bring three times the fun! How?! Well, there are three amazing layers that are yummy on their own, but when they come together… your tastebuds enjoy the sweetest of treats! What makes up these luscious layers, you might be wondering? Well, the foundation is made up of a buttery, cookie crust. Not a bad start! Then, you have a creamy, sweet, citrusy filling. And last, but certainly not least, there’s a white-chocolate-filled vanilla cookie spread on top for a moist and crunchy layer to this delicious dessert! That’s a lot of fun if you ask us! Lemon Cheesecake Bars bring you a trio of delight that you experience with every crumble!
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups vanilla wafer cookies
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake filling:
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 lemon, zested
For the cookie layer:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 11 ounces white chocolate morsels
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Line a 13×9-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
Step 3 –In a food processor, add the wafer cookies and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and pulse until fine crumbs form.
Step 4 –Add 1/2 cup of the melted butter to the crumbs and pulse until combined.
Step 5 –Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Step 6 –In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add the cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the sugar, 2 of the eggs, the lemon extract, and the zest from 1 lemon and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 7 –Pour the filling mixture over the crust.
Step 8 –In a bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the remaining butter and the remaining granulated sugar together for 2 minutes.
Step 9 –Add the remaining egg, the vanilla extract, and the remaining lemon zest to the butter mixture and beat until combined.
Step 10 –Add the baking powder, the salt, and the flour to the cookie dough and beat until fully blended.
Step 11 –Fold the white chocolate morsels into the cookie dough.
Step 12 –Scoop the cookie dough by the spoonful onto the top of the filling layer.
Step 13 –Use your fingertips to gently spread out the cookie dough until the surface is covered.
Step 14 –Bake the lemon cheesecake until lightly browned, but the center is still jiggly, about 30-35 minutes.
Step 15 –Allow the lemon cheesecake to cool completely.
Step 16 –Refrigerate the lemon cheesecake for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Step 17 –Slice the lemon cheesecake into bars and serve cold.
