Creamy Lemon Bars

Creamy Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust

If you are a lemon-lover, it doesn’t get much better than these Graham Cracker Crust Lemon Bars.  They’re made with a buttery graham cracker crust that’s filled with a layer of rich and creamy cheesecake and topped with lemon filling made from fresh lemons.  

They are melt-in-your-mouth delicious and only require a few extra ingredients than our regular Lemon Bars. They’re great for showers, birthday parties, backyard BBQs or for any time you want to enjoy a simple homemade dessert at home. 

Key Ingredients

Graham Cracker Shortbread Crust

• Graham Cracker Crumbs – you can either purchase this as crumbs, or use a rolling pin to crush graham crackers between two pieces of parchment paper.
• Flour – we use all-purpose flour for this shortbread crust.
• Sugar – you’ll need white granulated sugar for the crust.
• Salt – either sea salt or kosher salt.
• Butter – you’ll want your butter to be room temperature so that you can cut it into the dry ingredients more easily.

Cream Cheese Layer

• Cream Cheese – full fat cream cheese is best for this recipe, especially if you plan on freezing these.  It needs to be at room temperature so either pull it out ahead of time, or warm in the microwave for about 10 seconds at a time until softened.  
• Sugar – this recipe calls for granulated sugar.
• Egg – any large egg will work.
• Vanilla Extract – pure vanilla extract tastes best.

Lemon Custard Filling

• Lemon Juice – make sure to use fresh lemon juice for the best lemon flavor.
• Zest from Lemons – it’s best to zest the lemons before cutting and juicing them.  You’ll need zest from about 3-4 lemons for a single batch of this recipe.
• Sugar – this recipe calls for white granulated sugar.
• Flour – all-purpose flour works great and helps to bind the custard together.
• Eggs – any type of large eggs will work well.

How to Make Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust

1. Make the graham cracker shortbread crust.  Line a 9″ x 9″ baking dish with parchment paper, making sure the paper hangs over about 1″ on each side. Spray lightly with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, flour, sugar, and salt and whisk together.  Add the room temperature butter and mix with a pastry cutter (or your fingers) until the mixture is combined and slightly crumbly.  Pat the graham cracker shortbread dough into the prepared baking dish.
2. Bake the crust.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for a minute before adding the cream cheese layer.
3. Make the cheesecake layer.  While the crust is baking, add the room temperature cream cheese and sugar to a large mixing bowl.  Beat together using a handheld mixer until light and fluffy, or about 3 minutes.  Add the egg and vanilla, then mix again on low speed until smooth. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the warm crust and spread even using an offset spatula.
4. Make the lemon filling.  In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, and eggs.  Whisk to combine, then add the flour.  Whisk again gently, making sure it’s combined and there are no lumps.  Pour the lemon filling over the cream cheese layer.
5. Bake.  Bake in the oven again for 35-40 minutes, or until the lemon custard is set and the edges are slightly golden brown. (Note: the cream cheese layer will rise to the top)
6. Cool.  Once baked, remove the lemon bars from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature.  Once cooled, transfer to the fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars or squares. 
7. Serve.  To serve, pull from the fridge and dust with powdered sugar.  They are best served chilled.  Enjoy!