Meyer lemon cheesecake bars are the embodiment of everything I love about Meyer lemons and everything everyone loves about cheesecake, together in one sublime bite. Sunny Meyer lemon curd swirled into vanilla cheesecake sits atop a layer of spiced graham crust, making each bar richly satisfying (just as you would expect from lemon curd and cheesecake!).
Simultaneously sweet and tangy, with the ideal ratio of graham crust to lusciously creamy filling, these bars will instantly transform anyone into a lemon dessert lover.
Yield:
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PinIngredients
Meyer Lemon Curd
- 1 tsp Meyer lemon zest
- 3 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Crust
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup graham flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
- 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Instructions
- For the curd, whisk together Meyer lemon zest, juice, sugar, and egg in a heavy saucepan. Cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened. Add butter a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly until melted, before adding more butter. Continue until curd is smooth and thickened, and coats the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes total). Transfer curd to a bowl, press a piece of plastic directly on the surface, and chill until cold – at least one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. For the crust, whisk together flour, graham flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Combine melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture and fold in until incorporated. Use a piece of parchment paper lightly coated with nonstick spray to press dough evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake crust for 18 minutes, until golden and set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, and reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
- For the filling, place cream cheese and yogurt in a food processor and process until combined. Add sugar, salt, vanilla, and egg; process until smooth. Spoon cream cheese mixture over cooled crust and spread evenly. Dollop lemon curd by teaspoons over cream cheese layer and swirl together with a toothpick or wooden skewer; gently tap pan once to remove air bubbles.
- Bake for 40 minutes, until center is set. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack; cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours. Just before cutting, chill in the freezer for 15 minutes. Carefully lift parchment and place bars on a cutting board; use a sharp knife to trim away raised edges, then cut into bars. Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
Nutrition
- Calories: 258
- Carbohydrates: 31
23 comments
i love the pop of bright yellow from the meyer lemon curd! and the idea of using some yogurt in the cheesecake filling sounds amazing- extra tang is always a good thing in my book!
I am always up for another lemon dessert, they are my favorite! A perfect Easter recipe, everyone adores cheesecake!
Wow Laura, these look just gorgeous! I have a friend who I just can’t wait to make these for! Thanks for sharing!!
These are absolutely gorgeous!!!!! WOW!
Love the meyer curd swirl and how you made your own graham crust instead of using graham crackers!
So fresh, bright and fun! it is snowing here right now and these having me thinking of nothing but sunshine! YEESSSS. 🙂
Lemon curd and cheesecake? Oh my, sounds wonderful. These are also some of the prettiest bars I’ve ever seen!
Utterly irresistible —- lemon desserts rule!
Sign me up! These are so my kinda thing!
Ooh, these bars look so yummy, Laura. Bright and sunny and perfect for spring! <3
Cheesecake perfection! I could stare at these all day, makes it feel much warmer outside. Love the ratio, always look forward to your dazzling creations.
-Gina-
I can imagine the bright flavor and creamy texture of these bars – so delicious! And so pretty!
It’s pouring rain and dreary here today and these just brightened my day – both the flavours and the beautiful photos!
Oh I love cheesecake, especially lemon cheesecake. Your pics look amazing too 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
You really will turn me into a cheesecake fan yet! xoxo This is absolutely lovely.
I miss mayer lemons! Such pretty color those cheesecake bars turned out. You inspired me to try with lime 🙂
So pretty, fresh and bright for spring! I just love all of your Meyer lemon recipes, Laura. These bars are simply stunning! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Could cheesecake get any better than this?? NO!! Love this recipe and meyer lemons in general- definitely making this ????
Nothing says ‘hello spring’ more than this zesty and fresh cheesecake! yum!!
such a gorgeous post as always 🙂
xx
Wow I love the swirl on these, they’re so photogenic. I’ve never had cheesecake bars, do you eat them cold from the fridge or do you let them come up to room temperature?
Hi Angela, I like them chilled. It cuts the richness a bit :). Cheesecake bars freeze well also, so I often stash half of the batch in the freezer (wrapped well) to pull out at a later date.
Any one have any ideas for a substitute for graham flour? This recipe sounds amazing! Really want to try it.
Hi Alice, you can sub in whole wheat flour. Hope that helps!