Cream Cheese Lemon Bars
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Lemon desserts have always had my heart, and cream cheese isn’t far behind. Putting the two together in these Cream Cheese Lemon Bars just made sense! They’re bright, creamy, and exactly the kind of dessert I crave all year round.
For more quick desserts, try my recipes for Apple Slab Pie, Easy Lemon Tart, Salted Caramel Pecan Pie Bars, and Cream Cheese Lemon Crumb Cake.
Why This Recipe Works
My two favorite dessert flavors in one bar. I’m a longtime lemon dessert lover and an equally big cream cheese fan, so combining the two makes these into the best lemon bars recipe ever! These cream cheese lemon bars have that bright, citrusy flavor I crave, balanced by a creamy richness that makes them feel extra indulgent without being heavy.
Classic flavor with a creamy twist. This recipe keeps everything people love about lemon bars, but adds cream cheese for a smoother, more luxurious texture. The result is lemon bars with cream cheese that are tangy, silky, and perfectly balanced from the first bite to the last.
A buttery shortbread-style crust that holds up. The crust bakes up tender yet sturdy, giving you true lemon bars with shortbread crust that slice cleanly and hold their shape. Pre-baking the crust ensures every bite has that buttery base without turning soggy under the filling.
Easy, make-ahead, and made for sharing. This is an easy lemon bars recipe that uses mostly pantry and fridge staples, which makes it perfect for casual gatherings and last-minute plans. Since homemade lemon bars need time to chill and set, they’re ideal for making ahead and serving straight from the fridge!
Ingredients:
For the Crust
- All-purpose flour: Forms the base of the shortbread crust!
- Granulated sugar: Lightly sweetens the crust without overpowering the filling.
- Salt: Balances out the sweetness!
- Butter: Cold butter creates a tender, crumbly crust texture.
For the Filling
- Cream cheese: Adds richness and a smooth, creamy texture. Make sure it is softened to room temperature!
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the filling while balancing the lemon.
- Flour: Helps the filling set without becoming dense.
- Fresh lemon juice: Provides bright, tangy lemon flavor. I recommend using fresh lemon juice as opposed to bottled lemon juice here.
- Powdered sugar: Adds sweetness and a silky finish to the filling.
- Eggs: Give structure and a custardy texture.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a depth of flavor!
Variations & Substitutions
- Lemon Juice: Swap lemon juice for lime or Meyer lemon juice.
- Zest: Add lemon zest to the filling for even more lemon flavor.
- Gluten Free: Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for a gluten-free version.
Here’s How You Make It
Did I mention these lemon bars are so easy to make?
- First thing you need to do is preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 x13-inch pan with foil or parchment paper. Leave plenty of overhang around the edges so that you can lift the bars out of the pan before cutting.
- Make the Crust: Prepare the crust by combining flour, sugars, salt, and butter cubes in a food processor or blender. Cover and pulse until fine crumbs form. (You can also do this with a pastry cutter, fork, or with your fingers in a large bowl.)
- Bake Crust: Press crust into prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
- Make the Cream Cheese Filling: Prepare the filling by combining cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl. Cream together until smooth. Mix in flour, powdered sugar, lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla until completely incorporated.
- Bake Again: Pour filling over crust and return to oven for 30 minutes.
- Cool & Enjoy: Allow to cool for about 20 minutes, then cover and transfer chill in the fridge 4 hours or overnight. Lift the foil edges to remove the bars from the pan, slice into squares, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, and serve.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature cream cheese. Softened cream cheese blends smoothly into the filling and prevents lumps. Cold cream cheese can leave pockets that won’t fully mix in.
- Don’t skip pre-baking the crust. Baking the crust first ensures it stays firm and buttery under the creamy filling. This step prevents a soggy bottom!
- Fresh lemon juice matters. Bottled juice won’t give you the same bright, fresh flavor. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice really makes these bars shine.
- Chill before slicing. Refrigerating the bars allows the filling to fully set. You’ll get cleaner slices and a better texture overall.
FAQs
Yes, because of the cream cheese and eggs, these bars should be stored in the refrigerator. Keep them covered, and they’ll stay fresh for up to 4–5 days.
Yes, they freeze well. Slice them, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Lemon juice adds brightness and acidity to cream cheese, balancing its richness and enhancing the overall flavor. It also slightly softens the texture, helping create a smoother, more creamy filling in desserts like lemon bars.
More Recipes to Try
- Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting – soft, cake-like banana bars topped with the dreamiest tangy frosting.
- Cream Cheese Brownies – rich, fudgy brownies with swirls of creamy cheesecake!
- Caramel Cookie Bars – buttery cookie layers with gooey caramel tucked right in the middle.
- Easy Lemon Tart – silky lemon filling in a simple crust that feels fancy with minimal effort.
- Cream Cheese Carrot Cake Bars – all the cozy spice of carrot cake in bar form!
When you make this recipe, snap a photo and tag me on social – I love connecting with you and seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Cream Cheese Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
For the Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup flour
- ¾ cups fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar, plus more for topping
- 6 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×13 inch pan with foil or parchment with plenty of overhang around the edges to lift the bars out of the pan before cutting.
- Prepare the crust by combining flour, sugar, salt, and butter cubes in a food processor or blender. Cover and pulse until fine crumbs form. (You can also do this with a pastry cutter, fork, or with your fingers in a large bowl.)
- Press crust into prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
- Prepare the filling by combining cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl. Cream together until smooth. Mix in flour, powdered sugar, lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla until completely incorporated.
- Pour filling over crust and return to oven for 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool for about 20 minutes, then cover and transfer chill in the fridge 4 hours or overnight. Lift the foil edges to remove the bars from the pan, slice into squares, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Simple to make, very yummy. An elevated lemon bar for your squares repertoire. You can eat these right out of freezer : )
These are by far the best lemon bars!!!!
Also easy to make!
Thank you!
Thank you so much! You’re so kind 🙂
I havent made this yet but im making it this weekend. I have a question: can I use cane sugar instead of granulated sugar?
This recipe hasn’t been tested with cane sugar but I think it should be fine! and deliver a tasty result, with mild differences. Substitute 1:1 of cane sugar for the granulated sugar. Just watch that the sugar fully dissolves in both crust and filling. You may need to bake or chill longer to help it set as well.
I’m wondering if I can make these in a different pan…either 8×8 or 11×7. Any idea how I would adjust the cooking time for either of these sizes? Hoping to make these today, but we just made a Mexican chicken thing in the only 9×13 pan I have, hence the need to substitute. Thanks!
Yes, you can use a different sized pan! If you use an 8×8 you will have thicker bars or you will need to half the recipe. If you don’t half the recipe, you will need to lower the oven temperature to about 325 to help cook the center of the bars without burning the edges. You will also need to increase the bake time to about 30-45 minutes. A 11×7 pan is a better substitute if you want to make the full recipe instead of halving it. The bars will still be a bit thicker but not as much as the 8×8 pan of course. Keep the oven at the same temperature but bake for 25-35 minutes. 🙂
Hi there ! I have made these lemon bars several times now and they are the absolute best. My only question , and all except for one time I have made them , the bars are really gooey and have a pudding like consistency in the middle even though I follow the recipe exactly . I even bake them a little longer too in hopes to get them a little more firm but no such luck. Any ideas what I’m doing wrong ? I feel like they should definitely be more firm on the inside 🤔 . They still taste absolutely amazing though !
I’m sorry you’ve had this problem. I’m glad you enjoy these despite having that issue, though! Do they not solidify as they cool and chill? There are a few things that could possibly help if they don’t. First, even though you said you put them bake in the oven, I would suggest to keep baking them for 5 minute increments until the center is only slightly wobbly. Ovens can vary and you may just need to bake for longer. If the edges start to brown you can tent the bars with foil while they continue to bake. As mentioned before, chilling them for 4 hours or overnight as stated in the recipe really helps them set. You can also make sure the cream cheese is fully softened before mixing. Also make sure the filling is smooth before you pour it onto the crust. This also goes with the flour, you don’t want any lumps due to under mixing. Another thing you can make sure is that you’re measuring everything correctly especially the eggs and flour. Lastly, making sure you’re using a 9×13 pan. If you’re using a different size pan, the bars won’t set the same. Hopefully this helps!
These were fantastic!! I brought to a friends party and never had so many requests for the recipe! These were so much creamier than a traditional lemon bar recipe, very well balanced flavor! I ended up having to cook for ~15 mins extra but worth the wait. I made these GF with Bob’s Red Mill baking flour and it turned out great, no one would have even thought they were GF. Will absolutely be making these again!
These are Awesome! Easy to make and refrigerated leftovers are even better!
Where are the measurements?
The measurements to every recipe are in a recipe card at the bottom of each post.
Wow. Why in the world would you rate a recipe you haven’t even made as 1-star simply because you couldn’t figure out how to scroll through the post for the recipe (or use the very obvious “jump to recipe” button at the top).
The family loved them! These are creamy and tart and sweet and the crust even gets a little crisp so there’s such good texture. I did half butter and half coconut oil in the crust because that’s what I had and it turned out great!
Do these bars freeze well? Thanks
Yes, you can freeze them or keep them in the fridge. I have a section for both topics in this post. In the fridge, they will last about a week or so.