Well, today I bring you lemons. Lemon Cheesecake Bars that is. These little beauties are super sunshine-y and will brighten anyone’s day (also perfect for Easter!)
They are loaded with wonderful lemon flavor, thanks to both the juice and the zest! And I topped them with a simple blueberry topping that compliments well with the lemon.
The crust isn’t too thick so it doesn’t take over the cheesecake as some seem to. I want to be able to taste the cheesecake and not just a graham cracker crust.
I strongly recommend using fresh lemon juice with the zest for this recipe. The bottled stuff is too acidic for this light and luscious dessert.
I used frozen blueberries to make the topping but fresh will work great too. It’s completely up to you if you want to make the blueberry topping. The cheesecake alone is fabulous with its creamy lemon flavor. The topping just adds that little extra something.
- For the Crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- For the Filling:
- 4 8 oz pkgs. cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- zest and juice of one lemon
- 3 eggs
- Blueberry Topping:
- 1 cup frozen blueberries or fresh
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
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Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 13x9" pan with foil leaving extra on each end for "handles" (this will help you pull the cheesecake out of the pan later.)
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In a small bowl mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and press in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
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In a large bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the sugar, flour, vanilla, juice and zest. Mix until well blended. Add in the eggs one at a time mixing well after each.
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Pour batter over baked crust and bake for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool for 1 hour then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
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To make the optional blueberry topping combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and boil for 5 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.
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To serve the cheesecake use the foil "handles" to remove the cheesecake from the pan. Cut into squares and top with a spoonful of the blueberry topping.
