Description
Luscious cream cheese lemon bars combine tangy citrus with creamy richness. Quick and simple dessert promises refreshing flavor that delights palates and satisfies sweet cravings you’ll savor to the last crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsps (16 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3 tbsps (45 ml) lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C) with rack centered, preparing a 9×9-inch baking dish for the lemon bar creation.
- Create Crust Foundation: Blend flour, softened butter, and powdered sugar into a cohesive crumbly mixture, pressing evenly across the baking dish bottom to form a compact base.
- Initial Baking Stage: Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until achieving a delicate golden tone, then remove and allow to cool while maintaining oven temperature.
- Craft Creamy Filling: Whip cream cheese to silky smoothness, gradually integrating granulated sugar, then eggs, ensuring each component blends seamlessly without lumps.
- Flavor Infusion: Fold in flour, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and vibrant lemon zest, mixing until the filling becomes a uniform, velvety consistency with bright citrus notes.
- Assembly and Final Bake: Pour the zesty filling over the pre-baked crust, spreading evenly and eliminating air pockets, then return to oven for 20-25 minutes until filling sets with minimal jiggle.
- Cooling and Setting: Remove from oven and let cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for minimum two hours to firm up and intensify flavor profile.
- Serve and Enjoy: Slice into precise squares, revealing layers of buttery crust and tangy cream cheese filling, ready to delight taste buds with their lemony elegance.
Notes
- Chill for Perfection: Refrigerate bars for at least 2 hours to set filling and intensify flavor complexity.
- Prevent Lumpy Filling: Ensure cream cheese is room temperature and whip until completely smooth before adding other ingredients.
- Zest Matters: Use fresh lemon zest for vibrant, bright citrus flavor that elevates the entire dessert’s taste profile.
- Avoid Cracking: Cool bars at room temperature first, then refrigerate to maintain silky texture and prevent surface fractures.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 174
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 72 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 46 mg