These bruleéd lemon cheesecake bars are full of lemon flavor, creamy cheesecake and an irresistible crunchy toasted topping!
Is lemon season over? Maybe? We have no idea. In our book it is always lemon season. We recently got Mike Bakes NYC’s new cookbook Even Better Brownies and inside were these miraculous and oh so dreamy lemon bars. Not just any lemon bars, bruleéd lemon bars. We decided to get crazy and take this already perfect recipe and add a little extra somethin’ somethin’…Cheesecake.
What is a lemon bar?
Lemon bars are light, zesty and gooey bars jam packed full of lemon flavor. They are very simple to make and have a nice bright and tangy flavor.
What ingredients do you need for lemon cheesecake bars?
- lemons
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- all purpose flour
- butter
- vanilla extract
- eggs
- cream cheese
How do you make these lemon cheesecake bars?
You will first want to start with your shortbread crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9X9 baking pan (you can also use an 8X8) with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. Spray parchment with cooking spray and set aside. To make shortbread crust, in a medium bowl, whisk together the graunlated sugar, brown sugar, flour and salt. Slowly add melted butter and vanilla to the four mixture while stirring with a fork. Mix until combined. Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of your pan.
Bake for 15 minutes until puffed and lightly brown!
While the shortbread is baking start making your cheesecake filling.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. About 2 minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Pour cream cheese mixture over the shortbread crust after it comes out of the oven. Put back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Start making the lemon mixture!
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until well combined and thick. Add the flour, lemon juice, zest and whisk until combined.
Once the cheesecake comes out of the oven, VERY CAREFULLY spoon your lemon filling on top of the partially baked cheesecake layer. We highly recommend using a spoon for this as if you pour it you could crack the cheesecake layer causing the lemon mixture to absord into the cheesecake layer. Bake for 25 more minutes.
Allow bars to cool completely in the pan. Once bars are cool, lift the parchment paper our of the pan to release the bars. Cut them!
Now it’s time to brûlée! Generously sprinkle the tops of the bars with granulated sugar and torch with a kitchen torch until melted and golden brown. Once cooled, the sugar will harden creating a crust. This is the kitchen torch we use: here.
What is a brûlée?
Typically when you think of brûlée you think of creme brûlée, which is a custardy dessert with a brittle top of crunchy melted sugar. A brûlée is achieved by melting granulated sugar with a kitchen torch and continuing to torch it until it is a golden brown color. Once it cools it will hard and creating a shiny, beautiful top just waiting to be cracked.
Total bake time for all the layers is 50 minutes. However, you do have to allow the bars to cool completely before serving so that will add about another couple hours or so to the total time. Cooling them in the fridge will help cool them faster. You can make these ahead of time and keep them in the fridge so they set and cool overnight as well.
The best way to make sure you do not crack your cheesecake layer when pouring on the lemon mixture is to gently spoon the lemon mixture onto the cheesecake. If the cheesecake cracks slightly, the bars can still work, but if the crack is too big the lemon mixture will sink down into the cheesecake layer and make everything soggy.
The brûlée adds a nice crunchy texture but it is not necessary. If you just want a smooth and soft top you can omit the sugar topping and leave them naked!
Certainly! If you do not have a kitchen torch you can simply place your bars on a baking tray (or back in the pan you baked them in) and place them under your oven broiler until the sugar melts and turns golden brown. If you do go with this method you will want to make sure to WATCH THEM CAREFULLY as they can burn quickly.
Store them covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you like these bars you might also like:
Brûléed Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cheesecake layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Lemon filling
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup lemon juice about 4 lemons
- zest of two lemons
Brûléed topping
- granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9X9 (you can also use 8X8) with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. Spray parchment with cooking spray and set aside.
- To make shortbread crust, in a medium bowl, whisk together the graunlated sugar, brown sugar, flour and salt. Slowly add melted butter and vanilla to the four mixture while stirring with a fork. Mix until combined. Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of your pan.
- bake for 15 minutes until puffed and lightly browned
Cheesecake layer
- While the shortbread is baking start making your cheesecake filling.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. About 2 minutes.
- Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until combined
- Pour cream cheese mixture over the shortbread crust after it comes out of the oven. Put back in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Lemon layer
- in a large bowl whisk together the eggs and granualted sugar until well combined and thick. Add the flour, lemon juice, zest and whisk until combined.
- Once the cheesecake comes out of the oven VERY CAREFULLY spoon your lemon filling on top of the partially baked cheesecake layer. We highly recommend using a spoon for this as if you pour it you could crack the cheesecake layer causing the lemon mixture to absord into the cheesecake layer.
- Bake for 25 more minutes
- Allow bars to cool completely in the pan
- Once the bars are cool, lift the parchment paper out of the pan to release the bars and cut them.
For the brûlèe top
- Just before serving sprinkled the tops of the bars with generously with granulated sugar. Torch the tops with a kitchen torch until golden brown. Allow to sit for a couple minutes to completely harded.