Lemon Cheesecake Crumb Bars

Lemon cheesecake crumb bars deliver everything you want in a spring dessert. Creamy lemon cheesecake filling is sandwiched between a buttery, oat crumble that melts in your mouth for an insanely delicious dessert bar.

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Recipe

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5 from 3 votes

Lemon Cheesecake Crumb Bars

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dessert bars

Servings: 12

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Oat crumble

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (156 grams)
• 1 ¼ cups old-fashioned oats (100 grams)
• ½ cup brown sugar (100 grams)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup melted butter (170 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Lemon cheesecake filling

• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 pound cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8x8-inch baking dish and line with parchment paper.
• Make oat crumble. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add melted butter and vanilla, stirring until well combined.
• Add half of the crumble into the prepared baking dish and press down to create an even layer. Set aside remaining oat crumble. Bake crust for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Combine sugar and lemon zest together in a medium bowl, rubbing the sugar with the zest. Pour mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer with cream cheese and beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Alternatively, used a hand mixer.
• Add eggs one at a time. Add lemon juice, mixing until well combined. Pour filling in the baked crust and sprinkle remaining oat crumble on top.
• Bake lemon cheesecake crumb bars for 40-45 minutes or until the edges have set, but the center is still slightly wobbly. Let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Transfer to a refridgerator and let cool at least 4 hours or overnight. Slice and serve.

Notes

You need about 2 large lemons for the filling.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Prepare crumble

The base of these bars starts with a simple oat crumble that comes together in minutes. You'll mix flour, old-fashioned oats, both brown and granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Add melted butter and vanilla and mix until everything is well combined.

Press half of this mixture into your prepared 8x8-inch pan to form an even crust. I highly recommend lining the baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.

Then, bake it at 350°F for about 15 minutes until it turns golden brown.

This pre-baking step is crucial because it ensures your bottom layer stays crisp and sturdy enough to support the creamy filling without getting soggy.

Set aside the remaining crumble for the topping.

Step 2: Make filling

While your crust cools, whip up the lemon cheesecake filling. When I was a line cook at a restaurant in LA, the chef taught me a tip that I still use today: rub lemon zest with sugar before incorporating it into the dessert. This releases the essential oils and distributes that bright lemon flavor throughout the filling.

Beat the cream cheese and lemon sugar together until creamy, then add the eggs one at a time, followed by the fresh lemon juice.

I don't recommend using bottled lemon juice for this recipe. Besides, you need lemon zest, so you might as well buy fresh lemons, right?

Also, make sure your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature. This helps everything blend smoothly without lumps.

Step 3: Bake

Pour the tangy filling over the baked crust and sprinkle the reserved oat crumble evenly on top. Don't press down on the crust, or it will sink.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F, and bake the lemon cheesecake crumb bars for 40-45 minutes.

You'll know they're done when the edges are set, but the center still has a slight wobble. This is the key to achieving that perfect creamy texture. Overbaking will result in a dry, cracked filling, so don't wait for the center to firm up completely in the oven.

Let the bars cool on a wire rack for an hour before transferring them to the refrigerator. The long chill time of at least 4 hours (or better yet, overnight) allows the cheesecake layer to set properly and makes slicing clean and easy. Trust me, the wait is worth it when you bite into these perfectly balanced bars.

I already love jam crumb bars, so I knew that I would love these lemon cheesecake crumb bars. And boy was I right. The richness of cheesecake is balanced with bright, zesty lemon and is held together by a tender oat crust for a phenomenal dessert. I think I'll have to make this one every year!

Make-ahead and storage tips

• Make-ahead: This dessert is best chilled overnight, so I recommend baking it the day before you plan to serve it.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 5 days.

More cheesecake recipes

Looking for more cheesecake ideas? Try these: