Description
Bright and tangy lemon cream cheese bars with a buttery crust and smooth citrus filling, finished with a light dusting of powdered sugar for an elegant touch.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until creamy and smooth.
- Add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes until lightly set.
- In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar until smooth.
- Mix in the egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice until fully combined and creamy.
- Pour the filling over the warm crust and spread evenly.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the center is set with only a slight jiggle.
- Cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar before slicing into 12 bars.
Notes
Use fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor.
Refrigerate bars due to the cream cheese filling.
Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Allow bars to cool completely for clean slices.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
