These tasty little lemon cheesecake bars have a sturdy croissant crust and a little brown sugar crunch on top. In the middle? A perfect zesty tang of creaminess. This lemon dessert bar is easy to whip together.
Then to the filling. Use a hand mixer to combine softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, the juice and zest of one lemon. Save about a teaspoon’s worth of zest for the topping. Definitely make sure the cream cheese is soft so you get a smooth lemon cheesecake bar, not with chunks of cream cheese.
How to Make It
Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Croissant roll sheet (1 can):
- Lemon
- Cream cheese
- White granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Butter
- All purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Lemon zest
Start by preheating your oven to 350°. Then, put together these lemon cheesecake bars in three easy steps: the crust, the filling, and the topping.
The crust could not be easier. Simple take a can of croissant dough and roll it into a 9 x 9 pan that is sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. You won’t be using the individual croissants, so just ignore the perforated lines. You’ll also have to cut the dough and then fit it back into the pan to fill any gaps to make the square shape. Don’t worry how the dough looks … it will be covered with the filling so it doesn’t need to be pretty!
Once the lend the ingredients until creamy. Spread the lemon cream cheese filling evenly over the croissant crust layer.
Finally, the topping. In another small bowl, combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, and the remaining teaspoon of lemon zest. use a fork or your fingers to combine the mixture into little doughy crumbles.
Sprinkle the sugar crumbs on top the lemon cream cheese filling in an even layer. As the lemon bars bake, the sugar crumbles will flatten out and add a little crunch to the top of your creamy bites. Bake the bars at 350° for about 30 minutes, then let them cool for another 30 minutes.
Remove them from pan and cut into squares or bars then refrigerate for another hour to set. When you’re ready to serve these tasty treats, top them with extra lemon zest or powdered sugar for optional garnish.
Looking for a tasty dessert? Try White Chocolate Caramel Fudge or Chocolate Zucchini Cake.
Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
- 1 croissant roll sheet (1 can)
- 1 lemon
- 1 package cream cheese
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Topping
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Roll a sheet of croissant dough into an 9 x 9 pan that is sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Trim the sheet of dough and fill any spaces with the excess dough so you have one layer of croissant dough covering the bottom of the pan.
- Pre-bake the croissant crust for about 5 minutes, about half the baking time required by the instructions.
- In a mixing bowl, combined softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, the juice and zest of one lemon, reserving one teaspoon of zest for the topping.
- Use a hand mixer to blend the ingredients until creamy. Spread the lemon cream cheese filling evenly over the croissant crust layer.
- In another small bowl, combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, and the remaining teaspoon of lemon zest. use a fork, a pastry cutter or your fingers to combine into doughy crumbles. Sprinkle a little brown sugar on top of the sugar chunks.
- Top the lemon cream cheese filling with an even layer of brown sugar crumbles.
- Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 30 minutes then remove from pan and cut into squares or bars. Refrigerate for another hour and serve cool. Top with extra lemon zest or powdered sugar for optional garnish.