There’s something special about a recipe written in your mom’s handwriting on a piece of scratch paper. You know the kind — slightly stained, a little faded, but filled with love. This recipe for Lemon Cheese Bars is one of those for me. I found the recipe in my mom’s old recipe box and I’m excited to share it with you.
I’m pretty sure it came from the back of a box or can (the way all the best recipes used to), but I’ve never been able to track it down. All I know is: it’s simple, sweet, and packed with lemony goodness.
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So put on a cute apron, grab a mixing bowl, and let’s get baking.
Why You’ll Love These Lemon Cheese Bars
- They’re easy. Made with a boxed cake mix, you don’t have to measure out a bunch of dry ingredients — that’s definitely a win on a busy day.
- They have the perfect texture. The crust is cookie-like, slightly chewy, and a little crisp around the edges.
- The lemon flavor is just right. Not too sour, not too sweet — bright and fresh for spring or summer…or when it’s the end of March and STILL SNOWING and you want to usher in some Spring weather.
- They’re versatile. Bring them to a baby shower, serve them for Easter brunch, or enjoy them with a neighbor and a cup of tea on your back porch.
- They’re nostalgic. This recipe has family written all over it — literally. There’s something beautiful about baking a dessert that connects generations.
looking for more tangy or cheesy recipes? Try our tangy coconut lime bars, pillowy soft lemon ricotta cookies, or our favorite lemon cut out cookies,
Ingredients:
- yellow cake mix (you can sub in lemon for extra zing)
- eggs (one for the crust, one for the filling)
- vegetable oil (olive oil works in a pinch!)
- cream cheese, softened (I use full fat)
- granulated sugar
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon (or bottled lemon juice if needed)
How to Make Lemon Cheese Bars:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and gather ingredients.
Next, use a fork to mix the cake mix, one egg (save the second one for later), and oil until it becomes crumbly. It will be a little bit gooey. That’s okay.
Take out about a cup of the mixture and set it aside. We will use this later for the topping. Then press the remaining dough into the bottom of a 13X9 pan to form a crust.
***pro tip: I like to use wax paper to help me press the dough into the pan. It makes it easier to spread it out without touching it with my hands.
Put the crust into the oven to bake for about 15 minutes.
While the crust is cooking, mix together the cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and your other egg. If your cream cheese didn’t have enough time to soften, it might look a little clumpy. F.Y.I.— It melts in the oven and still tastes delicious.
Next, take the crust out of the oven. It should look a little bit darker, but not too dark. Then spread the cream cheese mixture over the top of the crust. Be careful—it’s hot! You can optionally add some more lemon zest for an extra zip. It also looks pretty!
Bake for another 15 minutes, let it cool, and then enjoy! I prefer them chilled. They are also much easier to cut that way. I recommend putting them in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you try to slice them.
Now try to eat just one!
Thicker Bar Variation
***If you want a softer crust with a thicker cheese layer, try making them in an 8X8 pan. You will need to adjust the cook time by about 5 minutes at the end to make sure it is cooked all the way through.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months. Make sure they are in a freezer safe container.
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Lemon Cheese Bars
Equipment
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- mixing bowls large and medium
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 egg for cake mix
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 lemon (zest)
- 1 egg for cheesecake part
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- Mix the cake mix, egg, and oil together until crumbly. Take out just under 1 cup and set aside.1 box yellow cake mix, 1 egg, ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- Pat the remaining mixture lightly into an ungreased 13X9 pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
- While that is baking, beat the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and egg until light and smooth.8 oz cream cheese, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 lemon (zest), 1 egg
- Remove the crust from the oven and spread the lemon mixture over the baked layer. Sprinkle the reserved cup of the crumbly cake mix over the top. Bake 15 more minutes.
- Let it cool and cut it into bars.
- I prefer them chilled. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
8 Comments
I made this 3 times in the past two weeks and the teenagers keep swooping them up. These bars have a cookie like crust mixed with lemony cream cheese… a perfect combo.
Beautiful recipe! Thank you so much for sharing!
Soooo sinfully delicious!
These lemon cheese bars are delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Camilla.
Wow looks so amazing been wanting to try a recipe just like this!
I absolutely love using box mix for recipes, this is something I have to try! 🤩🤩🤩
it makes it so easy!