Description
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars -Â rich, creamy cheesecake with flecks of lemon zest and studded with juicy blueberries on a shortbread crust. All the deliciousness of cheesecake in a quick and easy bar, with bright, sunny flavors. Perfect for spring!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the crust:
- 1 1/2 cups shortbread cookie crumbs, finely ground (6.75oz, 191g)
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted (1.5oz, 43)
For the filling:
- 16oz cream cheese, softened (454g)
- 1/2 cup sugar (3.5oz, 99g)
- 2 eggs
- finely grated zest from 2 lemons (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (8oz, 227g)
- confectioners' sugar, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
For the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare an 8 inch baking pan with a removable bottom by lining with baking parchment and spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix the cookie crumbs and the melted butter until well combined and moistened.
- Press the crumbs into the bottom of the baking pan. Using a flat bottomed measuring cup, press the crust firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan,
- Bake until golden brown around the edges and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
For the cheesecake:
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl.
- Add sugar and beat another 2 minutes, scraping down bowl halfway through.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed for 20 seconds after each egg. Scrape down bowl.
- Add zest, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle blueberries evenly on top, dropping them gently.
- Bake until only slightly wobbly in the center, about 35 minutes.
- Let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours before slicing.
- Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving
Notes
*If you don't have a removable bottom baking pan, line pan with aluminum foil and let the sides overhang so that you can easily lift the bars out of the pan.
*Don't cool the bars too quickly or they will crack. I learned this the hard way by letting them cool in front of a fan.
- Prep Time: 10
- chilling time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 224
- Sugar: 11.9 g
- Sodium: 140.8 mg
- Fat: 15.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.2 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 57.6 mg