Lemon cheesecake bars, a simple recipe,no baking with a refreshing lemon flavor. Prep in under 15 minutes for a delicious dessert. Perfect for Easter and Summertime
Lemon Cheesecake Squares! This is a lovely, simple no-bake dessert and very easy to make.
These squares have a bottom layer of Digestive Biscuits, or Graham Crackers (depending on your choice), and then a creamy, tangy layer of lemon cream cheese filling with whipped cream to make it nice and fluffy. The combination will give you a nice crunchy texture from the base and delicious sweet and tangy flavor from the filling.
The sharpness of the lemons is nicely balanced with the creaminess of the cheesecake filling, and the base is as crispy and crunchy as a cookie!
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With this recipe, please note that you can make this as sharp or sweet as you like, by adding more or less sugar and lemon juice.
I have made mine a little on the sharp side, but not so sharp you will screw your eyes up from the sourness!! The best advice I can give is to taste as you are making the filling and then you know exactly how much sugar you will need. Make it how you like it!
It takes minutes to put together, and the only hard part is being patient for it to chill for a while so it can set.
You can make this ahead of time and keep in the freezer until you are ready to serve. It will only take 20 - 30 minutes to defrost the squares at room temperature.
Check out our handy Oven Temperature Conversion Guide!
Some no-bake recipes use gelatin as the setting agent. For this recipe, I have not used gelatin but relied on the whipped cream and cream cheese. So long as you chill the cheesecake sufficiently, it will set without any problem.
As far as the base goes, you need to make sure you compact the crumb as much as possible to avoid it falling apart and being crumbly so you can't slice it. Again, make sure you add the melted butter to the crumb mixture as this will hold the crumb together and when it has chilled, the base will stay compact and not fall apart!
These little lemon cheesecake squares are so light and refreshing. When I look and taste them, they remind me of Springtime and Easter!
Prep time
10 minutes
Chilling time
4 Hours refrigeration
Serving size
16 Squares
Equipment you will need
8 inch Square pan
Ingredients
The Base
½ cup or 100 g butter
1 ⅓ cups or 190 g Digestive Biscuits (cookies, see below) or Honey Graham Crackers
The Filling
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 2 lemons
4 - 6 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1 x 8 oz or 200 g Cream cheese, room temperature
1 & ¾ cups or 400 ml double cream / Heavy cream
Instructions
1. Line the baking tin with parchment paper so it comes up the sides as in the photo.
Place all your digestives / Graham Crackers in a zippy bag,
and using a rolling pin bash them until they become fine crumbs.
2. In a mixing bowl (large enough to hold the digestives) melt the butter for 30 seconds in the microwave. It should be liquid. If not, heat for a further 10 seconds, or until it has completely melted.
Add the crumbled digestives to the butter and mix very well until it is all incorporated.
3. Lightly (vegetable) oil the base of your tin if using a large tin. Transfer the digestives mixture to the baking pan.
4. Use the bottom of a glass or other object and compress the digestives mixture as much as possible.
The harder it is the less likely it will come apart when you take it out of the pan. Use the back of your hand and go along the edges pushing the mix down and compressing.
This is how the base should look after you have compacted the crumb mixture
3. For the filling, whip cream until stiff,
add cream cheese, zest and sugar and slowly add the lemon juice (I usually add ¾ of the sugar quantity and the juice of 1 lemon first) whilst mixing slowly, taste and add more juice/sugar according to your individual tastes.
4. Transfer filling to the cake tin, spread evenly then place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Top tips
- If you want to prepare ahead, you can place this in the freezer for a couple of hours, then remove the cake from the tin by lifting it out holding the sides of the parchment paper.
- Take a sharp knife and cut into squares or bars and put on a plate and return to the fridge until ready for serving.
- When you allow the cake to freeze for a while, it is a lot easier to cut nice sharp slices.
We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our post. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
Recipe Card
Lemon Cheesecake Squares
Lemon cheesecake bars, a simple recipe,no baking with a refreshing lemon flavor. Prep in under 15 minutes for a delicious dessert. Perfect for Easter and Summertime
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- 1 ⅓ cups or 190 g of digestive biscuits or crushed Grahams Crackers.
- ½ cup or 100 g butter, melted
Cheesecake ingredients:
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 4 - 6 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 oz x 8 or 200 g Cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cups & ¾ or 400 ml double cream / Heavy cream
Instructions
- Line the baking tin with parchment paper so it comes up the sides as in the photo.
- Crush the digestive biscuits/crackers until fine crumbs. I put them in a ziplock bag and bash them with a rolling pin until fine, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Then add melted butter to the crushed biscuits and use a spoon to combine well. Flatten into the 8” lined tin, making sure you push down hard, especially around the sides and leave in the freezer whilst you make the filling
- For the filling, whip cream until stiff, add cream cheese, zest and sugar and slowly add the lemon juice (I usually add ¾ of the sugar quantity and the juice of 1 lemon first) whilst mixing slowly, taste and add more juice/sugar according to your individual tastes.
- Transfer filling to the cake tin, spread evenly then place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 16 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 554Total Fat: 50gSaturated Fat: 30gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 407mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 8g
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Joy
says:Thank you for sharing your recipe
Aquila Clark
says:Hi: I am wondering if I am reading the carbohydrate amount right–lemon cheesecake squares–407 carbs–this doesnt seem possible–I noticed it was high on your loaf cakes–thanks for your reply–
Lovefoodies
says:Hi there, I’m afraid the nutritional information is only a guide and I would always suggest to work it out for individual ingredients if you want a precise count. Unfortunately we have yet to find a totally accurate calculator which can work out all the ingredients. That’s true for most recipe websites so always calculate individually using a nutritional app if you want exact calculations.
April J Harris
says:These look scrumptious – and I’ve just seen they are featured by Yummly! Congratulations!!
lovefoodies
says:Thank you April!!
I had no idea they had been featured on Yummly! Thanks for letting me know.
Diane Hill Roark
says:Stopping by to check out your lemon cake and share it. I am a true lemon lover.
Blessings,
Diane Roark
lovefoodies
says:Hi Diane, Thank you very much! I’m glad you like the recipe.
Have a super weekend!