Strawberry Cheesecake Lemon Bars
These Lemon Bars have a strawberry swirl cheesecake in the center that adds a sweet and creamy texture to these bars.
Spring is here! Can I get a woot woot from the crowd?
Time to open the windows, air out the house, clean those corners, and wipe down the fridge. There is something so exciting and fun about spring and the newness it brings. The other day the birds were chirping like crazy outside my window. It put a smile on my face to hear how happy they sounded. I am now waiting excitedly for tree buds, green grass, and flowers to start popping up. Although with the winter we have had, I am sure more snow will head our way before long.
The start of spring season also brings out the lemon in me. It is such a bright and cheery flavor. The other day I had to bring dessert to a dinner, and I couldn’t get the idea of this lemon bar out of my head. Have you ever had one of those ideas that you just had to make right away?
These lemon bars start with a lemon cake mix. You will not be following the box directions though. Melted butter and lemonade added to the mix makes a soft dough. Press half the dough into the pan for the crust. The dough can be sticky. If you have non stick baking spray, try spritzing a little bit on your hands as you press the dough out.
The cheesecake center has melted strawberry preserves swirled into it. The pockets of strawberry add a nice burst of flavor to the lemon bars. Blueberry preserves would be another nice flavor to pair with the lemon and cheesecake.
The finishing touch to these bars is the lemon glaze on top. A little bit of powdered sugar and lemon juice makes a light glaze that will set up nicely on the chilled bars. A healthy dose of sprinkles adds a little bit of fun and color.
Color and lemon…what better way to say Hello to spring
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Print Strawberry Cheesecake Lemon BarsPrep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 24 bars
Lemon cake bars with a strawberry cheesecake center and a lemon glaze will satisfy your sweet tooth after dinner.
Ingredients
1 box lemon cake mix (I used a 16.5 oz.) 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup lemonade 1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup strawberry preserves 1/2 cup powdered sugar 2 teaspoons lemon juice sprinklesInstructions
- Beat together the dry cake mix, the butter, and lemonade until a soft dough forms. Press half the dough into the bottom of a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray. The dough will be sticky, but keep pressing until it is evenly spread on the bottom of the pan. Non stick spray on your hands also helps.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and beat again. Spread over the dough in the pan.
- Place the strawberry preserves in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Drop by small spoonfuls all over the top of the cheesecake layer. Very carefully drag a knife through the cheesecake to swirl in the strawberry preserves.
- Take small pieces of the remaining dough and press flat in the palm of your hand. Place the pieces over the top of the cheesecake. Cover as much of the cheesecake as you can. There will be some places where the cheesecake will still show and that's ok. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
- Stir together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over the chilled bars. Top with sprinkles. Let set. Cut into 24 bars. Keep refrigerated in a sealed container.
More lemon desserts to celebrate the arrival of spring:
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