These Strawberry Cheesecake Lemon Bars have a sweet cheesecake swirl in the center that adds a creamy texture to these easy lemon bars.
Warmer weather is here! Can I get a woot woot from the crowd? Well, from the Florida crowd that is.
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 warm weather and the newness it brings.
The other day as I ran outside the birds were chirping like crazy. It put a smile on my face to hear how happy they sounded. I am now waiting excitedly for tree buds and spring flowers to start popping up.
Yes, I do realize that half the country is still under snow and dealing with cold blasts of wind. But here in Florida the weather is perfect. Give it a few more months and the humidity will return with a vengeance, and then I won't be as excited.
Warm weather brings out the lemon lover in me. It is such a bright and cheery flavor. It's why I love these Best Lemon Bars so much.
The other day I had to bring dessert to a dinner, and I couldn't get the idea of making lemon bars with cake mix out of my mind. Have you ever had one of those ideas that you just had to make right away? It happens to me all the time.
The pockets of strawberry preserves add a nice burst of flavor to this lemon bar recipe. This Honey Blueberry Sauce would be another delicious flavor to pair with the lemon and cheesecake.
Ingredients needed for this Lemon Bars recipe:
- lemon cake mix
- butter
- lemonade
- cream cheese
- sugar
- egg
- strawberry preserves
- powdered sugar
- sprinkles
Tips for making Strawberry Cheesecake Lemon Bars:
Add melted butter and lemonade to a dry cake mix and mix until a soft dough forms. This is an easy way to make lemon bars from cake mix.
Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Press half the dough into the pan for the crust. The dough can be sticky. Spray a little bit of the nonstick spray on your hands before you press the dough in the pan if this happens.
Mix together the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add an egg and mix it again. Spread the cheesecake mixture over the dough in the pan.
Microwave the strawberry preserves for about 20 seconds to melt it slightly. Drop it by spoonfuls onto the cheesecake. Use a knife to swirl it gently.
Take the remaining dough and flatten small pieces with the palm of your hands. Place it over the cheesecake. Try to cover as much as possible, but it will be ok if some of the cheesecake still shows.
Bake and chill the lemon bars before adding a sweet lemon glaze and sprinkles.
Other easy lemon dessert recipes:
This easy two ingredient Lemon Cream Fruit Dip is a delicious and fresh treat to dip any kind of fruit in.
This gooey Blackberry Lemon Dump Cake is made with just three ingredients. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream for an amazing dessert!
This Strawberry Lemon Snack Cake is delicious for breakfast or for any time of day. Fresh strawberry pie filling and a lemon glaze will have you smiling in no time.
Layers of cake, lemon mousse, and fresh fruit make these no bake Lemon Mousse Fruit Parfaits a sweet ending to any meal.
Circles of buttery, flakey pie crusts filled with lemon curd make the cutest little Mini Lemon Hand Pies
Strawberry Cheesecake Lemon Bars
These Strawberry Cheesecake Lemon Bars have a sweet cheesecake swirl in the center that adds a creamy texture to these easy lemon bars.
Ingredients
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- ⅓ cup lemonade + 2 teaspoons
- 1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup strawberry preserves
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
- Mix together the dry cake mix, the butter, and ⅓ cup lemonade until a soft dough forms. Press half the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. The dough will be sticky, but keep pressing until it is evenly spread on the bottom of the pan. Nonstick spray on your hands also helps.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and beat again. Spread the cheesecake evenly 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 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 remaining lemonade. Drizzle over the chilled bars. Top with sprinkles. Let set. Cut into 24 bars. Keep refrigerated in a sealed container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 169Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 213mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 0gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g
*The post for Strawberry Cheesecake Lemon Bars was originally published on March 20, 2014. It has been updated and republished on February 20, 2019.
Jenny
These bars were really great. I missed the half part of the cake mix and had to leave it on the bottom and it still turned out really good. Thanks for the great dessert!
Katerina @ diethood .com
Oh my, these are heavenly!! YUM!
Toni
This is such a fun treat! My kids really loved it!
Aimee Shugarman
These are so delicious, made them for Valentine's Day dessert!
Alli
These bars are so stinking good. My kids keep asking me to make more.
Beth-Ann
Do you mean lemonade straight from the pitcher or lemonade concentrate before diluting?
Jocelyn
Yes, the lemonade was already mixed up. Concentrate would be too strong.
Kym Pruitt
Do you think these can be frozen?
Jocelyn Brubaker
I think they would be fine to freeze. I would freeze them on a parchment paper lined tray first, then transfer them to a container. Then thaw in the refrigerator over night. I haven't tried it though, so keep me posted how it works for you!
shobelyn
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Chels R.
I love the sprinkles on top, makes them so playful looking! And I agree, so glad Spring has finally sprung...and it has around here. Our Cherry Blossom Tree is gorgeous, but overrun with all the bees, lol!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Chels!
Jennie @themessybakerblog
These bars scream spring! Now, if only our weather would cooperate. It's COLD here! Pinning.
Jocelyn Brubaker
I just don't think Winter is getting the memo that it's spring!! 😉 Thanks for pinning!
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain
Woot woot for spring and a bigger woot woot for these bars!! That strawberry cheesecake filling?! WHY DON'T ALL LEMON BARS HAVE THAT?!? 😀
Jocelyn Brubaker
Haha, I know, right?! Thanks girl!
Beth @ bethcakes
Springtime reminds me of lemon too. 🙂 These bars look perfect! Love that you added a strawberry cheesecake swirl to a classic!