Limoncello Cheesecake Bars (Printer View)

Zesty bars featuring creamy limoncello filling on a buttery graham cracker crust, ideal for summer gatherings.

# What you'll need:

→ Graham Cracker Crust

01 - 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
02 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
03 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
04 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Limoncello Cheesecake Filling

05 - 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
06 - ⅔ cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - ¼ cup limoncello liqueur
09 - ¼ cup sour cream
10 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - Zest of 2 lemons
13 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
14 - Pinch of salt

→ Garnish

15 - Powdered sugar for dusting
16 - Lemon zest or candied lemon slices

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on sides for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter, and lemon zest. Mix until crumbs are evenly moistened.
03 - Press mixture firmly into prepared pan to form an even crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth and creamy, approximately 2 minutes.
05 - Add sugar and beat until well incorporated. Mix in eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition.
06 - Add limoncello, sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla extract, lemon zest, flour, and salt. Mix until just combined and smooth, avoiding overmixing.
07 - Pour cheesecake filling over pre-baked crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
08 - Bake for 35 to 38 minutes, or until center is just set and edges are slightly puffed. Do not overbake.
09 - Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight, until fully chilled and set.
10 - Using parchment overhang, lift bars from pan. Cut into 16 squares. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with lemon zest or candied lemon slices if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like a fancy Italian bakery but come together in your own kitchen without any mysterious techniques or fancy equipment.
  • The flavor hits that perfect sweet spot between sophisticated and comforting, so they work equally well at a dinner party or as a 3 p.m. snack with coffee.
  • They're somehow both light and decadent, which honestly feels like cheating when you're trying to impress people.
02 -
  • Room temperature cream cheese is absolutely essential—I learned this the hard way with a lumpy filling that no amount of beating could fix, and there's no recovering once it's baked.
  • Don't overbake these bars chasing a fully set center, because they'll continue to firm up as they chill and overbaking makes them grainy and dry rather than creamy.
03 -
  • The parchment paper overhang is your secret weapon for removing these from the pan without breaking them—don't skip this step, even though it seems fussy.
  • Zest your lemons over the filling ingredients so you capture all those aromatic oils that make limoncello so special.
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