Meyer Lemon Curd-Swirled Cheesecake Bars
March 20, 2012 | Print | E-mail | Filed under cheesecake, lemon
Happy first day of spring! Although it has felt more like summer around here the past few days with temperatures in the low 70s, I am certainly not complaining. I love being able to open all the windows and get some fresh air in the house, which has also prompted me to go on a bit of a spring cleaning spree. Donating things we don’t need, giving the house a good scrub-down, and getting organized not only makes me feel good, but it also has me feeling ready to make room for new things in my life. In the spirit of changing things up, I took the strawberry swirl cheesecake bars I made last year and gave them a bright, citrusy makeover. They’re perfect on a sunny spring day served with a glass of fresh lemonade!
- 2/3 cup graham cracker or gingersnap cookie crumbs
- 2 Tbsp butter, softened
- 8 oz package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
- 2 egg whites
- 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup meyer lemon curd, warmed for easier swirling
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8″ baking dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and butter until moistened. Press evenly into the bottom of the dish.
With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Add in the yogurt, egg whites, flour, and lemon juice.
Pour over the crust. Stir the warmed curd until smooth, and then drop by spoonfuls over the surface of the filling.
Using a knife, swirl the curd to create a marble effect.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool to room temperature and then chill for a few hours in the refrigerator before cutting into bars.
March 20th, 2012 at 9:31 am
Yes yes yes. I love all things lemon, and lemon cheesecake is at the top of that list. I wish we could sit out on the deck and share a pan of these. Must plan that baking weekend, missus.
March 20th, 2012 at 9:31 am
Oh my goodness, these are just gorgeous! They totally scream Spring–love ‘em!
March 20th, 2012 at 9:56 am
I need these in my face NOW!! Two of my favorite flavor combos!!
March 20th, 2012 at 10:17 am
The swirls on this look absolutely fabulous. This is perfect and light for spring!! Just lovely.
March 20th, 2012 at 10:23 am
How gorgeous! And lemon is something I constantly gravitate towards at this time of the year. I’ll be sharing these for sure – thanks for such a beautiful and tempting recipe.
March 20th, 2012 at 11:00 am
My mouth is watering. Those sound a-mazing!!!
March 20th, 2012 at 11:06 am
Love the marbling effect! It makes the bars look so elegant. And I hear you about the summer–today the high is 85! I’m in short sleeves, and I’ve worn shorts twice in the past couple days. Insanity. Last year, March was still full-blown winter in Chicago. What’s going on???
March 20th, 2012 at 12:38 pm
I love sweet lemon included recipes. This one looks really elegant, and it must be tasteful. I like your blog, by the way, this is my first visit.
March 20th, 2012 at 2:07 pm
I’m loving how much the lemony yellow color pops. Such a pretty dessert bar.
March 20th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Boy, that looks yummy! It took me three tries to write “yummy” because I was still thinking about the pictures…
March 20th, 2012 at 3:51 pm
yumm these look amazing!
March 21st, 2012 at 8:30 am
I could eat that whole pan for breakfast, Did I type that out loud?
March 21st, 2012 at 2:32 pm
Beautiful!
March 21st, 2012 at 2:36 pm
I know a few people in my life that would swoon if I made this for them! Must try it!
March 21st, 2012 at 4:22 pm
OOo those sound delicious!! So summery refreshing!
March 21st, 2012 at 5:31 pm
So pretty and perfect for a spring day…however we have snow here!
March 21st, 2012 at 8:18 pm
I’m looooving our summer weather here in March! Makes me wonder how we put up with winter in normal years.
These bars look great! I still have never seen/used a Meyer lemon. Wegmans? Love the Greek yogurt in the recipe, too
March 21st, 2012 at 8:51 pm
So beautiful! Looking forward to trying this recipe, it’s a wonderful spring dessert!
March 22nd, 2012 at 9:31 am
Liz – Yes I did get the Meyer lemons at Wegmans…although I’ve been checking for them lately, and haven’t been able to find them anymore.
They come in a little bag of about 6, so keep your eye out for them!
March 22nd, 2012 at 4:35 pm
these are so pretty!
March 22nd, 2012 at 8:22 pm
Whoa, these look amazing! I love lemon desserts, and I love cheesecake even more! Why have I not combined them yet?!
March 22nd, 2012 at 10:07 pm
This looks delicious, and perfect for Spring. This is the first Spring (that I can remeber that is) I’m actually excited for! I can’t wait to start baking with citrus and making light and refeshing treats!
March 23rd, 2012 at 10:19 am
I released a happy little sigh when I saw these beautiful bars. What a perfect way to welcome spring. We have all of our doors and windows open, too. Our cats love perching themselves on the windowsills and breathing in the fresh air.