Creamy, light and very tasty, white chocolate lemon cream bars will become your best summer dessert. I am calling him now. They are amazing!
If you sucker for lemon sweets like you sucker for lemon sweets, you probably need to stop what you do and take the lemon white chocolate cream bars seriously.
Not only does it hit hard and real in the lemon section, but a creamy cheesecake layer and crunchy graham buttery crust help make it a great dessert place.
Lemonade vibe. Cheesecake vibe. It’s definitely a candy with a lot of very good vibes.
Three layers of bliss
Lemon white chocolate cream bars consist of Three magic layers:
- Buttery, slightly sweet graham cracker crust (can easily be incorporated into a shortbread or nella wafer biscuit)
- Layer creamy cheesecake topped by mixing melted white chocolate
- A refreshing (homemade) lemon layer that looks a bit like a pie filling or jelly in consistency
Since I already had a thing about lemon and white chocolate in desserts (this cheese cake And these Cakes, For example), these tapes were instantly favorites.
Why white chocolate?
As someone with an alleged hatred of white chocolate in its purest form (dark chocolate team forever and ever), you might wonder why I was added Melted White chocolate for some of my favorite desserts?
Well, adding white chocolate adds extra sweetness, richness, and creaminess without the overwhelming white chocolate flavor. The savory effect is really cool, especially on a simple cheesecake batter like this one.
These compensatory qualities soothe my heart towards white chocolate a little. Quite a few.
While the recipe might seem a little long with these three separate portions, they come together without much fuss.
Bake an easy graham cracker crust until tender, cool, then topped with a delicious white chocolate cheesecake.
After the cream layer hardens, put it in the refrigerator until further notice. We need to process that layer of lemon.
Layer of lemon to beat
The lemon layer is a thick, boiled mixture of:
- Cold water
- Sugar
- Fresh lemon juice
- Corn Starch
- a pinch of salt
I played with many variants of these bars, trying to completely adjust the amount of cornstarch so that the layer of lemon is thick and processed without being too gelatinous.
After boiling, it will be thinner than pudding, but it should be thick enough to cover the back of the spoon.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir the butter, lemon peel, and a small drop of yellow food coloring (this is optional), then pour the mixture into a bowl, press plastic wrap on top, and let it cool until it is completely cool but still spreadable.
Spread the lemon mixture over the cheesecake layer and refrigerate again until fully hard. The lemon layer will be consistent with the soft gel when all set.
Food colors: yes or no
Yellow food coloring in the lemon layer is optional. It does not affect the flavor, but it does add a more pronounced yellow. Basically, it’s just the appearance.
In the images below, the bar on the left contains yellow food coloring added to the lemon layer while the bar on the right does not.
(Incidentally, the bars on the left were also made with low-fat cream cheese, and you can see how it affects the delicate texture of the cream / cheesecake toppings; I highly recommend using full-fat cream cheese for this recipe.)
An interesting layer of lemon toppers give these bars a distinctive ‘lemonade’ feel.
And if you’ve ever wondered how lemon juice would work alongside a creamy cheesecake and a sweet crust, I can tell you it’s pretty good. Really very good.
As with all desserts like this one, I really wonder what kind of possibilities we could dream about for variations. Lime or prime lime is a no-brainer. How about a lemonberry? grapefruit?
I’m counting on you guys. You always come up with the best suggestions and variations.
Until then, I hope you’ll find the time and reason for making our Lemonade White Chocolate Cream Bar! They really are amazing and will make the best dessert for your summer entertainment (or just stay home!).
Frequently Asked Questions for Lemon White Chocolate Cream Bar:
I made different batches of low-fat cheese and full-fat cheese, and low-fat cream cheese did not work as well. The cream layer is a graceful layer, not rich and fluffy. I recommend using full-fat cheese.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best for a brighter, more natural flavor.
I haven’t tried to freeze it, so I’m not 100% sure, but I think it’s better to make and eat it in a couple of days and it hasn’t been frozen (the baked cheesecake freezes well, but I’m not sure not – bake the dessert cheesecake with freezing). The good news is that it can be prepared a day or so in advance and cooled.
You can try using a shortbread cookie or a “nella wafer” cookie. Either of them should work fine!
A year ago: Rhubarb custard cake
two years ago: Focaccia is super easy to bake (no blender needed!)
Three years ago: Coriander and lemon cream sauce
Four years ago: Snickers caramel cheesecake bars
Five years ago: Delicious dough pieces without baking
Six years ago: Foil packet sweet potato taco
Seven years ago: Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread {Pao de Queijo}
Eight years ago: Apple and cinnamon waffle with cinnamon syrup
Nine years ago: Apple stuffed chicken breast
Ten years ago: Grilled pork tenderloin with citrus and spiced soy
fruit:
16 servings
Preparation time:
1 hour
Cooking time:
20 minutes
extra time:
6 hours
Total time:
7 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients
Lemon layer:
-
2 cups cold water
-
1 1/2 cup (11.25 ounces) granulated sugar
-
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 lemons peel before squeezing)
-
1/3 cup (2 ounces) cornstarch
-
1/4 teaspoon salt
-
2 tablespoons butter
-
1 tablespoon of lemon peel
-
1 drop of food colored lemon, optional (see note)
Shell:
-
2 1/2 cups (8.75 ounce) crushed graham cracker crumbs (about 16 rectangles)
-
1 tablespoon brown sugar or granulated
-
12 tablespoons melted butter (I’m salted)
White chocolate cream layer:
-
1 cup (6 ounces) white chocolate chips or bar, chopped (not almond bark or candy coating)
-
16 ounces of softening cream cheese (see note)
-
1 1/2 cup (6 ounces) powdered sugar
-
a pinch of salt
-
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream (see note)
instructions
- For the lemon layer, In a medium saucepan, mix cold water, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt together. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken and pop large bubbles on the surface. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes (it is important to keep letting it simmer until it sets as it cools).
- Remove from heat and add lemon peel and butter. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on top, and place in the refrigerator until completely cool.
- For the crust, Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch skillet with parchment or foil (for easy removal and cleaning; optional). Stir together the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and melted butter until they are evenly combined. Press the bottom of the prepared tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and set. Set aside to cool completely.
- To fill the cream, Melt white chocolate until it melts and becomes smooth; Do not overheat or it could wring out and burn. I microwave at 50% power for 1 minute, flipping in between. Sit aside.
- Add cream cheese to a mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer or hand mixer until smooth and creamy, for 1-2 minutes, and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the melted white chocolate (if it’s too warm, let it cool until a little warm) and mix again until well blended.
- Add powdered sugar and salt and mix until combined, 1-2 minutes. (See note below about heavy cream.) Add the heavy cream to the mixture and mix on medium speed until the mixture is thick and creamy, for 2-3 minutes.
- Spread the cream layer evenly over the cooled crust. Cool for 1-2 hours, until the cream has a little firm.
- Once the layer of lemon has cooled completely, whisk it to combine and distribute evenly over the layer of cream. Cool in refrigerator until lemon layer forms, 4-6 hours.
- Cut into squares and serve. Add a fresh lemon slice or wrap it, if desired.
Notes
Food coloring: Yellow food color is completely optional. In the post there is a side-by-side photo of the dessert made with yellow food coloring in and without lemon layer. If you want a vibrant yellow coat that screams lemon, a drop of food coloring will help. Otherwise, the top layer will be pale and somewhat colorless (it tastes delicious either way).
White chocolate: White chocolate chips can be a little tough when melted. If you are using white chocolate chips, melt them over low heat and stir often until they are melted. Do not overheat. I always use Ghirardelli’s thin white chocolate baking sheets (usually in the chocolate chip aisle). They dissolve well. Do not use almond bark or candy glaze – the flavor will be fake, “off”, and too sweet.
Cream cheese: I have used both full-fat and low-fat cream cheese in different batches. Full-fat cheese works best – a richer, creamier flavor and a thicker consistency. The low-fat cream cheese filling was smoother and less prepared.
Heavy cream: For this recipe, I add heavy, non-whipped cream directly to the mixture and its strength increases as it mixes with the other ingredients. I use 40% heavy whipping cream from Costco. If you are using a heavy cream with less fat, you may need to whip it until smooth peaks before folding it into the cream cheese mixture.
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Recipe source: Adapted from This recipe is at Jamie Cooks It Up (I changed the peel, changed the ingredients ingredients for the lemon toppings, etc.) after Bri H. (My MKC reader long ago emailed me and told me I had to make it ASAP)
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