These lemon meringue cheesecake bars are the perfect summer dessert. A creamy, delicious cheesecake filling jam-packed with sweet and tart lemon curd with a buttery biscuit base, topped with a perfectly toasted meringue. You’ll want to keep going for another bite!
Do you know what I have realized? Lemon is one of the most underrated dessert ingredients. The flavor is unmatched, and it pairs perfectly with almost everything. The tart and citrusy flavor turns into dessert magic when mixed with some sugar and sweetness.
And with summer around the corner, all I want to eat is lemon desserts. They are refreshing, sweet, sour, and just that kick of brightness that you need on a sunny, summery day.
This dessert is really like summer on a plate. Creamy, lemony cheesecake filling swirled with A LOT of thick, tart lemon curd on a buttery biscuit base and topped with the smoky, toasty meringue. Like a lemon meringue pie, but in the form of a cheesecake!
I won’t lie; we INHALED this dessert. It’s not ultra sweet or indulgent; it’s more fresh and bright, which is PERFECT for those summer days. The downside is that you eat half the cheesecake slab without realizing it cause it’s just that good.
Although it has a few different elements, they’re all straightforward and simple. It can also be made ahead, making it perfect for your summer lunches.
Let’s take a look at the elements in the dessert.
Before we begin – let’s talk about the right pan for making this dessert.
Like I always say, I don’t believe in limiting any dessert to one shape, size, or form. This cheesecake has 4 main layers – the biscuit base, the cheesecake filling, lemon curd, and toasted meringue.
I have assembled the cheesecake in a pastry frame as I find it the easiest to use. However, you can use a regular springform pan or even set it in a flat glass dish similar to a trifle. I would recommend using a springform pan or a pastry frame.
Biscuit Base
No cheesecake is complete without a buttery biscuit base (well, except for a basque cheesecake). The biscuit base for this cheesecake is made by blending together 4 basic ingredients – digestive biscuits/graham crackers (or any biscuit of your choice), melted butter, brown sugar, and lemon zest.
Once the ingredients have been blended together, transfer them to your pan and press down using a flat spoon or the bottom of a cup. Make sure all the edges are clean, and the layer is even all across the pan.
The biscuit layer gives the perfect crunchy texture that pairs beautifully with the creamy cheesecake filling. I recommend keeping the base layer a little thick so that the biscuit-to-cheesecake balance is perfect. Too thin, and your bars will fall apart when you cut them.
Lemon Curd
If you have never eaten lemon curd, you are seriously missing out. It’s like a super tart yet sweet lemon custard that’s JAM-PACKED with lemon flavor. The texture is a little softer than a custard, and it carries the lemon flavor front and forward.
While you can find pre-made lemon curds in many stores, I would highly recommend making it at home as it’s super easy, and the homemade version is literally 100 times better.
Want to learn more about lemon curd? Read the full guide!
Once you learn how to make lemon curd, it will become a staple in your household. Plus, you can use the same recipe to make curd with any fruit!
Lemon curd is made with 4 simple ingredients – egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and butter.
The yolks give it thickness and richness, the lemon juice and zest bring the lemon flavor, the sugar sweetens the curd, and the butter makes it smooth and shiny.
Here’s how to make lemon curd.
- Prepare a double boiler: Fill a saucepan with water halfway and bring it to a boil. Take a bowl that will fit perfectly over the saucepan without touching the water.
- In the bowl, add all the ingredients except for the butter and give them a quick whisk, then place the bowl over the saucepan with the boiling water.
- Constantly whisk the curd for 4-8 minutes until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Once ready, take it off the heat and mix in the butter until fully combined.
- Cover the curd with cling film, making sure the plastic touches the curd’s surface, and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
You can use the same recipe to make an orange, lime, or passionfruit curd by replacing the lemon juice and zest with your fruit of choice.
The lemon curd can be made two days in advance and used for assembly.
Cheesecake Filling
The cheesecake filling is made with a simple, one-bowl, no-bake recipe that comes together in 15 minutes. It uses six basic ingredients – cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream, vanilla, and whipped cream.
Here is how to make the lemon cheesecake filling.
- In a bowl, whip the cream cheese until it’s smooth and has no lumps. Add the sugar and mix for another 3-5 minutes until the sugar is fully dissolved. You can check this by rubbing the mixture between your fingers to check if it’s smooth or grainy. If it’s still grainy, mix until it’s fully smooth.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sour cream, and vanilla, and mix until fully combined.
- Whip the cream to almost stiff peaks, then fold it in gently into the cheesecake batter using a silicone spatula. Make sure you are doing this gently so that the mixture remains light and creamy.
- Once the cheesecake layer is ready, spread half of it on the biscuit base, then top it with a few tablespoons of the lemon curd and spread the remaining cheesecake batter on top. Top the cheesecake layer with more lemon curd and swirl it into the cheesecake batter.
- Let the batter chill in the fridge overnight.
Pro Tip: Be generous with the lemon curd; you want as much of the lemon flavor in the bars as possible. Don’t worry if it’s not forming clean layers and mixes with the cheesecake layer. We want the lemon curd in each and every bite.
Meringue
The toasted meringue brings the perfect toasty, crispy, and sweet flavor to the cheesecake bars and gives it that lemon meringue effect. This layer is non-negotiable, so don’t even think of skipping it!
Making meringue is very simple. You can use French, Italian, or Swiss Meringue as per your preference.
If you want to learn more about making Italian meringue, this article will help you out!
I have used Swiss meringue for this recipe because it’s the easiest, no other reason. If you have never made meringue before, I would recommend starting with this easy Swiss meringue recipe.
If you don’t know, meringue is a cooked mixture of egg whites and sugar that becomes light, fluffy, and cloud-like when whipped at high-speed. Meringue can also be toasted (think of a marshmallow in s’mores) to become toasty and delicious, which is what we will be doing for this dessert.
Here is how to make Swiss Meringue.
- Prepare a double boiler as you did for the lemon curd. Add the egg whites and sugar off the heat in the bowl and give it a quick whisk.
- Place the bowl over the saucepan and continuously whisk until the sugar fully dissolves in the egg whites. You can check this by rubbing the mixture in between your fingers. Once you cannot feel any sugar granules, the meringue is ready.
- Take it off the heat and let the meringue cool down. Whip the egg whites, starting from low speed, then medium, then maximum speed until the meringue becomes thick and fluffy and reaches stiff peaks (the meringue forms stable peaks in the mixture when the whisk is picked up from it).
- Use the meringue immediately. Spread a layer on the set cheesecake layer and toast it using a blowtorch until it’s properly toasted throughout.
As I said, although this dessert has four layers, each layer is easy to make. The lemon meringue cheesecake is the perfect summer treat and will leave you wanting more with every bite.
So, let’s make it!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are unreliable and can give different measurements, so I suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
Lemon Meringue Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- Saucepan and heat-proof bowl for double boiler
- Hand whisk
- Electric or stand mixer
- 7" springform pan or pastry frame read notes for more pan details
- Blow torch
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 4 egg yolks
- 140 gs white granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 100 ml lemon juice
- 90 gs unsalted butter
Biscuit Base
- 200 gs digestive biscuits/graham crackers
- 20 gs brown sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 100 gs melted butter
Cheesecake Layer
- 360 gs full-fat cream cheese
- 75 gs white granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 30 gs sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 170 gs liquid whipping cream
Swiss Meringue
- 2 egg whites
- 100 gs white-granulated sugar
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- Fill a saucepan halfway with water and let it come to a boil. Meanwhile, take a heat-proof bowl that fits at the top of the saucepan. Add the egg yolks, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and sugar into the bowl and give it a quick whisk.
- Once the water in the saucepan has come to a boil, reduce the heat and bring the water to a simmer. Then, place the heat-proof bowl with the lemon curd mixture on top of the saucepan. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.
- As soon as you place the bowl on the saucepan, start whisking the mixture and keep whisking continuously to stop the eggs from scrambling from the heat. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-8 minutes.
- Once thickened, remove the lemon curd from the heat, add the softened butter, and whisk until it's melted and incorporated into the mixture.
- Cover the lemon curd with a cling film and chill it in the fridge for at least an hour. Make sure that the cling film is touching the surface of the lemon curd to stop a film from forming on top of the curd. Give it a quick whisk before using it to smooth out any lumps.
Biscuit Base
- In a blender, add the digestive biscuits, brown sugar, and lemon zest, and blend until you have a fine mixture. Then, add the melted butter and blend again until you have a wet mixture that holds its shape properly.
- Transfer the biscuit base to the pan and create the base by pushing the mixture to the bottom. Make sure you pack the base as tightly as possible and don’t leave any holes. I recommend using anything with a flat surface, like a measuring cup to push it down. This ensures that the crust does not break apart while cutting. Let the crust chill for 10 minutes.
Cheesecake Layer
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric mixer, add the cream cheese and mix until it's smooth. Then add the sugar and lemon zest and mix on med-high speed until the sugar is fully incorporated and you cannot feel any sugar granules in the mix.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream, and vanilla essence and mix for 2-3 minutes on med-high speed until everything is well combined.
- Add the heavy whipping cream to a separate bowl and whisk until it reaches stiff peaks*.
- Add the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and gently fold it in with a silicone spatula. Make sure you’re taking your time and folding the cream in gently; you don’t want to knock any air off the batter. The whipped cream is what helps give the cheesecake a firm structure, so if you mix it too vigorously, you will end up with a loose cheesecake layer that will not set properly.
- Spread half of the cheesecake batter on top of the biscuit base, then add a few generous teaspoons of the lemon curd, spread it, then top with the remaining cheesecake batter. Add a few more spoonfuls of lemon curd and swirl it into the cheesecake layer. Don't worry if the lemon curd mixes with the cheesecake layer; that's what you want. Chill the batter in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Meringue
- Make the meringue only once the cheesecake is set. Prepare a double boiler. Add the egg whites and sugar to the heat-proof bowl off the heat, give it a quick whisk, and place it on top of the saucepan. Keep whisking until the sugar is fully incorporated into the egg whites. Check if it's done by rubbing a little between your fingers and mix until you cannot feel any sugar granules.
- Let the meringue cool down, then whip using an electric or stand mixer with a whisk attachment starting on low speed, then medium speed, then high speed. Whisk until the egg whites reach stiff peaks.
- Top the set cheesecake bar with the meringue, toast it using a blowtorch and serve.
Notes
- Stiff peaks: This term is used to describe how whipped the whipped cream should be. Stiff peaks refer to fully-whipped cream, where when you pick your whisk up from the cream, it creates stiff, stable peaks.
- Double boiler: When using a double boiler, make sure the bowl does not touch the water and whisk the mixture continuously to avoid the eggs from scrambling.
- This cake can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days
- The lemon curd can be stored for up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container.
- The lemon curd can be made 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
If you’re looking for a light and refreshing summer dessert, these lemon meringue cheesecake bars are absolutely perfect! Don’t be intimidated by the size of this recipe; it’s quite easy to make!
If you give this recipe a try, let me know how you liked it in the comments, and of course, share it with me on Instagram.
Until next time!
