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Ultra Creamy Lemon Greek Yogurt Cheesecake Bars! Our favorite easy dessert! These lighter cheesecake bars are made without cream cheese and have a whole wheat shortbread crust. Perfect for Easter or Mother's Day!
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5 from 2 ratings

Lemon Greek Yogurt Cheesecake Bars

from kristineskitchenblog.com
The bright, lemon flavor of these creamy Lemon Greek Yogurt Cheesecake Bars will put a smile on your face! An easy dessert for Easter, Mother's Day, or any spring occasion!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 194kcal

Ingredients

For the Shortbread Crust:

  • 1 cup white whole wheat flour or all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest from 1 small lemon
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 tablespoon cold milk

For the Cheesecake:

  • 3 cups full fat Greek yogurt 2% will work but we prefer these with the full-fat yogurt
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 eggs
  • heaping tablespoon lemon zest
  • ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice you will need 2-3 medium lemons for zest and juice
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • fresh berries for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper so that you have a parchment overhang on two opposite sides.

Make the Shortbread Crust:

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Add in the butter cubes and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and mix for 3 more minutes, until pieces of butter are the size of very small peas. Turn mixer off, add the milk, and mix on medium-low speed until the dough holds together when you press it with your fingers, 1-2 minutes more. It will still look a bit crumbly.
  • Transfer dough to prepared pan and use your fingers to press the dough into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Bake crust for about 15 minutes, until barely golden. Place on a wire rack to cool slightly while you make the filling.

Make the Greek Yogurt Cheesecake:

  • Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
  • Wash out the mixer bowl and return it to the stand mixer. Place Greek yogurt, sugar, and cornstarch in the mixer bowl and mix until well combined. Add in eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
  • Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of baked crust and spread into an even layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until cheesecake is just set.
  • Let cheesecake cool on a wire rack for 1-2 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours before serving.
  • When ready to serve, use the parchment overhang to carefully remove the bars from the pan. Slice into 12 bars, top with fresh berries, and serve. Cheesecake bars will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g
Nutrition information is only an estimate.
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