Lemon Bar Cookies
These easy lemon bar cookies are made with a soft cream cheese cookie dough, filled with sweet and tart lemon curd, and dusted with powdered sugar. They taste just like classic lemon bars!
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
Cream Cheese Dough
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 3.5 ounces full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole large egg room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- In a small pot, combine the sugar, lemon juice, yolk, and lemon juice.
- Cook over medium-low heat for 12 minutes, stirring constantly until the curd looks vibrant yellow and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Pour the curd into a bowl and stir in the butter.
- Set aside to cool completely before using. Place it in the fridge to chill quickly!
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese until combined.
- Pour in the sugar and mix until fully combined and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.
- Scoop with a standard cookie scoop (roughly two tablespoons) and drop each one into a bowl of powdered sugar.
- Toss the ball in the powdered sugar until fully coated.
- Transfer them to a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Use the bottom of a tablespoon to press down the top of the dough to create a well, then fill it with one teaspoon of the lemon curd.
- Freeze the cookies for 1-2 hours or until frozen solid. Then bake them 2-3 inches apart on a parchment lined tray at 350 F/180 C for 12-13 minutes.
- Let them cool completely on a wire cooling rack then dust with more powdered sugar and enjoy!
Notes
Step-by-step process photos are provided above, in the body of this post.
- Use a kitchen scale for the best results. Baking by weight is much more accurate than cup measurements!
- The best tip for making lemon curd is to make sure you stir it constantly when it's on the heat. This will keep the eggs from scrambling.
- Do not let the lemon curd boil! You should cook it over low heat.
- Let the lemon curd cool completely before using. You can place the bowl in the fridge to chill it quickly or leave it out at room temperature for 1 hour before using it.
- Drop each dough ball directly into the powdered sugar to keep it from sticking to your hands.
- Fresh lemons: I recommend fresh lemons for the best and freshest flavor. You can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch but I highly recommend fresh!
- Egg yolk: You will need egg yolks for the dough and the lemon curd.
- Cream cheese: This recipe has the best results with full-fat cream cheese.
- Room temperature: Store the baked cookies at room temperature in an airtight container or on a baking tray wrapped in plastic wrap. They will stay soft and fresh for 3-4 days.
- Freezing the baked cookies: I don't recommend freezing the baked cookies.
- Freezing the dough: You can freeze them before baking! Place the tray of assembled cookie dough in the freezer until frozen solid, then transfer them to an airtight container. Place a sheet of parchment paper in between layers to keep them from sticking. The powdered sugar melts a little in the freezer so it may need to be dusted before baking.
