Here in Florida, spring is in the air. I know because my car is covered in pollen and my sinuses are feeling the wrath. But I also know because I want something lemony. It’s not often I go out of my way for something with lemon, but lately my mouth has been watering at the thought. Besides, what is spring without a little fresh lemon squeeze? To satisfy the craving, I knew I had to make my Creamy Dreamy Lemon Bars, the easiest, creamiest lemon bars ever.
I vividly remember when I was little, we would frequent a seafood restaurant and I’d always order a sweet tea. It came with a lemon wedge on the side and after squeezing it into my tea, I’d pop it in my mouth to make sure I squeezed all the juice out I could. So I guess you say I’ve been a lemon lover all my life.
As I’ve gotten older, my love of lemon has gone from a wedge straight to the mouth, to a more subtle approach in both sweet and savory dishes. Most recently I went with a sweet approach. With a little time, I turned just 6 ingredients into the easiest, creamiest lemon bars ever. They’re just what lemony dreams are made of!
And don’t worry. The lemon taste of these bars is not at all overpowering. I may have been known to go straight to the source, but you won’t even pucker at these lemon bars. There is just enough lemon flavor to give the treat a tartness, without being full on in your face. As you see, even my preschooler couldn’t keep her fingers out of the creamy lemony filling.
Ingredients:
- 1 roll of refrigerated cookie dough (16 oz.)
- 16 oz. of cream cheese (room temperature)
- ¼ cup of white sugar
- 1 large lemon (juiced and completely zested)
- 12 oz. of lemon yogurt
- ¾ cups of heavy whipping cream (or 1 ½ cups of whipped topping)
Directions:
(Click here to skip to printable recipe)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Press the cookie dough into the bottom of a 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Be sure to cover the entire bottom of the dish. (You can also use 2, 8″ x 8″ dishes – ½ of the cookie dough in each dish.)
- Bake the cookie dough for 20 minutes and then let cool for at least 30 minutes.
- While the cookie dough is baking, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and ½ of the lemon zest. Once well combined, add the yogurt to the mixture and beat until it becomes a smooth and creamy consistency.
- In a second bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream until it creates a firm, smooth texture. Carefully fold this (whipped topping) into the cream cheese mixture.
- Spread the mixture on top of the cookie (make sure the cookie is cool to the touch first) and top with the remaining lemon zest. Optional: garnish with lemon slices.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours. Then cut into desired bar size and serve cold.
If I had to choose a sweet treat that made me want to hide in the closet and eat it all myself, this would be it – NO LIE. Shoot, last week (before they were all gone), I even enjoyed a lemon bar with my morning coffee for a few days. Don’t judge…just make it for yourself and see!
