This easy recipe for Lemon Chess Bars uses cake mix and lemonade mix to make an irresistible dessert. With just 6 ingredients, you'll get a rich & chewy crust with a creamy, tangy top layer - delicious!
If you're a fan of my original cake mix chess bar recipe, you're going to love today's recipe! These Lemon Chess Bars are a super easy dessert recipe that's perfect for summer snacking.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Two delicious layers. On the bottom, you have a rich, chewy cake crust that has a hint of lemon flavor going. On the top, you have a tangy, creamy cheesecake filling that's sweet, playing perfectly off of the rich crust.
- Great recipe for summer. It's bright and fresh, but filling and comforting at the same time.
- It's super simple to whip together - with just 6 ingredients, you'll mix ingredients for two layers and bake.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- 1 box lemon cake mix - if you ever want to change the flavor of this recipe, it's so easy! Simply use a different flavor of cake mix. I'd recommend strawberry cake mix, orange cake mix, or even pineapple cake mix to give this recipe more depth. (See my tres leches with cake mix or my slow cooker peach cobbler for more recipes that use cake mix.)
- 1 cup lemonade mix - This should be a sweetened lemonade mix.
- 3 large eggs
- 1 stick butter - I recommend melting your butter before making this recipe. It makes mixing much easier and will result in a smoother batter.
- 8oz cream cheese - Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing. This will help your cheesecake layer stay nice and smooth. While I used full-fat cream cheese for my recipe, you can cut the fat content of the bars a little by using reduced-fat cream cheese.
- 2 cups powdered sugar - Don't be tempted to use granulated sugar here. The powdered sugar keeps the creamy layer from getting super grainy.
Recipe Additions
This is a great recipe for little additions. The lemon flavor goes so well with tons of different fruits! Use the following variations to make the flavor even more complex:
- Add frozen or fresh berries to the cheesecake layer before baking. You could mix in a cup of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or even cranberries to give a really fun and different element to the bars.
- If you'd like to jazz up that lemon flavor even more, add fresh lemon juice (2 lemons worth, or ¼ cup).
- Sprinkle the finished lemon bars with a light layer of powdered sugar.
(If you love bright, fruity recipes, you'll want to check out my easy fruit dip and cake mix pancakes recipes, too!)
How to Make Lemon Chess Bars
- Prepare the cake base. In a medium bowl, combine 1 box of cake mix, 1 egg, and 1 stick of melted butter. Stir until the mixture forms a thick, cookie dough-like consistency. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of your greased or parchment-lined baking dish to form the crust.
- Mix the lemon cream cheese layer. In a large bowl, beat 8oz softened cream cheese, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup lemonade mix, and the remaining 2 eggs using a hand mixer until completely smooth and creamy. Carefully pour this mixture over the cake layer, spreading it evenly across the top.
- Bake and chill. Bake at 325°F for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is mostly set (a slight jiggle in the center is fine). Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 3-4 hours before slicing and serving.
Step-by-Step Video
Helpful Tips & Tricks
- Make sure to spray your baking dish with cooking spray. These will stick!
- Before cutting the lemon bars, allow them to cool in the fridge for a few hours. Use a sharp knife to make the bars' edges smooth. Fill a bowl with warm water and dunk your sharp knife in the water before cutting each bar. I prefer to chill my bars before cutting so those edges are neat.
- Make sure you don't bake too long. Over-cooking will dry out that luscious creamy cheesecake layer - nobody wants that. These should be pulled when the top just starts to brown.
- I used a 7x11" glass baking dish for this recipe; you can use 7x11" or 8x8" glass dish for thicker layers. For thinner layers, use a 9x13" dish.
- Because of the cream cheese filling, you'll want to store any leftover lemon bars in the refrigerator after serving. Cover them and place them in an airtight container when storing. These should last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- This recipe can be frozen as well. Bake as instructed, wrap bars tightly with aluminum foil and plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 6 months. When you're ready to serve them, simply thaw them in the fridge and enjoy!
Making this recipe? I'd love to see it! Make sure to tag me on social media 📸 with your results (@lambertslately). I'd also love it if you gave this recipe a rating ⭐️ and a comment 💭 to help other people find it.
Lemon Chess Bars
This easy recipe for Lemon Chess Bars uses ingredients like cake mix, and lemonade mix to make an irresistible dessert. You'll get a rich & chewy crust with a creamy, tangy top layer - delicious!
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Ingredients
For the Cake Layer
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 1 large egg
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup sweetened lemonade mix
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- For the crust layer, mix together cake mix, 1 egg, and a stick of butter until smooth. Press this mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13" glass dish.
- For the lemon cheesecake layer, mix together the remaining ingredients (cream cheese, lemonade mix, powdered sugar, and 2 eggs) using a hand mixer until smooth. Pour this mixture on top of the cake mix in the glass baking dish.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until the top mixture is set and starts to brown. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes after removing from oven, then chill for 3-4 hours before cutting.
Notes
- Spray your baking dish well with cooking spray - these bars will stick if you skip this step.
- After baking, chill bars in the fridge for a few hours before cutting. Use a sharp knife dipped in warm water between cuts for clean edges.
- Don't overbake - pull the bars when the top just begins to brown. Overcooking will dry out the creamy cheesecake layer.
- I used a 7x11" glass dish; you can also use an 8x8" for similar thickness. For thinner layers, use a 9x13" dish.
- Because of the cream cheese, store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. Best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
- These bars can be frozen! Bake as directed, wrap tightly in foil and plastic wrap, and freeze up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 335kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 399mgPotassium: 88mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 50gVitamin A: 230IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 127mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Rate it in the comments below!
Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 16 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.
This is exactly the type of recipe I love. These bars look incredible!
These bars look so, so yummy!!
I'm with you on struggling to resist the leftovers - fortunately I have 6 other mouths in my house so leftovers don't last long around here! These look delicious!
I was wanted to know if you make the cake first or do you just spread the mixture?
No, you won't make the cake as directed on the box. Just use the cake mix as an ingredient in the recipe!