Fig Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Fig Lemon Cheesecake Bars combine two favorites: a perfectly lemon tart cheesecake and a tangy fig filling. With a crispy oatmeal base, these easy homemade cheesecake bars are a dessert for all seasons. Makes 16 bars.
2024 Update: This recipe was originally shared in December 2012. The recipe and post include new photos, as well as more tips and tricks. I hope you love these bars!
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Fig Lemon Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Ever been that person in your crowd who was crazy picky about food? I was totally that person.
Case in point: I didn’t even try cheesecake until I was 19. I was under the impression that I didn’t like cream cheese, so when I went out to a nice restaurant with friends to celebrate a birthday, I found myself in an interesting predicament:
Should I order the cheesecake, as it was the only dessert offered at the restaurant? Or did I confess to my friends that I’d never had it and probably hated it and not eat dessert at all?
I chose the first option, grimacing when my slice came out but pasting a smile on my face as we all dug into our cheesecake after a rousing round of, “Happy Birthday.” After one bite, I immediately changed my tune, never again implying I wasn’t a cheesecake fan.
Since that fateful dinner, I’ve been tinkering with all sorts of cheesecake recipes.
These Lemon Fig Cheesecake Bars are the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Creamy, lightly lemony cheesecake on top of fig preserves on top of an oatmeal-based crust. IT IS SO GOOD.
Why I love this recipe:
If you like fresh lemon desserts, listen up. And if you happen to like cheesecake and figs, too, this is just the dessert for you.
These are easy lemon cheesecake bars. Because making cheesecake in bar form is far less complicated than making a classic cheesecake. No springform pan, aluminum foil wrap and no hot water bath necessary!
Here are a few more reasons I adore them and think you will, too:
- They are the perfect dessert for the summertime, but they’d also be welcome on a holiday season dessert tray.
- They are utterly scrumptious, with layers of a tart creamy filling and tangy fig jam over a crunchy oatmeal crust. It is the perfect combination of flavors and textures.
- I originally made these for Christmas, but honestly, they’re fabulous year-round. I can see these flying off the table at a potluck during the summer… though they’ve got to be kept cold before serving.
More bar dessert recipes to try: Classic Lemon Bars | Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars | Boozy Bacon Pretzel Peanut Butter Bars | Mint Smores Bars | Ooey Gooey Bars | Orange Cranberry Bars | Drunken Pecan Pie Bars | Cranberry Crumb Bars
What you need to make this recipe:
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- 8″x8″ baking dish
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Electric mixer (like a hand mixer or a stand mixer)
- Large bowl
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Offset spatula or spoon for spreading preserves
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
For the crust, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter — if all you have is salted, reduce the amount of salt in the crust.
- Brown sugar — don’t substitute white sugar here.
- All-purpose flour — we like to use unbleached AP flour in our household, but the regular kind works, too. I have not tried this with a gluten free flour blend, so I do not recommend making that swap.
- Rolled oats — these are different from quick cooking oats. Rolled oats are also called old-fashioned oats.
- Kosher salt — you can sub a sea salt here if you prefer.
And for the filling, you’ll need:
- Fig preserves or fig jam — you can buy fig preserves at most supermarkets or the farmers market. Or you can make your own: I have a great recipe for orange fig preserves that works well in this citrusy recipe. You could also use plain homemade fig preserves.
- Cream cheese — use real, whole fat cream cheese, not low-fat or Neufchâtel cheese.
- Granulated sugar — don’t use brown sugar here. It will change the color of your cheesecake and it won’t bake up right.
- Eggs — always do an egg test before you bake with eggs. I use large eggs from the store and bring them to temperature on the countertop for 20-30 minutes before using them in any recipe.
- Pure vanilla extract — always buy the best vanilla extract you can afford. It truly makes a difference in the final product.
- Lemons — you need this for zest and juice! Don’t skimp — get the real thing for the best lemon flavor.
Customizations and substitutions
You can easily make these into another flavor of cheesecake bars. The lemony flavor of the cheesecake filling would be a great match for strawberry, raspberry, cherry or blueberry preserves.
To switch things up, you could always use another kind of crust on this cheesecake bar recipe, like a graham cracker crust.
How to make the oatmeal crust
Before we make the cheesecake, we need to start with the crust.
This is not a traditional graham cracker crust, like you find with many homemade cheesecakes and cheesecake bars. (If you want to make the crust with graham cracker crumbs, check out my graham cracker crust recipe here.) Instead, it’s made with oats, which give it a nice chew.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Spray an 8″x8″ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. You may also line it with a parchment paper sling to help lift the bars out of the baking dish. That’s what I did here.
For the crust, add the butter and brown sugar to a medium bowl.
Beat at a medium speed with a hand or stand mixer until creamed, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the flour, oats and salt to the mixture gradually at a low speed.
Mix until just combined.
Press onto the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer. Do this gently.
You may use a flat-bottomed measuring cup or another tool to evenly press the mixture to form the crust.
Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, get out all your ingredients for the top layers.
How to make Fig Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Next, we add the figs, make the the creamy cheesecake filling and bake these bars.
Spoon the preserves onto the hot crust immediately after it comes out of the oven. Spread gently to cover the crust evenly.
This will make spreading the preserves significantly easier.
To make the lemon cheesecake filling, combine the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl, beating on a low speed until blended.
You may also do this in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. This might also be possible in a food processor, though I have not tried that.
Add the eggs, and mix well.
Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest and fresh lemon juice, folding into the batter until smooth.
Pour this creamy cheesecake layer over the fig layer.
Bake lemon cheesecake bars for 20-23 minutes or until set. Depending on how hot your oven runs, it might take a little longer. They should be not be jiggly when they are ready to come out of the oven.
Remove the pan to cool on a rack and cool to room temperature before cutting into bars. Cover and refrigerate, then enjoy!
Cutting cheesecake bars
If you want bakery-level cheesecake bars, I have a few tricks up my sleeve.
- Use a sharp knife and keep some paper towels or a kitchen towel nearby. After each cut, carefully wipe down the blade before making another cut.
- If you don’t like the edges showing, you can cut the edges off all four sides first.
- To make neat squares, make a cut down the middle, then gauge the halfway point of the two new sections for the next two cuts. Then give the pan a quarter-turn 90° and repeat in the other direction.
- For an 8×8” pan, the bars should be about 2” square to make 16 bars. You can use a baking mat with ruler guides on it to help guide your cuts.
How to store:
These cheesecake bars are best kept in the fridge in an airtight container. They are best fresh, but they will keep for up to a week.
Per the USDA FoodKeeper app, the official recommendation is eating cheesecake within 5-7 days after baking.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
- Serve them with lemony goodness like lemon tea cakes or some cherry lemon tea.
- Garnish them with fresh mint leaves, fresh whipped cream, candied lemons or a snazzy lemon twist.
- Keep them in the fridge or in a cooler right up until you serve them. Cream cheese should not be out of the fridge for more than an hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the jiggle test. They should be not be jiggly at all when they are ready to come out. If it is still very jiggly, it needs more time in the oven.
Cheesecake bars should be stored in the fridge and enjoyed within five to seven days.
Use a sharp knife and keep some paper towels or a kitchen towel nearby. After each cut, carefully wipe down the blade. If you don’t like the edges showing, you can cut the edges off all four sides first.
Then, to make neat squares, make a cut down the middle, then gauge the halfway point of the two new sections for the next two cuts. Then give the pan a quarter-turn 90° and repeat in the other direction. For an 8×8” pan, the bars should be about 2 inches square to make 16 bars.
Quick tips and tricks to making the best Fig Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- To keep the bars looking neat, try to press the crust into an even layer. When you spread the fig jam, try to keep it even, too. Before putting the bars in the oven, gently spread it with a knife or offset spatula to spread the cheesecake filling.
- They should be not be jiggly at all when they are ready to come out.
- Cut off the edges of the bars before you slice into 16 pieces for perfect square bars.
More fig recipes:
Here’s how you make these bars…
Lemon Fig Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Filling
- ¾ cup fig preserves
- 12 oz. cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 large lemon)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Equipment
- Square baking pan (8" x 8")
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Instructions
Make and bake the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and spray an 8"x8" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- For the crust, measure out the butter and brown sugar. Beat at a medium speed with an electric mixer until creamed, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the flour, oats and salt to the mixture gradually at a low speed. Mix until just blended, then press onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Spoon the preserves onto the hot crust immediately after it comes out of the oven. Spread gently to cover the crust evenly.
Make the filling
- Combine the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl, beating on a low speed until blended.
- Add the eggs, and mix well. Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice, folding into the batter until smooth. Pour over the fig layer.
- Bake the cheesecake bars for 20-23 minutes or until set. (Depending on how hot your oven runs, it might take a little longer.)
- Remove the pan to cool on a rack and cool to room temperature before cutting into bars.
- Cover and refrigerate, then enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
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