Lemon Chess Bars

Lemon chess bars are a delicious gooey lemon dessert. These lemony chess bars are so easy to make and are a family favorite.

this recipe

I love chess bars. Ooey gooey deliciousness. And so easy to make. But I wanted to try a new version of my regular chess bar recipe and make lemon chess bars.

The lemon chess bars were a huge success! While I think these are great any time of year, I especially love them in spring and summer when I want all the lemon things. These use a lot of the same ingredients and methods that regular chess bars do, with the addition of fresh lemon juice and swapping out yellow cake mix for lemon cake mix. Enjoy!

How to make lemon chess bars

First, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While oven preheats, create the bottom layer by adding the lemon cake mix, egg, and softened butter to a large bowl.

Mix with a mixer until completely combined. It's okay if it looks a little pebbly like the photo below.

Press it into a 9x13 inch pan. I like to line mine with parchment paper for easy removal! If not using parchment paper, you'll want to grease or spray the pan you're using.

Next, create the top layer! Add softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and eggs to a large bowl. Mix with a mixer until completely combined and smooth.

Pour the mixture over the bottom layer.

Cook in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, then lower the temperature to 325 degrees F and cook for an additional 45-50 minutes. (Most of the time mine are great at the 45 minute mark-- you want them to be gooey).

Let cool completely before slicing.

How to store lemon chess bars

To store lemon chess bars, add them to a container in between layers of wax paper and store in the refrigerator.

I like to take them out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving to let them come to room temperature.

For longer storage, you can also freeze chess bars, and either eat them straight out of the freezer (my mom loves them this way), or let them thaw before enjoying.

Tips for making lemon chess bars

• Lining the pan with parchment paper makes them so much easier to take out and cut! If not using parchment, spray your pan with cooking spray or use butter to grease the pan.
• Take note of the cooking times. You'll cook them for 10 minutes at 350 F, then lower the temperature for the next 45-50 minutes. (I usually cook my chess bars for 55 minutes total).
• Completely cooling and refrigerating the chess bars before cutting will make them much easier and less messy to cut. I also recommend wiping off the knife a few times during cutting.