Yuja Cheesecake Bars (Citron Cheesecake)

Quick answer

Total time: 52 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Yuja cheesecake bars are a baked dessert that begins with a pressed crust of cracker crumbs and melted butter, pre-baked for eight minutes to set a firm base before the filling goes in.

The filling combines softened cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and yuja citron marmalade, poured over the crust and baked at 170 degrees Celsius until just set. Pre-baking the crust is essential for keeping the layers distinct, and room-temperature cream cheese is non-negotiable for a batter free of lumps. Seventy grams of yuja marmalade introduces the fruit's sharp, floral citrus fragrance alongside clean acidity that cuts through the dense richness of the cheese layer, preventing the aftertaste from feeling heavy or cloying. Chilling for two full hours in the refrigerator before slicing produces straight, clean edges on each bar, and the texture sits between dense and silky, dissolving slowly once it hits the palate.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

cracker crumbs120 gg

melted butter45 gg

cream cheese280 gg

sugar55 gg

eggs2 pcspcs

yuja marmalade70 gg

heavy cream60 mlml

lemon juice5 mlml

Shop All Ingredients

As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Step

Preheat the oven to 170C and line a 20x20cm square pan with parchment paper leaving generous overhang on two sides so the bars can be lifted out cleanly later.
2

Heat

Mix 120g cracker crumbs with 45g melted butter until the mixture clumps when squeezed, press evenly into the pan bottom, and prebake at 170C for 8 minutes until just set.
3

Season

Soften 280g cream cheese at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, add 55g sugar, and beat with a hand mixer until completely smooth with no lumps.
4

Step

Add 2 eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next, then stir in 70g yuja syrup, 60ml heavy cream, and 5ml lemon juice with a spatula using gentle strokes to minimize air.
5

Heat

Pour the filling evenly over the prebaked crust and bake at 170C for 24 minutes; the bars are done when the outer 3 to 4cm is set and the center jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken.
6

Prep

Remove from the oven, cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours until fully firm, lift out using the parchment overhang, and cut into bars with a sharp knife.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Yuja cheesecake bars feature a pre-baked cracker crust that stays crisp under citron-infused filling.
Finish cue: Pour the filling evenly over the prebaked crust and bake at 170C for 24 minutes; the bars are done when the outer 3 to 4cm is set and the center jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken.
Storage and reheating: Chilling for two full hours in the refrigerator before slicing produces straight, clean edges on each bar, and the texture sits between dense and silky, dissolving slowly once it hits the palate.