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Grapefruit Curd Cheesecake Bars

9 cheesecake bars
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword dessert bars
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 9
Author Christine Ma

Ingredients

Grapefruit curd

  • 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
  • ½ cup grapefruit juice (125 ml)
  • cup granulated sugar (135 grams)
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¼ cup butter, cut into small pieces (57 grams)

Lemon poppyseed graham cracker crust

  • 1 ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs (125 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (9 grams)
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar (27 grams)
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted (57 grams)

Cheesecake filling

  • 1 pound cream cheese, softened at room temperature (452 grams)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup sour cream (120 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Make the grapefruit curd. Combine the grapefruit zest and juice, sugar, and eggs in a heavy-bottomed saucepot. Whisk the mixture together until well combined. Heat the curd over medium-low heat. When the mixture starts to gently simmer, start adding the butter bit by bit, whisking constantly. Continue to simmer the curd until it begins to thicken, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the curd to a clean bowl. Place plastic wrap directly over the curd, touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool completely. You can prepare the curd up to 3 days in advance.
  • While the grapefruit curd is cooling, make the crust. Combine the graham cracker crumbs with poppy seeds, brown sugar, lemon zest, and melted butter. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish to form an even crust. Par bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  • Decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
  • Make the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating the egg before adding another. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until combined.
  • Set aside ⅓ cup of the grapefruit curd. Pour the remaining curd on the prepared crust. Pour the cheesecake filling on top to create one even layer. Place dollops of the remaining curd on top, gently swirling the curd into the cream cheese filling with a spatula.
  • Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes - 1 hour or until the edges have set and the center is slightly jiggly. Turn off the oven and slightly open the oven door ajar, letting the cheesecake gradually cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. Slice into bars and serve.

Notes

The grapefruit curd can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.