Here is something so easy to throw together but tastes like you spent hours on it! These have been a “THING” for a while so now is the time to discover them if you haven’t already. Your family and friends will thank you!
Start by grabbing 2 tubes of crescent rolls from the refrigerated section of the grocery store. …I just used the regular package which works just fine. Sometimes you can find them non-perforated…just a flat sheet of dough. Pretty great.
Place a too-large piece of foil in a 9×13″ baking dish so that the ends hang over the end of the pan. Spray with cooking spray.
Press one roll of crescent dough into the bottom of the dish.
Whip together the fresh lemon juice, lemon zest (set aside about a quarter of the zest), cream cheese and sugar.
Spoon it onto the crust gently spread.
Lay the second tube of dough on top gently stretching to the edges of the pan.
Brush to top with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar & lemon zest mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden and crispy.
Cool for 30 minutes.
Use the foil ends to lift the bars out of the pan onto a cutting board. Use a bench scraper or spatula to cut into squares.
Lift the bars back into the baking dish and refrigerate for another hour or more.
Serve up and ENJOY!
Lemon Cream Cheese Bars
Ingredients
- 2 8 ounce crescent roll tubes
- 2 medium lemons; zested, juiced, divided
- 2 8 ounce cream cheese blocks, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9x13" pan with aluminum foil with the ends coming up 2" above the pan. Spray with baking spray.
- Unroll one package of crescent dough and press on the bottom of the pan pushing to the edges.
- Mix the lemon juice with about ¾ of the fresh lemon zest. Add the cream cheese and granulated sugar. Whip with electric beaters until smooth.
- Spoon onto crust and spread evenly.
- Unroll the second package of crescent rolls and spread over the top, stretching to the edges.
- Brush the dough with the melted butter.
- Mix 3 Tbsp of granulated sugar with the separated lemon rind. Sprinkle over the butter. Bake for 30 minutes until top is golden.
- Cool on rack for 20 minutes. Using the ends of the aluminum foil lift the bars out of the pan. Cut into squares.Return to the baking dish and place in refrigerator for an hour or more before serving.