Lemon Chiffon Chess Bars

Light and gooey Lemon Chess Bars with a bright citrus flavor and soft custard filling, an easy, one-bowl dessert perfect for picnics, brunch, and holiday treats.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword lemon-bar-recipes, lemon-bars, lemon-chiffon-chess-bars

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Cooling time 2

Total Time 3

Servings bars

Calories 249kcal

Author Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

1 15.25 oz box white or yellow cake mix
1 cup butter melted and divided
4 large eggs divided
1 8 oz block cream cheese softened
1 3/4 oz box instant lemon pudding mix
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 medium lemon juice and zest
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar plus additional for dusting the top (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
In a medium mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat together cake mix, 1/2 melted butter and 1 large egg. Beat until fully moistened. Press evenly into the bottom of the pan.
In the same bowl, whip together cream cheese, remaining 1/2 cup melted butter. lemon pudding mix, heavy cream, lemon juice, zest and vanilla. Beat until creamy and no lumps remain.
Add 3 eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Lower the speed of the mixer, and add the powdered sugar gradually. Whip until smooth and fluffy. Spread mixture evenly over the buttery crust.
Bake for 40-45 minutes. The center should still move when gently shaken.
Cool completely then, cut into bars. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Notes

Cake Mix - I'm adding loads of lemon flavor in this recipe. You can use a box of lemon cake mix, if you prefer. When using a lemon-flavored cake mix you can omit the lemon pudding.
Use the Same Bowl - When preparing each layer for this lemon gooey butter cake, there's no need to begin with a clean bowl. Simply scrape the bowl and continue with the next steps.
Don't Prebake the Crust - The cake mix crust mixes up in minutes and there's no need to pre-bake the crust. In fact, you would ruin it if you did.
Be Careful Not to Overbake - The biggest mistake you can make with chess bars is to overbake them. They should still have a little "wiggle in the middle" when the pan is gently shaken.
Serving Options - You can get fancy with these lemon chess bars and serve them with a dollop of whipped cream, if you like. I find that due to the sweetness, a dusting of powdered sugar will do.

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