Picture this. A classic lemon bar and a cheesecake bar had a baby, and they dressed it up in strawberries. Wild! Right? These Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake bars are tart, tangy, creamy, and sweet.

If you’re a fan of cheesecake, you’re going to love these simple Strawberry Cheesecake Bars! The strawberry jam swirl really makes the recipe. The sweetness combined with the tartness of the lemons is one of my favorite flavors.

Ingredients

BASE

• 1 package lemon cake mix
• ½ cup butter softened
• ½ cup finely chopped almonds
• 1 cup strawberry preserves or jelly

FILLING

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup ground toasted pecans
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup frozen concentrated margarita mix, thawed

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a 13×9 inch pan.
3. Place the cake mix in a large bowl. With a pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until crumbly.
4. Add almonds; mix well. Reserve 1 cup mixture for topping.
5. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the greased pan.
6. Stir preserves until smooth.
7. Carefully spread over the base.
8. In the same bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, pecans, salt, and egg. Beat until well blended.
9. Add margarita mix; beat at low speed until blended.
10. Carefully pour the filling over the base.
11. Sprinkle the reserved base mixture over the filling. Bake at 350 F for 35 to 45 minutes or until edges begin to brown and the center is set.
12. Cool for 1 hour or until completely cooled. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

These bars are easy to slice and serve, which makes them perfect for family gatherings, church potlucks, or just keeping on hand for dessert during the week. They also freeze well, so you can stash a few away and thaw them whenever you need something sweet.