Lemon Cheesecake

Creamy and rich, this Lemon Cheesecake has a cookie crust and is topped with a tart lemon curd. If you are a lemon lover, this will be your favorite cheesecake recipe!

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My love for anything lemon is strong! Some other lemon favorites include Lemon Ice Cream, Lemon Meringue Pie, Lemon Cream Pie, and Lemon Bars.

The Best Lemon Cheesecake

I have waxed poetic about my love of lemon for years and years now. If I had my choice between lemon or chocolate, I would choose lemon every time. Sweet or savory – lemon is just my favorite.

So I think I don’t even have to tell you about my love for this Lemon Cheesecake. I first posted this cheesecake back in 2008, then again in 2014. And yes – it totally deserves to be updated yet again.

This Lemon Cheesecake starts off with an animal cracker base versus a graham cracker base. And while I do think a graham cracker crust would be delicious, this animal cracker base totally sets this cheesecake apart from others. That is followed by a creamy lemon cheesecake. Once the cheesecake is baked and cooled, you add a homemade lemon curd to the top. Seriously – all of your lemon dreams coming true.

This cheesecake recipe is the perfect mix of sweet and tart and creamy. It’s perfect for entertaining, and perfect for holidays. I’m not kidding when I say this will be a new favorite – just read some of the comments below and you’ll see many others that agree with me!!

Ingredients

For the Crust:

Like I said above, the crust of this cheesecake is made with animal crackers instead of graham crackers. I really love this crust because it compliments the lemon well. You’ll need 5 ounces of the crackers, sugar, and melted butter. If you prefer a graham cracker crust, you can use that instead.

For the Cheesecake:

The cheesecake is made from lots of cream cheese, eggs, sugar, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, salt, and cream. I would not suggest using low fat ingredients here. You’ll want fresh squeezed lemon juice, so don’t use the juice from a jar.

For the Lemon Curd:

The recipe for this topping is a little different from my go-to lemon curd (which would also work) but I think this version is perfect for this cheesecake. You’ll need lemon juice (again – use freshly squeezed), eggs and an egg yolk, sugar, butter, cream, vanilla and salt.

How to Make a Lemon Cheesecake

Start with your crust: Process the animal crackers in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, you can crush the crackers in a bag, but you probably won’t be able to get them as fine. Add the sugar to the mixture, then stream in the butter.

Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. I have tried putting the crumbs halfway up the sides, but I didn’t like the texture, so now I just keep them just on the bottom. Bake this for 13-15 minutes, then remove it from the oven and let it cool.

Once the crust is cool, you will wrap your pan. Scroll down below for a few different methods to do this.

Next we are onto the filling. Get the food processor out again and pulse part of the sugar with the lemon zest. If you don’t have a food processor, use your fingers to rub the sugar and zest together. Stir in the rest of the sugar.

In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese for a few seconds. Then add in the lemon sugar, and beat until smooth. Add the eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and mix to combine.

Give the batter one last stir on the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything has been incorporated.

Pour this into the crust. Now this goes into the oven to bake until it is just slightly jiggly in the middle, but the surface is no longer shiny. Turn the oven off and prop the door open with a towel or a wooden spoon and let the cheesecake sit in the oven to gradually cool for 1 hour.

While the cheesecake is baking, make your lemon curd. Heat the lemon juice until it is warm. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk with the sugar. Then whisk the warm lemon juice into the egg mixture. (Make sure to whisk constantly so that you don’t scramble your eggs and end up with clumps.) Pour this mixture back into the pan, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove it from the heat and whisk in the butter, cream, vanilla, and salt.

Refrigerate this until you need it.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a knife around the edge. Let the cake sit at room temperature for 2 hours to cool completely.

Once cool, top the cheesecake with the lemon curd, then refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours, but 24 hours is even better!

How to Create a Leak-Proof Water Bath for Cheesecake

I am a firm believer in a water bath. Not only is it the best way to avoid cracks in your cheesecake, but it helps to give you the best texture.

But I know many people curse them because sometimes water can leak in and ruin your whole cheesecake.

I have learned 2 different techniques to help you avoid that!

1. The first is to use the wide heavy duty foil. Normal foil is 12″ wide, while the wide heavy duty foil is 18″ wide. The 18 inches makes it so that you only have to use one sheet which means the water doesn’t have anywhere to sneak in.
2. The second technique, shown above, is actually something that I learned from one of you! Wrap your springform pan in a slow cooker liner, then add the foil to the outside of that to hold the bag in place. I was worried about oven temperatures at first, but the slow cooker bags are safe up to 400ºF. And it worked like a charm!

A few more tips when it comes to water baths:

• Be careful when adding the water. You will need a baking dish or roasting pan that fits your springform pan and is at least 2 inches in depth. Even if you think you can walk the pan with the cheesecake and water in it to the oven without spilling or splashing, I still recommend taking the cheesecake and placing it in the baking dish, placing that in the oven and then carefully adding hot water to the dish.
• If you are scared of the water bath or if you are too afraid of the water seeping into your cheesecake, I have heard of others who have had luck placing a pan of water on the rack under the cheesecake. I still think the actual water bath makes for a better cheesecake, but this method is a good alternate.

Tips and Tricks

• Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature.
• If your lemons are hard, you can roll them on a countertop, pressing them with the heel of your hand to loosen them up. Or pop them into the microwave for a few seconds.
• Always zest the lemon before you juice it. It’s not easy to zest a lemon that has already been juiced!
• The cheesecake needs to be fully chilled before serving.

Storing, Freezing, and Making Ahead

FREEZE: I have not personally ever frozen cheesecake, but research says it can be done. You’ll want to wrap it in both plastic wrap and foil, and then freeze it for only up to a month.

STORE: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keep it covered so that it will not dry out. The crust will get soggier the longer you keep it, but it will still be good.

MAKE AHEAD: I love that this cheesecake can be made ahead of time, which makes it perfect for holidays. It is actually best when it has been in the refrigerator for a day, so it’s ideal to make it ahead! The original recipe says you can make it up to one day in advance, but I have successfully made it 2 days in advance without any issues.

More Cheesecake Recipes

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Sour Cream Cheesecake
White Chocolate Cheesecake with Macadamia Nuts and Caramel
Snickers Cheesecake
Instant Pot Key Lime Cheesecake
Cranberry Orange Cheesecake

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Lemon Cheesecake

4.99 from 71 votes

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Cooling Time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 9 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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Creamy and rich, this Lemon Cheesecake has a cookie crust and is topped with a tart lemon curd. If you are a lemon lover, this will be your favorite cheesecake recipe!

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Ingredients

Crust

• ▢ 5 ounces animal crackers
• ▢ 3 tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and kept warm

Filling

• ▢ 1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 oz.) sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon grated zest and 1/4 cup juice from 1-2 lemons
• ▢ 1 1/2 pounds (3-8-oz. packages) cream cheese, cut into 1 inch chunks, at room temperature
• ▢ 4 large eggs at room temperature
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 cup heavy cream

Lemon Curd

• ▢ 1/3 cup juice from about 2 lemons
• ▢ 2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
• ▢ 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cold butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• ▢ 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ pinch of salt

Instructions

• Place the oven rack in the lower half of the oven and preheat to 325°F.
• Place the animal crackers in a food processor and pulse until they are fine crumbs.  Add in the sugar and pulse again.  Add the butter in a steady stream and continue to pulse until the mixture starts to come together, about 10 1-second pulses.
• Transfer the crumb mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly into the bottom.  Bake until it is golden brown, about 13-15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Once cool, wrap the pan with 2 18-inch pieces of foil.  Set in a roasting pan and set aside.
• To make the filling, place 1/4 cup of the sugar and the lemon zest in a food processor and process until the sugar turns yellow and fragrant.  Add in the remaining sugar and pulse a few times to combine.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese for about 5 seconds.  With the mixer on low, add in the lemon sugar in a steady stream, then switch to medium and beat until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs, 2 at a time, scraping down the bowl in between additions.  Add in the lemon juice, vanilla and salt and mix to combine.  Add in the cream and beat to combine, another 5 seconds.  Scrape the bowl again to make sure everything has been incorporated and pour into the springform pan.
• Place the pan in the oven and carefully add enough water to the roasting pan to make it halfway up the sides of the springform pan.  Bake until the center is slightly jiggly and the sides start to puff and the surface is no longer shiny, about 55 to 60 minutes.  Turn off the oven and prop the oven door open with a towel or wooden spoon.  Allow the cake to cool in the oven for 1 hour.
• Remove from the roasting pan, remove the foil, and transfer to a wire rack.  Run a small paring knife around the edges of the cake and let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
• While the cheesecake is baking, make the lemon curd.  Heat the lemon juice in a small pan over medium heat until it is hot, but not boiling.  In a small bowl, whisk the eggs.  Gradually whisk in the sugar.  Whisking constantly, slowly pour the hot lemon juice into the egg mixture, then pour the mixture back into the pan.  Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 170°F, or until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.   Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter until it is melted.  Stir in the cream, vanilla and salt.  (If you have lumps in the curd, pour through a fine mesh strainer to strain any lumps.)  Pour the curd into a small nonreactive bowl.  Cover the surface of the curd directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
• When the cheesecake is cool, top it with the lemon curd while still in the springform pan.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, but 24 hours is better.

Recipe Notes:

source: The New Best Recipe

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 320kcal (16%), Carbohydrates: 25g (8%), Protein: 6g (12%), Fat: 21g (32%), Saturated Fat: 12g (75%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 146mg (49%), Sodium: 261mg (11%), Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 18g (20%)

Keywords: lemon cheesecake, lemon cheesecake recipe