Fit for a crowd and beloved by all ages, this lemon cheesecake recipe bakes up a dessert so sunshiny it tastes as though you’re eating spring itself.
Glowing with lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon extract, this lemon cheesecake recipe is pure sunshine. We start with a classic graham cracker crust that’s filled with a thick, smooth lemon cheesecake filling. The rest is up to you! Embark on your own topping journey and decorate it with simple whipped cream and lemon slices. Or try something as decadent as lemon curd or blueberry jam. Either way, it’s a gorgeous spring dessert that you’ll come back to again and again.
Ingredients for Lemon Cheesecake
Ingredients for Lemon Cheesecake on wooden table
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Graham cracker crumbs: The easiest way to crush graham crackers into crumbs is by pulsing them in a food processor. You can also close graham crackers up in a resealable bag and whack them with a rolling pin or measuring cup until they are broken into fine crumbs.
Cream cheese: We use four whole packages of cream cheese in this lemon cheesecake recipe, which means you’ll really be able to taste it. Grab a good cream cheese brand from the store, and make sure to soften the cream cheese before using in this recipe.
Lemons: You’ll need about four large lemons for a 1/4 cup of lemon juice. We recommend buying five just in case. If you don’t need it, cut the extra lemon into slices for a garnish.
Lemon extract: A little bit of lemon extract adds more lemon flavor without affecting the batter’s consistency.
All-purpose flour: We add a bit of all-purpose flour to the cheesecake batter to help with binding. This cheesecake batter is a bit more liquid than others since it has a 1/4 cup of lemon juice.
Yellow food coloring: While it’s totally optional, we love adding yellow food coloring to the cheesecake to really make it look lemony and bright.
Eggs: Like the cream cheese, make sure the eggs are at room temperature before starting this lemon cheesecake recipe. Take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting, and lightly beat them in a bowl so you don’t have to whip them as much in the batter (this can cause cracks).
Directions
Step 1: Create the crust
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Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar.
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Press the graham cracker mixture onto the bottom and 1 to 2 inches up the inside of a greased 10-inch springform pan. Place the springform pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 10 minutes. Cool the crust at room temperature on a wire rack.
Editor’s Tip: Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crust down so it’s even. Don’t pack in the mixture too much or the crust will be very difficult to cut later on.
Step 2: Mix the batter
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In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the cream cheese and sugar until it’s smooth and no lumps remain. Beat in the heavy whipping cream, lemon juice, flour, lemon zest, extracts and, optionally, the food coloring. Add the eggs and beat the batter on low speed just until everything is combined.
Editor’s Tip: Our cheesecake baking guide has tons of helpful advice for first time cheesecake-makers. One of the most important tips is to avoid overmixing the eggs into the batter. If you overmix, your cheesecake will crack after baking.
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