I should have titled this post “The Best, The Very Best, Honestly, The Ultimate Best Cheesecake Ever.” I know. It sounds dramatic. Major hyperbolish. But that’s the way I feel. And this is coming from a gal who loves her some dark chocolate.
This no-bake cheesecake (did I mention it was no-bake???) is creamy and light and lemony and so absolutely addicting, I think I ate half of it. And that fact is definitely no hypberbole.
Because of it’s deliciously light flavors and the fact that it is no-oven-required, this is the perfect summer dessert. Please make it. And when you do, invite me over. I shall show you how to inhale half a cheesecake at one sitting.
One Year Ago: Glazed Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
Two Years Ago: Frozen Key Lime Pie
The Best {No-Bake} Lemon Cheesecake
Printable Version with Picture
Printable Version
*Note: the cheesecake can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Also, it is really important to have the cream cheese at room temperature. If it is too cold, it won’t mix well and there will be a lot of lumps.
*Serves 12
INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
9 whole rectangular graham crackers (for about 1 1/2 cups crushed)
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Lemon Curd:
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Filling:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons
1 envelope (2 3/4 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 pounds (3 bars) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, room temperature
DIRECTIONS:
For the crust: preheat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until they are finely ground. Add the butter and lemon zest and pulse until combined. Alternately, the graham crackers can be crushed in a resealable bag with a rolling pin and then poured into a bowl where the zest and butter can be stirred in. Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake the crust until it is lightly golden brown, about 8 minutes. Cool the crust completely on a wire rack before filling.
For the curd: while the crust is cooling, whisk the egg, egg yolk, sugar and salt together in a small saucepan. Whisk in the lemon juice and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and pudding-like, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cream. Press the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or sieve into a small bowl and refrigerate until needed.
In a small bowl, put the 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and let it stand until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Microwave the mixture until it is bubbling around the edges and the gelatin dissolves, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
For the filling: In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and salt until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the cream and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the gelatin mixture and 1/4 cup of the refrigerated lemon curd. Beat until the mixture is smooth and airy, about 3 minutes.
Pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Following the photos below, pour thin lines of remaining curd on top of the cake and lightly drag a pairing knife or skewer through the lines to create a marble appearance. I found it wasn’t quite as easy as I thought to “pour” the lemon curd into lines. I kind of scooped it out of the cup onto the cheesecake and spooned it into lines. It doesn’t have to be perfect since the imperfections are somewhat hidden after you drag through the lines.
Refrigerate the cheesecake until set, at least 6 hours. Remove the sides of the pan, cut into slices and serve.
Scoop/Pour the lemon curd into thin lines. This doesn’t have to be perfect – it’s a bit hard to pour so do the best you can.
Drag the paring knife or skewer through the lines to create the decorative pattern.
See? Not too shabby once it’s all finished.
Recipe Source: adapted from Cook’s Country June/July 2010
{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }
Beautiful! Even better than I don’t need to bake it.
I love no bake cheesecakes and this one really does look like THE best! I’ll definitely be trying this in the not too distant future.
There seems to be a lot of lemon recipes on blogs today–yum!
I want to make this soon. I must go and buy a micro plane immediately. I don’t think the mandolin will help with this recipe.
Yum! This has been in my “to make file” and is finally on the menu for Sunday dessert. So excited that you liked it! Lemon is the best, besides chocolate of course!
I LOVE cheesecake!! I can’t wait to try this!
)
Cheesecake IS my chocolate! Love, love, love the stuff. Cheesecake with lemon curd–I’m done.
I know this post isn’t meant to be funny, but I laughed every time you said hyperbole. We are huge Brian Regan fans. If you aren’t then youtube him and you will be!
Hi! I’ve been following your site for a while now. It’s awesome! And I just have to say that I love lemon and I love cheesecake. So this is FABULOUS! Thanks for sharing!
We just made this Cheesecake last week and loved it as well. Thanks for all the great recipes!
So do you think I could substitute whole milk for the heavy cream??
Any ideas of a low-fat/lighter substitute for heavy cream? Fat free half and half? Lite Cool Whip? I’m not sure how much whipped cream 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream makes. Thanks! (This looks DELISH!).
Oh….that looks scrumptious! I will be trying this very soon.
Here’s the problem with this recipe: How am I supposed to wait 6 whole hours for this to set up without eating it? You see my conundrum….
Alicia – I’m probably the wrong person to ask on a lighter substitute for heavy cream since I use a ton of it. I know it is loaded with calories and fat but it definitely lends a delicious creaminess to this dish. You could always swap it out with whole milk or the like but I can’t guarantee the results – I don’t know how the cheesecake will set up making a modification like that. If you try something, let me know.
lovely little designs up top, melanie. and come on now–food bloggers rarely if ever use hyperbole, am i right? (insert eye roll here.) if you say it’s the very best, nay, the ultimate best, i’ll take your word for it.
Wow…stunning presentation and step-by-step photos, Melanie! I love making cheesecake, but I have never made a no-bake version…this will be the perfect summer dessert! Thanks for sharing!
gosh i really want that cheesecake.
I don’t have a Springform pan. Can I use a square baking dish or 9×13 pan?
I know way too much about how to eat half a cheesecake in one sitting…I mean, what I have tons of self control, what are you talking about? Hmmm.
This looks amazing! Love that it’s no bake…and lemon flavored!
it may take tons of exercise to burn the calories off but i think it looks worth it. yum!
This looks delicious….I love cheesecake…. and somehow I’ve never made one…
Love lemon cheesecake, and I like the way you decorated the top. thanks for sharing.
Caroline – I think it’s worth a shot to use a different kind of baking pan – do you have a round cake pan (like 9 or 10 inches)? If not, I think a 9X13 might work ok. It won’t look as pretty because you can’t take the sides off but will still taste delicious.
Whoot! Whoot! Saw your lovely picture on Tastespotting. Way to go!
I just made this–haven’t tasted it yet but it looks great! I used a sandwich bag to pipe the lemon curd. Just cut a hole in the corner once it is filled with the curd, and it works just like a cake decorator bag. Worked great!
kelli – after reading your comment, I was like, “duh! why didn’t I think of that?” Definitely a smart idea to use a bag for the lemon curd. Brilliant, actually.
What’s the purpose of pressing the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or sieve? Is it necessary — I didn’t see any ingredients in the curd that would make this step necessary — though I’m not a pro at making cheese cakes. I’m excited to make it in my Demarle large round (love this product) — only reason why I’m making it, actually!
Thanks!
Aimee
Aimee – whenever custard or curd is made with egg yolks it is important to press it through a sieve to get rid of any small particles of cooked eggs. Sometimes a custard or curd can be cooked smoothly but even with the best of cooks, the yolks can often get overcooked or heated too quickly (when they are being tempered or when they start cooking over the heat). Pressing it through the sieve ensures a dreamy, silky curd. You can eliminate this step but you may end up with a curd that is lumpy or has bits of cooked egg. Hope that helps!
I made these as a girls’ night treat, but I wanted something finger friendly so I made individual ones in mini muffin and muffin tins. I just pressed the crust into the bottom, baked it, and did everything else like the recipe. They turned out delicious!! Only, I wasn’t thinking and only put crust on the bottom and not on the sides too – bad plan, had to freeze them to get them out of the pan.. lesson learned
They were also a little harder to decorate the same way just due to size. They were still cute, delicious, and disappeared. They were a huge hit, thanks melanie!
I was really pleased with how quickly this came together! The only thing I would change about this would be to use more lemon curd. Then again, I firmly believe there should be more lemon curd on everything. Can there ever be too much lemon curd? I think not.
Hey Reyna – you are probably right, more lemon curd could probably create world peace and solve all of our woes. Despite the lack thereof in this cheesecake, I’m glad you still liked it!
It’s me again. I told myself I wouldn’t comment for a while, lest you think I’m some sort of stalker. Then I made this for Father’s Day and, well, stalker or not, I had to tell you how we loved it.
First-I love the thickness of the graham cracker crust. Plus, the addition of lemon rind in the crust is nothing short of genius! I love the filling. It was so cool, creamy, and SMOOTH! This is a perfect summer dessert. I can completely understand how a person could just eat and eat. My husband and I did a lot of “evening things up” once the kids were in bed.
Thanks ever so much!
Danielle – you silly girl, I love your comments so comment every day if you like! I’m so glad this dessert worked out so well. Just reading your comment makes me wish I had a slice to eat right now! Thanks for checking in to let me know!
I just made this and it’s setting up in the refrigerator. I did make a couple changes though- I omitted the zest in the crust and added a couple tablespoons of sugar to it. And I added the zest of both lemons to the filling. I’m so excited to eat this tomorrow, it will be a birthday cheesecake for my cousin. Thanks for posting the recipe!
~Monica H
Hi Monica – I hope this cheesecake is a hit for your cousin! Thanks for detailing your changes.
hey Mel, Just wanted to let you know I just posted this recipe and pictures on my blog. We loved it!
Cool, Monica – I’m on my way to check out the post!
I made this yesterday for dessert after Sunday dinner. It was delicious! We loved it. I too love the rind in the crust. I did think the cheesecake was even better today (a day after making). Thanks for another winner
Melissa – thanks for letting me know you liked this cheesecake!
Hi there,
Years ago I tried a cheesecake that looked exactly like this, but the topping (in a jog to add yourself) was a rich semi-dark chocolate sauce.
I am going to try your recipe out for a friends birthday, so I’ll let you know how it went
That of course was a “jug”…..
Hey Mel! Your one of my most favorite sites. Ever.
I like to come back in and check on you now and again. You are just too cool 
Anywho! I have been making the spiderweb no bake cheesecake ever since you posted it. I even did the mini cupcake size cheesecakes which turned out awesome (froze them for weeks and were still great).
So now after reading this recipe, I am curious as to why you have chosen to add the gelatin in the creamy mixture? There seems to be less cream cheese and sugar as well. Is it a smaller batch? The original recipe seemed amazing, so again just curious!
PS- My brother’s wedding reception is this weekend and I have chosen to make the no bake cheesecake in the cupcake forms. Yes, over 100 of them! I was wanting to add more lemon to them, but when I saw this recipe, I was trying to compare the two and figure out which was best. (Ie: gelatin vs. no gelatin)
Sorry for the long comment! Hope you have a great night!
Jessica – I think the difference in the two cheesecakes is mainly for texture. The no-bake cheesecake which you’ve been making for a while is creamy, rich and more dense than the lemon cheesecakes – which is lighter and a little airier, which I think is due to the gelatin. The lemon cheesecakes makes a slightly less deep cheesecake than the no-bake one (the spiderweb one) but overall, it is just lighter and a little fresher tasting. I love them both for different reasons…if you are already comfortable with the other recipe (100 individual ones?? You are amazing!) then I would simply add some lemon zest into that recipe. I think it would turn out delicious!
It turned out fabulous! Instead of lemon curd on top, I did fresh whipped cream flavored with lemon extract. It was interesting and good, but not sure I am a huge fan of whipped cream on that cheese cake. I think I will stick with the fruit toppings (or chocolate ganache) here on out
Oh and making individual cup cakes was a breeze, super fast! Thanks again!
Mel you make me look so good. This was devoured in .2 seconds at my pie party last night. And I altered a tip above. I strained the lemon curd straight into a sandwich bag (held up in in a cup so it was easy to pour into) then refrigerated it. When it was time I snipped off the tip and piped it into a spiral on top of the cheesecake then swirled with a chopstick to make a really cool marbling. Looked as good as it tasted!
Heya! I just wanted to give a tip for future curds.
If you want to create intricate designs all you need is a plastic bag (those which you may use for fridges work perfectly – use a small sized plastic bag).
You scoop/pour the curd into the bag and with a scissor cut a small hole in one of the bag’s corners. Now apply pressure, this makes it incredibly easy to control the amount of curd at any time.
I used this to create quite a neat version of your lemon cheesecake!
Might I add it also works very well with all kinds of berries (I tested this with blackberries – it was beautiful!).
Instead of a lemon juice you use the juice of berries (requires a bit of cooking to release the juice and strain through a cheesecloth or sieve it. If you like the grain texture blend it in some way.)
Hey Mel,I am new here in comments,but tried few recipes and I must say they turned out delicious and everybody loved them.I didn find side so good like this one.
But I have a little problem,in my country I cant find graham crackers,what is stoping me to try any recepies with graham crackers crust.can you advice me what crackers can I use?because here are many kinds of them,but not graham!Thank you!
made this for a family do…we are known as the dessert family as the most we have made at any one time for a family get together is 27. This was voted the favorite at the last gathering and we are making it again tomorrow for the next one on Sunday:)
for Tina if you are in the UK use half digestive biscuits and half ginger nuts to get a fab result
This is absolutely delicious! I originally made it to give my hubby to take to work and share but in the end, I couldn’t part with it. I think I actually like this no bake version better than baked cheesecake. It was so light in texture and so incredibly yummy. I will be making this again and again.
{ 1 trackback }