No Bake Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Curd
Rich, creamy, and extra lemon-y! This No Bake Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon Curd is super easy to make, requires minimal effort, and is the perfect treat for summertime.
Ingredients
Lemon Curd
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- ⅜ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- 4½ Tablespoons salted butter room temperature
Crust
- 8 graham crackers
- 1½ Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter melted
Cheesecake
- 1 cup heavy cream cold
- 3 cups cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
- 1½ Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- In a small, heat-proof bowl, whisk together sugar, egg yolks, and lemon juice.
- Place over a pot of simmering water.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until custard thickens to a pudding consistency.
- Remove from heat.
- Strain through a mesh strainer.
- Stir in lemon zest and butter.
- Set aside.
Crust
- Place graham cracker in the bowl of a food processor.
- Process to fine crumbs.
- Add sugar and melted butter.
- Pulse until blended.
- Press into bottom of 9 inch a lined springform pan. Set aside.
Cheesecake
- In a medium bowl, beat cream to medium stiff peaks. Set aside.
- With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add sugar and lemon zest.
- Beat, scraping down the sides often, until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in lemon juice and vanilla.
- Fold in whipped cream.
- Spoon and level over prepared crust.
- Top with lemon curd.
- Refrigerate overnight, or until set.
Notes
Substitutions:
- To make this recipe gluten-free, you can use gluten-free graham crackers.
- You can use store-bought lemon curd to top this cheesecake!
- Full-fat greek yogurt can be used instead of sour cream.
- Make sure your eggs, butter, and lemons are at room temperature!
- When making the curd, the texture should be about pudding consistency. It takes anywhere from 10-25 minutes to thicken. Just be sure to use a GLASS bowl and it needs to be over a simmering (not boiling) pot of water.
- Don’t waste the leftover egg whites! Feel free to make something like our Meringue Cookies or even our Pavlova.
- For an easier time getting the cheesecake out of the pan, line the bottom of your springform with either a sheet of parchment paper or a 9 inch cake board. It’s not a necessity, but without it, the bottom crust may break when you try to remove it from the pan.
- Be sure to not leave not leave large chunks of graham cracker! It needs to be about the consistency of sand.
- When packing down the crust, it’s best to use a metal measuring cup to ensure a tight and even pack!
- Be sure to beat the cream cheese and sour cream VERY WELL. Scrape down the sides and beater blade often to ensure no lumps.
- Don’t beat/mix in the whipped cream! Gently fold it into the cream cheese mixture. This will help keep your cheesecake as light and airy as possible.
- Make sure to refrigerate this cheesecake for a full 8 hours, or preferably overnight! It needs to be COLD to fully set.
- Use a sharp knife to get even slices. You can also wipe the knife after each cut to keep the slices clean!
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 406kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 5gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 269mgPotassium: 122mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 1142IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 0.5mg
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.