Exquisitely light and lemony. Perfectly sweet and tangy. Gorgeous sunshine yellow. Delightful coconut cookie crust. What you have here is the recipe for the best lemon cheesecake. Ever. Topped with lemony whipped cream, you don’t need to go searching for anything else.
So on Monday, I professed my love for my chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting which I said was (and I quote), the best, the chocolatiest chocolate cake ever. It was so good it made me kind of, uhm, doubt my loyalties to Team Lemon.
It is an outstanding chocolate cake. It really is. But after much thought, I’ve decided that I still prefer lemon desserts over chocolate ones.
And to prove my lemon devotion, I present to you the best lemon cheesecake ever.
Lemon desserts rule
Lemon desserts are delightful. They are light and fresh and just a dose of sunshine after a heavy meal or on a gloomy day (preferably with tea).
Ok, biased person talking. But have you checked these out?
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- Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust
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- Lemon Curd Layer Cake with Lemon Buttercream
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- Limoncello Cupcakes with Limoncello Cream Cheese Frosting
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- Meyer Lemon Curd
The best lemon cheesecake
And now I have this new recipe in my lemon arsenal – a most wonderful lemon cheesecake that’s the perfect texture, consistency and flavour to please the most discriminating of lemon lovers.
I know it’s a cheesecake, which is historically high-maintenance, but I found a new way to creamy, smooth, crack-free, seep-free cheesecakes – do a bain-marie just don’t put your cheesecake in it! Does that make sense?
My new way to baking cheesecakes
So ok, let me explain. When baking cheesecakes, I used to very carefully wrap the bottom of my springform pan
Seepage seems inevitable though; no matter high tightly and perfectly I wrapped my pan, I almost always get moisture at the bottom. Which is fine, it would dry up as the cheesecake sets in the fridge.
But see I experimented. Instead of swimming in the water bath, I put my cheesecake on the rack above it. I figure, the steam and moisture from the water bath should still make my cheesecake smooth and creamy, and should control my oven’s temperature so I could still bake it nice and slow.
And it worked! By golly this is how I bake cheesecakes now. Less stress too.
Patience is key
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And you want a cheesecake without cracks? Patience is the answer. The main reason cheesecakes crack is when the cake cools it tends to break away from the pan too quickly. Therefore, cracking.
So you want the cheesecake to cool gradually. Once it’s done, turn the oven off but keep the cheesecake in the oven for about an hour with the oven door slightly open.
Chill the cheesecake completely too. Hard not to devour it immediately I know but perfect cheesecakes take time. And this cheesecake is totally worth it.
Lemon whipped cream
And omigosh can we just talk about that lemon whipped cream? It’s so simple that it’s perfect. I took my homemade whipped cream recipe and just added about a tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest. That’s it!
It’s wonderful and it’s the perfect complement. Frankly, I would eat the whipped cream on its own (fine, I did eat it on its own ok?)
Coconut cookie crust
And that crust. The coconut just works so well with lemon it makes for a wonderful bite. Coconut crust + lemon cheesecake + lemon whipped cream. It’s a dream.
So if you’re looking for something bright and sunny to serve this holiday season, why not go with this? It really is the best lemon cheesecake ever.
Exquisitely light and lemony. Perfectly sweet and tangy. Coconut cookie crust. Lemony whipped cream. This is the best lemon cheesecake ever.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 4 blocks 8-ounce cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- 2 packages 4-serving size lemon instant pudding
- See this recipe for homemade whipped cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F if using a dark non-stick springform pan (if using a silver springform pan, preheat oven to 325F). Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut and 4 tablespoons melted butter until the mixture is evenly moist. Press onto the bottom of your pan and bake for 10 minutes. Take out of oven and allow to cool while you work on your cheesecake.
- Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons milk until well combined (about 2 minutes on medium high speed). Scrape the bottom and sides of your bowl. Add 1 cup sour cream and stir until incorporated.
- Switch to low speed and add eggs 1 at a time until each one is just blended. Then add 2 packages of lemon instant pudding and stir until combined. The batter will look a little like scrambled eggs at this point, that's OK.
- Take a roasting pan (or a fairly large baking dish) filled with hot water and put it at the bottom rack of your oven. Put your cheesecake on the middle rack and bake for an hour or until the cheesecake is puffy, still wobbly in the middle and the edges are starting to turn brown and separating from the edge of the pan.
- Turn the oven off. Open the oven door slightly and keep the cheesecake in the oven for another hour. Take the cheesecake out of the pan by carefully running a sharp knife along the edge of the pan before releasing it. Chill in the refrigerator completely - at least 4 hours (preferably overnight).
- For the optional whipped cream, add 1 tablespoon lemon zest when you reach medium peaks. Then continue beating until stiff peaks. Be careful not to over beat.
(Recipe adapted from Kraft Philadelphia Ultimate Recipe Collection
Happy baking!
Did you make this lemon cheesecake? Tell me about it in the comments section below. How are your holiday party plans shaping up? I’d love to hear all about it.
If cheesecakes are your thing, here are other recipes you might like:
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- Japanese Cheesecake
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- Black Bottom Cupcakes
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- Mini Cheesecakes
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- Fresh Blueberry Ricotta Bars
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I am visiting my in-laws and made this for their bible study group. It was an absolute hit with everyone! After tasting the batter per the recipe, we decided to add lemon extract (maybe 7-10 drops), to give it a more pronounced lemon taste. It had to bake (at 325 with our light-colored pan) about 70 minutes to be slightly brown on top and jiggly in the middle, but it was perfect, especially with lemon zest added to the whipped cream we made. Thank you for an amazing recipe!
Hi Maggie. Glad to hear you and yours liked it! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend 🙂
Hi Jolina,
My Family is not fond of Lemon, could Vanilla Pudding be substituted for the Lemon? This looks so yummy & I can’t imagine making it and having to eat the whole cheesecake. As good as that sounds it would be wrong on so many levels.
Hi Melinda! I suppose you can. I haven’t tried though so I can’t say for sure. I’d love to hear how it goes!
I’m going to give it a try, will let you know how it turns out. Thank You for getting back to me.
Made this for Christmas dinner, and it was a hit. Was going to make a raspberry sauce to accompany and brought along whipped cream but we used neither. I like the tips in the comments to add a little lemon zest and to top with lemon curd.
It was a light refreshing flavor to finish off the turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy extravaganza.
My oven runs a little hot so the top was browner than pictured. I may lower the temperature to 300 next time and bake a few minutes over an hour, keeping an eye on it.
Hi Michele! So glad you and your guests liked it. This really is one of my favourites. And I agree on keeping an eye on it…I watch my cheesecakes like a hawk 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful NYE!
I had to comment as this turned out absolutely perfect! I made this for my friends birthday treat and brought to work….she loves lemon and this was fanrastic! Everyone that had a piece was raving about how amazing it tasted. Even a client of mine that doesn’t like lemon loved it. Another said when he was in Italy they love and have lots of lemon there, and this reminded him of Italy! I did and some lemon extract and lemon peel based on some reviews, just to be sure it was really full of lemon flavor, but I think it would’ve been great without too!
Several people asked for the recipe and I definitely will be making again!!
Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Hi Cathy! You are most welcome. Happy to hear the cheesecake was a hit! Lemon peel is a great addition. And wow, what your client said about Italy – well done you 🙂
I was wondering if you could make your own lemon curd instead of pudding? It has a similar consistency and gives it a punch of lemon. Just curious.
Hi Roberta. I haven’t tried so I can’t say for sure. Just a note: the lemon pudding used here is the powdered instant pudding kind and you don’t make it into a pudding first before incorporating it into the batter. I say go for it though 🙂 Experimenting with recipes is always a delicious endeavour!
Do you think it would be easy to make the lemon cheesecake into the minis? Would I just follow the same recipe but instead put into the cupcake liners?
Hi Lam! I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t say for sure. I think you’d need to watch for overcooking/burning and this cake tends to rise a bit so watch the amount of batter you put in your liners too. I’d love to hear how it goes!
Wow…nice recipe. Never tried a lemon cheesecake before. I would give it a try this weekend 🙂
Hello Jolina, I made this Cheesecake for Father’s day, was so delicious, I follow your recipe, step by step, and was not that hard to do it, I will continue to do your recipes. AWESOME recipes, and thank you. Libni
Hi Libni! So glad you liked it! Hope you and your family had an amazing Father’s Day 🙂
Mine didn’t turn out at all. 🙁 Not sure what I did wrong. I baked the crust for 10 minutes at the temp indicated, then left it at that temp to bake the cheesecake since no other temp was shown that I could see. I baked it for an hour. The top was getting golden and the center seemed “a little wobbly”. I left it in the oven, turned off with door vented, for an hour. I put the springform in a larger pan, took off the ring, covered it and put it in the fridge to chill overnight. I checked on it about an hour later, and it completely collapsed. Most of it except for the edges were still undone. Also, the crust didn’t get like a cookie. It didn’t come together at all and stayed like sand. I stirred the mess in the pan, put it back in the oven for another 45 minutes at 325F and then left in the oven for another 30, turned off and oven vented), before covering it and putting it back in the fridge to cool over night. I have cheesecake pudding, instead of cheesecake. The flavor is delicious, but the cake was a disaster. I don’t know where I went wrong.
Hi Lisa. I’m afraid it’s difficult for me to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. It looks though that your cheesecake was underdone. I’d check your oven temperature (do you have an oven thermometer?). It could also be that there are hot spots in your oven so you may need to rotate your cakes, etc when baking so they bake evenly. When chilling my cheesecakes, I also don’t cover them so that might have contributed to the collapse as well. Hope this helps for next time.
I have never taken my cheesecake out of the springform pan until it was completely cooled. I’m not saying that wouldn’t work, but I’d be afraid to. Also, your cake may have been undercooked. I’ve taken my favorite cheeeecake recipe and played with it to get the correct baking temperature and time and still question myself as to when to turn off the oven. You may undercook or overlook a few, but you’ll get it right. Just don’t take it to a get together until you’ve perfected it. Lol!
Omg yessss! Perfect! I put the oven lower and baked a little longer then kept in the oven hrs after it was done this is the best perfect cheesecake ever! And was my first ever attempt at cheesecake I topped it with a jar or lemon curd!! Yummmmm!
Hi my Diedra just wanted to know can I still make this cheesecake with a already made gramcraker crust cause I don’t have a spring form pan and can you tell me would anything change about recipe.
Hi Diedra. I haven’t personally tried using a ready-made crust for this cheesecake but I think you’d have enough filling for 2. Also, if you bake at 325F, check for doneness around the 40 min mark. You should be OK. Would love to hear how it goes!
I am using a ready-made crust…do I still need to do the water on the bottom rack part?
Hi Brittany. Yes. That technique is more for the cheesecake itself and not so much the crust.
I made the cheesecake and it was delicious. To add more lemon flavour I added pure lemon extract and 2 tbsp. of lemon jello crystals. Results were amazing. I also added lemon jello crystals to my whip cream. Would make again in a heartbeat.
Hi Lynn! I’m glad you liked it! I’m also loving all your add-ins 🙂 I personally haven’t used lemon jelly crystals, can’t wait to incorporate those too! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend.
I agree with you. I added pure vanilla extract and a small box of lemon jello crystals. The original only had a hint of lemon flavouring.
I’m definitely going to make this for Easter; I’m willing to bet it will be the highlight of the meal. My parents are both diabetic, so I’ll try it with sugar-free pudding. One of my favorite things to stabilize homemade whipped cream is to add a tablespoon of pudding mix. I’ve never tried it with lemon (not sure why- I love lemon), so I’ll do that with this one! Thanks for the recipe!
Hope you and the family like it! I haven’t tried it with sugar-free pudding so I would really love to know how it goes 🙂 Great tip on using pudding to stabilize whipped cream. I usually use gelatin. Flavoured pudding sounds more exciting though!!
I bake this for my sisters birthday and she love it! Especially the crust thats like a cookie. I have to bake it longer than your instructions becuase its still soft in the middle. I just keep checking. My family wants it for easter again! Thank you!!
Hi Paula. I’m so happy to hear that! Happy birthday to your sister and hope you and your family enjoy this again on Easter 🙂
Flavor was great, Edges was over cooked and center was undercooked…dark pan 300 as direction. Don’t know what happen…
Hi Diana. There are several factors that could have contributed, but my first suspect would be oven temperature. Over time I’ve learned (through the use of an oven thermometer) that my oven runs way hot. My suggestion next time you bake a cake or a cheesecake, check at the midway point and if you feel it’s getting too brown too fast, loosely cover the top with aluminum foil and continue baking. Investing in an oven thermometer helps too! The one I have is less than $10 🙂
the crust was good. the cheesecake lacked real lemon flavor; it needed lemon zest & fresh lemon juice. the addition of the pudding reminded me of a jiffy no bake cheesecake. I had to bake it for over 1 1/2 hours & it still didn’t set well. I’ve made many, many cheesecakes; unfortunately this one flopped.
Hi Mary. Thanks for trying the recipe; I test all the recipes before sharing them here and I’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback about this one. Sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you. I guess to each her own cheesecake 🙂 I hope you find a lemon cheesecake recipe that’s better suited to your taste.
I love lemon and cheesecake so I had to make this but sorry to say it lacked in lemon flavor and if I tried it again I would add real lemon to kick it up. I wish more people would comment after they made it instead of it looks good.
Hi Tammy. It was lemony enough for me, sorry to hear you didn’t like it. Would love to hear how your version turns out!
I was a little confused on the directions. Do you make the pudding according to the directions on the box and add that to the mixture? OR do you just add the pudding mix to the mixture??
Hi Alanna. You just put the pudding mix right in there. Ignore the directions on the box.
This is THE best cheesecake I’ve ever made. I was a little hesitant to take on a homemade cheesecake, but the recipe was easy to follow and it turned out AMAZING! It was a hit at Christmas dinner. So much so, that my husband has requested this as his birthday cake. I’m so glad I have a reason to make this again so soon!
That is awesome Carriane! 🙂
Hey where I live we don’t get instant lemon pudding. Is there anything I can substitute that with ?
Hi Fatema. To be honest, I don’t think there is a legit substitute for instant pudding. Among other things, it creates the very unique texture for this cheesecake. Are you able to get instant vanilla pudding? I think that will be your best bet – then just add lemony flavour to it like lemon zest or lemon extract.
After searching for the most enticing lemon cheesecake recipe, this is indeed the one I chose. I loved the tips and it just sounded incredible.
I created this tantalizing dessert for our Christmas dinner. I made it carefully according to all direction and tips.
The final result was flawless down to the whipped cream!!
My 27 year old son said he’d pay top dollar for a dessert this good!! I was very pleased with everything about this recipe!
Thank You so much from my family to yours!
( what’s for new year?)
Hi Sharyn! I am so happy you and your family loved it! This really made my day to tell you the truth, thanks! 🙂 I just posted some NYE dessert ideas, there are some pretty amazing desserts there. Personally I think we’re going for something boozy because, well, it’s NYE haha. A bright and blessed New Year to you and yours!
Do you think this would work with a meringue topping?
Hi Jane. I’ve never tried it so I can’t tell for sure but it should. Let me know how it goes!
I will. My hubby loves lemon meringue pie and I thought I would change it up for Xmas Eve. Thank you!
My cheesecake is in the oven right now. I Double checked the recipe for oven temp. 300 degrees right? I bake a lot of cheesecakes and it just seemed low. Excited to serve this tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Thank you!
Hi LeAnn. Yes, I bake mine at 300F (I use a dark springform pan). Make sure to check for doneness too. Good luck! And have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Rather than wrap my pan in foil, I place the pan in one of those plastic roasting bags, roll down a collar and put the whole thing in the Bain Marie. Works every time!
Awesome tip Etta! Thank you!
Oh I can’t wait to try it that way. I baked and sell my cheesecakes and everyone loves them but lately they have been cracking I am excited to try it. Thanks for the tip!
Sounds wonderful and not too difficult for this girl who is sometimes challenged in the kitchen! Thanks so much for sharing at Celebrate Your Story!
Hi Chloe! My pleasure. I love your link parties!
Looks delicious !!!
OMG it looks sooo amazing, I simply can’t wait to take a bite! Lemon desserts are my absolute favourite, thank you so much for sharing!
Aw thank you Alina! I’m a huge fan of lemon desserts too (dare I say more than chocolate!) and this cheesecake is particularly lovely. Hope you like it!
Ahh! This looks amazing. I’m pinning this to come back to for a very special brunch I’m hosting. 🙂
Awesome! I hope you and your guests like it. And do tell me how it goes, would love to hear all about it 🙂 Thanks Sherry!
I am a huge citrus dessert fan. never made a cheesecake yet with it but soon.
I won’t argue about that being the best cheesecake ever. It looks so good and that dollop of cream on top is definitely the perfect finish for it.
Thanks Elizabeth! I must say that whipped cream completes the dish, it is absolutely delightful 🙂
Good gracious! That looks dangerously good. I’ll gladly eat wa few slices. Yummy! 🙂
This Lemon Cheesecake looks so tempting and delicious! I feel like grabbing it right now! Thanks for sharing the recipe with us!
I have never heard of a lemon cheesecake before though it looks delicious! Would definitely try it!
Hi Veethee! Hope you like it!
MMM i bet this cheese cake tastes divine!
I love lemon desserts but I have never tried lemon cheesecake so far. It looks very tasty.
I think you will like this very much 🙂
This lemon pie looks absolutely delicious! I like everything with lemon flavour, and the coconut crust sounds a perfect match.
Lemon cheesecake is an ultimate cheesecake. It’s fresh, and feel so summery yet it’s a great dessert for any season. Your lemon cheesecake looks so yummy, and pretty! Thank you for the a few of the tips you share on this post.
I totally agree 🙂 It’s really just a burst of sunshine! You are most welcome Rose. Hope you get to try this recipe one day soon!
This looks so delicious and easy to make. I will have to give it a try this weekend. My family loves cheesecake. I have never tried to make one from scratch before.
Awesome! You’d do great Ann. Would love to hear how it goes 🙂
Wow! This one is really tempting. I’m always craving for a lemon cheesecake.
I don’t typically love cheesecakes, but when I read that this was a coconut cookie crust, I think I might have to reconsider!
Oh my word that coconut crust is everything. Hope you do reconsider Divya! 🙂
I dont usually like lemony things but I do lve cheese cake! So I may have to make an exception. This sounds really good!
Same as me not into lemon anything lol but love cheesecake and this looks amazing so I’m gonna make it
This really does sound like the perfect lemon cheesecake. I love that flavor and your crust sounds amazing!
Cheesecakes are excellent idea for any occasion (meetings, party etc.) !! It looks so good !! <3 <3
woah. this looks amazing! I am with you that lemon is better than chocolate desserts. I love the refreshing taste. And cheesecake, woah, I’m dying over this!
Yay for Team Lemon! 🙂 Thanks Kristen! Hope you get to try the recipe.
We were thinking about making cheesecake for our Thanksgiving family gathering, and my son LOVES lemon, so this may be the perfect recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!
You are most welcome Jennifer! Hope you guys like it! And hope you have a most wonderful Thanksgiving!
This look so fresh and delicious.
Cheesecake is my favorite! This sounds so good!
I could go for a piece of this right now! I love anything lemon flavored and I love cheesecake… it’s the perfect combination!
Wow!! I’m amazed how you perfect your creations. I will definitely try out your approach. Keep it up and all the best!
Aw thanks Elizabeth! Really appreciate it 🙂
Cheesecake is my favorite dessert! This recipe looks so good!
Ok so this lemon cheese cake recipe looks amazing and something I know my family would love this holiday season! Thank you for sharing this great and new recipe! I can’t wait to try it!!
Happy to hear that! It’s definitely not your usual holiday cake eh? Hope you guys like it! Thanks Ashleigh!
I love lemon desserts too. It is refreshing, and while eating during the gray fall and winter months it brings a bit of sunshine to the day.
Oh my word that’s exactly how I feel! When I look out the window and it’s grey and gloomy, at least we have something bright and sunny indoors eh? 🙂 Thanks Ali!
My husband loves any lemon-themed dessert – I have to make this one for him looks so perfectly fluffy and delicious!
Nice! Hope you guys like it 🙂 Thanks Britta!
Smooth, tangy and so divine. Love the sound of this.
I think I’d die for that! Last week I made a chocolate cheesecake and it was quite good and now I want to try this recipe!
Chocolate cheesecake sounds so decadent! Recipe exchange? 🙂 Thanks Sabrina! Have a wonderful evening!
This looks so delicious! I love coconut in things too 🙂
I’m from the islands so I grew up loving coconuts 🙂 They’re just a burst of the tropics!
One of my absolute favorites is Lemon Cheesecake.. This looks so delish. Thanks for the recipe
oooo.. I normally go for a chocolate cheesecake, but this is a fabulous idea!!! I’ll have to try this next time I get my cheesecake on 😉
Oh my lawd this looks amazing — I’ve literally never attempted cheesecake! But now I may have to…. 😉
Haha thanks Clarissa! I’ve had many failed cheesecakes but we still eat them! It tastes just as delicious, just not as pretty. Hope you try this one, it’s quite lovely 🙂
I am always torn between lemon desserts and chocolate desserts too – but lemon usually wins out for me too! Your Lemon Cheesecake looks amazing. You are so right about patience and letting cheesecake cool – and I adore the crust you have used!!
Yay for lemon! 🙂 Thanks April. The coconut crust works so well here. Hope you get to try the recipe!
Yum! I love all things lemon! I’ll have to make this soon!
Happy to hear that! Would love to hear how it goes. Thanks Paige!
Jolina, you are killing me! This looks so light and fluffy I am miserable looking at it when I want to be eating it. Your photos are superb.
LOL I’m sorry Tania! I’d send you some if I could 🙂 Hope you can try to make this one day soon 🙂
I LOVE me some cheesecake, and anything with lemon is always going to get a second (third and fourth) look from me. This looks SO perfect!
Oh wow! These do look like the BEST ever. I can’t wait to give these a try.
Girl, I am straight trippin’ over this cake!!! For reals! You know I loves me some lemon and then you go ahead with a coconut crust???? What? Gimme! I don’t want a slice, I want the whole freakin’ cake…just for me….no sharing 😉 Thanks so much for that brilliant tip about the rack above the water! Trying that next time. Pinning, of course! Can’t wait to try! Have a great long weekend 🙂
I knew you were Team Lemon Dawn! Now I’m nervous…I want you to like this cake! Haha! The coconut crust works so well here if I say so myself 🙂 And yes, I almost ate the thing too! Have a wonderful evening!