The best lemon cheesecake. Ever. Exquisitely light and lemony. Perfectly sweet and tangy. Gorgeous sunshine yellow. Delightful coconut cookie crust and topped with lemony whipped cream. This is it, the perfect lemon cheesecake.
(Craving for a lemon cheesecake but not in the mood to bake? Check out this delicious and lemony no-bake lemon cheesecake. Creamy, luscious, no oven required!)
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 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.
The best lemon cheesecake recipe
And what an exceptional lemon cheesecake recipe this is!
It’s become one of the most popular recipes on The Unlikely Baker and for good reason – it has the perfect texture, consistency and flavour to please the most discriminating of lemon lovers.
And it’s easy to bake too.
I know it’s a cheesecake, which is known to be high-maintenance.
But I found a new way to creamy, smooth, crack-free, seep-free cheesecakes which I think you’ll love – do a bain-marie just don’t put your cheesecake in it!
How to bake cheesecakes without a water bath
Ok, let me explain.
When baking cheesecakes, I used to very carefully wrap the bottom of my springform pan
with heavy duty aluminum foil
to avoid water seepage before I put the cheesecake in the water bath to bake.
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 (like this crazy delicious salted caramel apple cheesecake with pecan crisp topping). Less stress too.
How to bake the perfect cheesecake without cracks
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.
How to make 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?)
And that crust!
Usually lemon cheesecakes sit atop a graham cracker crust, which is delicious.
But add sweetened shredded coconut to the graham cracker crumbs and you have a cheesecake crust that’s 100x better. In fact, I love this crust so much I use it on several recipes here on TUB, like for this ultra-smooth and creamy Meyer lemon pie.
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.
The best lemon desserts
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?
Perfectly sweet and tangy lemon bars on a buttery shortbread crust. Every lemon lover must have this in their recipe box!
You must also try to make lemon curd at home. It’s quick, so easy and the taste is beyond compare. Plus, it’s a great way to use those leftover egg yolks.
Love lemony cupcakes? These limoncello cupcakes are perfect for spring. They are frosted with the most delightful limoncello cream cheese buttercream!
And if you’re looking for a keto-friendly option, check out this Keto Lemon Cheesecake Fluff.
The Best Lemon Cheesecake. Ever.
Ingredients
For the coconut cookie crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs see notes
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
For the lemon cheesecake:
- 4 8-oz blocks cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 pcs large eggs
- 2 packages 4-serving size lemon instant pudding
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 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, ½ 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, ¾ 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 (but not soupy) 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).
Video
Notes
- See this recipe for homemade whipped cream
- Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest when you reach medium peaks. Then continue beating until stiff peaks. Be careful not to over beat.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
(Recipe adapted from Kraft Philadelphia Ultimate Recipe Collection
).
Happy baking!
Did you make the best lemon cheesecake? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
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Cathy
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!
Jolina
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 🙂
Roberta
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.
Jolina
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!
Lam
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?
Jolina
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!
Lara
Wow…nice recipe. Never tried a lemon cheesecake before. I would give it a try this weekend 🙂
Libni Winsett
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
Jolina
Hi Libni! So glad you liked it! Hope you and your family had an amazing Father’s Day 🙂
Lisa
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.
Jolina
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.
Janine
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!
Roz Lewis
Thank you for that tip!! I haven’t made a cheesecake in years. I have just taken mine out of the oven from having the door slightly open. I am waiting for it to cool completely. I will let you know the final results,
Amanda
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!
Diedra
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.
Jolina
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!
Brittany
I am using a ready-made crust…do I still need to do the water on the bottom rack part?
Jolina
Hi Brittany. Yes. That technique is more for the cheesecake itself and not so much the crust.
Lynn
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.
Jolina
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.
Lynn
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.
Anna
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!
Jolina
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!!
Paula
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!!
Jolina
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 🙂
Diana
Flavor was great, Edges was over cooked and center was undercooked…dark pan 300 as direction. Don’t know what happen…
Jolina
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 🙂
mary
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.
Jolina
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.
Tammy
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.
Jolina
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!
Alanna
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??
Jolina
Hi Alanna. You just put the pudding mix right in there. Ignore the directions on the box.
Carriane
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!
Jolina
That is awesome Carriane! 🙂