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Tart Lemon Cheesecake sits atop an almond-graham cracker crust to add a delightful nuttiness to the traditional graham cracker crust. Finish the cheesecake with lemon curd for double the tart pucker!
This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that make My Baking Addiction possible.
Every single time we go to Boca Grande, Florida on vacation I end up developing an obsession for a specific food from the island.
Sometimes it’s coconut shrimp, other times it’s toasted coconut ice cream, or a delicious ranch dressing from one of the local marinas. This past time? Cheesecake.
You guys know that my obsession with cheesecake is real, and not limited to the location of Florida. Just take a look back into the cheesecake recipe archives here on My Baking Addiction if you don’t believe me.
During our 2-week stay on the island, I ordered a lime cheesecake with raspberry puree more times than I care to admit.
The lime cheesecake was delicious. Smooth, tart, and super creamy, but the crust was absolutely incredible.
The second time I ordered the house-made cheesecake, I inquired about the crust and server informed me it was the butter and ground almonds that make it so darn good.
So here we are a month or so later and I’m taking that butter and almond tip and delivering you guys an amazing lemon cheesecake recipe with an incredible crust.
LEMON AND ALMONDS: A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
You know what flavor pairing doesn’t get nearly enough love? Lemon and almonds.
Not buying it? Hear me out.
I know that we combine lemon with coconut and berries all the time. And I am all for that! My recipes for Strawberry Lemonade, Coconut Lemon Squares and Lemon Berry Mascarpone Tart should be proof of that.
But lemon also pairs surprisingly well with almonds. There’s a reason Italians put them together in lemon almond cake – there’s just something about the tartness of the lemons that matches perfectly with the nutty, almost buttery flavor of almonds.
So when I decided to revisit Lemon Cheesecake this summer and considered how to make it even better, my mind turned to adding almonds to the graham cracker crust.
Because you know I had no desire to grind my own almonds for this situation, I grabbed a bag of my very favorite almond flour from Bob’s Red Mill.
Bob’s Red Mill always makes top-notch products and I really like using their Super-Fine Natural Almond Flour in my baked goods. The texture is fine enough that it can be added to my regular graham cracker crust super easily.
It’s also certified gluten-free, so I know I can safely use it in recipes like Gluten-Free Blueberry Scones for my gluten-free loved ones.
Whether I’m baking for friends with special diets or my sweet Elle, I always appreciate the peace of mind that comes from using the best ingredients. They always make my desserts that much better!
You could use this almond-graham cracker crust recipe with just about any cheesecake recipe you like – it would be really amazing with a cherry cheesecake – but I thought using it as a base for a tart Lemon Cheesecake is perfect for summer.
HOMEMADE LEMON CHEESECAKE WITH TWICE THE TARTNESS
How much lemon can I fit into my homemade Lemon Cheesecake recipe? Let me count the ways.
There’s a full 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest from two lemons in this Lemon Cheesecake batter. I wanted to get pucker from the lemon juice and the sweet, citrusy aroma from the zest.
And because I just can’t get enough lemon tartness in my life, I topped the finished cheesecake with lemon curd. You could definitely use store-bought curd, but it only takes a few minutes to make homemade microwave lemon curd.
A dollop of whipped cream and some fresh lemon zest are all you need to finish dressing up your Lemon Cheesecake.
This cheesecake is lemony and bright, nutty and oh so sweet. It’s the perfect dessert for any summer gathering!
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Lemon Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust
For the Cheesecake
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 32 ounces cream cheese room temperature (4 [8-ounce] packages)
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
For the Topping
- 1 cup lemon curd
- whipped cream optional
- lemon slices optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Separate a 9-inch springform pan into two pieces. Line the bottom of the pan with foil, fasten on the side piece, and spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Tightly wrap the outside bottom and sides of the springform pan with two layers of heavy duty foil. This step prevents leaks when using a water bath. I also take the extra step of placing the foil wrapped spring form pan inside an oven bag while baking, but this is optional.
- Combine the crust ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Spoon the crumbs into the prepared pan and press into the bottom of the pan and up the sides to form a crust layer. Bake crust in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack.
- Bring a kettle of water to boil for the water bath.
- In a medium bowl, use your fingertips to combine the sugar and lemon zest until the sugar is fragrant.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and lemon-sugar for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for an additional 30 seconds. Add in eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after adding the second and fourth egg. After adding the final egg and scraping the sides of the bowl, mix again for 30 seconds. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla, lemon juice, and heavy cream and mix for an additional 30 seconds.
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the crust.
- Place pan into a larger pan (I use a roasting pan) and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan. Gently lay a piece of foil over the pan – do not tighten the foil as we’ll want to allow the air to still circulate.
- Bake 55-65 minutes, the edges will appear to be set, but the center will still have some jiggle to it. At this point, turn off the oven, and leave the oven door cracked. Allow the cheesecake to rest in the cooling oven for one hour.
- After one hour has passed, carefully remove the cheesecake from the water bath and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Once the cake is completely cooled, place it into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
- Just before serving, top the cheesecake with lemon curd, whipped cream and lemon slices.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I use whipping cream instead of heavy cream? Is there any different between them?
Hi, Yes you can use whipping cream :)
Can I use half and half instead of heavy cream?
Hello-
I have no tried this recipe with half and half, so I am not sure exactly how it will perform as a substitution.
-Jamie
This was SO delicious! I only switched out the graham crackers for ginger snaps. I am definitely making again and highly recommend trying it.
I appreciate the instruction to have multiple foil layers in the water bath. When removing those 2 pieces of outer foil, I could tell that those layers were necessary. Thank you for posting!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Janet! Love the idea to use the gingersnaps!
Happy New Year!
-Jamie
I made this Friday for my parents’ wedding anniversary dinner. My dad isn’t much of a sweet eater, but took a piece anyway. He said it was the best cheesecake he’s ever tasted. I served it with the lemon curd and whipped cream. It was indeed heavenly. I’m sure my husband will ask for this one again soon. Thanks for the recipe!
I am so happy to read this! Thanks so much for stopping back and leaving feedback. I hope your parents had a wonderful anniversary dinner! Happy Holidays!
I made this for Thanksgiving. I have searched for a creamy, whipped texture cheesecake recipe for years. Mine always turn out so dense. But this is it…just what I’ve searched for. Everyone loved it!!
Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Yes, most of my cheesecakes are this style as this is what I personally prefer.
I wonder if cake strips would work instead of the water bath method? It’s what I use for keeping layer cakes edges cooler so the center cooks and doesn’t crack or dome up.
Hello! I haven’t used cake strips before, so I am not sure of the result. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
@Jean Woessner, I used 2 wet cake strips to completely cover the sides of the pan and used a pan of water that I placed on the oven’s lower shelf before putting the cake in, giving it enough time to heat up. I also let the cheesecake set on the sides while remaining jiggly in the middle and cracked the oven door for an hour while letting the oven and cake slowly cool down. The cheesecake turned out creamy with no cracks! I also used Meyer Lemons because that is what I had on hand. A little less tart than regular lemons.
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for stopping back and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
Has anyone tried making this without the water bath? I don’t have a receptacle large enough to hold my pan while baking. If no one has tried it I will try it and update on here!
@Alie Miller, Lower the temp to 300 and bake for about 90 minutes. CHECK at 60.
Simply divine! Totally worth the time!I made this cheesecake last weekend and it was fabulous.It cooked beautifully and smooth.Thanks for the recipe.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cheesecake! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
Lovely lovely lovely. Made for my Dad’s 70th birthday.
Bake time had to be extended a bit for me- perhaps just my oven? But the entire thing was still quite jiggly/liquid-y at 65 min. Ended up turning the over off at about 75-80 min.
Thank you for a wonderful recipe! Will use again and again!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cheesecake, Alicia! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
Excellent cheesecake and a breeze to make. The lemon curd also turned out very well. I made this for my mother who celebrated 90 years on Sunday! Cheesecake is her favorite dessert and this one delivered! I served each slice with the curd and a few fresh raspberries for color. A keeper to be repeated, thank you for sharing this recipe, excellent all around.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cheesecake, Charlotte! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie