Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Why This Lemon Meringue Cheesecake Makes Me Do a Happy Dance

• Tangy, zesty flavor combo. This dessert has all the flavors of a classic lemon meringue pie mashed up with the best homemade cheesecake. It’s tangy, sweet, and creamy, all in one.
• Delicious layers. This cheesecake recipe has a crunchy, buttery graham cracker crust, a thick and creamy lemon cheesecake filling, a layer of tangy lemon curd, and pillows of meringue.
• Stand out at the dessert table. This lemon meringue cheesecake doesn’t just taste like a million bucks, it LOOKS amazing on a plate. It’s a great dessert for spring and summer occasions or holidays.
• Better than store-bought. Why buy cheesecake when you can make it with so few ingredients and a little bit of effort at home? 

What You’ll Need to Make This Recipe

These are some notes on the ingredients you’ll need to make this lemon meringue cheesecake. There are easy shortcuts that you can take, too, like using a store-bought crust and jarred lemon curd (more on this below). Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full list and recipe amounts.

• Crust – I use my easy homemade graham cracker crust made from graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Buy ready-to-use crumbs or grind the crackers yourself using a food processor (or a plastic bag with a rolling pin). If you don’t have graham crackers, you could also make a cookie crust from Nilla wafers or Golden Oreos.
• Cream Cheese – Softened to room temperature. You’ll want to use full-fat cream cheese that comes in bricks, and not the spreadable version that comes in tubs.
• Egg Yolks – You’ll separate the yolks for the cheesecake filling and save the whites for your lemon meringue topping. It’s easiest to separate the eggs while they’re cold from the fridge.
• Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour and sugar. I recommend granulated sugar for the filling and the meringue.
• Sour Cream – Full-fat sour cream adds extra richness and a hint of tang, and makes the cheesecake extra moist. Plain Greek yogurt is a good substitute if needed.
• Lemon Zest – Wash and scrub the lemons well before you zest them. You can adapt the amount of zest depending on how much lemon flavor you’d like in your cheesecake. I usually zest two large lemons.
• Lemon Curd – Store-bought or homemade lemon curd (I prefer the flavor of homemade, plus, you can use leftovers as a topping for pancakes and crêpes. Win!).

The Secret to Crack-Free Cheesecake

Slowly cooling and avoiding temperature changes is the key to a perfect cheesecake. My mother-in-law always bakes her cheesecake, turns off the oven, and leaves the cheesecake to rest in the warm, closed oven for a few hours. This is a bit different from the common approach of switching off the oven, cracking the oven door, and leaving the cheesecake to rest for an hour. But I use her technique with this cheesecake, and it works perfectly! Afterward, I chill the cheesecake in the fridge overnight. The best part about this recipe is that even if your cheesecake does crack, there’s plenty of meringue to cover it.

First, Prepare a Graham Cracker Crust

My homemade graham cracker crust recipe is super quick, easy, and versatile. I use it for everything from classic cheesecake to no-bake cheesecake and lemonade pie. Baked or unbaked, it’s the best! To make it:

• Mix the ingredients. While the oven preheats to 300ºF, stir graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and sugar.
• Shape the crust. Next, press the sandy crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and partway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. 
• Par-bake. Bake the crust at 300ºF for 10 minutes. It’ll need to cool completely afterward before you can add the cheesecake filling.

How to Make Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Leave your oven at 300ºF, as this is the temperature you’ll bake your cheesecake at, too. Follow the steps below to prepare your filling and toppings. Be sure to refer to the recipe card for the printable instructions.

• Combine the cream cheese, sugar, and egg yolks. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites, and refrigerate the whites in a covered bowl for now. Meanwhile, beat softened cream cheese with sugar, then mix in the egg yolks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add the remaining ingredients. Slowly add the flour, sour cream, and lemon zest. Once that’s smooth, pour the cheesecake filling into your prepared, cooled crust.

• Bake. Place the cheesecake into a 300ºF oven and bake for 75 minutes. Now, for my mother-in-law’s trick: Switch off the oven, and leave it. Don’t crack the door, simply walk away and leave the cheesecake to rest in the warm oven for 4 hours.
• Add the lemon curd. Loosen the cheesecake from the pan before you add the lemon curd. Then, spread the curd generously over the top. Leave about a 1-inch border around the edges. 
• Chill. Afterward, cover and refrigerate the cheesecake for 6 hours. I usually let mine chill in the fridge overnight before making the meringue.

Make the Meringue

If you’ve never made meringue from scratch before, don’t worry. It’s easier than you’d think, and once the sugar has dissolved into the egg whites, the process is very similar to making whipped cream! I use this same meringue as the base for my Swiss meringue buttercream. It takes about 3 steps in total:

• Dissolve the sugar in the egg whites. Fast forward to when it’s time to serve, and you’ll add your reserved egg whites to a double-boiler along with granulated sugar. Stir constantly while the egg whites heat to 140ºF (a candy thermometer comes in handy).
• Whip the meringue. Next, whip the mixture in a clean bowl for 10 minutes. The goal here is glossy, stiff peaks that hold their shape if you turn the whisk attachment upward.

• Add the topping. Pile your fresh meringue on top of the chilled cheesecake, spreading it evenly over the lemon curd layer. Lastly, use a kitchen torch to lightly toast the peaks of the meringue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipe Tips

• Adapt the flavor. I find that the lemon zest alone packs plenty of flavor into the filling. If you don’t have fresh lemons, you could substitute lemon extract to flavor the filling instead. A few drops of extract can also help amp up the flavor in addition to the zest, too.
• Cool the cheesecake gradually. Allow the cheesecake to cool slowly after switching off the oven. I usually leave it inside the closed oven for up to 4 hours. You could also crack the door and let it cool for 1 hour, then move it to the counter to finish cooling. I always prefer to do it my mother-in-law’s way, since I can forget about it for a bit!
• Don’t open the oven door. Resist the urge to open the oven door until it nears the end of the baking time. Sudden temperature changes can cause the cheesecake to deflate and crack. It’s for this same reason that you leave it to cool down gradually!
• Chill the cheesecake overnight. Allow enough time for the cheesecake to chill in the fridge (at least 6 hours), but for even better results, chill it overnight. This gives the cheesecake filling the best texture and allows the flavors to mingle.
• Torch the tips of the meringue. Use a light hand if you’re new to working with a kitchen torch. To do a test run before going in on your finished cheesecake, dollop some leftover meringue onto a plate and practice browning the top lightly with the torch.
• Make it mini. Make mini lemon meringue cheesecakes following the baking directions for my mini cheesecake recipe. It’s a fun dessert for summer parties!

How to Store

The meringue topping will start to wilt with time, so make sure to refrigerate the cheesecake airtight and enjoy leftovers within 2-3 days. If you’re making your cheesecake ahead, leave off the meringue until it’s time to serve.

More Lemon Dessert Recipes

• Lemon Blueberry Blondies
• Lemon Bundt Cake
• Strawberry Lemon Icebox Pie
• Lemon Cream Cheese Bars
• Lemon Brownies