This creamy, zesty lemon meringue cheesecake has a sweet-tangy lemon cheesecake filling topped with cloud-like meringue. It’s baked in a crunchy homemade graham cracker crust and tastes like a richer, creamier version of classic lemon meringue pie!
This lemon meringue cheesecake has all the flavors of a classic lemon meringue pie mashed up with the best homemade cheesecake. Like my lemon cream pie, it’s sweet and creamy, all in one. This is a silky, creamy cheesecake filling speckled with lemon zest, topped with a layer of tangy lemon curd and heaps of pillowy meringue from my baked Alaska cupcakes recipe. The rich cheesecake filling uses egg yolks, but I saved the whites to make the fluffy meringue topping, so there’s no waste!
The Magic of This Lemon Meringue Cheesecake Recipe, Explained
- 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.
- Make ’em do a double-take. This lemon meringue cheesecake looks just like a lemon meringue pie before it’s sliced. Everyone is blown away by the thick, creamy lemon cheesecake at the first bite.
- Better than store-bought. Why buy cheesecake when you can make it with so few ingredients at home? I’m sharing my tips for the best cheesecake without cracks or sinking.
- Make-ahead. This is the perfect lemon dessert to make ahead for an occasion, like Easter, since it needs time to chill in the fridge.
What You’ll Need to Make This Recipe
Here are the important ingredients in this lemon meringue cheesecake recipe. 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 in 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!).
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.
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!
- 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.
Lemon Cheesecake
Next, prepare the homemade cheesecake following the steps below.
- 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.
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.
Make the Meringue Topping
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.
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!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but I don’t find it necessary for this recipe. This lemon cheesecake spends plenty of time gradually cooling in the oven to avoid cracking. However, if you’d prefer to bake your cheesecake in a water bath, you can!
To avoid overbaking, switch off the oven when the cheesecake is set at the edges, and there’s still a slight wiggle in the center. It shouldn’t be loose or wet, though. The cheesecake filling will continue to set up while it rests in the warm oven.
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 Meringue Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cooling Time: 10 hours
- Cook Time: 85 minutes
- Total Time: 11 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This creamy, zesty lemon meringue cheesecake is filled with fresh lemon zest and topped with cloud-like meringue in a crunchy homemade graham cracker crust.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
Cheesecake
- 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (2 large lemons)
- 2/3 cup lemon curd
Meringue Topping
- 6 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- Crust: Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Stir together all the ingredients for the crust in a bowl and combine. Press the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and up the sides, about one inch.
- Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool.
- Cheesecake Filling: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar together until combined and smooth. Add in egg yolks (cover and chill the reserved whites until ready to make the meringue topping) and beat until mixture is just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour, sour cream, and lemon zest and mix until smooth.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture over the prepared crust.
- Bake for 75 minutes. Then turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the warm oven with the door closed for 4 hours.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a butter knife along the edges to loosen it from the pan. Spread the lemon curd on top of the cheesecake, leaving about an inch around the edges. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and chill for 6 hours, or overnight.
- Meringue Topping: Whisk the 6 reserved egg whites with sugar. Place over a double boiler and, stirring constantly, heat the mixture until it reaches 140°F on a candy thermometer. Pour the mixture immediately into the clean bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, and beat for 10 minutes, until glossy and stiff peaks form.
- Spread the meringue over chilled cheesecake and lightly brown the tops of the meringue using a kitchen torch.
Notes
- If you would like to amp up the flavor of lemon in this recipe, you can add another tablespoon of lemon zest.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 404
- Sugar: 51.3 g
- Sodium: 174 mg
- Fat: 17.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 54.4 g
- Protein: 9.5 g
- Cholesterol: 221.3 mg
are the measurements right for the crust? 2.5 cups graham to only 6 tablespoon butter? is thet correct?
yes, that is correct!
I used 3 tablespoons of zest, could have even used 4 tablespoons. The cheesecake turned out really well, however, mine didn’t have the concave top like yours where the meringue sits. The meringue itself was good– more of a marshmallow flavor than a traditional meringue. I used a MAPP soldering torch to brown the meringue and it worked well. Lots of compliments on appearance and flavor overall.
I made this cheesecake and brought it to my family’s Easter celebration, it looked beautiful, tasted great, and was a huge hit! It was devoured in a matter of minutes and a week later it is still the talk of the town. This cheesecake is a super fun dessert for spring, even though it is not quite Spring yet here in Fairbanks, Alaska! I would recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different that is still super easy to make and sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Also, FYI we don’t have a double boiler so for the meringue I used superfine baker’s sugar instead of granulated sugar and just whisked the eggs and the sugar in the beater without heating them first and the meringue still turned out how it was supposed to.
Thank you for this great recipe!
Great feedback! SO glad you liked it and thanks for the tip about the superfine sugar!
made this for easter and it was a hit ! i cant have gluten so i used GF graham crackers and they were good. i made a bit more than the crust called for cuz i like a thick crust. i subbed corn starch for the flour and added extra lemon zest and lemon extract. i also added a tad bit of salt.
The meringue made a TON. way more than the picture mine was piled so high and i didnt even use it all ! i followed the directions exactly and used a thermometer and beat in my mixer for 11 mins exactly and it was perfect. used a blow torch thing to brown it up. everyone loved this. we kept it in the fridge then let it sit out for ~ 30+ mins to soften and it cut like butter ! it was so rich but i couldnt stop eating it. thank you for a great recipe !
I made this today and topped it with fresh raspberries and figs. Was my first baked cheesecake attempt and it was devoured by all. Thankyou for the beautiful recipe
AWESOME!!
What size tin did you use for this cake?
A 9″ springform pan
Aaaaaaaa Shelly, this cheesecake looks amazing! I’ll def make it for my bday next month!!! <3
Do you think it'd be possible to leave out the 2 tablespoons of flour in the cheesecake filling or does flour absolutely need to be there?))) Thank you for this awesome recipe! Tetrisa.
It helps stiffen up the texture a bit, but I am sure it will be fine without it!
Shelly, This is stunning & I bet delicious. I made a cheesecake over the holidays that was yummy but, adding the meringue divine.
My husband & I made this cheesecake for our 17th wedding anniversary yesterday. It was not only one of the prettiest desserts I’ve ever made, it was one of the best! The only “mishap” was when I totally didn’t read to leave it in the oven for 4 hours and I started it at 7:30…PM! My wonderful husband stayed up till almost 2am to make sure it turned out perfect!! Wonderful dessert. Wonderful husband. Thank you.
I just made this cheesecake for Thanksgiving… Incredible!!! My wife and mom loved it. They said it was better than the Cheesecake Factory’s Lemon Meringue Cheesecake. And I must agree. Thank you so much for this excellent recipe. My only alteration was adding a slightly tart lemon glaze (sugar, water, lemon juice and corn starch) between the cheesecake and the meringue topping. Thanks again. I look forward to trying another one of your recipes.