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This decadent Lemon Meringue Cheesecake is ultra-creamy filled with pockets of lemon curd and topped with a billowy-soft Swiss meringue. This would be a perfect spring or summer dessert or try my original Cheesecake Recipe!
Lemon Meringue Cheesecake Basics
Just like any cheesecake, the base of this gem is a buttery graham cracker crust. The filling is a classic cream cheese base that is spiked with plenty of lemon but filled with pockets of lemon curd. (SO good!) After its baked, top the whole thing with a toasted meringue topping which takes this over the top. Get ready to live, people. It’s the perfect decadent, refreshing dessert for Spring.
Pro Tips and Tricks
Here are my biggest tips to make perfect Lemon Meringue Cheesecake! I have a whole lot of details about the art of cheesecake making on my Classic Cheesecake Recipe if you’re interested. But here’s the readers digest version.
- Room Temperature. Use cream cheese and eggs that are absolutely at room temperature. This makes for a smoother filling.
- Be Patient. Leave the cooked cheesecake in the oven for a good 6 hours (or overnight!) after baking to cool and avoid cracking, though a crack in a cheesecake never stopped me from eating it.
- Plan Ahead. Just plan ahead because this is not a one and done kind of recipe.
How to Make Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
In a nutshell, this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake has three parts: the crust, the filling, and the topping. It is a bit of a long recipe, but the directions couldn’t be simpler. I promise it’s easier done than said! For full details see the recipe card down below!
Make the Crust
Preheat oven. In a small bowl, stir graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter until combined and moist. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake and set aside to cool. Reduce oven temperature.
Make Lemon Cheesecake Filling
In a large bowl, stir cream cheese and sugar together. Stir in vanilla and lemon extracts. Add in one egg at a time and stir. Scrape edges and stir in lemon zest.
Add the Lemon Curd
Add lemon curd into the cooked crust by dolloping it around the edges and into the center. Pour prepared batter over top of the lemon curd and smooth the top.
Bake, Cool + Chill
Bake, then turn the oven off completely, leaving the cheesecake inside the oven to cool completely. Refrigerate cheesecake until completely chilled.
Make the Swiss Meringue
For the meringue topping, whisk egg whites, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar together in the top of a double boiler OR in a large, heat-safe bowl overtop of simmering water. Whisk until topping is very thick, glossy, and billowy. Fold in vanilla. Spread over top of the cheesecake and broil on low until topping has browned OR use a kitchen torch to brown meringue.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Storing Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
The best way to store leftover lemon meringue cheesecake is in an airtight container and back into the fridge for up to 3 days. If you are going to freeze this cheesecake, I recommend wrapping it well BEFORE adding the meringue topping. As long as it’s wrapped well, it will last up to 3 months in the freezer. To defrost, transfer cheesecake to the fridge until completely defrosted. 24-48 hours. Add meringue topping once you are ready to serve.
Love Lemon? Try these Favorites:
While I don’t have a lot of talents, making cheesecake is certainly one of them. I can make a mean cheesecake that tastes ultra-lemony, extra creamy, and super decadent. It’s a gift, what can I say? Whether you’re a passive cheesecake lover or at the addictive level, this is the kind of dessert that always gets finished, that always has people raving and that doesn’t get easily forgotten.
The printable recipe card is below. Enjoy, friends! 🙂
Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
Ingredients
for the crust-
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons melted butter
for the filling-
- 32 oz cream cheese four 8 oz packages, completely at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/4 cup lemon zest very loosely packed
- 2/3 cup cold lemon curd
for the Swiss Meringue topping-
- 3 egg whites
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter until combined and moist. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes and set aside to cool.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
- In a large bowl, stir cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and combined. Stir in vanilla and lemon extracts. Add in one egg at a time and stir in completely before adding in the next egg. Scrape edges and stir in lemon zest.
- Add lemon curd into the cooked crust by dolloping it around the edges and into the center. (Using cold lemon curd with allow it to hold its shape while baking.
- Pour prepared batter over top of the lemon curd and smooth the top. Bake 1 hour, then turn oven off completely, leaving cheesecake inside the oven to cool completely, about 6 hours.
- Refrigerate cheesecake until completely chilled.
- For the topping, using a hand mixer, whisk egg whites, granulated sugar and cream of tartar together in the top of a double boiler OR in a large, heat-safe bowl overtop of simmering water. Whisk 5-7 minutes or until topping is very thick, glossy and billowy. Fold in vanilla.
- Spread over top of cheesecake and broil on low until topping has browned. OR use a kitchen torch to brown. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Hi there
can l us stevia in Lemon Meringue cheesecake
will it work the same?
lam globin dairy
Fabulous! I made it today and enjoyed eating.
Yum!
I have to so make this, lemon, cheesecake and lemon curd, all of my favorite ingredients.
I made this recipe for my dad’s bday per his request. It was a super big hit. He loved it, my mom loved it…even I loved it-and i don’t like cheesecake!! My husband is very picky with cheesecakes. As soon as he ate a piece, he asked when I was making it again. It’s now his all time favorite.
Super easy and very yummy, especially with fresh fruit and chocolate syrup. thanks so much for this recipe!!
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This sounds so yummy! I love cheesecake but have never tried lemon meringue cheesecake!
Need this in my life!
This looks wonderful! Congratulations for reaching 1,000,000!!
This looks amazing! And lemon is my favorite but I don’t think I’ve ever made meringue. Will have to try soon.
hi
this looks sooo good.. lemon cheesecake is the best!
I adore lemon meringue pie and cheesecake so to put them together looks amazing!!! I’ve had my eye on this recipe since you posted it and now that the temperature is finally cooling a little I’m definitely going to give it a shot! Looks sooo delicious!
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!
This looks so delicious, I love Lemon Meringue Pie so I will have to try this!
Lemon is my jam. Can’t wait to try it!
[…] forget I posted the Lemon Meringue Cheesecake recipe and these Red and Green Enchilada recipe too! Both super duper […]
Hi Lauren. Excellent recipe. The cheesecake looks amazing. If i have understood correctly, you haven’t used the water bath process here?
Oh My. That’s looks sooo good. Lemon is my weakness.
Questions: Just dollops of the curd over the crust not spread out evenly? Also, any reason swiss meringue and not meringue just mixed cold in a mixer until firm? This looks so delicious!