This EASY Creamy Lemon Cheesecake is the best lemon cheesecake ever! It’s full of lemon flavor and so easy to make with just six ingredients! You’ll think you’re in lemon heaven! It’s the perfect dessert for any meal, any time of the year.
Lemon Desserts
I was once was afraid to make cheesecake. I thought people who made beautiful and delicious cheesecakes were performed nothing short of miracles.
One day, I decided to follow a simple Kraft recipe that turned out delicious and I’ve been making cheesecakes ever since and have become a cheesecake connoisseur.
As a matter of fact, my Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes with Strawberry Sauce has been featured on Philadelphia brand cream cheese website. That was a nice surprise. I’m sure you’ll like that recipe too if you like strawberries.
What’s more, you can make this lemon cheesecake (or nearly any other cheesecake) the day before you want to serve it or even the same day! I’ll tell you how below.
But, first I have to tell you how wonderful this recipe is and how easy it is to make! You may never buy one at the grocery store again.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means, if you make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission but, you pay the same price.
Easy Creamy Lemon Cheesecake
Lemon Cheesecake Baked
I admit, I prefer a baked cheesecake over no- bake every day of the week! That doesn’t mean I won’t eat no bake cheesecake. Let’s not be silly. But, I prefer the taste of baked cheesecake.
I’ve used regular cream cheese, Neuchatel, light cream cheese, store brand, and a combination of all of them trying to reduce calories and fat.
But, what I’ve found is that the best tasting cheesecake is going to be full fat cream cheese.
Philadelphia brand is the best and not just because I’m from the Philly area. It tastes the best!
Easy Creamy Lemon Cheesecake
If you don’t have a zester, use a sharp knife to remove the lemon zest (only yellow part of peel.) Then cut it into fine pieces.
If you attempt to use a cheese grater, you may grate some of the rind (the white part of peel) which is bitter. You only want the yellow part of the peel.
If you don’t have a zester, I highly recommend getting one. There is a lot of flavor in citrus peels (i.e. lemon, lime, orange.) The zester can be used for coconut, whole nutmeg, garlic, onion and other fruits or vegetables.
When I don’t have time to make a cookie crust for a cheesecake, I’ll use the Keebler pie crust. As long as it has a long expiration date, it should be somewhat fresh.
Always check the dates. An old cookie pie crust will taste stale and impair the cheesecake’s flavor. Although you can buy cookie crumbs, it still adds extra steps and more dirty dishes.
But, it will taste a bit more fresh so, it just depends how much time you have.
If you have a little extra time, consider making this delicious Creamy Cranberry Lemon Cheesecake. It is twice as big as the Easy Creamy Lemon Cheesecake but, has the extra tart of the cranberries.
How to Make Easy Creamy Lemon Cheesecake
- First, preheat oven to 350F.
- Then, use a Keebler Graham Pie Crust or Shortbread Pie Crust and bake for about 40 min on 350F or 180C.
- Let it cool completely before refrigerating.
Lemon zest adds a lot of lemon flavor to cakes, salmon, roasted potatoes and broccoli, fruit salad, etc. I love my How to Make a Creamy Cheesecake Without Cracks!
After you bake this Easy Creamy Lemon Cheesecake, let it cool until it is only slightly warm on the bottom. Then, put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
If you need it faster, put it in the freezer for two hours and then move it to the refrigerator. If you are making a larger cheesecake, you’ll need up to 8 hours or preferably over night.
You can tell how creamy this Easy Lemon Cheesecake is by the picture below. Look at the consistency. YUM!
Look at the creamy texture!
Double this Recipe!
This Easy Creamy Lemon Cheesecake recipe can be doubled!
You can just double the ingredients but, you’ll have to make a cookie pie crust which, can be made by adding mixing 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs, 5 tablespoons of melted butter and 1/3 cup of sugar.
Press it into a large springform pan and bake for about an hour. You’ll need a springform pan to make the doubled recipe.
It’s good to have a 3 piece spring form pan set so you can make various size cheesecakes.
Add this lemon cheesecake recipe to your list of lemon cheesecake recipes from scratch!
Can I Make This Lemon Cheesecake the Day Before?
Yes! Certainly you can make it the day before serving. You can even make it two days before which makes it a convenient dessert to serve for Mother’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, or any occasion.
When you find a delicious dessert that’s this easy to make, you save the recipe! So be sure to pin it!
Easy Creamy Lemon cheesecake is perfect for pot luck parties. With only 10 min of prep time, you’ll amaze people. You can tell them you actually made it- a from scratch cheesecake! Move over Cheesecake Factory! They’ll think you performed a baking miracle!
You may also like:
No Bake Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes with Strawberry Sauce
Lemon Pie (from Back to My Southern Roots)
NOTE: This post was updated on March 18, 2023.
Creamy Lemon Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz. pkgs of Philadelphia brand cream cheese softened
- ½ cup of white granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 Graham cracker Pie crust
Instructions
- Remove cream cheese from refrigerator for about 30 minutes to soften or in microwave on defrost setting.
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Put the softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl and mix on medium speed for two minutes.
- Use a zester to remove lemon zest from peel. You only need 1 tsp.
- Add sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice to the cream cheese until mixed.
- Add eggs, one at a time and continue to mix. Pour cream cheese mixture into the pie crust.
- Bake on 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
- Let cool for one hour and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving or in freezer for two hours.
Video
Notes
Cooling and Storage:
After the cheesecake has cooled for about an hour, refrigerate it for 4 hours before serving. Need it faster? Put it in the freezer for two hours and then refrigerate until ready to serve.Nutrition
Hola Pablo. Gracias por el bonito cumplido. Si sus limones peruanos son más ácidos, intente usar una cucharada de jugo y 1/2 cucharadita de ralladura de limón. Creo que obtendrás el mismo, si no mejor sabor. ¡Déjame saber cómo resulta!
Muy buena receta , desearía Que diámetro tiene el molde . Yo empleo Limón Peruano que muy acido .Cual es la equivalencia en cantidad con los que Uds usan Gracias
That sounds delicious Terri. I’m glad you like it. Please rate the recipe.
Hi Bonita! Thanks so much for the great compliment. Please come back and rate the recipe on the recipe card (you can assign it stars under the picture in the recipe card.) Hope you’ll find more recipes on this blog that you like. Happy New Year to you and your family!
Made this for Christmas Eve dessert and my daughter who is normally quite reserved went crazy for this and said it was the best cheesecake i had ever made! She, her husband, and my granddaughter ate the entire pie that night! Thank you for a recipe that will now be a family tradition!
I know exactly what you mean and this size is safer to have sitting in your refrigerator. LOL!!
I LOVE “wet” New York style Cheese Cake and stopped making it because my recipe is LARGE and I eat the whole thing and gain weight, lol. I am excited to try your recipe for “wet” cheesecake, and it appears much smaller, read “safer” for those of us who can’t stop eating cheesecake 🙂 Thank you!
An 8” springform pan will work. Hope you like it.
What size spe8ngfirm pan do you recommend for this recipe if not using a purchased crust?
Thanks for giving me a good laugh this morning! I’m so glad it turned out great for you and yes, it is definitely company worthy!
But, check out our Instant Pot Hamburger Soup! It has stove top and slow cooker directions too. Happy Holidays and try not to be stressed. Yes, I’m pot calling the kettle black but, just sayin… LOL!
So, I did everything not quite right…..cream cheese wasn’t completely creamed, used some lemon creme cookies for a crust, threw some butter on them and smooshed them in a pie plate, (no judging, i was tired, made home made dinner rolls, hamburger vegetable soup, had a very productive day with my cameo, and still wanted desert) and threw it in the oven for 40 minutes and then threw it in the freezer still kinda hot! You would think I deserved to have this thing end up a soupy mess somewhere……but NO!!!
IT STILL WAS AMAZING! flavor, texture and even my crazy crust! So if you follow the directions this is definately a KEEPER!! Company worthy!
Thanks Saania. Glad you liked it!
Thanks Diana. Glad you liked it.
Yummy
Thanks. I’m glad you liked it!
This recipe was so good. It’s a keeper. So easy to make even for a non Baker like me.!
Absolutely! Hope you enjoy this cheesecake as much as my family and friends do. Happy Easter!
Would it be okay to make this cheesecake a day ahead?
You’re right. It’s so simple. I’m Italian so lemon is always on my mind along with wine, EVOO, garlic and chocolate. LOL!
Sometimes it just takes that one recipe to help you feel comfortable with something 🙂 This looks like an excellent combination – I can’t believe I’ve never put lemon in cheesecake before! Thanks for sharing.
Joanne, I’m absolutely with you on the baked vs no-bake cheesecakes. I think the baked are always better. I did try a no-bake version of a lemon cheesecake and it was just ok. Looking forward to trying this!
Molllie
My youngest son taught me a trick on making a cheesecake. Bake them with a pan of water on the rack below the cheesecake, When it’s done turn the oven off and crack the door and let the cheesecake slowly cool. I’ve left mine in there up to two hours when possible. Then remove it onto a cooling rack on the counter for a few minutes before you refrigerate it. I never have a cracked cheesecake now…….
Thanks Julie. It really has a nice lemon flavor to it.
I could fall in love with this cheesecake! Looks so good!
Oh this kind of dessert sends me straight to heaven. Looks delish!
Thanks Shinta!
Yummy! Just looking at this recipe perked me up right away, love the simplicity and your tips on whipping up the cream cheese. Thanks for sharing it at FF!
This looks delicious and so creamy and fresh!
I love cheesecake but I’ve only made it from scratch twice. Once with store-bought cream cheese and with homemade cream cheese (yogurt-based). If I ever get around to it, maybe I’ll post it on my blog. Time-consuming but it taste better.
Honestly have always been scared of cheese cakes too! But this makes it look easy 🙂
I made this recipe and enjoyed it. Great tip to mix longer.