My son-in-law loves lemon, so I thought I would do something he loves. I was in the mood for some cheesecake bites, so I thought I would create a lemon with more lemon cheesecake.
It would be a three-layer cheesecake: the bottom, is the crust, then a smooth lemon cheesecake, and a layer of lemon curd on top. I made my own lemon curd, which is tangy and very lemony.
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Ingredients for Curd, Filling, and Crust
Lemon Curd
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Sugar white
- Butter unsalted
- Eggs
Cheesecake Filling
- Cream Cheese
- Sugar white
- Eggs
- Condensed milk
- Vanilla bean paste
- Lemon juice
- Lemon zest
Making Lemon Curd
I make the curd the day before so it has time to set and absorb all the lemon flavor. The lemon curd recipe I am using is on my site in a separate post titled "Lemon Curd Recipe."
I zest 2 of the 4 lemons for this recipe into a bowl. Then, juice all 4 lemons into a container. You need ¾ of a cup, so if your lemons are small, you may need a 5th lemon to reach that amount.
Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and turn the burner on to medium-low heat. Stir until the mixture thickens, about 20 minutes or a little longer.
Once thickened, remove the curd from the heat and strain it into a bowl. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then pour it into a glass jar.
Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the lemon curd to prevent a crust from forming. Refrigerate overnight to set the curd fully.
Special Graham Cracker Crust
Grab a 8X8 square baking pan. This is the one I use USA 8X8 pan and you will need a roll of tin foil.
You will need the whole box of Pamela's Honey Graham Crackers for your crust. If you have a food processor that is the easiest way to grind the crackers into crumbs. But you can always put a small amount at a time into a baggie and crush them with a rolling pin. This takes more time and muscle.
Empty the whole box graham crackers into the food processor bowl. I turn the processor on for 5 second intervals until the crackers are crumbs.
Empty the cracker crumbs into a bowl and add the melted butter and sugar. Using a fork, blend them until the crumbs are moist.
Line the baking pan with tin foil and leave 2 sides hanging over about 4 or 5 inches. The handles will be used to lift the whole cheesecake out of the pan the next day.
Press all the graham cracker mix around the entire bottom of the pan. You want a solid crust for the cheesecake filling to be poured onto.
Mixing the Lemon Cheesecake Filling
Prep the lemons by zesting and juicing the lemons.
Turn the oven on to preheat at 325°F(165°C or 170°C) while you are making the filling.
Add the sugar and cream cheese to a mixer bowl and blend them together on a medium mixer speed for about 2 minutes.
Now add one egg and incorporate before adding the second egg. I scrape down the sides and across the bottom before adding the condensed milk, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla extract. Blend together; the mixture will be thin.
Pour the lemon cheesecake filling right on top of the graham crust.
I lift the pan off the counter about an inch and drop to bring any air bubbles to the top. Give it a little shake to make sure it is even
Bake at 325°F(165°C or 170°C) for 42-47 minutes. At 42 minutes, give the pan a slight jiggle; the filling should only move a little. If you have more jiggle, bake a little more. Everyone's oven is a little different, so just keep checking. Once baked, set the pan out on a cooling rack for about half an hour, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Assemble and Serve
The next day, I pull the cheesecake out of the fridge. There is usually a small ridge around the outside of the cheesecake. I take the lemon curd and smooth it around the inside of the ridge, leaving about ¼ of an inch around the outside of the cheesecake.
Cover it back up and put it in the fridge for an hour. This will help bond the curd to the cheesecake and make it easier to cut into squares.
After an hour, remove the cheesecake from the fridge. Grab the tin foil overhang and lift the whole cheesecake out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Pull the sides away and gently slide your hand under the tin foil. Take the other hand and start to pull the tinfoil from the bottom of the cheesecake crust. It will come off fairly easily.
Now, use a sharp knife and cut the cheesecake into pieces of the size you want. I did 4 columns and then cut each column into 4 pieces. So I got 16 squares. Serve as is or I love whip cream on mine.
Enjoy!
FAQ's
Yes, if you are pressed for time, you can certainly do that. But I will say mine is really good. 🙂
I add the squares to a container with a tight lid and store them in the refrigerator. They will be kept for 5-6 days.
You can omit the lemon curd topping if you prefer a simpler cheesecake. The cheesecake itself will still have a delicious lemon flavor from the zest and juice that has been added. You could also swap it out for a different topping like blueberry, pineapple, or raspberry.
Other Cheesecake Bites
Recipe
Lemon Cheesecake Bites with Lemon Curd Topping
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
LEMON CURD
- ¾ cup (183 g) Lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Lemon zest
- ¾ cup (150 g) Sugar white
- ⅓ cup (75.67 g) Butter unsalted cubed
- 3 (3) Eggs room temperature
CRUST
- 7.5 ounces (7.5 ounces) Pamela's Honey Graham crackers
- ⅓ cup (75.67 g) melted Butter unsalted
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Sugar white
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 16 ounces (16 ounces) Cream Cheese
- ¼ cup (50 g) Sugar white
- 2 (2) Eggs
- ½ cup (153 g) Condensed milk
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Vanilla bean paste
- ⅓ cup (81.33 g) Lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Lemon zest
Instructions
LEMON CURD
- I made lemon curd the day before, so it is set when I need it for the cheesecake. Add all the ingredients to a saucepan on medium-low heat. Stir continuously until it thickens. Depending on your stove, this could take about 10 to 20 minutes.
- Once it thickens, I strain it to get a smooth and silky lemon curd. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, and then move it to a glass container. Take a piece of plastic wrap and cover the top of the lemon curd; this helps prevent the curd from forming a crust. I refrigerate it for a day before I use it.
CRUST
- In a food processor, pulse the whole package of Pamela's Honey Graham Crackers. These are the best graham crackers for creating cheesecake bites you can pick up and eat without a fork. After pulsing them, pour them into a big bowl and add the sugar. Whisk it through before adding the melted butter. Next, I take a fork and fold the butter through all the crackers until the crackers are moist from the butter.
- Line an 8X8 baking dish with tin foil (make sure it comes up on all sides of the baking dish). I also have 2 of the sides hang over so the cheesecake can be lifted easily from the pan the next day. You don't want the cheesecake mixture to run down behind the tin foil. Pour the graham cracker mixture onto the tin foil and evenly press down to cover the whole bottom of the baking dish. Set the baking dish aside.
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- Preheat oven to 325°F(165°C or 170°C). Zest the two lemons, so you have a heaping tablespoon of lemon zest. Then, juice both lemons into another bowl to get ⅓ cup of lemon juice and set both dishes aside. Mix the cream cheese and the sugar in a stand or hand-held mixer until the sugar is incorporated (about 2 minutes on medium speed). Add one egg at a time. Then, blend thoroughly with condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla bean paste. The mixture will be on the thin side but will thicken while baking. Pour the mixture over the crust and shake it gently to let any air bubbles come to the top.
- Bake at 325°F(165°C or 170°C) for 42-47 minutes. Give it a slight jiggle to test for doneness; there should be minimal movement. Pull the pan from the oven and let it cool for about half an hour, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, take it out of the refrigerator, and you will notice a slight ridge around the edge of the cheesecake. Take the jar of lemon curd and spread a layer all around except for ¼" from the edge the whole way around. Cover it back up and let it bond for an hour in the refrigerator.
- When you are ready to cut up and serve, grab the tinfoil edges to lift the whole thing out of the pan. The tinfoil comes off easily. I lift one side up a little and pull the tinfoil away from the bottom crust. Cut the cheesecake bites into whatever size squares you like. Have the leftover lemon curd with a spoon in case they need more. Keep refrigerated after you cut the cheesecake into squares.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
Kimberly
These look divine!! Can I use a fork to mix and can I skip the lemon zest? (Not a fan...)
Barbara
Hi Kimberly, Thank you so much! Of course, you can omit the lemon zest, but it will have a milder lemon taste. You can make cheesecake with a fork, BUT you won't have to visit the gym this week. To make it a little easier, ensure your cream cheese is soft by leaving it out of the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. If you have a whisk that would helpful. Please let me know how it turned out. - Barbara