Go Back
+ servings
Two pieces of lemon cheesecake with lemon curd with fork and on white plate.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Lemon Cheesecake Bites with Lemon Curd Topping

If you are a lemon lover, this is the recipe for you. The lemon curd layer on top gives this lemon cheesecake an extra kick you will love.
Prep Time20 minutes
Total Bake Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 257kcal

Ingredients

LEMON CURD

  • ¾ cup (183 g) Lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Lemon zest
  • ¾ cup (150 g) Sugar white
  • cup (75.67 g) Butter unsalted cubed
  • 3 (3) Eggs room temperature

CRUST

  • 7.5 ounces (7.5 ounces) Pamela's Honey Graham crackers 1 box
  • cup (75.67 g) melted Butter unsalted
  • 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Sugar white

CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • 16 ounces (16 ounces) Cream Cheese 2 bars
  • ¼ cup (50 g) Sugar white
  • 2 (2) Eggs
  • ½ cup (153 g) Condensed milk
  • ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Vanilla bean paste
  • cup (81.33 g) Lemon juice 2 lemons
  • 2 Tablespoons (2 Tablespoons) Lemon zest 2 lemons

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 cracker for creating cheesecake bites that 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 till 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 add the condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla bean paste and blend thoroughly. 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. 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 192mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg