Easy Lemon Cheesecake Crème Brulée "Donuts"

First, the recipe could be a little more clear. Do you prepare the no bake cheese cake filling according to the package directions, or do you only use the dry mix? A well-written recipe will specify this. As it is, I made the cheesecake filling according to the package directions and it was a huge waste of ingredients. I ended up using less than half of the prepared filling, and the graham cracker crust mix that came in the package wasn’t used at all. I had no need for the crust or the extra filling, so they were discarded. (A better and less wasteful filling: mix together a 3.5 oz package of instant vanilla pudding mix, 1.5 cups cream, 3 tablespoons sour cream, pinch of salt.)There were also no directions regarding storage. Do these go in the refrigerator? Do they sit out in a sealed container?The “donuts” were a big let down. I gave two stars - one for general ease of preparation and one because the filling flavor was good - but the weird mixture of textures and the caramelized sugar topping that stuck to our teeth BADLY were a big turn off. And whomever decided to refer to these as donuts has clearly never eaten a donut in their entire life.In the end, my hubby and I each ate one and were not impressed. We tried again the next day based on feedback from one review, but time did absolutely nothing to make this recipe any better. Out of the batch of 12, 9.5 were discarded. I would be embarrassed to feed these to anyone.

The contrast between the crispy sugar top crust and the pillowy soft interior is truly satisfying, and the subtle hint of lemon adds a refreshing dimension to the overall experience.

Followed the directions as written and they were fantastic. I had just enough filling to overfill each one just a bit. The hardest part of this recipe is not eating the filling before piping it into the rolls. I skipped the zest on top for the second batch.

Loved the recipe! My local places didn’t have the no bake cheesecake so I just used a different recipe for that portion and then followed this one. One tip is keep your toasted rolls in the fridge/freezer between the making of the sugar glaze. It helped keep the filling firm. I also pre-zested my lemon and did the sprinkled in between each donut. Will be making again.

First, caramelizing sugar seemed like a bit much for this recipe, but I followed the directions, and everything went smoothly! Second, in Seattle, the only place I could get the cheesecake filling was Walmart! But, my 9yr old has been asking to try the new Mr Beast chocolate bar (also Walmart exclusive) so the trip seemed worth it. The sugar hardened before I got to the final zest, but these still came out amazing.Just like the description says: creamy, tangy, and delightfully crunchy