12 Cheesecake Recipes for Lemon Lovers

Few desserts are as universally beloved as lemon cheesecake. The brightness of the lemon cuts through the rich cheesecake, and the result is a refreshing yet creamy dessert. While your classic, baked lemon cheesecake is always a safe choice, we also have no-bake lemon cheesecakes, lemon cheesecake bars, and even lemon cheesecake mashups like a decadent lemon meringue cheesecake. If you love a sweet-tart combination, you'll love these lemon cheesecake recipes.

01 of 13

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Lemon meringue cheesecake
Kim

Why choose between two classic lemon desserts when you can have both? A lemon cheesecake with a shortbread cookie crust is topped with lemon curd and meringue. Bonus: This recipe doesn't require you to make a water bath.

02 of 13

Cheesecake Lemon Bars

Lemon cheesecake bars with powdered sugar and raspberry garnish
Margo Suarez

These cheesecake bars consist of two layers: one lemon layer and one cheesecake layer."I topped mine with a thin layer of sweetened sour cream (about a cup of sour cream w/ confectioners sugar to taste and a drop...literally a drop...of lemon extract)," suggests reviewer Lisa D.

03 of 13

Lemon Souffle Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

This iconic flavor pairing has stuck around for a reason: Lemon's sharp flavor only enhances the mildly sweet blueberry flavor. Here, a light and fluffy lemon cheesecake is topped with a homemade blueberry sauce.

04 of 13

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

lemon cheesecake slice with orchid garnish
Seattle2Sydney

Lemon-flavored Jell-O mix not only flavors this cheesecake, but also helps it to set properly without the aid of eggs and an oven. It's perfect for warmer months when you want your oven on for as little time as possible.

05 of 13

Lemon Cheesecake

lemon cheesecake topped with lemon zest
Katie Mak

This simple lemon cheesecake uses nonfat yogurt in place of sour cream, but you'd never be able to tell."This cheesecake is SO good. It reminds me of the lemon cheesecake I used to always get at The Cheesecake Factory until they discontinued it," raves reviewer Steph.

06 of 13

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

squares of lemon cream cheese bars sprinkled with powdered sugar
Susan Langlois

If you love lemon bars, but wish they had a creamier texture more akin to cheesecake, this is the recipe for you. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

07 of 13

Mom's Cheesecake Cookie Bars

Mom's Cheesecake Cookie Bars
Allrecipes Trusted Brands

The walnut-based crust also doubles as the topping for these lemon cheesecake bars. For an even thicker bar, try using an 8 x 8-inch dish instead of 9 x 13-inch dish, as reviewer callduck suggests.

08 of 13

Quick Lemon Cheesecake

slice of easy lemon cheesecake
Chef Oma

This seven-ingredient recipe comes together without ever turning on the oven. Lemon-flavored gelatin helps the filling to set, simply stick it in the refrigerator to chill.

09 of 13

Lemon Cheesecake Mousse

individual servings of lemon cheesecake mousse
Maria Eldred

These individually-portioned cheesecake mousse cups have a graham cracker bottom and lighter, whipped cheesecake filling that's excellent for serving to a crowd. For a thicker mousse, recipe creator Maria Eldred suggests doubling the amount of cream cheese.

10 of 13

Ginger Lemon Cheesecake Bars

ginger lemon cheesecake bars on a plate
lutzflcat

Ginger and lemon is a seriously underrated flavor combination; the spicy bite of the ginger perfectly complements the sweet-tart flavor of the lemon. Inspired by ginger lemon creme cookies, these lemon cheesecake bars have a gingersnap cookie crust.

11 of 13

Low-Carb Instant Pot Cheesecake

slice of lemon cheesecake on a plate with caramel drizzle and pecans
lutzflcat

Yes, you can make cheesecake entirely in the Instant Pot, in fact, the Instant Pot basically works as a built-in water bath for making cheesecake. This version uses a low-carb sugar substitute (such as Swerve), for a carb-conscious alternative.

12 of 13

Easy Lemon Cheesecake Bars

crescent roll shell with lemon cheesecake filling
FrackFamily5 CA—>CT

Refrigerated crescent roll dough makes a pastry-like shell for the lemon cheesecake filling in this recipe."The cheesecake center is very lemony- perfect for the lemon lovers in your life," says reviewer FrackFamily5 CA—>CT.

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