By Yossy Arefi
Published Dec. 7, 2023
- Total Time
- About 6¼ hours
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1½ hours, plus about 4½ hours’ cooling
- Rating
- 4(689)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This tart and tangy cheesecake utilizes lots of lemon zest and juice for a punchy, bright flavor, plus Greek yogurt for a smooth, light texture that is irresistible. The filling is tucked into a straightforward graham cracker crust, but you could easily substitute an equal amount of gingersnaps for the grahams. Make sure to cool the cooked cheesecake in the oven, with the door slightly ajar, to help avoid cracks. (But if you do end up getting a few cracks, you can just cover them with whipped cream or fresh fruit and no one will be the wiser.) For impressively crisp-edged slices, run a knife under hot water and dry it in between cuts.
or to save this recipe.
Print Options
Include recipe photo
Advertisem*nt
Ingredients
Yield:1 (9-inch) cheesecake (12 to 16 servings)
- 18graham crackers (280 grams)
- 1tablespoon brown sugar
- Pinch fine salt
- 9tablespoons/130 grams unsalted butter, melted
- 16ounces/450 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾cup/150 grams granulated sugar
- 2lemons
- 1½cups/345 grams full-fat or 2 percent Greek yogurt
- 3large eggs, at room temperature
- 3tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Whipped cream and lemon zest (both optional), for serving
For the Crust
For the Filling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)
369 calories; 24 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 19 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 245 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Step
2
Prepare the crust: In a food processor or bag, crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add the brown sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and pulse to combine. If using a bag, add the brown sugar and salt to the bag, reseal and mix, then add the butter and mix again.
Step
3
Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust until golden brown and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Let the crust cool slightly while you make the filling.
Step
4
Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
Step
5
Prepare the filling: Add the cream cheese and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Zest the lemons directly into the bowl. Mix on medium, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally, until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Juice the lemons while the cream cheese is mixing. You should have about ¼ cup juice.
Step
6
Add the yogurt and ¼ cup lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture and mix until smooth. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Tap the bowl on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles.
Step
7
Pour the filling into the prepared crust, still on the baking sheet, then tap the pan gently on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
Step
8
Bake the cheesecake until set at the edges but still wiggly in the center, 50 to 60 minutes. Turn off the oven, prop the door open and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 20 minutes before removing it and setting it on a rack to cool to room temperature.
Step
9
Refrigerate the cheesecake until completely cool, about 4 hours or overnight. If desired, dollop the cheesecake with whipped cream and garnish with lemon zest before slicing and serving. This cheesecake keeps, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Ratings
4
out of 5
689
user ratings
Your rating
or to rate this recipe.
Have you cooked this?
or to mark this recipe as cooked.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
Robyn
I think ginger snap crust is my preference as a contrast. Maybe some candied ginger to sprinkle on top?The recipe sounds lighter w/o sour cream for sure. Can’t wait to try!
Mark Holmes
Could you substitute almond flour for the wheat flour and allulose for the sugar in the cheesecake filling?
Leslie
You can use fine white rice flour in place of the wheat flour for celiac. I have very good luck cooking cheesecakes at 180 degrees overnight for 8-9 hours. No cracks and it comes out perfect. Also, used waxed unflavored dental floss to cut the cake by holding it between your hands a foot apart and pressing straight down then pulling it out the side from the bottom. Perfect cuts every time.
Wanda Girl
Right on Sister! I will also make with Seattle area - based Ellenos Lemon Curd Yogurt rather than plain. More once I make it.
ElisaTB
Oh, the ellenos yogurt is great but spendy. If you are not so flush try (also Seattle area) Oikos honey Greek yogurt it is dreamy. As is this cheesecake recipe.
seana
Prepared this exactly as written with typical supermarket ingredients and found it fantastic! I wondered if the instructions neglected to specify prepping the springform pan in some way (parchment? butter?) but did nothing and the cake away from the pan without issue.The intensity of the lemon with the silk of the cream cheese and yoghurt is a wonderful pairing. Usually, when I cook something I make notes for how I will change the recipe next time. This one? No notes.
Judi
Definitely whole fat; low fat yogurt doesn’t bake well.
ASR
How essential is a mixer? For those of us with tiny apartment kitchens?
Lara S
For the gluten-free of us: King Arthur has a great GF flour that substitutes well in baked items like this. Also, for those who like a ginger snap type crust, they have a seasonal GF gingerbread mix that has a cookie recipe. I mix up the cookie version and use 1/4 pressed in for crust. Amazing for a pie crust!
Sybil
Can I skip the flour? My husband is celiac. I can find gf graham crackers but don't care much for 1 to 1 gf flour.
Anniemarie
Very similar to Alison Roman's Citrusy Cheesecake, also on NYT, which is delicious!
Lauren
Just came here to say that I made this according to the recipe and it was delicious.
Lisa
Too much butter in the crust. It leaks out if the springform pan
Danielle B.
This cheesecake turned out absolutely delicious, and so lemony, but I never seem to have enough crust, so I'd suggest doubling whatever amount of crushed cookies is recommended.
Denise
Followed the recipe exactly and also topped with whipped cream and lemon zest. Didn’t taste sweet enough so drizzled some honey over the top. Much better. Overall okay but agree that the butter is too much in the crust.
Leslie
Here's a ridiculous question from a springform pan virgin: When do you take the cheesecake out of the springform? Before refrigeration? Later? The recipe does not specify, probably because everyone knows but me.
Judy
Using lemon yogurt is a great idea.I had Meyer lemons so I used the zest of four lemons instead of two to ramp up the flavor. I thought about but did not reduce the sugar (as Meyers tend to require less sugar).I have a contentious relationship with my KA stand mixer, so to ASR’s question, I used my electric hand beater and it worked out just fine.I’ve made this twice (both same day in a bit of a rush) and it’s fantastic!
Me
1/2 sugar Used white ceramic baking bowlPut in ban Marie, largest lasagne glass pan, water 3/4 way up pan
Me
1/2 sugarWhite ceramic baking bowlBan Marie in largest lasnge pan, filled 1/2 upStarted at 400 degrees, 12 min, hadn’t turned up temp until I put in Then 350 degrees for ? 50 min?
Barbra
Made it exactly as instructed and it was perfect. I served half as a company dessert and cut the other half into quarter sections and froze them separately. Just defrosted one of the quarter sections in the fridge and it was still perfect!
L East
God this was the worst thing I ever made very sour, not a dessert
Monika
I used Meyer Lemons and they tasted wonderful in this recipe!
Trish W
Using only what I had on hand I subbed Walkers shortbread for graham crackers and used one reg and one lowfat Philly cream cheese, nonfat Greek yogurt (plus 2T of butter to make up for the missing fat), and more sugar because the filling was so tart. Baked in 8X8 tall ceramic dish. End result is fabulous especially with a schmear of lemon curd on top.
kzkz
This is really, really, really good! The cheesecake was light and fluffy and just delicious. I baked it for 54 minutes. Per the reviews, I did change the ratio of butter in the crust. I used a recipe from a key lime pie I make-- 260g graham crackers, 80g brown sugar, 6 tbsp butter, 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Came out perfectly.
Terre R
This cheesecake is light, delicious, and not too sweet. Worth repeating.
Kathy
Can I use maple syrup instead of sugar?
Anna
I made this cheesecake for a Christmas lunch this year. I had to substitute the crust for a gluten free option and found a GF lemon cookie, so I tried it out. The whole cheesecake was delicious and not too lemon-y (my concern since the crust was lemon, too). It did crack a bit on top, but a dollop of whipped cream disguised that. The cheesecake seems lighter than it is and was a great option for a bite of sweet after a lunch. All in all, this was an easy cake to make and one I’ll make again.
Jaime
I made this exactly following recipe, served it after Christmas dinner. It came out perfect and was loved. I like the idea of dental floss for cutting—that’s the messy part!
Elle
This recipe makes the lemon flavor nice and smooth.
Beth EB
Sooo delicious! My family loved this!
Private notes are only visible to you.
