Lemon Meringue Cheesecake (W/ Lemon Curd)

The cheesecake recipe starts with a buttery graham cracker crust, followed by a smooth and creamy cheesecake filling infused with fresh lemon zest and juice.

Then, the cheesecake is topped with tangy lemon curd, and silky meringue that is browned by a torch.

The highlight of this dessert is the light and airy meringue topping, which is carefully browned to perfection.

Whether you're hosting a dinner party or simply craving a sweet treat, this lemon meringue cheesecake recipe is sure to impress your taste buds.

For more delicious cheesecake recipes, check out my 3 ingredient no bake cheesecake, creamy vanilla cheesecake, pistachio cheesecake, cinnamon roll cheesecake, cheesecake with strawberry sauce, triple chocolate cheesecake, and Oreo cheesecake.

Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and efficiently.

Full measurements are in the recipe card below.

For the crust

Graham crackers- you will need about 1 ½ cups of graham crackers. If you don’t have graham crackers, you can use tea biscuits, vanilla wafers, and digestive biscuits.

Granulated sugar- the sugar will add sweetness to the crust.

Melted butter- melt the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds pulses, to make sure that the butter doesn’t boil up and explode in the microwave (been there done that), or melt it on the stovetop.

Cream cheese- the most important ingredient in this recipe, is cream cheese. Make sure that you are using full-fat cream cheese, for a cheesecake with no cracks, it's important that you use full-fat cream cheese and make sure that it’s at room temperature.

Granulated sugar- you will need one cup of granulated sugar for this recipe. The cheesecake will be sweet, but not too sweet. One cup of sugar is the perfect balance of sweetness for this recipe.

Eggs- you will need 3 large eggs for this recipe. To get a perfect classic cheesecake, make sure that the eggs are at room temperature.

Cornstarch- we used cornstarch, you can use flour instead.

Vanilla extract- vanilla extract adds extra flavor. For extra vanilla flavor, use vanilla bean extract or an actual vanilla bean!

Sour cream- we suggest using full-fat sour cream for this recipe. The sour cream makes the cheesecake batter creamier and lighter.

Lemon zest- I recommend zesting the lemon first and then juicing it.

Lemon juice- use fresh lemon juice for this recipe. Fresh lemon will give you the best result. We don't recommend using store-bought lemon juice. This will make the flavor pop!

Egg whites- carefully separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Make sure that there are no egg yolks in the egg-white mixture to ensure you get a perfect meringue.

Sugar- I used granulated sugar, but caster sugar is even better.

Cream of tartar- add ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar to ensure your meringue is stable and will whip perfectly. If you don't have cream of tartar, swap it with fresh lemon juice.

Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and preheat an oven to 180c (350f).

Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. If you don’t have a food processor on hand, place the crackers in a Ziplock bag and smash the crackers with a cup until fine crumbs form.

Into a small to medium mixing bowl, add the graham crackers crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the crumbs are coated with butter.

Transfer the crumbs into a prepared 9-inch cake pan, pressing evenly and firmly into the pan.

Bake the crust in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 7-8 minutes. Keep an eye on the crust and make sure it doesn’t burn. Take the crust out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature.

Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust, and release air bubbles by gently tapping the pan onto a flat surface.

Bake it in a 140c (280f) preheated oven for about an hour or until the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly.

Open the oven door halfway, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature for 1-2 hours.

After the cheesecake is cooled, wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap tightly, and place the cheesecake in the fridge to cool completely for at least 5 hours.

In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Place the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bowl.

Constantly mix with the whisk until the sugar dissolves (feel the mixture with your clean fingers). Take it off the heat and whip it to stiff peaks at the highest speed (this usually takes about 5-7 minutes).

Top the lemon curd layer with the meringue topping and make swirls with an offset spatula. Blowtorch the meringue to finish it off. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze this cheesecake, bake it according to the instructions, then cool it according to the instructions in the fridge.

When the cheesecake is completely cooled, you can freeze it covered in a few layers of plastic wrap or foil. This cheesecake will freeze for up to 3 months.

I recommend freezing this cheesecake without the lemon curd topping and meringue. Thaw, and place the cheesecake in the fridge overnight. Then, top it with the lemon curd and meringue.

Gluten-free- This recipe is really easy to turn gluten-free, simply replace the graham crackers with gluten-free graham crackers, or with gluten-free digestive biscuits.

Digestive biscuits- People outside of America usually don’t have graham crackers. You can use tea biscuits, vanilla wafers, and digestive biscuits.

Vanilla bean- add the inside of the vanilla bean and add it to the cheesecake mixture instead of the vanilla extract. Or use a vanilla bean extract.

Citrus- you can make this recipe with oranges or any of your favorite citrus instead of lemon.

Crust- you can make this crust into a chocolate crust by swapping the graham crackers with Oreo cookies. You can use the same recipe from my Baileys cheesecake recipe.

Lemon tiramisu- This fresh lemon tiramisu is made with lemon curd, lemon mascarpone cream, and with ladyfingers dipped in limoncello.

Limoncello mascarpone cake- This limoncello mascarpone cake has a soft and tender crumb and is topped with creamy mascarpone cream and lemon curd.

Lemon tart- This lemon tart is made with a buttery pastry crust and filled with a zesty lemon curd filling. This tart is a ray of sunshine in a dessert!

If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. We love hearing from you.