Wholesome Cook
Quick and easy

Zesty No-bake Lemon Cheesecakes

What could be better than a no bake lemon cheesecake?! Fresh, zingy and deliciously creamy on an almond biscuit base. I think I’ve found my own “after dinner mint”.

no bake lemon cheesecake

This may come to you as a surprise, but more often than not I’m dreading the question of what’s for dessert. Mainly because I’m not a big dinner eater and the thought of ingesting more food after what I consider a late meal already, makes me feel fuller than I already am.

But, I’m fortunate enough to live with at least one person who loves an “after dinner mint”, so recently I’ve embarked on a mission of satisfying the household’s after dinner sweet tooth despite my own inhibitions.

I needed something quick, relatively low in sugar – who needs that at 8 o’clock at night, and citrusy to cleanse the palate from the meal before.

no bake lemon cheesecake

What could be better than a no bake lemon cheesecake?! And, unlike many ready-made desserts on the market, this one is pretty much additive-free.

Fresh, zingy and deliciously creamy on an almond biscuit base. I think I’ve found my own “after dinner mint”.

no bake lemon cheesecake

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Zesty no-bake lemon cheesecakes

I used Tucker's Natural Vanilla crackers from their Dessert range because they are completely additive-free (and you can win some here) but feel free to substitute them for any wheaten or plain biscuits.
Prep Time10 minutes
Chilling time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

Base

  • 50 g plain biscuits
  • 1 tbsp almond meal
  • 30 g butter

Cheesecake mixture

  • 250 g cream cheese
  • 200 ml fresh cream
  • 4 heaped tbsp lemon curd
  • 1/2 cup icing sugar
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • zest of 1 lemon 1/2 tsp reserved for decoration
  • 1/4 cup boiling water
  • tsp  powdered gelatine

Instructions

Base

  • Place biscuits in a food processor and blend until you get fine crumbs, add almond meal. Melt butter, add to the mixture. Mix with a spoon until combined. Divide mixture between 4 ramekins, pressing down with a spoon to make an even base. Set aside.

Cheesecake mixture

  • Place cream cheese in a large bowl, add lemon juice and zest. Whisk until the mixture is combined. In another bowl combine fresh cream and icing sugar and whip until soft peaks form - do not overbeat, you want a fluffy but slightly runny consistency. Dissolve gelatine in 1/4 cup boiling water.
  • Whisk together cream mixture with gelatine, then fold in the cream until the mixture is smooth.

Assembly

  • Spoon a tablespoon of lemon curd over the biscuit base in each ramekin. Top with cheesecake mixture and sprinkle with extra lemon zest. Allow to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. Cover any leftover cheesecakes with cling wrap to save for another day.
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26 comments

Heidi - Apples Under My Bed June 17, 2011 at 9:08 am

Brilliant!! I cannot wait to try this – you’re a star! It looks amazing…
Heidi xo

Reply
Wholesome Cook June 17, 2011 at 9:55 am

Thanks Heidi, I was inspired by your own lemony experiments :-)

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Chanel June 17, 2011 at 10:08 am

I’ve never tried a no-bake cheesecake but your photos are gorgeous. They look so light and fresh, I definitely want to give this a go :)

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Wholesome Cook June 17, 2011 at 10:25 am

Thanks Chanel, I am yet to try a baked cheesecake, just working up my courage!

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1litchick June 17, 2011 at 10:15 am

Looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it!

Reply
Wholesome Cook June 17, 2011 at 10:26 am

Thank you, enjoy!

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Mez June 17, 2011 at 12:10 pm

I’ve bookmarked these!!! Might whip them up and take them into work for a birthday afternoon tea next week! they look so pretty in the jars too. xox

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Wholesome Cook June 17, 2011 at 2:04 pm

Yay! That sounds good, and yes, I love the idea of presentation in jars :-)

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Gaby June 17, 2011 at 1:42 pm

Beautiful cheesecakes :) I think they’d be the perfect dessert in summer or spring but still good in winter.

Reply
Wholesome Cook June 17, 2011 at 2:05 pm

Thanks Gaby, I agree that they would be perfect for summer, but citrus fruits are in season so have to make the most of them!

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Sara @ Belly Rumbles June 17, 2011 at 10:49 pm

Great presentation, and such an easy dessert.

Reply
Wholesome Cook June 18, 2011 at 1:11 pm

Thanks Sara! It’s one of my new no-fuss favourites!

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Laura (starloz) June 18, 2011 at 11:35 am

this looks delish!

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Miss Piggy June 19, 2011 at 5:54 pm

Looks really fresh & lovely – and your photos are STUNNING! Beautiful looking post.

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Wholesome Cook June 19, 2011 at 6:49 pm

Thanks Mel!

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JasmyneTea June 19, 2011 at 10:45 pm

Normally not a fan of cheesecake because of how heavy and cloying they can be, but this one looks delicious and light! Definitely going to give it a go.

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Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide June 19, 2011 at 11:19 pm

Those do look wonderful and I love desserts you don’t have to cook in the summer.

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Dolly June 20, 2011 at 8:07 pm

that looks awesome. it sorta looks like a lemon mergue.. or at least he one i bought for my bf.

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maureenatorgasmicchef June 20, 2011 at 10:31 pm

How did you know I was looking for this exact recipe?? LOL I want to pipe it in the top of a strawberry. Wish me luck. :)

This looks so good and I’ve had dinner (and dessert) already!

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Eating Abroad June 21, 2011 at 3:51 am

Lovely recipe. I’ve saved it for later use! Thanks for sharing.

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Lemon Cream Cheese Dessert June 23, 2011 at 11:59 am

[…] Zesty no-bake lemon cheesecakes « Wholesome Cook Zesty no-bake lemon cheesecakes. Posted on 17/06/2011 by Wholesome Cook. 11. This may come to you as a surprise, but more often than not I'm dreading the question of what's for dessert Mainly because I'm not a big dinner eater and the thought of Cheesecake mixture: place cream cheese in a large bowl, add lemon juice and zest. Whisk until the mixture is combined. In another bowl combine fresh cream and icing sugar and whip until soft peaks form – do not overbeat, […]

Reply
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen June 23, 2011 at 5:21 pm

Sounds very light and refreshing, the prefect way to finish a meal without feeling like you’ve overindulged.

Reply
Wholesome Cook June 23, 2011 at 5:36 pm

Indeed, and the great thing is that you can always halve the portions further my preparing the cheesecakes in smaller ramekins or jars.

Reply
Candace July 27, 2011 at 11:57 am

We love anything lemon around here and your cheesecakes look perfect. Light and refreshing and such a beautiful presentation! Thanks for sharing your recipe!

Reply
Mrs R Tait "Hillstead" GARAH October 14, 2011 at 2:48 pm

Am keen to give your vanilla biscuits a crack They would make the already perfect recipe even better!

Reply
baked vegan lemon cheesecake | lemoncheesecake.net July 8, 2012 at 4:14 pm

[…] Vegan; Vegetarian; Recipe development + photo services; Produce I Love Foodie … What could be better than a no-bake lemon cheesecake?! And, unlike many ready-made… Link to original text […]

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