This lemon meringue cheesecake is a fusion of lemon meringue pie and a classic no bake cheesecake. It’s simply sublime.

  • So easy to make
  • No bake! No oven, no water bath required!
  • Creamy lemon cheesecake filling
  • Ethereal meringue frosting
  • Rich, sweet and so delicious

If you love easy lemon desserts, you’ll love this lemon curd mousse and this lemon vanilla custard slice.

A cheesecake on a white cake plate with a blurred slice in the foreground

Table of contents

How to make lemon meringue cheesecake

This no bake lemon meringue cheesecake does have a few steps but the majority are incredibly easy. You’re rewarded with a showstopper of a cheesecake perfect for a special celebration.

  • Biscuit base – so simple, just mix biscuit/cookie crumbs, ginger and melted butter, then press it into a springform tin.
  • The no bake lemon cheesecake filling – this is literally a matter of beating together a handful of ingredients until light and silky smooth.
  • The lemon curd – you can use store-bought but I recommend making your own from scratch (use this lemon curd recipe) as even that only takes 10 minutes. The tart lemon curd adds an extra dimension to the creamy cheesecake.
  • The no bake meringue – this part requires a little cook on the stove top to pasteurize the egg whites, then just beat it until it’s glossy and whipped. A stand mixer makes this step super simple.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

Combine the cookie crumbs, ground ginger, salt and melted butter then tip the mixture into your lined 8 inch springform tin. Use a glass to press it out flat all the way round then chill in the fridge to set firmly.

Biscuit crumbs in a springform tin, flattened out to make a cheesecake shell

2. The cheesecake filling

To make the filling you’ll start by gently dissolving some gelatine into lemon juice over low heat – make sure not to let that even come to a simmer.

Now, beat together the cream cheese and sugar together before adding the lemon juice, zest and sour cream. I like to use my stand mixer with paddle attachment for this. Slowly pour the cream in while whisking until it’s all combined, then whisk for 2-3 minutes until it’s looking fluffy. To do this, I swap to my whisk attachment

Mixing together ingredients for a cheesecake in a stand mixer

3. Assemble the cheesecake portion

Tip the cheesecake mixture into the base and level it out. I like to let it set for an hour or so before spreading over the lemon curd. Let it set in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

2 photos: Cheesecake filling inside the biscuit shells, lemon curd is spread over the top of a lemon cheesecake

4. How to make no bake meringue

First a tip – when making meringue, always make sure your equipment is perfectly clean and you don’t get any yolk in your egg white, otherwise, they won’t whip.

All the meringue ingredients go into a bowl. Again, I like to use my stand mixer for this step, so I place the ingredients into the stand mixer bowl. Use a hand whisk just to lightly whisk this over a saucepan of simmering water until all the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are opaque and quite warm to the touch.

Making a meringue topping in a stand mixer

If you want to make extra sure your eggs a pasteurized, this mixture should get to 70C / 160F on a candy thermometer before proceeding. Some people aren’t bothered about eggs being pasteurized and this is completely up to you.

Now, take the meringue off the heat and whisk it until it’s smooth, glossy and increased in volume. It should be coming away from the sides of the bowl. I use my kitchen aid on speed 6 for 4-5 minutes.

5. Add the meringue to the cheesecake

Spoon the meringue mixture on top of the set lemon cheesecake and spread out in whichever pattern you like.  I then use a kitchen blowtorch to toast meringue but this step is completely optional.

2 photos: Topping a cheesecake with meringue and torching it with a blow torch

If you love this, I know you’d love this lemon tiramisu as well.

Why use gelatine in a cheesecake

Gelatine is just one way, of many, to make a cheesecake set to a point that it holds it’s shape when sliced.

This No Bake Lemon Meringue Cheesecake uses gelatine as a setting agent and just enough to get it to hold it’s shape when sliced, just like this no bake passionfruit cheesecake.

Baked cheesecakes, like this easy baked cheesecake with fresh cherry sauce, use eggs and baking to keep them set.

Some no bake cheesecakes, like my dulce de leche white chocolate cheesecake, rely on chocolate to set the cake.

And then there are those cheesecakes that just use a higher ratio of cream cheese to keep their shape.

Can you freeze no bake cheesecake

Yes, you can freeze cheesecakes as a general rule. In my experience, baked cheesecake freezes the best of all. This one will freeze but not with the meringue topping, and the cheesecake texture will change slightly and not be so silky.

A lemon meringue cheesecake cut open to show the inside

How to serve this cheesecake

This is an impressive looking dessert but sometimes beauty can bring a challenge. Here’s how to get the best out of this recipe.

  • Make the cheesecake portion the day before – I’m just talking the bottom section. This will give the cheesecake plenty of time to set.
  • Top it with meringue the day of serving – You can do this the day before but the meringue is best as fresh as possible.
  • Cut it straight from the fridge with a sharp knife – If it softens too much before cutting you may have issues getting nice clean slices.
  • Serve it as soon as you cut it – With store bought lemon curd, that seems to set softer than my homemade version, the curd can tend to run down the sides of the slices. It makes no difference to the flavour but just doesn’t have the same look.
  • Eat it within a day or two – the meringue does tend to melt a little over time, so once you cut slices from the cheesecake, you’ll notice the meringue gradually sliding off the more days it sits in the fridge.

This cheesecake gives 16 serves. Slices larger than that will be very rich and sweet, so be prepared.

A slice of cheesecake on a white plate with the whole cake in the background

This No Bake Lemon Meringue Cheesecake is sweet and unctuous. A soft, smooth centre that melts in your mouth. Sweet and sticky meringue and tangy lemon curd. Believe me when I say a little goes a long way. Slice it thin, and let your guests ask for more.

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A cheesecake on a white cake plate with a blurred slice in the foreground

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Yield: 16 slices
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Setting time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
4.7 from 23 ratings
The ultimate no bake lemon cheesecake, this Lemon Meringue Cheesecake has a creamy and silky cheesecake filling inside a biscuit base and is topped with lemon curd and meringue. This is one sure to please your guests.
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Ingredients

FOR THE BASE

  • 250  g  digestive biscuits (or graham crackers) (~9oz)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • Pinch of salt
  • 100 g  unsalted butter, melted (3½oz)

FOR THE FILLING

  • ¼ cup  fresh lemon juice
  • 2  teaspoons  powdered gelatine
  • 500  g  full fat cream cheese softened, (~1 pound)
  • ¾  cup  caster sugar (superfine sugar) (150g / ~5¼oz)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup light sour cream (125ml)
  • 1 cup  whipping cream (250ml)
  • ½ cup lemon curd (125ml)

FOR THE NO BAKE MERINGUE

  • 3 egg whites room temp
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar (or lemon juice)
  • ¾ cup caster (superfine) sugar (150g / ~5¼oz)

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • FOR THE LEMON CHEESECAKE:
    Grease and line an 8 inch round spring form cake tin with baking paper.
  • Blend the biscuits in a food processor until they turn to crumbs (or just place the biscuits in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin). Add the ginger, salt and pulse to combine then, finally, add the melted butter and blitz again until combined.
  • Press the crumb mixture into the base and up the sides of the prepared tin until it’s about 3 inches up the side and about 3-4mm thick. Pay attention to the corners where the crumb mixture can get quite thick. Use a glass with straight sides to press the base and sides until it’s quite firm then place in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
  • In a small saucepan sprinkle the gelatine over the lemon juice and let it sit for a couple of minutes until it gets wrinkly on top (notes). Heat over low heat stirring constantly until the gelatine has dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Using a stand mixer (if you have one) with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice mixture and sour cream and beat through until fully combined. Scrape down the sides with a spatula.
  • If using a stand mixer, swap from the paddle attachment to the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the cold cream (notes). Once all the cream is added turn the mixer to medium high and let it whip for 2-3 minutes until it's looking fluffy.
  • Tip the cheesecake mixture into your prepared base and spread over evenly making sure to leave at least a 5mm gap between the top of the filling and the top of the biscuit case (this will allow room for the lemon curd).
  • Place in fridge to set for at least 2 hours. (If you’re making your own lemon curd, this is a good time to do that).
  • Once the cheesecake has set for a couple of hours, spread over the lemon curd level with the top of the biscuit base.
  • FOR THE NO BAKE MERINGUE:
    Place the egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar in a large heatproof bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) set over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the base is not touching the water). Whisk the mixture with a hand whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved (the temperature should reach 70C / 160F on a thermometer to be pasteurized).
  • Remove the bowl and whisk on medium-high speed with a hand beater or using the stand mixer (with whisk attachment) for 4-5 minutes until thick and glossy and has reached stiff peaks and until the bowl is no longer hot).
  • Dollop the frosting on top of the set cheesecake and carefully create swirls so that it looks cloud-like. Don’t be too rough as you may displace the lemon curd.
  • Use a kitchen torch to scorch the top a little to give it a true lemon meringue look.
  • Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.

Notes

  1. Scrape down the bowl. While beating the filling, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl often to keep the mixture smooth and well combined.
  2. Wrinkly gelatine? It’s important to get the wrinkly top on the gelatine before heating. This is caused by the gelatine softening and beginning to absorb the liquid which means it will dissolve better once you apply heat and stir.
  3. Add the cream slowly. This is important as it is cold and if you add it too quickly it will cause the cream cheese to start setting and you may end up with a lumpy mixture. Add it slowly and it blends in perfectly. (If you look closely in my video, you can see little lumps in the cheesecake because I added the cold cream all at once).
  4. Too much filling? If the sides of the cheesecake base are not high enough, you might not fit all the filling into it. No problem though, just crumble up some more biscuit by hand and drop it into some paper cupcake cases. Pour any filling over the top and let them set. You could even freeze these and have mini frozen cheesecakes when you need a refreshing treat on a hot day.
  5. No kitchen torch, no problem. Torching the top is totally optional and just for aesthetics. You may prefer the look of the meringue bright white too.
  6. Lemon Curd: Use this lemon curd recipe to make your own from scratch – it only takes 10 minutes.
MORE CHEESECAKE RECIPES!
Calories: 403kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Dessert, Sweets
Cuisine: Cheesecake, Various
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Nutrition information is approximate only and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use and any changes you make may cause variations.

Nutrition Facts
Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
Amount Per Serving (121 g)
Calories 403 Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 64mg21%
Sodium 196mg9%
Potassium 100mg3%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 0.2g1%
Sugar 30g33%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 830IU17%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 55mg6%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.