No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake With Limoncello

Cheesecake is not my preferred dessert, in fact, it is something I’ll normally take a pass on. I don’t know if it is the heaviness of the dessert or the time it takes to bake it and then cool. I’ve just never been a huge fan.

That said, I’ve discovered the fun that is a no-bake cheesecake. I recently made a pumpkin no-bake cheesecake with a gingersnap crust that was mouth-watering. It was much lighter and fluffier than a baked cheesecake and, honestly, so easy to make that you feel you’re cheating (you’re not).

Following that attempt, I thought it would be fun to try a different flavor and settled on lemon. Why? Because I love lemon and one night, I was having some limoncello and thought to myself, this would be good in a cheesecake. Seriously, that’s how this whole recipe came about.

Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur that offers a serious pucker. It’s traditionally a drink served chilled after dinner, as a palate cleanser and digestive aid. It’s delicious so using it in this cheesecake recipe just made sense, but you don’t need much, a little bit goes a long way. The key to this cheesecake is the lemon flavor from the lemon juice, lemon zest and limoncello.

Making the Cheesecake

Start by pulsing the Biscoff cookie crumbs and brown sugar in a food processor until combined. Add the melted butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Pour this mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and press the crust into the bottom of the pan as well as around the sides.

Place the crust into the freezer to set while making the cheesecake filling. Using a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, limoncello and sour cream, and beat until smooth.

In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Add the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in thirds, folding carefully until combined. Continue this process until all the whipped cream is incorporated.

Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the lemon filling into the crust. Using a Spatula Spreader, spread the filling evenly across the entire crust.

Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, remove the sides from the springform pan and cut individual slices with the Spatula Spreader.

Serve with some raspberries and a sprig of mint, and enjoy! If you like lemon, you’ll love this No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake With Limoncello. It’s a light and fluffy alternative to traditional cheesecake, but still so satisfying.