slice of Lemon Meringue Pie Cheesecake

 Lemon Meringue Pie is a classic dessert… Graham crust, creamy tart lemon filling with a fluffy meringue topping.  This recipe combines all of those amazing flavors with a rich and lush cheesecake for a dessert that will top your list!  Fresh lemons and lemon zest make the filling extra lemony!!

Don’t be afraid to give this a try, it’s not difficult to make although there are a few steps.  I make the cheesecake portion one day (or even a couple of days in advance) and the remainder the next day.

Making meringue is really quite easy!  A few simple tips for a perfect meringue in this recipes:

  • Be sure the lemon filling is hot when you put the meringue on top.  This will keep the layers from separating.
  • When spreading your meringue, be sure it hangs over the edge of your pan just slightly.  Don’t remove it until the cheesecake is completely cooled.
  • Do not underbake.  This can cause weeping.
  • When removing the meringue from the edge of the pan don’t cut it, instead just gently pull it back from the edge of the pan.

While cooling this recipe, it does weep just a little bit so I put mine on a plate in the fridge to catch any stick drippings.

Items You’ll Need For This Recipe

* Cream of Tartar * Large Saucepan * 9″ Springform Pan * A huge fork to dig in :)

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slice of Lemon Meringue Pie Cheesecake
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Lemon Meringue Pie Cheesecake

Lemon Meringue Pie is a classic dessert… Graham crust, creamy tart lemon filling with a fluffy meringue topping. This recipe combines all of those amazing flavors with a rich and lush cheesecake for a dessert that will top your list!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8
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Ingredients  

Cheesecake

  • 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • 3 packages 8oz each cream cheese
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs

Lemon Filling

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • cup cornstarch
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 2 lemons zested & juiced
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Meringue

  • 4 egg whites
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • cup granulated sugar

Instructions 

Cheesecake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Combine melted butter & graham crumbs. Press into a 9″ springform pan.
  • With mixer on medium, beat cream cheese & sugar until blended. Mix in eggs.
  • Pour cream cheese mixture over crust and bake for 35-40 minutes or just until center is set.
  • Cool 5 minutes, run a butter knife around the edge to loosen. Cool on the counter 1 hour. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Lemon Filling

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Combine sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks and water in a large saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until mixture reaches a boil. Stir in ½ cup lemon juice & zest from 2 lemons. Let boil 1 minute while stirring.
  • Remove from heat and stir in butter, keep warm.

Meringue

  • Beat egg whites & cream of tartar on medium-high until soft peaks form (ends of peaks will curl when the beaters are lifted out). Continue mixing on medium-high adding in sugar a little bit at a time until stiff and glossy peaks form (about 5 minutes).
  • Spread lemon filling over cheesecake layer. Immediately spread meringue over hot lemon filling. Be sure the meringue overlaps the edges of the pan slightly to avoid it shrinking.
  • Bake 10-15 minutes or until browned. Cool at room temperature 1 hour. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight before serving.
4.91 from 31 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 428 | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 227mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 505IU | Vitamin C: 14.3mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American

More Recipes You’ll Love

* Millionaire Pie (No bake and only 5 Minutes to Prep!) Lemon Blueberry Loaf  *  Fresh Strawberry Lemonade! *

collage of lemon Meringue Pie Cheesecake, with a slice of pie, and pie with a slice out of it

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. If you can’t decide whether you want lemon meringue pie or cheesecake, make this scrumptious combo of both! I cannot recommend it highly enough. You won’t regret the little bit of extra effort.5 stars

  2. Hi. I’m anxious to try this recipe. Had a question for you…when do you remove the cheesecake from the springform tin? Once the meringue has been baked? And cooled?

  3. I am making this for Easter. If you use the extra 2 egg whites, would you increase the amount of sugar and cream of tartar?

    1. You’d want to increase the sugar and cream of tartar. You may need to bake it longer with the additional meringue.

  4. Disappointing, but the flavor is still good.

    Once I was cooking cheesecake, it was supposed to be firm and smooth. I got all of the ingredients right. Unfortunately, this cheesecake did not meet it’s cooking expectations. It was too loose, and it fallen apart. Other than that, it still meets it’s flavor profile, and it more like lemon meringue cheesecake pudding. The flavor is rich, but the cooking technique is poor.3 stars

  5. Do you remove the ring from the pan before adding curd and meringue and putting it into the oven. One comment suggested that if meringue touched pan it would break off from the cake.

    1. I do not remove the ring before adding the curd/meringue. I have included tips for meringue in the post. Enjoy!

  6. I made this last month and it was a hit alot of people loved it could only eat small portions because of how sweet it was but very delicious so recommend making it.5 stars

  7. I just made this cake for what must be the tenth time. It’s so easy to put together, and always a crowd pleaser! Each time I followed the directions as written and have had perfect results. It has become one of my go-to recipe for potlucks or hosting company. Thanks for sharing!5 stars

  8. Loved this receipe. I did alter the lemon curd slightly used my homemade lemon curd. My husband and friends were really impressed. It was so light and fluffy. Not dry at all like other baked cheesecakes we have tried a real favourite now. Thanks

  9. Hi Holly, I’m anxious to try this, loving the combination of lemon and cheesecake.  However, I’ve never had good luck with making a graham cracker crust.  It either comes out hard from pressing it too much in the pan, or too crumbly from not pressing enough.  Any suggestions?

    1. I suggest that you press it with your fingers to get it in place, then using the back of a spoon, or a measuring cup, press it firmly, enough so that it doesn’t move around easily when you touch it, but is not completely solid. Hope that helps Sherry :)

  10. Hi Holly, I’m strongly considering making this for my birthday for the office, this looks amazing. Problem is I’m not a baker and have never even attempted a normal lemon meringue! I’m considering making it Saturday already for the Monday – will the meringue hold or should I make the lemon and meringue part Sunday morning? Going out for lunch Sunday and scared I’m not in a state to bake after if you know what I mean :) What would you recommend? And do I store it in the fridge once the meringue is done or will the meringue hold if its kept in the fridge?

    Also, going to buy a springform for this – any specific type you would recommend to ensure easy removal before serving?

    Thanks so much!

    1. I make the cheesecake portion one day (or even a couple of days in advance) and the remainder the next day. Meringue will last for 2-3 days, so making it in advance should be no problem. I suggest you store the pie in the fridge covered loosely with plastic wrap. You’ll want to make sure you read over the tips for meringue just above the recipe to make sure it works well for you! Enjoy Hester!