Lemon Cheesecake with Condensed Milk
Lemon Cheesecake with Condensed Milk is a refreshing lemon cheesecake dessert made in a pie plate with a graham cracker crust. It’s a creamy, lemony and delicious for spring and summer.
This creamy Lemon Cheesecake with Condensed Milk is a favorite recipe that has been tucked away in my mom’s recipe book, cut out of a magazine, for over 50 years. I grew up eating this dessert, a favorite lemon cheesecake, for Easter and springtime gatherings.
Key tips for making a quick lemon cheesecake:
- It’s made with sweetened condensed milk (regular, not fat free), NOT evaporated milk. Use fresh lemons (not store-bought).
- The graham cracker crust is a classic recipe (graham crackers, butter, sugar) – baked for 8 minutes in a 9-inch pie plate.
- This recipe is made without gelatin. Yes, you beat the cheesecake mixture until smooth and creamy for 4 minutes!
- You only bake it for 4 minutes, and then allow the pie to set up in the fridge for 4 hours.
- Just think 4-4-4!
- It’s perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, and spring and summer entertaining.
Why add condensed milk to cheesecake?
Sweetened condensed milk, that comes in a can, is usually found in the baking aisle of the grocery store. Using it in recipes creates a creamy and sweet milky flavor to your dessert. It’s also on the thicker side, so when combined with cream cheese and sour cream, it helps the pie to set up (thicken). We also use condensed milk in our magic bars, strawberry nutella ice cream, and banana pudding ice cream.
Ingredients used to make Lemon Cheesecake with Condensed Milk
The crust:
- Graham cracker crumbs: buy pre-made or you can use regular Graham crackers and make your own
- Granulated sugar + cinnamon
- Butter: we used salted
The filling:
- Cream cheese + sour cream
- Sweetened condensed milk (use regular, not fat-free) – 14 oz can
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon – use both the rind (zest) and juice (use real lemons)
How to make easy no bake lemon cheesecake
Prepare the crust:
In a medium bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Stir until combined. Reserve a small amount for the topping, and then pour the rest of crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate. With fingers pressing down, press the crumbs into the sides and bottom of the plate to form a crust. Bake the crust!
Make the filling:
Add the softened cream cheese, sour cream, can of sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, 1 tsp lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice to a medium size and beat on high until smooth and creamy.
Assemble the pie:
Transfer the creamy cheesecake mixture to the graham cracker crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top. Bake and then allow to cool.
Sprinkle reserved lemon zest on top, and refrigerate until the filling is set (firm).
Tips and substitutions:
- Graham cracker crumbs: You can buy pre-made graham cracker crumbs, or make your own with the crackers. Best way is to add to a ziplock bag; seal and use a rolling pin to crush into small crumbs. Then measure out the crumbs.
- Pie plate: A regular or standard size pie plate is trypically 9-inches, which is the size that we used.
- Cream cheese at room temperature. Do not skip this step! It is key to getting a creamy filling and avoiding lumps when blending together with the other ingredients. Leave it out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before starting the recipe process.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Do not use evaportated milk. This if often a mistake by those new to baking. Sweetened milk comes in a can, in the baking aisle, often right next to evaportated milk, so it’s an easy mix-up. Also make sure the sweetened condensed milk is not “fat free” which helps with the binding process. The pie will “set” quicker, which means you can serve it sooner.
- Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice.
- Beating: Yes, it’s important to beat the cream cheese mixture for 4 minutes to get it nice and creamy!
- Let set in the fridge. Since there’s no gelatine, this pie needs to be refrigerated until filling is set, about 3 to 4 hours.
Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice vs. Bottled Lemon Juice
We tested this pie using freshly squeezed lemon juice and the second time using store-bought juice. The cheesecake that was made with freshly squeezed juice had signifcant more fresh lemon flavor than the pie with store-bought juice (a bit more bland, with a slight artifical lemon flavor). However, if you only have store-bought bottled juice, you can still make this recipe!
How To Serve And Store
Serve – Always keep it chilled in the fridge until just before slicing. Place any leftovers back in the fridge after serving. Garnish with fresh berries, if desired.
Store in the fridge – Lasts up to 4 days in the fridge. Keep it in an air-tight container or cover it.
Freeze – Place the whole pie in an air-tight container and freeze. It lasts up to 6 months in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
More lemon desserts to try while you are here:
Get the Recipe:
Lemon Cheesecake with Condensed Milk
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup salted butter, melted
Filling:
- 3 oz cream cheese, room temp
- 8 oz sour cream
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp lemon zest, divided
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Prepare the crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Stir until combined.
- Reserve ¼ cup to sprinkle on the top.
- Pour the rest of crumbs into a pie plate. Using fingers, press the crumbs down into the sides and bottom of the plate to form a crust. Bake for 8 minutes.
Make the filling:
- Add the softened cream cheese, sour cream, can of sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, 1 tsp lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice to a medium size bowl. Beat on high until smooth and creamy for 4 minutes.
- Transfer the creamy cheesecake mixture to the cooled graham cracker crust. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of crumbs on top. Bake for 4 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Sprinkle reserved lemon zest in top, and refrigerate until filling is set, about 3 to 4 hours.
- Serve chilled, and garnish with fresh berries, if desired.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
