The no bake lemon and white chocolate cheesecake is bursting with zesty citrus flavor, creamy white chocolate and a touch of toasty roasty almonds.
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The inspiration for this unusual cheesecake flavor came from the gorgeous lemon and white chocolate coated almonds I discovered at my friends over at Providence Foods (not sponsored, but watch this space for future colabs 🙂 ). These almonds are little morsels of creamy, tangy deliciousness that melt in your mouth and ends in satisfying nutty crunch!
Lemon and white chocolate cheesecake is such a classic combo, but the addition of almonds really elevates it to something truly unique, and delicious!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Classic flavors of zesty lemon and creamy white chocolate
- Beautiful, easy decorations that are sure to impress!
- Easy no bake cheesecake recipe, no need to turn on the oven.
- Great for a celebration or just because!
Love a chocolate cheesecake? Why not try making my strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake, no bake chocolate cheesecake or Aero Mint cheesecake. Delicious!
Ingredients
White chocolate: make sure it's white chocolate and not candy melts. I use a good middle-of-the-road brand to get the flavor balance right.
Lemons: fresh is best! You will need the juice and the zest to decorate the cake.
Almond extract: a dash of almond extra adds to the almondy flavor to this recipe. You want just enough, but not too much or you will overwhelm the white chocolate.
Vanilla extract: sometimes also called vanilla essence, depending on where you live. You can use either, or imitation vanilla essence, depending on your preference and budget.
Cream cheese: full-fat cream cheese is best for this recipe. If you use light cream cheese it may not set properly.
Cream: I use thickened cream which has a fat content of about 34%. You could also use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream which is similar.
Vanilla Cookies: such a Nilla Wafers, golden Oreos (filling removed) or Marie's.
Almond meal: some almond meal in the base adds some subtle nuttyness. You can use regular or roasted almond meal to increase the flavor.
Unsalted Butter: because butter makes most things taste better. But it also helps set the cheesecake base.
Lemon white chocolate-coated almonds: sometimes also called Lemoncello almonds. Perfect for decorating if you can get them, just try not to eat the whole bag first!
How to make lemon and white chocolate cheesecake
See the full recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient amounts and instructions.
To make cheesecake base
Grease and line the cheesecake tin. Break the vanilla cookies into smaller pieces. Blitz in a processor until the pieces resemble breadcrumbs. Add the almond meal and mix well.
Hot tip: for a stronger almond flavor you can use roasted, skin on almond meal, or gently roast the natural almond meal yourself. Add the almond meal to to a dry skillet on medium heat. Stir frequently, taking care the almond meal doesn't catch. Cook for a few minutes untill roasted and fragrant. Once done remove from the heat and transfer to a heat-proof bowl immediately as it can burn easily.
Melt the butter in a small pot on the stove or the microwave. Add the melted butter to the cookie crumbs and almond meal and mix well.
Add the base mix to the lined tin and press down with the back of a spoon or a flat cup. You want to press firmly enough to hold the base together but not so frim your base is too hard and difficult to cut.
Chill the base in the fridge for a minimum of one hour and upto overnight before filling.
To make the cheesecake filling
Add the white chocolate for the filling to a microwave-proof bowl and heat in thirty-second bursts until it's smooth and melted, stirring between each blast once it starts to melt. Allow to cool but not set.
Add cream cheese to a mixer bowl and mix briefly to soften it. Slowly add the cooled melted white chocolate while mixing or in small batches, until all the white chocolate is mixed in.
Hot tip: It's easy for the white chocolate to form lumps. To minimise the chance of this happening try to ensure there is as little temperature difference as possible between the cooled chocolate and the room temperature cream cheese. Add the chocolate slowly to give it a chance to mix it.
If all else fails and you still have lumps in your filling try gently going over the mix with an immersion blender, taking care not to catch your mixing bowl.
Add the lemon juice, vanilla essence and almond essence and mix well.
In a separate bowl whip the cream until firm peaks form. Gently fold into the white chocolate and cream cheese mix.
Spoon onto the chilled base, taking care to press out all the air bubbles. Smooth the top with an offset spatula and chill in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
To decorate the cheesecake
Chop the lemon and white chocolate almonds. Remove the cheesecake from the tin. Use a large sharp knife inserted between the base and the parchment paper to loosen the base. Transfer to a serving board or plate. Smooth down the sides with a spatula.
Put the white chocolate and cream for decoration into a bowl and microwave in 30 second bursts until the chocolate starts to melt. Stir well to ensure it's smooth.
Pour into a small piping bag. Twist the top and cut a small hole in the tip. Drizzle the white chocolate back and forth over the cheesecake.
To make the drip edge, tut the piping tip at the edge of the cheesecake and lightly squeeze until a drip forms. Move the piping tip a small way along the top of the cheesecake and gently squeeze again to form another drip. Continue around the rest of the edge until you return to the start.
Sprinkle the chopped almonds in a circle around the edge. Grate some fresh lemon zest over the top and you're done!
How to serve
To serve this cream lemon, white chocolate and almond cheesecake slice and pop it onto a plate! For clean slices try gently warming your knife first and dry quickly before slicing.
How to store
In the fridge: in a covered container for up to five days.
In the freezer: undecorated and wrapped, with whole in individual slices, for up to a month for best taste and texture.
Tips for success and frequently asked questions
Can I make this nut free?
You sure can. Simply replace the almond meal in the base with the same amount of vanilla cookies, and skip the almond extract and decorative nuts on top. You could sprinke some crushed up cookies on top instead for extra crunch.
I can't find lemon white chocolate almonds. What can I use instead?
Try looking for Lemoncello almonds. They are a brighter yellow colour but will do the trick. Alternatively use blanched or roasted almonds and add a little extra lemon zest.
My cheesecake filling has lumpy bits of white chocolate in it, help!
This is a super common problem with white chocolate cheesecake (and interestingly enough doesn't happen as much with milk chocolate).
First try to minimise the temperature difference between the cream cheese and the white chocolate. You want both to be as close to room temperature as possible, without the white chocolate setting.
If you have already mixed the two try blending it with a stick or immersion blender until it's as smooth as possible (mind your mixing bowl if it's in a stand mixer), then fold in the rest of the ingredients and whipped cream.
Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on instagram so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream
More yummy dessert recipe inspiration!
Why not try making
- No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
- Caramalized White Chocolate Caramilk Cheesecake
- Toblerone Cheesecake
- Black Forrest Cheesecake
- Ferrero Rocher Cheesecake
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📋 Recipe
Lemon and white chocolate cheesecake
Equipment
- Spring form cake tin, 7" x 2.5" (18cm x 6.5cm)
- Electric hand beaters or stand mixer
- food processor
Ingredients
For the cheesecake base
- 1 & ⅓ cups (150gms) vanilla cookies
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (100gms) almond meal
- 1 stick (½ cup/ 115gms) unsalted butter
For the cheesecake filling
- 2 cups (10.5 oz/300gms) white chocolate melts
- 2 x 8 ounce tubs (450gms total) full fat cream cheese
- ¼ teaspoon almond essence
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup (250mls) thickened cream
For the white chocolate, lemon and almond topping
- ¼ cup (60gms) white chocolate melts
- 1 tablespoon cream
- ¼ cup lemon white chocolate almonds
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
Instructions
To make the cheesecake base
- Line the tin with parchment paper.
- Break the cookies into smaller pieces and blitz briefly in a food processor into crumbs.
- Add the almond meal to the cookie crumbs and mix well.
- Melt the butter by adding to a microwave proof bowl and microwaving for a minute or two, or in a pot on the stove.
- Pour the butter into the cookie crumbs and mix until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
- Pour into lined tin and press down to form the base.
- Chill in fridge for at least one hour and up to overnight.
To make the cheesecake filling
- NB Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature.
- Melt the white chocolate for the filling in the microwave in thirty second bursts until melted. Allow to cool.
- Beat the room temperature cream cheese briefly to soften it.
- Slowly add the cooled melted white chocolate to the cream cheese while mixing or mix well between each addtion.
- Add the lemon juice, vanilla and almond extract to the room temperature cream cheese and beat on low until well combined.
- Whip the cream in a seperate bowl until firm peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix until well combined.
- Tip the cheesecake filling onto the prepared base and smooth down.
- Chill in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
To decorate the cheesecake
- Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and carefully peel the parchment paper. Smooth the sides of the cheesecake with a spatula.
- Chop the lemon white chocolate almonds roughtly.
- Add the white chocolate and cream for the drizzle to a small microwave proof bowl.
- Heat in the microwave in 30 second bursts until smooth and melted, stirring well between each burst.
- Add the white chocolate ganache to a piping bag and drizzle over the cheesecake.
- To make the drip, hold your piping bag at the edge of the cake and give it a gentle squeeze until a drip starts. Move slowly along the edge, pausing to squeeze again every so often to make more drips. Keep going until you've gone all the way around the cake.
- Sprinkle the chopped almonds in a circle around the edge of the cake. Add lemon zest to the centre and you're done!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.
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