Sweet, smooth no bake cheesecake and buttery graham cracker crumbs topped with delicious, tart lemon curd. Nuff said.

Ingredients: Lemon Curd Filling

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2/3 cups lemon juice
• 4 large eggs (room temperature); you will use two eggs whole and two yolks
• 6 Tbsp (3 ounces) unsalted butter

Ingredients: Cheesecake Cups

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened

A Note on Lemons

Various sizes and types of lemons will yield different amounts of zest and juice. Having made this recipe many times, I find that I use 2 large or 4 medium lemons to yield about 1/3 c lemon juice – so I buy ready-made lemon juice to make up the difference. I have also found that Meyer lemons yield more zest…so I only need the zest of 1 Meyer lemon to obtain 1 tsp of zest, whereas when I use other lemons, I need two to get enough zest! So…my advice would be to always have an extra lemon or two on hand when planning on making lemon curd!

Tools and Timing

• Heatproof whisk
• Large spatula
• Electric beaters
• Medium pan, preferably with high sides (I use a 2 quart sauce pan)
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Prep bowls (2 large and 2 small; one microwave safe)
• Cooling rack
• Large glass bowl for cooling (see notes in step 10 below)
• Plastic wrap
• Mason jars
• Prep, cook, cooling, and assemble time: about 3 1/2 hours total
• These last up to 3 days in the fridge (helpful because you can easily make these in advance!)

Background

I really love the “Perfect Lemon Curd” recipe from Homemade & Yummy; however, I wanted something a little thicker to use as a cupcake filling. With some experimentation (which involved a shift of ingredients and some changes in the cooking process), and a few additional tips and tweaks, I created my own lemon curd recipe…and I knew I needed to use it in a variety of ways!

These No Bake Lemon Curd Cheesecake Jars are so fun and SO YUM! Enjoy!

Step-by-step

Prep:

1. Let eggs and butter come to room temperature (get them out of the fridge about an hour before you begin)
2. Zest the lemon(s) for 1 tsp of lemon zest – keep in mind that various lemons will yield different amounts of zest…that’s why you should have 2 lemons handy for this recipe!
3. Squeeze the lemons – I find that 2 large lemons yield about 1/3 c of juice; measure out remaining juice to make a total of 2/3 cup
4. Separate two yolks; place them in a bowl with the cracked whole eggs
5. Carefully whisk together corn starch and sugar (you don’t want a cloud of corn starch in the air)

When you’re ready to cook:

1. Using electric beaters, cream (whisk) the butter until it is blended and smooth on medium low – this takes about 15 seconds
2. Add ½ sugar/corn starch mixture and beat on medium low; then, once the sugar/corn starch is mostly blended, add the rest. *Mixture will begin to look fluffier as it blends, but will not be completely blended (incorporated) due to the corn starch
3. Keep the beaters on medium low and begin to add eggs, one yolk at a time. Beat until each yolk is incorporated; once all eggs are added, beat for an additional 1-2 minutes on medium low.
4. Slowly whisk in lemon juice, a little bit at a time (I add about 1-2 Tbsps at a time), blending after each addition. PS: don’t worry if the mixture looks a bit lumpy! Because of the acid in the lemons, the mixture may separate slightly – it will smooth back together once we start cooking
5. Transfer to medium pan
6. Turn heat to low and begin to whisk. Whisk slowly and continually until mixture is smooth (about  2 minutes and 45 seconds).
7. Once mixture looks like it coming together again, increase heat to medium and cook, whisking slowly and continually, until mixture just begins to boil (about 4 – 5 minutes).
8. Return heat to low and cook an additional 2 minutes to encourage mixture to thicken; continue to whisk slowly and evenly!
9. Remove from heat and whisk in zest.
10. Using a spatula, transfer into a glass bowl or pan – choose a pan that wide so your mixture is about an inch thick once you transfer it (my bowl is 7 in in diameter with straight sides (so the bottom has the same width as the top).
11. Immediately cover with plastic wrap PLACING PLASTIC DIRECTLY on the surface of the Lemon Curd Filling (lightly lay wrap on top of bowl – working in sections, gently lift wrap, ease it down onto the curd, and then move to the next section)
12. Place bowl onto a cooling rack to encourage air flow underneath
13. When curd filling is cool (check by placing your hand on the bottom of the bowl – it should be cool – this takes at least an hour), put in fridge
14. Let curd cool in fridge for at least 30 minutes. *Sometimes I make my curd a day or two in advance, then build my no bake cheesecake jars.

When you’re ready to assemble your jars:

*Set your cream cheese out about 30 minutes in advance to come to room temperature; if you’re doing this all in one day, set cream cheese out when you put your curd in the fridge

15. Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl.
16. In a medium prep bowl, mix one cup of graham cracker crumbs with melted butter.
17. Spoon ‘crust’ base into your mason jars (you can use 9 small or 4 medium jars – see pics).
18. In another prep bowl, beat 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk into 8 ounces of cream cheese to make your cheesecake filling.
19. Spoon cheesecake filling into jars.
20. Top with your lemon curd filling.
21. *If using large jars, repeat the layering process.
22. Cover with lids and place in fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.

Serve and Enjoy

Tips, Tricks, and Tweaks

These are really fun to make if you need to bring a dessert option somewhere because they travel easily!

Check out my other fun and delicious recipes using this lemon curd: No Bake Lemon Curd Tarts and Lemon Cupcake Jars.