Oh, lemon raspberry cheesecake, how do I love thee? Let me enumerate the ways.
First, no more foil-wrapped, leaky springform pans. Second, wave goodbye to fault-line cracks on top. Third, the subtle flavor. This cheesecake isn’t overly sweet, so the lemon shines through, and the tart-y raspberries wink with just the right amount of sass. Fourth, ditch the graham crackers! This recipe calls for the darlings of airlines everywhere, Biscoff cookies.
But the BIG reason this is a keeper is the whole shebang is made in one pan. Just ONE pan–hence the title of the book this comes from: Jamie Oliver’s One. (Yes, there’s a food processor involved, but I’m ignoring that fact.)
Not a raspberry fan? No problem, truly. This cheesecake can handle blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, you name it.
Why Our Testers Loved This
Our testers loved this easy skillet cheesecake recipe for several reasons. They were delighted that it was fast to make and required very few dishes or ingredients. Natalie D. described it as “incredibly delicious, with a creamy texture and a crème brulee-like finish.“
Amelia R. joined in with her comment, “This dessert is a must-make. I don’t know if I want to make cheesecake another way!”
What You’ll Need to Make This
- Cookies–You can use Biscoff cookies or gingersnaps for the base. The flavor is different, and using gingersnaps will give you a stronger flavor.
- Vanilla–Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste can be used interchangeably in this recipe.
- Cream cheese–For best results, use full-fat cream cheese at room temperature. (Not all brands are equal. I used Philadelphia Brand, and the results were great. Not a plug, just a fact.)
- Raspberries–Lemon and raspberry pair beautifully, but if you can’t find fresh raspberries, you can substitute an equal amount of fresh blueberries.
How to Make This Recipe
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Blitz the cookies in a food processor until finely ground.
- Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the cookie crumbs and mix well, then pat them into an even layer on the bottom of the cooled skillet.
- Bake the crust until set. Remove from the oven.
- Blitz the eggs, vanilla, and most of the confectioners’ sugar in the food processor until pale.
- Add the cream cheese and lemon zest and juice and blend until smooth.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust.
- Gently spread the cream cheese mixture over the crust in an even layer.
- Mash half of the raspberries with 1 tablespoon of the sugar.
- Swirl the mashed raspberries through the cream cheese mixture.
- Bake the cheesecake for 15 minutes.
- Scatter the remaining raspberries over the cheesecake, then bake until just set. Turn the oven to broil and cook until the cheesecake is golden on top.
- Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Common Questions
This lemon raspberry cheesecake is outstanding on its own, but if you’d like to gild the lily, dollop some homemade lemon curd or sweetened whipped cream on top.
Yes. A 10, 11, or 12-inch skillet will all work for this recipe; however, you may need to adjust the baking time slightly. Note that the larger your pan size, the thinner your cheesecake will be.
The cheesecake should be set on the edges but still jiggle slightly in the center when cooked. If it appears wet, continue cooking for a few minutes more.
Using room temperature ingredients will help to prevent cracking in your cheesecake. Also, you want to avoid sudden changes in temperature, so don’t open the oven any more than necessary, and be certain to cool the cheesecake to room temperature before refrigerating.
Helpful Tips
- If you don’t want to make this in a skillet, you can use a springform pan.
- Use room-temperature ingredients for best results.
- If you find it difficult to remove the cheesecake from the skillet after refrigerating, try warming the skillet gently on the stovetop to help the crust release from the pan.
- The cheesecake will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge.
More Great Cheesecake Recipes
Write a Review
If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Biscoff or gingersnap cookies
- 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, divided, plus more for dusting
- 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon , (about 1/4 cup juice and 1 tablespoon zest)
- 10 ounces raspberries, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
- In a food processor, blitz the cookies until finely ground.
- Melt the butter in an 11-inch (28 cm) ovenproof skillet over low heat. Turn the heat off, tip the cookie crumbs into the skillet, and mix well. Then spread and pat out in an even layer, going slightly up the sides.
- Bake until the crust is no longer wet, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- Crack the eggs into the processor (there’s no need to clean it), add the vanilla and all but 1 tablespoon of the confectioners' sugar, and blitz until pale, about 2 minutes.
- Buzz in the cream cheese and lemon zest and juice, then pour evenly over the cookie base.
- Mash half the raspberries and the remaining tablespoon of confectioners' sugar with a fork, then swirl it through the top of the cream-cheese batter.
- Slide the skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the skillet, scatter the remaining raspberries over the top of the cheesecake, and dust with more confectioners' sugar.
- Bake the cheesecake until just set in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. Switch the oven to broil, and CAREFULLY broil until the top is golden in spots, 2 to 4 minutes more.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Use a different pan–If you don’t want to make this in a skillet, you can use a springform pan.
- Room temperature ingredients–Use room temperature ingredients for best results.
- Storage–The baked lemon cheesecake will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Tart, creamy, with a subtle crunch and burst of berry? Yes, please! This baked lemon cheesecake recipe has part of the look of a Basque cheesecake, as well (I love that blistered top!)
As a cheap person who goes through a cheap “blender system” once a year instead of paying for a nice food processor, I’m happy to see that a mortar and pestle worked out ok for the cookie base. This dish was quicker (and used fewer dishes) than I expected, and it tasted fantastic.
As an avid cheesecake lover, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try out this baked cheesecake recipe. As usual, I used the excuse of a dinner party at home to try it out. We were eight, which made me realize as long as we cut the slices not too large, 12 people can enjoy this tasty skillet cheesecake.
Timewise, I was also surprised that it was faster than the typical New York cheesecake.
I was amazed that I was able to find the Lotus Biscoff here in Portugal at one of our local supermarkets. As I didn’t have large eggs, I decided to use five medium eggs. For the cream cheese, I had to use the full fat, as in prior experiences, the low fat gives it an odd taste, at least to me.
Our lemons are huge, and I was worried it was going to be too much lemon juice as it filled a full cup, but the end result was amazing.
Ingredients that are usually in my pantry + not many steps + short baking time = lemon cheesecake? The only holdup was the chilling time, but that seems a small price.
While I thought I had gingersnaps, they turned out to be almond thins, and they gave a little nuttiness to the crust, which everyone felt was the best part of the cake. I thought I had raspberries, but I substituted frozen blueberries at the last moment. And this recipe didn’t mind—flexible!
The taste? Some might like it sweeter, but I found it enough. It was very creamy and smooth.
I love an easy dessert, and this skillet cheesecake recipe fits the bill. Plus everything gets made in the food processor.
I didn’t have an 11-inch skillet with deep sides, so I ended up using a 10-inch springform pan. I found I didn’t have enough crumbs to go up the sides to make a good base. After 5 minutes of baking the crust was just a little darker at the edges.
We loved the addition of the raspberries and the slight tang from the cream cheese and lemon juice. A quick warning about the broiler; it only takes a second for the top to go from golden to dark brown. Mine was on the darker side.
It is a thinner cake than I expected, but the taste more than made up for that. It isn’t overly sweet, and the raspberries added a welcome tartness against the richness of the cream cheese base. And all my tasters loved the taste of the cookie crumb base, a nice change from the graham crackers I usually use. One slice was just enough as it is rich.
In about an hour, we had a lovely dessert chilling in the fridge. I would make this again anytime
This rustic skillet cheesecake requires no fussy steps often associated with the dessert. There’s no water bath, no cooling with the oven propped open, and no crust shield. And even without all of that, it is still incredibly delicious, with a creamy texture and a crème brulée-like finish.
I used a strong, spicy gingersnap cookie for the base, and it complemented the lemon and raspberry surprisingly well. It probably won’t slice into perfectly triangular pieces, but it will be hard enough to resist just digging straight into the pan with a spoon!
Select a Tester
I love cheesecake. It’s one of my first true food memories. Eating a few slices of Junior’s cheesecake in Times Square with my family imprinted it as a celebratory dessert.
I’ve made all manner of cheesecakes: no-bake cheesecake, cheesecake bars, Japanese-style, etc. And this baked lemon cake is absolutely one of the most delicious. It’s lusciously creamy with a light and tangy flavor.
The unique cooking method makes it a showpiece for a dinner party, while the ease of preparation makes it an equally viable option for a weeknight dessert. Another appealing aspect is its make-ahead nature.
The crust and batter come together with ease. The filling, thanks to the long blending time in a food processor, is extra airy and smooth. Using the processor for both the crust and the filling make clean-up easy.
This dessert is a must-make. I don’t know if I want to make cheesecake another way!
This version of baked skillet cheesecake is a bit easier (and uses fewer bowls) than the usual recipes for cheesecake. It’s good to have a recipe that you can make if you don’t have a springform pan.
I didn’t have an 11-inch skillet, so I used a 12-inch skillet which made the cheesecake shallower than I’d have liked. It was still quite jiggly after the recommended baking time, which was surprising, so I put it back for a few more minutes before putting it under the broiler, and that was just right. The final blast under the broiler gave it a nice, golden top similar to a Basque cheesecake (my personal favorite).
The raspberries were a very nice addition, and I think any berry would work in this recipe. All in all, this is an easy and tasty cheesecake recipe you can make with little effort and minimal mess.
Well today I was going to make the spatchcock roasted chicken, after I cleaned my chicken, I set it up on the island to spatchcock it. My husband called me outside for a minute, came back to find my Belgian Malinois had stolen my chicken and was in the middle of devouring it, ahhhhh! One breast was all that was left. Soooo I made this with my lemons, didn’t have raspberries swapped in blueberries and Graham crackers. This was just delicious, easy and so bright. We had 50/50 bison/pork burgers with Swiss cheese and a mushroom tapenade. Thanks for saving the day with another wonderful recipe.
Wow, Bbqgoddess! That looks fantastic. Kudos to you for turning out a fabulous meal, despite losing your chicken.
I made 1/2 recipe, and under unrelated stress forgot to put the powdered sugar on top for the second baking. No worries, it was a huge success. I forgot to take pictures and can’t do it now, because my guests took home the leftovers. My neighbor told me her husband ate 1/2 the leftovers (2 slices) when they got home.
Wonderful, Elizabeth! Thank you so much for letting us know how it turned out.
I am making this tomorrow, because we are having dinner guests on Wednesday and I won’t have time on Tuesday. I’ve cut the recipe in half because I have a lovely 7.5″ springform pan that makes just the right amount of dessert for 4 people.
I’m wondering if you have any idea of the timing. The cheesecake should be about the same depth as an 11 inch pan, though it isn’t as thick as a skillet.
Suggestions are welcome. I’ll rate it when I’ve finished.
Elizabeth, we haven’t tried it in a smaller springform, so we can’t say if the timing would change. The timing should remain similar to the recipe, but start checking it a little early to be safe.