Egg-Free Lemon Curd Cheesecake

Around Easter last year, I shared a recipe for Egg-Free Lemon Curd Cheesecake. Since then, I have improved the recipe and would like to give an updated version. This is a great recipe to have on hand for spring and summer or right now in the middle of January when we sometimes wish it was already spring.
Egg-Free Lemon Curd Cheesecake features a soft graham cracker crust, sweet lemon filling, and is topped off with a tangy, curd. It’s a rather involved recipe, so I would recommend reading through it before starting so you know what you’re getting into. Enjoy!
Notes on Ingredients
Be sure to read the ingredients on the white chocolate. True white chocolate should contain cocoa butter and no artificial flavors. Trader Joe’s has some that fit these criteria, but are only offered seasonally. The ones I really prefer are from Artisan Kettle. They use organic, fair trade ingredients and are soy, nut, gluten, and GMO free! Guittard is another reputable brand that uses RSPO certified palm oil.
In the lemon curd, I also mention arrowroot starch. If you don’t have it, corn starch will work as a substitute.
Tips for a Successful Egg-Free Lemon Curd Cheesecake
Make sure you put together the spring form pan correctly. Otherwise, oil from the crust will leak into the oven causing a huge mess. I’ve learned this the hard way. Three times to be exact.
Line a baking sheet with foil and put the spring form pan on it while baking. This will prevent any major mess in the event that some leakage does occur.
Again, whatever you do, do not open the oven until it is time to take it out. I know it’s tempting, but this is crucial to cheesecake success! This is also where it becomes imperative that the pan is put together correctly and a baking sheet is below the pan. If you have to open the oven to clean up burned butter as the house fills with haze, the cheesecake will surely cave in the middle. (Yes, I also learned this the hard way.)
If the cake does cave in, the curd will fill the space. To make the edges more appealing, you can make a little buttercream frosting and pipe a boarder around the cake. No one will know that it’s caved in and you get frosting too!
Don’t cover the cheesecake in the fridge until it is totally cool to prevent condensation from collecting on top. If this does happen, dab it off with a paper towel.
The lemon curd is naturally an cream color, so if you want it to be yellow, simply add a drop or two of yellow food coloring or turmeric.






Other Egg-Free Cheesecakes to Try
- Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake
- Chocolate Drizzled Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake
- Coffee Glazed Mocha Cheesecake
- Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
- Gluten-Free Medjool Cheesecake
Eggless Lemon Curd Cheesecake
Equipment
- 8 inch springform pan
- Food processor
- Double boiler
- Stand mixer
Ingredients
Crust
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
Filling
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil melted
- 16 oz Organic Valley Neufchatel cheese room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp raw, local honey
- 2 tsp pure lemon extract
- ¼ tsp Celtic sea salt
- Zest of one lemon
Lemon Curd
- ½ cup Organic Valley heavy cream
- ⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup water
- ⅛ tsp Celtic sea salt
- 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch
Instructions
Crust
- Line the bottom of an 8 inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides with melted butter.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Then press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside.
Filling
- Add approximately an inch of water to the bottom of a double boiler and melt one cup of dark chocolate chips on medium-low heat. Stir every few minutes and be sure not to get any water or steam in the chocolate.
- When the chocolate is smooth, remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Preheat oven to 325°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the Neufchatel cheese, chocolate mixture, sugar, honey, cocoa, vanilla, and sea salt.
- Turn the mixer to low and mix until all the ingredients are smooth and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl every so often to make sure all the ingredients are being incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the filling to the springform pan and use a small offset spatula to smooth it out evenly in the pan.
- Place the springform pan on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Do not open the oven at all during this time!
- Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest in the oven for another 30 minutes. Do not open the oven until it is time to take the cheesecake out.
- Remove cheesecake from oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before refrigerating for at least 3 hours.
Looks great, Rachel!
Thank you so much!!
Looks delicious!! 💕 💕
Thank you!!😊
My favorite flavor is lemon and my favorite dessert is cheesecake. I definitely will be saving this so I can make it and I’m sure it will be my favorite!
Thanks for stopping by! I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I’m not a very talented baker but even if it is a huge flop, I’ll write a post about it and tag you in it 😆
I’m sure it’ll be great! 😊
This looks mega tasty, I can feel the tang on my tongue already.
Thank you!!😊