Lemon Raspberry Cheese Pie
The combination of graham cracker, silky cheesecake, tangy lemon curd and fresh raspberries is hard to beat—this cheese pie has it all.
The summer months are some of my favorite for baking. We are surrounded by so many powerful and fresh flavors, like lemon and raspberry. When I first recipe tested this pie I didn’t use fresh raspberries, but I quickly realized they make this dessert exceptional. Something about the fresh tang of berries paired with a punchy lemon curd is a little bite of heaven. Let’s dive into what makes this cheese pie special.
What Makes This Cheese Pie Special?
The base for this cheese pie was passed down from my grandmother, Winnie. I am not exactly sure of its origin, but it’s been enjoyed by my father’s family for many years (consisting of eight brothers and sisters). The best part about this dessert is it’s simple, yet so delicious. It is a gem of a recipe that I have taken and adapted in several ways. Each time I adapt the recipe and create something new, I like to think my Grandma is smiling down on me and proud of me.
Here are a few other variations:
Cheese Pie with Grapefruit Curd
I am also currently working on a Pumpkin Cheese Pie (different than the one listed above) that should be up on the blog soon.
This particular recipe—Lemon Raspberry Cheese Pie—has a graham cracker crust that is mixed with a little butter, and then pressed into a standard pie tin. It has a filling made of cream cheese, sugar, eggs vanilla and lemon zest, which are all whisked together, poured into the pie crust and baked for about 40 minutes. There is nothing particularly profound about the ingredients, but the combination of them, and how they are prepared, makes for a very special and nostalgic treat. The pie is topped with a lemon forward curd and fresh berries. The hardest part of making this dessert is waiting for the pie to set in the fridge before enjoying.
Tips For Cheese Pie
1.) Make sure the cream cheese is room temperature. This will allow for a perfectly silky and creamy filling. If the cream cheese isn’t properly brought to room temperature, the filling will be lumpy.
2.) Use a food processor for the graham cracker crust. While you certainly can use a plastic bag and rolling pin to crush the graham crackers, a food processor makes this step easy and simple.
3.) Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the curd. By using a fine mesh sieve, any bits of cooked egg or remnants of zest will be removed from the curd, making it the perfect texture and consistency. I highly recommend having a set of fine mesh sieves like these. Once the curd has been strained, simply lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the curd and then store in the fridge.
4.) Choose quality raspberries. Raspberries that are colorful, plump and sweet, will make for the best pairing with lemon curd.
5.) Allow the cheese pie to fully chill before enjoying. Don’t rush this step. This takes at least 5 hours, but ideally overnight. The lemon curd can be placed on the pie right before serving, or added to the pie once it has properly cooled. If adding the lemon curd prior to serving, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the pie to keep the curd fresh and place back into the fridge.
Final Tip
For an alternate variation to this recipe, I have swirled raspberry jam into the cream cheese layer before baking. To do this, simply pour half the cream cheese filling into the pie crust, place several teaspoons of raspberry jam over the filling, and then top with the remaining cream cheese. Bake as usual, topping with lemon curd and fresh raspberries.
Lemon Raspberry Cheese Pie
Ingredients
- 1 sleeve graham cracker
- 1/4 cup butter
- 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated (optional)
- 1 large egg
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 small lemon
- 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Instructions
- To make the crust, cut butter into chunks and using a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and set aside to cool.
- Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until they are the texture of fine crumbs, resembling sand.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and graham cracker crumbs until fully incorporated. Press crust mixture into a 9" pie tin, making sure to evenly distribute the crust, bringing it up the sides of the tin. The crust should be firmly pushed into place. Set aside.
- To make the pie filling, preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- In a mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-low speed for about 1 minute, until nice and smooth. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat on medium-low for another 1-2 minutes.
- Pour filling into prepared crust and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center has risen and the cheese pie is firm—little to no jiggle. Take pie out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Let cool and then place in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours before adding the lemon curd.
- Using a double boiler, whisk together the whole egg, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and zest. Cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring constantly, until the ingredients have thickened.
- Once thickened, remove from heat, and press through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, leaving behind the remnants of lemon zest and any egg that may have cooked. Immediately stir in the softened butter.
- Cover with a piece of plastic wrap, pressed directly on the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 1 hour before adding to the top of the pie.
Notes
For a thicker crust, the graham cracker and butter can be doubled.
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