Lemon Oreo Cheesecake

Enjoy the heavenly bliss of a cheesecake fused with the refreshing tartness of lemon in this Lemon Oreo Cheesecake. Lemony, but not so much to make you pucker, this cheesecake is simply decadent.

Perfect for any celebration like Mother’s Day or a birthday…or because it’s Monday…this cheesecake is always a hit. The crust is made using Lemon Oreo Cookies, which can also be used to decorate on or around the cheesecake. Cookies are also in the cheesecake for an added texture to the smooth creaminess of cream cheese.

A cut piece of cheesecake w/cake in background.

A few things before you start

Begin by wrapping the bottom of your spring-form pan with heavy foil. The foil is for keeping the pan waterproof from the “bath” you’ll be setting the cheesecake in later for baking. You don’t need this for the crust, but the crust gets baked first, which means the pan will be too hot for you to handle afterwards. Safety first.

Also, move your oven rack to the lower third position, then preheat your oven to 350°.

Top view of Lemon Oreo Cheesecake.

Making the Lemon Oreo Cheesecake crust

Using a food processor or blender, make 20 of those Oreos into fine crumbs and mix with melted butter.

Spray the inside of a spring-form pan with non-stick spray, then press the mixture in an even layer on the bottom and bake for about 10 minutes.

As the crust cools you can begin making the filling.

Close up of decorated cheesecake.

Making the cheesecake filling

With an electric mixer, thoroughly mix together your cream cheese and sugar. Add in the sour cream, lemon extract, and the rind from a fresh beautiful lemon.

Then add in the eggs, one at a time, and lastly, fold in the remaining crumbled or chopped Lemon Oreos.

If you think you might want to decorate with some of these crumbled Oreos, now would be the time to set some aside. Truth be told, I can’t make it through one of these cheesecakes without downing a few of the cookies.

A girl has to keep her energy up, right?

Last step for the filling, pour it on top of the cooling crust and it’s ready for the oven.

One note, when mixing the filling, don’t over mix it. Over mixing it causes bubbles, which will make the cheesecake rise too quickly causing cracks on the surface.

Baking and bathing the cheesecake

So now you need a roasting pan that is larger than your spring-form pan. Place your spring-form pan inside the roasting pan and set them both in the oven.

With a pitcher of water, fill the roasting pan about half way up the side of the spring-form pan.

Remember the foil? That foil keeps the spring-form pan water-proof so that your cheesecake stays perfectly dry, yet the water in the “bath” allows your cheesecake to stay moist in the oven and it helps the filling to rise slowly and evenly, thereby preventing it from cracking.

When pouring the water into the roasting pan, make sure the water level does not go higher than the lowest part of the foil.

Bake for about an hour or until the center is almost set.

Reduce the cracking on your cheesecake

To help reduce the chances of your cheesecake cracking on top, don’t over mix and use the bath water method while it’s baking.

Also, once it’s done baking, turn the oven off and open the door part way leaving the cheesecake in the oven. This allows the cheesecake to cool off, but not too fast. I still get a crack now and then, but these tips definitely help.

Last step, finish cooling the cheesecake on the counter, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours so the cheesecake thoroughly sets up.

I prefer refrigerating it over night, but I don’t always have the time for that. Enjoy!

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5 from 6 votes

Lemon Oreo Cheesecake

A mildly tart lemon cheesecake using Lemon flavored Oreo cookies.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Refrigerator time4 hours
Total Time5 hours 35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheesecake, lemon, Oreo cookies
Servings: 14 people
Calories: 374kcal
Author: Sweet Ordeal

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 5 Tbsp. butter, melted
  • 20 Lemon Oreo cookies

For the filling:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 24 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon extract
  • rind from 1 lemon
  • 3 eggs
  • remaining Lemon Oreo cookies,* (approx. 18 unless you ate some) roughly chopped

Instructions

For the crust:

  • Move oven rack to lower third position. Preheat oven to 350°. Wrap bottom and sides of 9" spring-form pan with 1 sheet of heavy duty foil, making it leak-proof. Spray inside bottom of pan with cooking spray.
  • Using a blender or food processor, make 20 cookies into fine crumbs. Combine with melted butter and mix together. Spread evenly on bottom of pan. Press crumbs to make even layer. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool while you prepare filling.

For the filling:

  • In a large bowl, mix sugar with cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream, extract, and rind. Mix well. Add one egg at a time, scraping sides of bowl.
  • Fold in chopped Oreos. Pour filling over crust.
  • Place spring-form pan into larger roasting pan and place into the oven. Using a pitcher, fill the roasting pan with water until water level is approx. half way up the side of the spring-form pan.
  • Bake for 55 - 60 minutes or until the center is almost set. Turn the oven off and open the door part way for about 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to further cool to room temperature on wire rack.
  • Refrigerate cheesecake for at least 4 hours. Remove the sides of pan and decorate top with optional Cool Whip and additional cookie crumbles.
  • Serve chilled, refrigerate any left-overs. Enjoy!

Notes

*You can retain approx. 1/2 cup of chopped Oreos for top of cheesecake as decoration. This comes in handy in the off chance the top should split and you want to hide it under crumbled cookies. (wink wink)

Nutrition

Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 267mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 887IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetordeal or tag #sweetordeal!

This Lemon Oreo Cheesecake is delicious after a dinner of Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole and Lime Queso Salad. Then again, I could eat this cheesecake as a meal in itself.

Happy baking and have a blessed day.

Lemon Oreo CheesecakeLemon Oreo Cheesecake

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5 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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6 Comments

    1. Hi Judy, You are so right, and I couldn’t apologize more. Yes, 3 eggs, and I sure hope you liked it after all that. I’ve since fixed the recipe, and thank you so much for bringing that to my attention.

    1. Hi Cindy — Great question, and yes, use the whole Oreo cookie, filling and all. And just to clarify, these are the normal-sized Oreos. Actually, any time a recipe calls for Oreo cookies, you can assume they mean the whole cookie. Hope this helps.