1. The Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Ground Graham Crackers
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Stick of Butter, melted
  • 16 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1 Pint Sour Cream
  • 1 Lemon, Zested
  • Dash Vanilla Extract
  • 9-inch Springform Pan
  • Roasting pan, big enough to fit the springform pan

Warning: this will take time to set after baking, so I recommend either baking early in the morning or a day ahead of whenever you're planning to enjoy.

ingredients
crust

2. Make Your Crust

  • Crush up your crackers into a fine dust(stress relieving!)
  • Melt your butter
  • In your bowl of graham cracker dust, mix in the butter and the cinnamon until they are evenly incorporated
  • Press the sticky delicious clump evenly across the bottom of your pan
  • Place your pan into the fridge so the crust will harden

2. Make Your Crust

  • Crush up your crackers into a fine dust(stress relieving!)
  • Melt your butter
  • In your bowl of graham cracker dust, mix in the butter and the cinnamon until they are evenly incorporated
  • Press the sticky delicious clump evenly across the bottom of your pan
  • Place your pan into the fridge so the crust will harden
crust

3. Yummy Creamy Yummmm

  • Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F(Convection setting is not recommended here!)
  • Beat the cheese until it is smooth and creamy
  • Add in one egg at a time, waiting for each to be fully incorporated
  • Same as with the eggs, add in the sugar little by little (you don't want clumped sugar balls!)
  • Add in your lemon zest and vanilla, just until mixed in
filling

3. Yummy Creamy Yummmm

  • Beat the cheese until it is smooth and creamy
  • Add in one egg at a time, waiting for each to be fully incorporated
  • Same as with the eggs, add in the sugar little by little (you don't want clumped sugar balls!)
  • Add in your lemon zest and vanilla, just until mixed in
filling
pouring batter in

4. Bake it!

  • Pull your pan out the fridge and wrap the bottom and sides with foil
  • Get a pot of water to boil
  • Pour that delicious filling onto the crust(resist the unbearable urge to dip your finger!)
  • Pop the pan into the larger roasting pan you got
  • Fill up the roasting pan with the boiling hot water(this is what the fancy will call a Bain-marie
  • Plop this bad boy into the oven for approximately 40 mins - You want it to be jiggly(read: NOT watery) and slightly firm around the edges.
  • Pull it out the water bath and leave it to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes - then pop it in the fridge. In about 4-6 hours it should be beautifully set!

4. Bake it!

  • Pull your pan out the fridge and wrap the bottom and sides with foil
  • Get a pot of water to boil
  • Pour that delicious filling onto the crust(resist the unbearable urge to dip your finger!)
  • Pop the pan into the larger roasting pan you got
  • Fill up the roasting pan with the boiling hot water(this is what the fancy will call a Bain-marie
  • Plop this bad boy into the oven for approximately 40 mins - You want it to be jiggly(read: NOT watery) and slightly firm around the edges.
  • Pull it out the water bath and leave it to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes - then pop it in the fridge. In about 4-6 hours it should be beautifully set!
pouring in