This White Chocolate Limoncello Cheesecake made with a pecan, graham cracker crust is super creamy, rich and delicious!
I'm not a huge cheesecake fan. In fact I'd rather have a fruit dessert like apple pie, carrot cake or something chocolate. However, during my stint as an Assistant Food Service Director for a corporate dining facility, I was fortunate to meet Tracey, who was our Pastry Chef.
I swear I must have gained 10 pounds during that 3 ½ year time period of my life just by eating her desserts! Anyway, she shared her recipe for Bailey's Irish Cream Cheesecake because it was my favorite.
Funny how I've had this recipe since the early 1990's and this week was the first time I pulled it out and actually made something with it. I changed around a few ingredients to make this cheesecake, but the basic recipe is pretty standard.
In fact, I also tried this with Kahlua last week, but my pan was larger than her recipe called for or I wrote the measurements down wrong (probably the latter! lol) and it was too thin. It still tasted amazing, but I couldn't photograph it the way it was so I just cut them up into bar shapes and ate them that way.
I guess this is why I don't bake much. I'm a "one trick pony" and don't like to do things over and over again. Get it right the first time! But with baking, you can't tell how it's going to come out until it's done and then it's too late.
What is Limoncello?
Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur produced in Southern Italy. Making homemade Limoncello is easy, but you have to be patient because it needs some time to ferment. The end product is smooth, delicious and even better when you keep it in the freezer!
Several years ago we visited Sorrento and had the opportunity to try their homemade Limoncello and Limoncello Crema. We couldn't get over the size of the lemons and I'm sure that has to do with the final taste!
How do you make Limoncello Cheesecake?
For this recipe you'll need separate ingredients for the crust and filling. To make the crust you'll need graham crackers, pecans, granulated sugar and butter.
The filling consists of cream cheese, granulated sugar, eggs, Limoncello, vanilla extract, lemon zest and white chocolate.
First we'll make the crust by pulsing the graham crackers, pecans and sugar in a food processor until they are chopped fine.
Gradually add some melted butter; then pulse until crumbly. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch round spring form pan using approximately 1 teaspoon of butter.
Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan and come up about ½-inch on the sides. Bake at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes; then remove from the oven and set aside until your filling is ready.
Now it's time to make the filling. Start by adding the cream cheese and sugar to a bowl; then cream together with a handheld mixer.
Next, add the eggs, Limoncello and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Fold in the white chocolate pieces and the lemon zest with a spoon; then pour the filling into the prepared crust.
Place the pan on top of a sheet pan and add 2 cups of water to the bottom; creating a water bath. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for approximately 1 hour or until the edges puff up and the center is set.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until the cheesecake has fully cooled then cut into 12 slices.
What other recipes can you make with Limoncello?
Over the years I've made several recipes using limoncello as it has such a light, lemony flavor. Some of our favorites include Linguine with Limoncello Asiago Cream Sauce, No Bake Limoncello Pie and Limoncello Strawberries with Fresh Basil.
I just love the flavor that lemon zest and Limoncello brought to this cheesecake and the white chocolate gives this a really rich, creamy flavor. ~Enjoy!
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Limoncello Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 16 graham crackers squares
- ½ cup pecans
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 ounces salted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon salted butter
For the Filling
- 2 pounds cream cheese (32 ounces)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup Limoncello
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pulse the graham crackers, pecans and sugar in a food processor until they are chopped fine. Gradually add the melted butter; then pulse until crumbly.
- Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch round spring form pan using butter.
- Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan and come up about ½-inch on the sides.
- Bake for 5 minutes; then remove from the oven and set aside until your filling is ready.
For the Filling
- Start by adding the cream cheese and sugar to a bowl; then cream together with a handheld mixer.
- Next, add the eggs, Limoncello and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Fold in the white chocolate pieces and the lemon zest with a spoon; then pour the filling into the prepared crust.
- Place the pan on top of a sheet pan and add 2 cups of water to the bottom; creating a water bath.
- Bake for approximately 1 hour or until the edges puff up and the center is set. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until the cheesecake has fully cooled then cut into 12 slices.
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*Originally shared September 2011/Updated May 2021
Leslye Janes says
If you got into the lemon pith when zesting, it may have caused bitterness.
Rhonda K Adams says
I made this for Christmas. It had a slightly bitter aftertaste I was not happy with. Any clues why?
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Without knowing exactly, it could have been the specific brands you used in the recipe.