This lemon goat cheese cheesecake is baked on a buttery rosemary graham cracker crust and drizzled with rosemary caramel sauce. Each bite is full of delicious flavors and melts right in your mouth.
Ingredients and notes:
- The cheesecake batter for this recipe is adapted from Whole Foods and it is wonderful. The goat cheese adds its signature tang and lemon juice and zest add a mild citrus flavor that goes perfectly with the rosemary crust.
- Please don't use any cream cheese products labeled as low-fat or reduced-fat. Those have a higher moisture content than full-fat cream cheese and that will interfere with the baking process.
For the cheesecake:
For the rosemary caramel sauce:
How to make the cheesecake:
See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt butter in a small saucepan, then stir in finely chopped fresh rosemary. Set the pan aside to let the rosemary infuse the butter.
- Whisk together crushed graham crackers and sugar. Using a large fork, mix in the melted rosemary butter.
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then take it out and set aside.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. for the cheesecake filling. Grab a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer. Add cream cheese, goat cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract.
- Whip the mix until well combined, then whip in sugar followed by eggs. Fill the batter into the pan and bake until set (50 to 60 minutes). Let the cake cool to room temperature in the pan. Cover and refrigerate the cake for at least 6 hours or overnight.
How to make the caramel sauce:
See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Add heavy cream and rosemary to a saucepan. Heat to a low simmer, then turn the heat off, cover and let steep for 10 minutes. Press on the sprig of rosemary with the back of a small spoon to release as much rosemary flavor as possible into the cream. Take the rosemary out and discard. Transfer the cream to a container with a spout (such as a liquid measuring cup). Set aside.
- Grab a clean, heavy-bottom saucepan and add cold water to it. Carefully add sugar into the middle. (Make sure not to get any sugar onto the sides of the pan).
- Turn on the heat and let the mix boil until it turns a deep amber color. During that time, don't touch or stir or do anything with the saucepan other than watch it.
- Once you have a deep amber color, remove the saucepan from the heat. Very carefully whisk in the rosemary-infused cream. Let the caramel sauce cool. Transfer the sauce into a glass jar or another airtight container and store in the fridge.
Recipe and equipment notes & tips:
- Be sure to use a heavy-bottom saucepan to make the caramel. If you use a thin pan, your caramel will likely burn.
- Make sure the saucepan you use to boil the sugar for the caramel sauce is completely clean. That helps to keep the sugar from crystallizing.
- Leave the saucepan completely alone while the sugar and the water are boiling. Don't stir, swirl or get anything in contact with the boiling sugar mix. That too helps to keep the sugar from crystallizing.
How to serve it:
Lightly warm up the rosemary caramel sauce and drizzle on the cold cheesecake slices.
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how you liked it in the comments below! Thank you!
Full Printable Recipe
Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Rosemary Caramel
This delicious lemon goat cheese cheesecake has a rosemary graham cracker crust and is drizzled with a homemade rosemary caramel sauce.
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Equipment:
- measuring cups and spoons
- 9-inch springform pan
- knife and cutting board
- mixing bowls
- fork
- baking sheet
- standing mixer or handheld mixer
- lemon juicer
- lemon zester
- small saucepan with lid
- liquid measuring cup
- heavy-bottom saucepan
- metal whisk (the hot caramel requires a metal whisk; don't use silicone)
- rubber spatula
- glass jar
Ingredients:
For the graham cracker crust:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (for greasing the pan)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (for the crust)
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 ⅓ cup crushed graham crackers (you need 9 sheets (which is one sleeve) for that)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the cheesecake:
- 16 ounces full-fat block cream cheese,* at room temperature
- 12 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
For the rosemary caramel sauce (makes about 1 ¼ cup):
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 long sprigs of fresh rosemary
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions:
For the graham cracker crust:
- Grease a 9-inch springform pan by rubbing its bottom and sides with butter.1 tablespoon unsalted butter (for greasing the pan)
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the rosemary. Set aside.4 tablespoons unsalted butter (for the crust), 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- Whisk crushed graham crackers and sugar together in a bowl.1 ⅓ cup crushed graham crackers (you need 9 sheets (which is one sleeve) for that), 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Pour the melted butter into the bowl and mix with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Press the crust into the bottom of the pan.
- Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is firm, about 10 minutes.
- Take the pan out of the oven.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. for the cheesecake filling. PLEASE DON'T FORGET THIS STEP!
For the cheesecake:
- Add cream cheese, goat cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Whip until combined.16 ounces full-fat block cream cheese,* at room temperature, 12 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Whip in the sugar.1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Whip in the eggs, one at a time, and continue to whip until the mix is very smooth.4 large eggs
- Pour the batter onto the crust. Bake until the edges of the cheesecake are completely set and the center is only a tiny bit jiggly (50 to 60 minutes).
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight, then unmold.
For the rosemary caramel sauce:
- Add the cream and the rosemary sprigs to a saucepan.¾ cup heavy cream, 2 long sprigs of fresh rosemary
- Heat the cream until it starts to simmer, then turn the heat off. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Press on the sprig of rosemary with the back of a small spoon to release as much rosemary flavor as possible into the cream. Take the rosemary out of the cream and discard.
- Transfer the cream to a container you can pour from, such as a liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
- Add the water to a very clean, heavy-bottom saucepan.½ cup water
- Add the sugar in a mound into the middle of the saucepan. Be careful not to have any sugar on the sides of the pan.1 cup granulated sugar
- On high heat and without any stirring or touching of any sort, let the sugar/water mix come to a full boil. Be careful, the mix will get very, very hot. Do not touch the pot or the caramel under any circumstances.
- Keep boiling the mix on high heat (still without any stirring) until it starts to turn golden brown.
- Turn the heat down to medium and continue to boil until the mix reaches a deep amber color.
- Turn the heat off.
- Standing back, very slowly whisk the cream into the mix. The sauce will bubble violently and is still very hot, so be careful.
- Let the sauce cool until you can handle it easily, then fill it into a glass jar and store in the fridge.
- To serve, lightly warm up the caramel sauce over a pot of hot water or in the microwave. Drizzle the sauce over the cold cheesecake slices.
Notes:
*Don’t use any cream cheese products labeled as low-fat or reduced-fat. Those have a higher moisture content than full-fat cream cheese and that will interfere with the baking process.
Frequently asked questions:
Can I freeze the cheesecake?
Yes, this cheesecake freezes very well. Simply transfer it into a freezer bag, seal and put in the freezer. To thaw, let the cake sit on the kitchen counter for about 2 hours.
Can I make this recipe without the rosemary?
Absolutely, it will still taste delicious. Just leave out the rosemary and leave everything else the same. You can top the cake with this delicious seedless blackberry sauce for cheesecake instead!
Can I use an herb other than rosemary to flavor the cake?
Yes! Another delicious way to make this goat cheese cheesecake is by infusing it with lavender instead of rosemary. Here's how to do that:
• Add 4 teaspoons very finely chopped dried culinary lavender to the graham cracker crust.
• For the caramel sauce, add 2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender to the cream. Follow the recipe to infuse the cream, then strain out the lavender.
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Jody Zanton says
Can this recipe be converted to individual cheesecakes?
Nicole B. says
Hi Jody, Yes, you can make individual cheesecakes with this recipe. The full recipe will make 32 individual cheesecakes baked in standard-sized muffin pans (capacity of 1/4 to 1/3 cup per cavity) with cupcake liners. If you want fewer than 32, you can cut the recipe in half or even quarter it.
Karen D says
Nicole this recipe looks delicious but I don’t like rosemary. Do you think cardamom pods would be a tasty substitution?
Nicole B. says
Hi Karen, I have not tried cardamom in this recipe but I think it's a terrific idea! :)
Lori says
Rosemary caramel sounds outstanding! Even with as much as I use herbs with sweets, it's definitely one I hadn't thought of. Beautiful photos as well!
Nicole B. says
Thank you, Lori! The rosemary caramel is really good and I've been thinking about how else I can use it. I'm sure there will be more recipes with it here...