Sweet Meyer lemons and creamy ricotta come together for this airy and zesty cheesecake filling! The gluten-free crust is made with Candied Walnuts for a nutty twist on the classic graham cracker crust.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Santé Candied Walnuts
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 2 (8 ounce) packages of full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 (15 ounce) containers whole milk ricotta
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• Zest of 3 Meyer lemons
• 3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease and set aside.
2. In a food processor, pulse together walnuts, flour, and sugar until nuts are ground and mixture is well combined. Pour in melted butter and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Evenly press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling. Reduce oven to 300°F.
3. Wipe the food processor bowl clean. Add cream cheese, ricotta, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Add eggs one at a time and pulse until just combined before adding subsequent eggs. Pour the batter into the cooled crust. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
5. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The center should still be a little jiggly and the edges should be fairly set. Turn the oven off, but keep the cheesecake inside for 1 additional hour to continue cooking as the oven cools. The oven door should be cracked open slightly. You can do this by inserting a wooden spoon between the oven and its door before closing.
6. Remove cheesecake from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 90 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 12 hours or overnight.
7. Once chilled, run a sharp knife along the edges before releasing the rim of the springform pan.
8. Decorate the top of the cheesecake with lemon slices and additional zest.
9. Slice and serve!