Seriously creamy Lemon Cheesecake is a great summer-time dessert and totally NO BAKE!
In a large bowl, combine the shortbread cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Pour into a prepared 8 in pie dish and firmly press to the edges to form a pie crust.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy.
Add in the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon extract, and salt and beat until everything is combined. (If you are adding food color, add it here.)
Gently fold in the whipped topping.
Pour filling mixture into prepared pie crust.
Refrigerate for 2 - 6 hours. Top with remaining whipped topping, remaining, shortbread crumbs, and lemon.
The lemon extract in this recipe really adds a depth of lemon flavor that is essential in a cream pie. If you don't have immediate access to lemon extract you can substitute additional fresh lemon juice.
Here is a simple equivalency:
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice = 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
This recipe uses 1 teaspoon of lemon extract, so you will need 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. If you opt for the fresh lemon juice, I do recommend adding about 1/2 tsp. of lemon zest to the shortbread crust to maximize the lemon flavor.