May 26th is National Blueberry Cheesecake day. It is also very close to Memorial Day, and I am excited for BBQ’s and picnics. With Summer just around the corner, I am craving lighter, cooler desserts and this No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake fits the bill!
I love a baked cheesecake. There is nothing quite like a Classic Cheesecake which is a labor of love, slowly baked in the oven. While the baked cheesecake is truly special, sometimes you need something quick and easy and foolproof. This No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake comes together quickly with simple ingredients, and it’s really difficult to mess it up.
How this no bake blueberry cheesecake came about.
Obviously, I couldn’t ignore National Blueberry Cheesecake day! When I developed this recipe I was looking for contrasts that all blended well together for balance. Blueberries are a naturally sweet fruit. I attempted to balance some of that sweetness by creating a cheesecake that is not too sweet, and has a hint of tartness with the addition of some sour cream, lemon zest and lemon juice. This dessert is a blend of sweet and the tart. In addition, there is the contrasting creamy of the cheesecake with the crisp of the graham cracker crust. This crust has some additional texture with the (optional) addition of walnuts.
Here’s What You Will Need:
As I mentioned, this is a simple dessert that uses simple ingredients, some of which are optional. It’s quite possible you have everything you need on hand!
It’s just graham crackers, butter, walnuts (optional), cream cheese, sour cream, lemons or lemon juice (which could be optional in a pinch), blueberries, a little bit of cornstarch (which I neglected to put in this picture- sorry!), and sugar. I assume you have sugar. If not, why are you reading this when you should be making an emergency trip to your nearest grocery store?!
Pro Tips:
It is not necessary to bake the graham cracker crust; freezing the crust before filling works very well to make sure it is set and doesn’t break when you spread the filling. Having said that- baking the crust brings out the buttery flavor. If it’s not too hot to use your oven for a few minutes, it is well worth the effort to set the crust through baking.
First, setting out the cream cheese in advance so it is at room temperature when it’s time to mix will yield the best results. Nobody wants lumpy cheesecake, and room temperature cream cheese blends smoothly. Second, while this dessert comes together quickly, it will need to chill thoroughly before slicing. It should chill for at least 4 hours, but it’s best if it can chill overnight!
You want real, full fat, bricks of Philadelphia cream cheese for this dessert. No reduced fat cream cheese. No spreadable cream cheese.
No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
A not too sweet no bake cheesecake with a hint of lemon. This cheesecake has a buttery graham cracker crust, and is topped with a sweet blueberry compote.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes plus cooling
- Yield: 16 slices 1x
- Category: cheesecake
- Cuisine: dessert
Ingredients
For the Crust:
15 graham crackers (the full sheet)
3/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
For the Filling:
1 cup heavy cream
2 8oz packages cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
zest of one small lemon
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
For the Topping:
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
zest and juice of one small lemon
Instructions
Preheat oven* to 350
For the Crust: In a food processor, add broken graham cracker and process to create crumbs. Add the sugar and pulse to combine. Add the walnuts and process until the nuts are chopped to small-medium pieces. Pour in the melted butter and pulse a few times to combine. Pour the crust into a 9″ springform pan and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides to create a crust. Bake for 8 minutes to set. Allow the crust to cool before adding the cheesecake filling.
For the Filing: Pour 1 cup heavy cream into a (chilled) bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix on high to create whipped cream with medium-stiff peaks. In a separate bowl mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice and blend to combine. Once the cream cheese mixture is well blended, fold in the whipped cream. Fold gently to keep that air. We are looking for a mousse-like cheesecake! Spread the cream cheese filling into the cooled graham cracker crust. Cover and chill.
For the Topping: In a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir well to make sure blueberries are evenly coated with the sugar and cornstarch. Cook over medium high heat stirring frequently. The berries will release juices. Continue stirring as the mixture nears boiling and the juices begin to thicken. You will know it is done when the color of the juice starts to change and become less cloudy. When the mixture has thickened, remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
For Serving: Once the cheesecake and the topping have chilled, pour the blueberry compote onto the top of the cheesecake and serve!
Notes
* Baking the crust is optional. To make this a truly no-bake dessert, press the graham cracker mix into the springform pan and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to set before adding the cream cheese filling.
Keywords: no-bake, cheesecake, blueberry, lemon, cream cheese
More:
If you are looking for more cool and creamy desserts perfect for Spring and Summer, check out my Super Simple Lime Tart or my Fresh Fruit Tart.
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