To say this Blueberry Cheesecake is bursting with blueberries is an understatement! Baked to achieve that elusive light-yet-rich creamy cheesecake filling, studded with blueberries inside and smothered in an incredible glossy blueberry sauce topping. It’s magnificent!
Blueberry Cheesecake
I know sometimes the thought of a quick ‘n easy no-bake cheesecake recipe is enticing.
But if you want to make cheesecake the way it’s intended to be, with a filling that’s somehow fluffy but creamy at the same time, rich but not so dense that it sticks to the roof of your mouth, then a baked cheesecake is the way to go.
Add pops of blueberry littered throughout that lemony cheesecake filling, then OMG that insane glistening blueberry topping ….
It’s a sight to make a grown man weep. (Well, girl. 😂)
Cheesecake made easy
Don’t let the number of steps you see visualised below daunt you. While cheesecakes aren’t usually pitched as a recipe for beginners, you don’t need to be an experienced cook to make mine. I’ll walk you through it so you can have confidence that you’ve got this, even if you’re a first timer.
I’ve written the instructions out carefully, you’ve got step photos AND an instructional recipe video.
And unlike cakes, you don’t need to worry about sinking and collapsing. So even a cheesecake that doesn’t go quite to plan is still going to be very, very good!
Blueberry Cheesecake Components
Here are the 3 parts to this Blueberry Cheesecake (which, by the way, is a rendition of this Strawberry Cheesecake, in case you’d like to browse reader feedback!):
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The biscuit crust – I’m a cheesecake crust tragic. I just love the texture contrast of the sweet crunchy crust with that insanely creamy filling. So my cheesecake crusts go up the sides, rather than just being on the base. But you can skip the sides if you prefer;
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The creamy rich-yet-light filling – a juxtaposition you can only achieve with baked cheesecakes, the consequence of which is that it’s not sickeningly rich (ie we can eat more! 🙌🏻);
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Blueberry sauce topping – with a syrup that drips slowly down the side of the cheesecake as you plough your way through it….
1. Cheesecake biscuit crust
Here’s what you need for the cheesecake crust – just plain sweet crackers (any type will do – loads of options listed in the recipe) and butter (the glue).
How to make the cheesecake crust
Blitz to make crumbs (or bash a ziplock bag with a rolling pin – very therapeutic), mix with butter then press into the cake pan.
TOP TIP: Make quick work of the crust by using something round with a flat base and straight walls to press the crumbs into the pan.
Everybody thinks cheesecake biscuit walls are really fragile – but they are actually rather sturdy once the cake is cooled. I don’t have fairy fingers – and I’ve never destroyed one!
2. Blueberry cheesecake filling
Here’s what goes in the cheesecake filling. Standard baked cheesecake ingredients, with the addition of blueberries.
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Cream cheese – must use block, not the spreadable cream cheese in tubs (too soft). If you can only get spreadable, just skip the sour cream;
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Blueberries – fresh or frozen is fine here. If using frozen, do not thaw it (otherwise it bleeds when you stir it in and you’ll end up with a purple cheesecake!);
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Sour cream – lightens up the mixture a touch so it’s not ridiculously rich. Just 1/2 cup makes such a difference!
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Flour – just a tiny bit really helps stabilise the filling to keep it slightly aerated (rather than dense so it sticks to the roof of your mouth) and so it doesn’t collapse in the middle;
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Eggs – the key ingredient that gives this cheesecake aeration. You don’t need to whip it – eggs just naturally rise when baked (you can see in these Egg Frittata Muffins how much egg rises);
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Vanilla – for flavour;
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Lemon zest – because the flavour of lemon is terrific to bring a touch of freshness to cheesecakes, and is a natural pairing with blueberries; and
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Sugar – white, to keep the colour of the filling white.
How to make the cheesecake filling
Here’s how the filling is made and baked:
The cheesecake filling is very straightforward to make – everything just gets mixed in a bowl, poured into the crust then baked.
TIP: Only mix until each ingredient is incorporated and the batter is smooth. No need to beat to aerate the batter. If the filling is beaten too much and becomes very aerated, then the cheesecake might rise a lot in the oven which will cause cracks. Not a big deal though because flaws get hidden under the Blueberry Sauce!
You don’t need to fuss with a water bath to prevent surface cracks. That’s only required to rectify recipes that don’t make the filling correctly, bake at the wrong temperature, or for too long.
Why cool cheesecake in the oven?
The cake is cooled in the oven for two reasons:
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If you cook the cake all the way through in the oven, it puffs up too much which causes surface cracks; and
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To keep the cheesecake creamy inside. The oven is turned off before the cake is fully cooked, then it finishes cooking in the turned off oven. The gradual drop in temperature creates an environment such that the cheesecake finishes cooking but cannot overcook.
3. Blueberry sauce for the cheesecake
Here’s what you need for the blueberry topping:
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Blueberries – frozen or fresh is fine here;
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Sugar – to create the syrupy consistency;
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Vanilla – for flavour;
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Lemon – to cut through the sweetness and because it goes so well with blueberries; and
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Cornflour/cornstarch – to thicken the syrup so it drips slowly down the cake when you cut it, rather than running everywhere.
How to make blueberry sauce for cheesecake
We cook some of the blueberries with the sugar, lemon and vanilla so they break down to create the vibrant purple sauce.
Then stir in cornflour/cornstarch to thicken, and lastly stir in whole blueberries.
Word of warning: this blueberry sauce stains! The pictured wooden spoon is now permanently purple!
Cheesecake FAQ
Here are some key tips for cheesecake making that may have been the cause of issues you’ve had with recipes in the past:
Why did my cheesecake crack?
Cracks occur because the cheesecake rises too much. This can happen because filling that was beaten for too long so it aerated too much, or overcooking.
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Excess beating = aerated batter = cheesecake rises too much = cracks in surface
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Overcooking = cheesecake rises too much = cracks in surface
But don’t forget, it doesn’t matter if your cheesecake cracks because you’re smothering it with sauce!
So how do I ensure my cheesecake won’t crack on the surface?
3 key tips:
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Make sure you don’t over beat the batter by using room temperature ingredients so they incorporate faster, and follow my recipe beating time directions;
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Cook in a moderate oven, not hot – if the oven is too hot, the cheesecake will rise too fast, causing the surface to crack;
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Turn the oven off while the cake is still jiggly (partially undercooked) then leave it in the turned off oven to cool – it will finish cooking during this time.
This is how jiggly the cheesecake should be when you turn the oven off – more jiggly than you’d expect!
Also note how it’s quite puffy and even a big sunken in the middle. That doesn’t matter because it sinks back down to a level surface once it cools in the oven.
Do I need to use a water bath to bake cheesecakes?
NO. Though you’ll see many recipes swearing by the water bath method to ensure the surface of your cheesecake doesn’t crack, it’s not necessary if you make the filling properly, don’t over beat, cook in a moderate oven and don’t overcook.
In fact, when I published the Strawberry Cake recipe, I did a side by side comparison of water bath vs no water bath cheesecakes. As you can see in the photo below, there is no difference in the surface of the two cheesecakes – except the water bath one was a LOT more of a hassle to get into the oven!
My cheesecake fell apart when I removed it from the cake pan!😩
I feel your pain – that was the disaster that occurred to me with my very first cheesecake!
Here’s how to make it easy (and safe) to remove your cheesecake: flip the base UPSIDE DOWN, line it with baking/parchment paper and secure the sides so the excess paper is sticking out.
If you do this, you don’t need to lift the cheesecake over the ridge of the base, it just slides right off. Similarly with the paper, grab the overhang then push the cheesecake off the paper. Voila! Cheesecake in tact!
Blueberry sauce optional!
I know I’ve been going on and on about how great the blueberry sauce is. And it certainly adds an extra special touch here, but I only do it when blueberries are in season – and cheap! Because this cheesecake calls for 250g/8oz blueberries IN the cake (2 Australian punnets) and 375ml / 13oz ON the cake (3 punnets)
For the rest of the year, I only use blueberries inside the cake and a serve it with cream.
Nobody has ever complained.😉 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Blueberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Cheesecake Biscuit Base:
- 200g/7 oz Arnott's Marie crackers or other plain biscuit (Aus) or 28 Graham Cracker squares (Note 1)
- 120g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
Cheesecake Filling:
- 1 lb / 500g cream cheese , well softened (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp flour , plain/ all purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream (full fat, sub yogurt)
- 1 1/2 cups caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- Zest of 1 lemon (can skip)
- 3 eggs , at room temperature
- 250g / 8oz blueberries (Note 3)
Blueberry Topping for Cheesecake:
- 375g / 13 oz blueberries (Note 3)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (or water)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F (140°C fan). Place shelf in middle of oven.
- Line inverted base: Get a 20cm/8" springform cake tin. Turn the base UPSIDE DOWN (Note 4), butter lightly then press on a square piece of parchment/baking paper. Then clip into the springform pan - excess paper will stick out, see photos in post and video.
- Line sides: Butter and line the side of the pan.
Cheesecake Biscuit Base:
- Break up biscuits roughly by hand and place in a food processor.
- Blitz until fine crumbs. Add butter, briefly blitz until dispersed and it resembles wet sand.(Note 5)
- Pour into the prepared cake tin. Use a spatula to roughly spread it out over the base and up the walls.
- Use something with a flat base and vertical edges (I use a measuring cup) to press the crumbs up the wall almost to the top of the sides, and flatten the base.
Filling:
- Cream cheese: Use a stand mixer (with paddle) or handheld beater to beat the cream cheese until just smooth, no longer than 20 seconds on speed 4. (You do not want to aerate cheesecake filling too much as it causes cracks when it bakes)
- Add flour, beat for 5 seconds on speed 4 until just incorporated.
- Add vanilla, sour cream, sugar and lemon zest. Beat until just combined (10 sec max, speed 4).
- Eggs: Add eggs one at a time - beat for 5 seconds on speed 4 in between each. After the last egg, beat as needed until batter is smooth - but stop beating immediately once smooth.
- Blueberries: Stir in blueberries with a rubber spatula. Pour into prepared crust.
- Bake: Bake for 70 minutes. The top should be a bit puffed, very light golden brown, not cracked, and near perfectly flat. It should jiggle slightly when you gently shake the pan, see video at 1 min 23 sec (sets in next step).
- Cool: Cool the cake in the oven with the door open approx 20 cm / 8" for about 2 hours (Note 6), then refrigerate for 4 hours+ in the pan or overnight. Cake will sink and surface should be flat.
- Release: Remove sides of springform pan. Use overhang paper to slide cheesecake off the cake pan base. Then slide the cheesecake off the paper.
Blueberry Sauce for Cheesecake:
- Place 1 cup of blueberries (125g/4oz), vanilla, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Stir then bring to simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 7 minutes until blueberries breakdown.
- Mix cornflour and water, then stir in - it wil thicken quickly.
- Stir in remainig blueberries. Sauce should be syrupy - remove from stove and cool. Will thicken as it cools.
- Once cool, stir. Adjust thickness 1/2 teaspoon of water at a time to make it the perfect "oozing" consistency (see video, Note 7) - be careful, don't make it runny!
- Spoon onto cheesecake so it's completely covered - you'll have maybe 1/2 cup sauce left, good for touch ups. Refrigerate 2 hours+.
- Slice and serve!
Recipe Notes:
- Australia: Arnott's Marie Crackers, Arrowroot and Nice are ideal, I've made it with all these.
- US: Use 28 squares / 14 full sheets, yes I measured it with my last Graham Cracker packet I brought back from my last trip.
- UK: Digestives are ideal, I LOVE digestives!
- Cracks occur due to oven temp too high or overcooking
- In this recipe, you stop cooking when it's still quite jiggly (see video at 1 min 23 sec) which means it's actually still a bit undercooked in the middle
- By leaving it in the oven, it finishes cooking but the declining temp stops it from overcooking
- If you don't do this step, you have to cook for longer in the oven to cook middle through which makes it rise too much = cracked surface and not as creamy inside
Nutrition Information:
More cheesecake recipes
And for blueberry monsters
Life of Dozer
Click! Snap photo of cheesecake.
Shift camera slightly to the left. Click!
Is it disturbing to know Dozer’s furry head is just out of frame of every single food shot on this website?? 😂
LORINNER says
Hi..can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream? Thanks.
Nagi says
Sure can Lorinner – I often sub greek yogurt in place of sour cream 🙂 N x
Sandra Alfonso says
Wow!!! It was exactly like your picture. I just used raspberries. A family favorite now.
Aliah says
Thanks Nagi. I added 3 tbs of Australian greek plain yougurt with sourcream. And lemon inner pieces to toppin. It was so yummy!
Wendy Johnson says
Can I make this same recipe using raspberries instead of blueberries with the same other ingredients?
Linda says
Thanks Nagi for an excellent recipe! I followed it to the letter (including all the useful tips) and it was exactly as promised – wonderful flavour and rich, creamy but light texture. My husband loved it and he’s not normally a cheesecake fan, and my daughter says it may be her new favourite (and there’s a lot of competition – I’m always baking!). I’ll definitely be trying some of your other recipes:-)
Lina says
Made this last weekend. The whole family loves it! I am planning to make a smaller version of this cheesecake. (Using a 4 inch pan) Any tips on how to adjust my baking time and oven temperature? Ingreident wise is not a problem, I’ll adjust accordingly. Thanks in advance xx
Kk says
Hey, I wanted to make this cheesecake but I want to put them in cupcake trays, how long do I cook them for ?
Krithika says
Planning to make this soon, I have a question about the amount of cream cheese. 1lb is not equal to 500g, it’s close to 450. In the US we get cream cheese in 80z/16oz blocks. I’m assuming this means 16 oz works!
Nagi says
Hi Krithika, yes it’s close enough and the small difference won’t matter in this recipe. 16oz is perfect. N x
Sula says
Why does my cheesecake taste eggy? I followed the recipe and measured out all the ingredients correctly
KAG says
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!!! Best cheesecake I’ve ever made!
Lu says
I want to make this for my mom’s birthday tomorrow but only have a 9 in springform pan – what temperature and how long do I bake it for? Thanks so much!
Lu says
I really want to make this for my mom’s birthday tomorrow but I only have a 9 in springform pan – how long and what temperature do I bake it at? Thank you so much!
Nagi says
Hi Lu, just cook as per the recipe – it will be perfect 🙂 N x
Kobie says
Love love love this recipe, made it twice now. Everyone who tried it asked for the recipe so you definitely know it’s good!!!
Can you use light sour cream? I only have that in my fridge at the moment. Would it make a difference in the integrity of the filling with light sour cream?
Nagi says
Hi Kobie, i prefer full fat as light is more watery and will affect the texture. N x
Jai says
Hello! This is my first time baking badly want to try it, in what temperature do I set my oven for 70 mins? Thanks 😀
Nagi says
Hi Jai, It’s all noted in step one of the instructions. Love to know how you go! N x
Han says
Hi! Could I sub mulberries? Trying to find some fail safe mulberry recipes
Nagi says
Hi Han, I imagine so! Sounds fabulous! N x
Gigi says
Love the recipe, all the easy notes and instructions, a big hit with the husband!
Is it possible though to make the sauce with gelatin? The sauce did not want to thicken nor set after cooling as much as I would have liked.
Will be making it again for sure!
Nagi says
Hi Gigi, sounds like it needs to cook down slightly more if it didn’t set as much as you wanted (just simmer it slightly longer). Adding relain will make it set like jelly instead of being a sauce. N x
Gigi says
I made it a second time, this time the sauce thickened beautifully! Thanks!
Sharmila says
I am not domesticated and my cooking skills are limited. My sons wife used to bake him a cheese cake for his birthday, they recently separated so I thought i would make him one so he doesn’t feel like his missing out..I have never made one in my life.Cake turned out amazing, so yummy, my husband and kids couldn’t believe I made it. Recipe is so easy to follow and great instructions.
Sowmya Palanna says
Loved the cheesecake. It was my first time making a cheesecake from scratch . The recipe was very well explained and the tips helped too.
Nagi says
I’m so glad you gave it a go Sowmya, that’s great to hear!! N x
Lorinner says
Hi Nagi, I do not have an 8″ round pan. Can I use an 8″ square pan or a 9″ round pan instead? Please advise. Thank you.
Ranny Miller says
Thank you! This was my first cheesecake and turned out lovely! Everybody loved it. I couldn’t flip out my base pan but there was no problem taking the cake out. I use microwave oven as my oven is broken, so I was wondering if it helps to reduce the temperature to 150 or same temperature but reduce the time to 55-60 mins? My cake browned quickly and started crack (very tiny crack) when it was on 60 mins, I decided to keep it going and turned off the oven when it was 65 mins. I followed every single step, I knew that the browning and the tiny crack was because my microwave oven. Perhaps you have some tips?
Regardless, it was so good and texture was perfect!
Sue says
Fantastic cheesecake Nagi !
Easy to make , with lining the tin being the hardest bit . 🤣
A delicious distraction in this seemingly never ending lockdown here in Melbourne.
Angelica Carodan says
Hiii can I use powdered sugar instead of caster sugar?
Nagi says
Hi Angelica, yes you can – just use the same gram amount of powdered sugar. N x