This Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake brings together tangy lemon and sweet blueberries in a creamy, irresistible dessert. It's creamy and refreshing—and perfect for any occasion. It's swirled with blueberries inside and topped with an amazing blueberry sauce.
Blueberries are in season right now so what better time to make it than now? And I've been obsessed with cheesecake and of course I had to combine my love for lemons with blueberries.
I've taken my base cheesecake recipe from this Strawberry cheesecake I have on my site and made it into a lemony base.
The lemon flavour is added in 2 main ways:
- Lemon zest - Zest the lemons right into the sugar and massage together to extract the oils from the skin. You can do this with your hands or blitz in a food processor. One way I like to do it often is just smush it with a silicone spatula (the ones you would wipe a bowl with). I just kind of press the sugar and lemon zest and mush it into the bowl. As it you were mashing something.
- Lemon extract - This really amplifies the lemon flavour!
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Graham crackers
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
- Lemons
- Sour cream
- Lemon extract
- Lemon juice
- Eggs
- Blueberries (frozen or fresh)
- Cornstarch
See recipe card for quantities.
Make the blueberry swirl
Add the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the blueberries begin to burst, add the cornstarch slurry.
Continue cooking until the mixture thickens, then taste and adjust sugar as needed. Remove from heat and let cool.
Make the crust
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease the sides of a springform pan (I like to line the bottom with parchment paper as well if you want to take it off the bottom when serving).
Grind the crackers down into a powder. Pour in butter, sugar and salt and mix well. Press into the pan to make an even crust and bake it for 10 minutes. Take out and let it cool.
Then line the outside of the pan with 2 layers of aluminium foil. This is to prevent any water leaking into the pan and making the crust soggy.
The Cheesecake
In a small bowl, combine lemon zest with sugar and rub together to release the oils. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese using a stand mixer or handheld mixer. Add the lemon sugar and beat well.
Incorporate sour cream, then mix in lemon extract, lemon juice, and salt. Add eggs one at a time, mixing each until JUST combined to avoid over beating. DO NOT over mix. It'll lead to the cheesecake cracking.
Pour half the batter into a 9 inch springform pan, spoon in half of the blueberry swirl, and swirl with a toothtpick. Repeat with the remaining batter and the rest of the blueberry swirl. Place the cheesecake pan in a water bath (large pan full of boiling water).
Bake at 55-65 minutes until the sides are set and the centre is slightly jiggly. Turn off the oven, prop the door open with a wooden spoon, and let cool for an hour. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
What is a water bath?
A water bath, also known as a bain-marie, involves placing the cheesecake pan inside a larger pan filled with boiling water. It ensures even baking and prevents the edges from overcooking while the centre finishes cooking.
It's crucial for baking cheesecakes because it helps to maintain a consistent temperature and adds moisture to the oven, resulting in a perfectly baked cheesecake with a creamy texture and no cracks.
Serve
In a small saucepan, combine ¾ cup of blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Heat until the blueberries begin to burst. Create a slurry by mixing cornstarch and water, then add this slurry along with the remaining blueberries to the saucepan. Cook until the blueberries added later slightly soften and the mixture thickens. Adjust the sweetness to taste, then set aside to cool, allowing it to thicken further.
Remove the cheesecake from the pan and place it on a serving platter. Serve the blueberry sauce on individual slices when serving. Garnish with some lemon zest
Equipment
- 9" Springform pan - You want to be able to release the sides of the pan
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-7 days.
My cheesecake tips
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure all ingredients, especially cream cheese, are at room temperature to create a smooth batter without lumps. Take out the ingredients a few hours before making the cheesecake.
- Add eggs one at a time and don't overmix: Incorporate each egg individually, mixing until almost combined before adding the next. Use a spatula to finish combining. Overmixing can introduce too much air, leading to cracks in the cheesecake.
- Cover the bottom of the pan with foil: Using at least 2 layers of foil to cover the bottom helps prevent any leakage from the water bath that would end up making the cheesecake soggy
- Bake cheesecake in a water bath: Place the cheesecake pan in a roasting tray filled with boiling water. Wrap the bottom of the cheesecake pan with at least two layers of aluminum foil to prevent water from seeping in. This method ensures even baking and prevents the edges from overcooking while the centre remains undercooked.
- Avoid Opening the Oven Door During the First 30 Minutes of Baking: Prevent temperature fluctuations by keeping the oven door closed, as sudden drops in temperature can cause the cheesecake to crack.
- Cool Cheesecake Gradually: Once baking is complete, leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door slightly open for an hour. This gradual cooling helps prevent cracking by allowing the temperature to decrease slowly.
- Check for Doneness: Gently shake the pan; if the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly, the cheesecake is done. If the entire cheesecake jiggles, it needs more baking time. If there is no jiggle, it may be overcooked and could curdle.
FAQ
It’s best to use full-fat cream cheese to get the creamy texture and rich flavour. Low fat cream cheese won't give the same results
Yes, you can use either fresh or frozen blueberries for both the swirl and sauce. Adjust the water amount to slightly less when using frozen berries.
There could have been a couple of reasons:
- Ingredients weren't room temperature and were too cold (which makes you over mix the batter. Make sure to bring them down to room temp before starting.
- The batter was mixed too much which resulted in too much air incorporated, which results in the air bubbles bursting and the cheesecake falls and cracks.
- Sudden temperature change. The cheesecake was cooled down too fast. As the cheesecake bakes, it sticks to the sides of the pan. And as it cools, it's normal for it to contract. Cooling too fast will lead to the middle cracking as it contracts. Once the cheesecake is done but still in the oven, run a knife along the edges to release it from the sides.
Yes, you can prepare the blueberry sauce ahead and store it in the refrigerator. It will thicken as it cools, making it easier to spread over the cheesecake.
If you don’t have lemon extract, you can use additional tablespoon of lemon zest. However, the extract provides a concentrated lemon flavour that enhances the cheesecake.
Yes, you can freeze the cheesecake. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
The cheesecake is done when the sides are set, and the center has a slight jiggle. If the entire cheesecake jiggles, it needs more time. If there is no jiggle at all, it may be overcooked.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 175 grams - graham crackers
- 2 tablespoon - granulated sugar (25g)
- 6 tablespoon - unsalted butter, melted (84g)
- pinch of salt
Cheesecake
- 907 g -full fat cream cheese, room temp (2lb)
- 14 tablespoon - granulated white sugar (175g)
- - zest of 2 lemons
- 1 cup - full fat sour cream, room temp (250g)
- 2 teaspoon - lemon extract
- 1 tablespoon - lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon - salt
- 3 - large eggs room temp
Blueberry Swirl
- ¾ cup - blueberries frozen or fresh
- 3 tablespoon - granulated white sugar to taste
- ½ tablespoon - lemon juice
- pinch - of salt
- 2 tablespoon - water (1 tablespoon if using frozen berries)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon - cornstarch - mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
Blueberry Sauce
- 1 ½ cup - blueberries
- ¼ cup - granulated white sugar (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon - lemon juice
- - zest of half a lemon
- 3 tablespoon - cold water (2 tablespoon if using frozen berries)
- 2 ½ teaspoon - cornstarch (mix into the cold water)
Instructions
Blueberry Swirl
- Add the blueberries to a saucepan, along with the sugar, lemon juice, water, and salt. Cook over medium heat while stirring occasionally. Once the blueberries start to burst, add the cornstarch slurry. Cook for a few more minutes until thickened. Taste to see if its to your liking and adjust. Remove from heat and let it cool.¾ cup - blueberries, 3 tablespoon - granulated white sugar, ½ tablespoon - lemon juice, pinch - of salt, 2 tablespoon - water, 1 ¼ teaspoon - cornstarch - mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease sides of a springform pan (line bottom with parchment paper as well if you want to take it off the bottom when serving)175 grams - graham crackers, 2 tablespoon - granulated sugar, 6 tablespoon - unsalted butter, melted, pinch of salt
- Grind the crackers down into a powder. Pour in butter, sugar and salt and mix well.
- Press into the pan to make an even crust and bake it for 10 minutes. Take out and let it cool. Then line the outside of the pan with 2 layers of aluminium foil. This is to prevent any water leaking into the pan and making the crust soggy.
Cheesecake
- In a small bowl, zest the 2 lemons into the sugar and rub it together for a few minutes to extract the flavour oils.- zest of 2 lemons, 14 tablespoon - granulated white sugar
- Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl of a stand mixer or with handheld mixer until fairly smooth.907 g -full fat cream cheese, room temp
- Add in the lemon sugar and beat it well. Add in sour cream and beat. Mix in the lemon extract, lemon juice and salt.1 cup - full fat sour cream, room temp, 2 teaspoon - lemon extract, 1 tablespoon - lemon juice, ½ teaspoon - salt
- Crack in and mix the eggs in one at a time. Add in the next one just when the last one starts to mix in the batter. Don’t mix too much with the electric mixer because it will incorporate too much air, leading to your cheesecake cracking at the end.3 - large eggs
- Once all the eggs are in, mix gently and thoroughly with a spatula. Do not mix it too much
- Start boiling the water for the water bath
- Pour the half the batter into the pan and spoon in half the blueberry mixture. Swirl it around with a small knife or toothpick. Add in the rest of the cheesecake batter and repeat with the blueberry mixture.
- Place the cheesecake pan in a bigger pan for the water bath and place into the oven. The pan should be tall enough to be able to hold enough water to be at least an inch high on the side of the pan.
- Place both pans into the oven and then pour in the boiling water in the bigger pan (water should be 1 inch high)
- Bake for 55-65 minutes or until the sides are set and the middle is kind of jiggly. Will depend on your oven so keep an eye on it.
- Turn off the oven and keep the oven door slightly open with a wooden spoon and let it cool for an hour. Once you turn off the oven and the cake is still in there, run a knife along the edges to release it from the sides.
- Then take the cheesecake out and remove from the water bath and let it cool completely and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. This slow cool is important so the temperature doesn't change drastically, which leads to cracking.
Blueberry Sauce
- In a small saucepan add in ¾ cup blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, zest and salt and heat it up until the blueberries start to burst. Mix together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Add in the rest of the blueberries and the cornstarch slurry, and cook until the blueberries added later slightly soften and the mixture thickens. You want the blueberries added at the end to maintain their shape. Taste to adjust sweetness. Set it aside to let cool. It will thicken further as it cools.1 ½ cup - blueberries, ¼ cup - granulated white sugar, 1 tablespoon - lemon juice, 3 tablespoon - cold water, 2 ½ teaspoon - cornstarch
- Take out the cheesecake from the pan and place it on the serving platter
- Spread the blueberry sauce evenly on top. Zest half a lemon on top, cut and serve.- zest of half a lemon
Huzaifah Sheikh says
I tried this last year and it was amazing, the softened blueberries and sauce were super delicious it literally gave a wonderful flavor. Honestly I wasnt a big fan of cheesecakes but after trying this cheesecake I literally became fan of it, your blueberry and strawberry cheesecake are just on another level. Definetly going to try it again. Thank you sharing amazing recie
Nabeah Wahab says
Thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed it and thank you for leaving a kind review!