Homemade Blueberry Cheesecake

If you love cheesecake, try this Blueberry Cheesecake. It’s a classic cheesecake recipe made with a fresh blueberry swirl. It’s the perfect summer dessert, but also great for holidays and even brunch.

Looking for more cheesecake recipes? Make sure you try my classic creamy cheesecake or for a quicker option, you’ll love mini cheesecakes.

Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake

A nice cold slice of cheesecake on a warm summer day is so refreshing, but I am not one to turn down a slice any time of day, any time of year. It’s one of my favorite desserts.

This starts with a buttery graham cracker crust and a simple cheesecake filling. It has blueberries swirled throughout the filling and it’s topped with whipped cream. Even if blueberries aren’t in season, you can still enjoy this dessert by swapping out the fresh blueberries for frozen. This isn’t overly sweet, but the perfect balance between sweet and tart.

Cheesecake is a bit of a labor of love. It’s actually fairly easy to make but just requires patience and time. If you start in the morning you can have it for dessert, but I usually like to prepare it the day before I am serving.

Why You’ll Love It

• Decadent but light cheesecake filling is balanced with a tart blueberry swirl
• A perfect dessert to serve for brunch, after dinner or even for a holiday
• Made with simple ingredients
• You’re sure to impress with friends when they see how beautiful this is!

Homemade Blueberry Sauce

I love this easy sauce recipe. It’s made on the stovetop and only takes about 10 minutes to come together. I’ve also used this recipe for cake fillings. While I prefer using fresh blueberries, you can also use frozen berries. Frozen berries may produce extra liquid, but I’ve included a few tips in the recipe card to combat this.

The consistency of the filling is important. If it’s too thick, it won’t swirl very well, but if it’s too thin, then it adds too much liquid to the filling. Aim for a maple syrup-like consistency. If you find it’s too thick, add additional water 1 teaspoon at a time.

If you’d like to prepare the sauce ahead of time, you can keep it stored in and airtight container in the refridgrator for up to 3 days ahead of time.

Recipe Ingredients

For the crust

• Graham cracker crumbs
• Brown sugar– just a touch of brown sugar in the crust adds a little bit of sweetness
• Unsalted butter

For the blueberry filling

• Fresh blueberries– washed and thoroughly dried. I like to lay some paper towels down on a sheet pan to dry them.
• Granulated sugar
• Lemon juice
• Corn starch– a touch of corn starch is dissolved in water which helps thicken the sauce. Dissolving it with water makes it much easier to incorporate it and prevents any lumps from forming.

For the cheesecake filling

It’s important that a few of these ingredients are at room temperature prior to starting so you can avoid over mixing. The room temperature ingredients will incorporate much easier.

• Full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature- don’t substitute for low-fat or fat-free.
• Granulated sugar
• Full-fat sour cream, at room temperature- gives the perfect texture and taste for the filling
• Lemon juice– the lemon juice balance out the tangy cream cheese and the sweetness from the sugar
• Pure vanilla extract
• Eggs & egg yolks, at room temperature- the combination of eggs and yolks make the perfect texture for the filling

How to Make Blueberry Cheesecake

Prepare the Filling

1. Prep berries: Wash and dry fresh berries. Drying them prevents excess liquid in the filling.
2. Make a slurry: Dissolve the corn starch in the water and set it aside.
3. Cook berries: In a medium-sized saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice; stir well. Cook over medium-high heat until the berries start to juice, the mixture will begin to bubble.
4. Add cornstarch: Slowly add the cornstarch mixer 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture starts to thicken Turn down the heat and let simmer to allow the blueberries to further soften.
5. Cook until sauce thickens: It should take less than 15 minutes, especially once the corn starch is added. Be sure to stir often so the bottom does not burn.
6. Cool the sauce prior to adding to the cheesecake, refrigerate if necessary.

Prepare the Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter and mix until combined. Press into a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake the crust for 8-9 minutes and then cool.
4. Wrap the pan with a slow cooker liner and tie a knot in the side of the bag to secure around the pan. This is the secret to preventing water from leaking into the pan. Lindsay has a great tutorial for this!

Make the Filling

Beat the cream cheese: it should be smooth and free of lumps then add the sugar and beat on low speed until completely smooth. You’ll need to scrape down the bowl a few times.

Add remaining ingredients: first add the sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat until combine. Mix the eggs and slowly add to the cream cheese batter, ensuring they’re well incorporated.

Layer and swirl: Pour half the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Then add ¾ of the blueberry mixer and gently swirl with a knife. Top with remaining cheesecake batter and then blueberry sauce again. Gently tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles on the surface or use a toothpick.

Prepare a water bath: Use a large roasting pan or a cast iron pan that is at least 1-inch larger than the springform pan. Fill with 2-3 cups of warm water so it is about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake and cool: This will bake for about 60 minutes. The center of the cheesecake will be slightly jiggly. Turn off the oven, and crack the door open. Leave in the oven for another 60 minutes to slowly cool the cheesecake. Then remove from the oven and the water bath and cool on the counter for another 60-90 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator for 2-4 hours until the cheesecake is completely cooled.

My Best Tips for Making Cheesecakes

• Be sure to follow the ingredients list closely, and do not make substitutions. Cheesecake is one recipe where substitutions or alternations can make a big difference in the end results
• Don’t skip the water bath: A water bath helps to slowly and more evenly bake a cheesecake. It also helps to prevent cracks in the cheesecake.
• Cool the cheesecake slowly: The cheesecake is first cooled in the oven, slowly cooling it will also help prevent cracking. After cooling in the oven for an hour, you should move it to the counter to continue cooling it before transferring to the refrigerator.

How to Store Cheesecake

After the cheesecake has fully set, this is best kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Otherwise tightly cover the springform pan with plastic wrap. This will stay fresh for several days. I recommend adding the toppings once you’re ready to serve.

Freezing Instructions

Cheesecakes are great to prepare ahead of time and freeze. Once the cheesecake has fully set, place the cheesecake on a plate or cake board, tightly wrap it twice in plastic wrap and then wrap in foil to prevent freezer burn. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and add the toppings prior to serving.

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