This Philadelphia no bake blueberry cheesecake with graham cracker crust is full of juicy blueberry flavor and drizzled with a tangy blueberry topping, yum!
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This no bake easy blueberry cheesecake is perfect for blueberry lovers. The buttery graham cracker base is topped with a creamy blueberry cheesecake filling with plenty of bright, fresh blueberry flavor. Decorate with fresh blueberries and spoon over a delectable blueberry topping for a pretty purple dessert that's packed with blueberry flavor.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Save room in the oven with this easy no bake blueberry dessert.
- A great way to use lots of fresh blueberries.
- Make it ahead for easy entertaining.
- Stunning purple color that's sure to wow your friends and family.
Looking for a more traditional blueberry cheesecake? Try my classic Philadelphia no bake cheesecake with blueberry coulis drizzled over the top. Equally delicious but more with less blueberry!
Ingredients
Blueberries: use the freshest, ripest blueberries you can find. You can sometimes get 'jamming' berries more cheaply which are a little less pretty but would work fine in this recipe. You could also use frozen berries but it's harder to tell if you're getting beautifully ripe berries so you made need to taste and add more sugar to make up for this if needed.
Cream cheese: full-fat cream cheese is best for this recipe for that classic creamy cheesecake taste. If you use light cream cheese it may not set properly.
Cream: I use thickened cream which has a fat content of about 34%. You could also use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream which is similar.
Vanilla extract: sometimes also called vanilla essence, depending on where you live. You can use either, or imitation vanilla essence, depending on your preference and budget.
Lemons: a dash of lemon juice and some lemon zest helps balance the sweetness of the filling and help the blueberries shine. Fresh is best, I don't recommend bottled lemon juice. A little lemon zest also adds a pretty pop of color to the top of the cake.
Granulated white sugar: white sugar is best in this recipe. You could use castor sugar if you prefer. I don't recommend using other types of sugar, they will be hard to dissolve and will compete with the flavors in this no-bake cheesecake.
Gelatin: a little bit of gelatin helps this no bake cheesecake set. Without it the amount of liquid from the blueberries is likely to prevent the cheesecake from setting properly and you would end up with cheesecake soup! Gelatin can vary in its strength depending on the brand, see the note on the recipe card for a guide on how to check you have the right amount.
Graham crackers: are a type of sweet plain cookies with wholegrain which are the classic cheesecake base. If you can't get Grahams you can use Digestives which are similar.
Unsalted Butter: because butter makes most things taste better. In this case it binds and sets the base.
How to make no bake blueberry cheesecake
See the full recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient amounts and instructions.
To make the base
Break the cookies up and blitz them into crumbs in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor you can put them into a plastic bag on a chopping board, cover with a tea towel and bash (carefully) with a rolling pin, or even the base of a small pot.
Melt the butter in a microwave or in a pot on the stove. Add the butter to the crumbs and mix well.
Tip into the lined cake tin. Press down with the back of a spoon and chill for at least one hour, and up to twenty-four hours before filling. You want to press down enough for the base to hold together but not too firmly to your base will be too hard.
Hot tip: do not skip chilling the base. If it's too hot when you add the filling it can make the filling weep, resulting in a soggy cheesecake base. If you are pressed for time on the day you can make the base the day before and store it in the fridge.
To make the blueberry cheesecake filling
Blitz and strain the blueberries. You will need one cup of strained blueberry pulp. Put the pulp into a small saucepan on the stove. Simmer on low, stirring frequently for about fifteen to twenty minutes or until the blueberry has reduced to half a cup of liquid.
Simmering the pulp to create a blueberry reduction helps concentrate the flavor and gives a creamier cheesecake with plenty of punch. Allow the blueberry reduction to cool.
Hot tip: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. This can take anywhere from thirty minutes to one hour depending on where you live. If your cream cheese is too cold it won't mix in properly and is one of the main causes of lumpy or grainy cheesecake.
Slice and juice the lemon. Beat the cream cheese briefly to soften it. Add the lemon juice, sugar and vanilla to the room-temperature cream cheese and beat on low until combined and the sugar has all dissolved. Add the cooled blueberry and mix well.
Add the room-temperature water to a microwave-proof bowl and sprinkle over the gelatin to bloom for five minutes.
While the gelatin is blooming put your cream in a separate and whip until soft peaks form. Once the gelatin has bloomed, melt it by microwaving it for about ten seconds. Mix well to ensure all the gelatin is mixed in and dissolved.
Temper the gelatin by adding a couple of spoonfuls of the whipped cream and mix well. Add the tempered gelatin to the whipped cream by pouring it in slowly in batches while whipping the cream, ensuring it's mixed well between each addition.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the blueberry cream cheese mix until well combined. Pour the cheesecake filling onto the prepared base and smooth down. The filling will be quite thick, so take care to smooth it down right to the edges and try to press out any air bubbles. Chill in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
Once set remove from the tin and carefully peel back the baking paper or acetate. Carefully slide a large knife between the base and baking paper to loosen it, then transfer it to a serving plate or board. Smooth the edges with a spatula. Decorate with fresh blueberries, blueberry coulis and some lemon zest and you're done!
How to serve
To serve this eggless blueberry cheesecake pop it onto a plate, slice and enjoy! Fabulous on its own or with some extra blueberry coulis drizzled over the top. Delicious!
To get a smooth slice you can dip a large sharp knife in hot water, dry it quickly then carefully slice the cake. It goes without saying the knife will be Hot. You may need to put a tea towel over the end to avoid burning your fingers on the hot metal.
How to store
This cheesecake with blueberry topping will store well in the fridge for up to five days, preferably in a covered container, but will be freshest if eaten within three days. I recommend decorating just before serving so the blueberries and coulis don't dry out.
Undecorated individual slices or the whole cake wrapped and frozen for up to two months, but best eaten within a month for better taste and texture.
Recipe tips and frequently asked questions
Can I use frozen blueberries in this?
Definitely! You can substitute the same amount of frozen blueberries. Just make sure they are fully defrosted before blitzing them.
Can I make this without gelatin?
Because of the amount of extra liquid from the blueberries you risk your cheesecake not setting properly if you make this without gelatin. You can try substituting the gelatin for an alternative such as agar agar - see my no bake mango cheesecake for instructions on how to use this.
Alternatively for a more traditional blueberry cheesecake you could make my Philadelphia no bake cheesecake which does not contain gelatin and drizzle some easy blueberry coulis drizzled over the top.
Can I make individual blueberry cheesecakes?
You sure can. To make individual cheesecakes simply make them lined muffin tins instead or silicon molds. Or you can make them in cups or shot glasses for an even easier make-ahead dessert.
As a guide this recipe will make about 24 'muffin tin' sized cheesecakes, which are a similar size to my no bake mini cheesecakes for comparison. You could easily half the recipe to make a dozen cheesecakes as per my mini cheesecakes recipe or make more generous servings.
What can I use instead of Philadelphia cream cheese for cheesecake?
Why is my no-bake cheesecake gooey?
There are a few reasons why no bake cheesecake doesn't set and stays gooey.
- Stick to the ingredient list - substituting ingredients such as full fat for low-fat cream cheese can lead to non-setting cheesecake.
- Whip your cream enough - usually you need to whip to firm peaks unless the recipe says otherwise.
- Let it set for long enough - most no-bake cheesecakes need four hours to set at an absolute minimum but overnight or at least eight to twelve hours is much better.
Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on instagram so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream
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📋 Recipe
No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
Equipment
- Spring form cake tin, 7" x 2.5" (18cm x 6.5cm)
- Electric hand beaters or stand mixer
- immersion blender with chopping bowl attachment or food processor
- Parchment paper or food safe acetate
Ingredients
For the cheescake base
- 2 & ⅓ cups (250gms) Graham cracker crumbs
- 1 stick (½ cup/ 115gms) unsalted butter
For the cheesecake filling
- 2 & ⅔ cups (250gms) fresh blueberries
- 2 x 8 ounce tubs (450gms total) full fat cream cheese
- ⅔ cup (150gms) white sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons room temperature water
- 1 & ½ tablespoons (7.5gms) gelatin
- 1 cup (250mls) thickened cream
To decorate and serve
- 1 cup ish (190gms) fresh blueberries
- ½ cup store-bought or homemade blueberry coulis or topping
- 1 - 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Instructions
To make the cheesecake base
- Line the base and sides of a springform tin with baking paper.
- Break up the cookies and blitz briefly in a food processor into crumbs.
- Melt the butter by cubing, adding to a microwave proof bowl and microwave for a minute or two.
- Pour the melted butter into the biscuits crumbs and mix until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
- Pour into lined springform tin and press down at the bottom to form the base. Do not press to firmly or your base may become to hard.
- Chill in fridge for at least one hour and up to overnight.
To make the cheesecake filling
- NB Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature.
- Blitz and strain the blueberries. You will need one cup of strained blueberry pulp.
- Put the pulp into a small saucepan on the stove. Simmer on low, stirring frequently for about fifteen to twenty minutes or until the blueberry has reduced to half a cup of liquid. Allow the blueberry reduction to cool.
- Slice and juice the lemon. Beat the cream cheese briefly to soften. Add the lemon juice, sugar and vanilla to the room temperature cream cheese and beat on low until combined and the sugar has all dissolved.
- Add the cooled blueberry and mix well.
- Add the room temperature water to a microwave-proof bowl and sprinkle over the gelatin to bloom for five minutes.
- While the gelatin is blooming put your cream in a separate and whip until soft peaks form. Once the gelatin has bloomed, melt it by microwaving it for about ten to fifteen seconds. Mix well to ensure all the gelatin is mixed in and dissolved.
- Temper the gelatin by adding a couple of spoonfuls of the whipped cream and mix well. Add the tempered gelatin to the whipped cream by pouring it in slowly in batches while whipping the cream, ensuring it's mixed well between each addition.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the blueberry cream cheese mix until well combined. Pour the cheesecake filling onto the prepared base and smooth down.
- Chill in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
- Once set remove from the tin and carefully peel back the baking paper or acetate. Carefully slide a large knife between the base and baking paper to loosen it, then transfer to a serving plate or board. Smooth the edges with a spatula.
- Decorate with fresh blueberries and spoon over some blueberry coulis and you're done!
Notes
- Clear food safe acetate is available for some baking shops and can help give smoother sides to the cheesecake.
- Gelatine brands can vary in their strength. You will need enough gelatin to set 2 cups (500mls) of liquid. You could try ½ a satchel of Knox Gelatin as a starting point.
- To top the cheesecake you can use my homemade blueberry coulis or store-bought coulis or topping.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.
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