This lemon blueberry cheesecake is super creamy, and swirled with tangy yellow lemon cheesecake, purple blueberry cheesecake, and a jammy blueberry swirl. It's like two cheesecakes in one! You don't need a waterbath so it's even easier to make than a typical baked cheesecake. The cheesecake batter has separate lemon and blueberry flavors swirled together to give you the ultimate lemon blueberry cheesecake experience.
I topped the cheesecake off with dollops of Greek yogurt whipped cream and a thick and creamy blueberry curd.
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🍰 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Lemon & blueberry swirls: This cheesecake combines the tanginess of lemon with the sweetness of blueberries. With those two flavored layers swirled together, you get the best of both worlds in every bite.
- No water bath needed: You don't need a water bath with this baked cheesecake because it gets baked low and slow in the oven. No fuss!
- Graham cracker crust: A classic graham cracker crust is the perfect base for this cheesecake. You can customize it with your favorite cookies like shortbread, biscoff, or even gingersnaps.
- Creamy and smooth texture: This cheesecake is made with full-fat cream cheese and sour cream, which gives the cake a creamy and soft texture that melts in your mouth.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Cream cheese: Full fat, brick style cream cheese creates the creamiest cheesecake that holds its shape the best. I love using Philadelphia original brick style cream cheese for cheesecake.
Blueberries: I've tried this recipe with both regular fresh blueberries and wild frozen blueberries. Both work great!
Lemons: You'll need lemon zest for the batter, and lemon juice for both the blueberry sauce and the lemon cheesecake batter.
Cinnamon: A touch of ground cinnamon really brings out the blueberry flavor and makes it pop! It doesn't taste much like cinnamon - it tastes more like blueberry pie.
Cornstarch: I used cornstarch to thicken the blueberry sauce and also in the cheesecake batter to prevent it from cracking. If you plan on freezing the cheesecake, I recommend using arrowroot starch if you plan on freezing the cheesecake.
Graham cracker crumbs: I used precrushed graham crackers but you can easily crush your own in a food processor or in a bag with a rolling pin. You can use other cookies like biscoff, whole oreos (with the filling), and shortbread cookies!
Sour cream: Sour cream is key to a creamy, tangy cheesecake. I don't recommend substituting it with yogurt or Greek yogurt because it's more watery and doesn't make the cheesecake as rich and creamy.
👩🍳 How to make lemon blueberry cheesecake
Blueberry sauce step by step
Step 1: Combine blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a saucepan.
Step 2: Cook on low heat, stirring well to make sure it cooks evenly and doesn't burn. Mash the blueberries roughly with a spatula. Once it starts to bubble and becomes thick, remove from heat and let the sauce cool.
Cheesecake crust step by step
Prep: Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Grease a 9" round springform pan with a bit of butter.
Step 1: Combine graham crumbs, brown sugar, melted butter, and salt in a large bowl. Mix together well to combine.
Step 2: Transfer the crust mixture into the springform pan and press the mixture into the sides and bottom. Pack it in tightly by pressing it down with the bottom of a glass.
Step 3: Place the pan onto a baking sheet and bake it in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and work on the cheesecake batter while the crust bakes and cools. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C) after the crust cools.
Blueberry lemon cheesecake swirl batter step by step
Step 1: In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Mix with a paddle attachment or an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and mix again to ensure everything mixes evenly.
Step 2: Add one egg into the cream cheese mixture. Mix just until it's incorporated, and scrape down the bowl. Repeat with the rest of the eggs, making sure to blend each egg in and scrape down the bowl before the next egg. Don't overmix - mix just until each egg dissappears.
Step 3: Add vanilla extract and sour cream to the cheesecake batter. Mix just until it's incorporated.
Step 4: Transfer half of cheesecake batter into a separate bowl. This will be the blueberry batter. Add about three quarters of the blueberry sauce into this bowl and mix with a spatula until it turns into an even purple color.
Step 5: Into the remaining bowl of cheesecake batter, add grated lemon zest from one lemon, and the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Optionally, add enough yellow food coloring to make it a yellow color. Mix with a spatula until the batter is smooth and even.
Step 6: Add large scoopfuls of batter into the baked crust, alternating the blueberry and lemon cheesecake batters. Do this until all of the batter is used up.
Step 7: Then, add spoonfuls of the remaining blueberry sauce on top. Use a knife to swirl the batter and sauce gently. Bake the cheesecake on the baking tray in the center rack of your oven for one hour and 10 minutes, at 300°F (150°C). The cheesecake is ready when the middle is puffed up and jiggly - but not liquid.
Step 8: Remove from the oven and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature before covering the pan with a plate and popping it in the fridge to cool for at least 6 hours or overnight to set.
Before serving, remove the lemon blueberry cheesecake from the pan by running a knife along the edge of the cheesecake and releasing the outside ring.
Garnish (optional) step by step
Step 1: Combine whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla in a medium chilled bowl. Whip to medium peaks with a wire whisk. Add greek yogurt and whip until it reaches stiff peaks.
Scoop the whipped cream onto the cheesecake, I made 8 scoops. Use the back of small spoon to create divets in the center of each scoop of whipped cream.
Step 8: Add a dollop of blueberry curd into the center of each divet. Decorate the top with fresh blueberries.
✔️ Expert cheesecake tips
- Don't overmix the cheesecake batter once the eggs are added. This can incorporate too much air into the cheesecake which can make it crack and collapse after baking.
- Don't bake at too high of an oven temperature: If the oven temperature is too high, then the cheesecake outside will bake faster than the inside resulting in a cracked cheesecake with an uneven surface.
- Look for visual cues that the cheesecake is finished baking: This is your best bet in ensuring that the cheesecake is perfectly baked. The top should be puffed up and wiggly if you give the pan a nudge. It shouldn't be cracked on top.
- Let the cheesecake set for at least six hours or overnight in the fridge: This ensures that it has the perfect creamy but set texture that slices easily.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
Cheesecakes are great to make ahead since they need to set in the fridge overnight.
Store the cheesecake covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. This cheesecake freezes well, make sure to wrap it tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. It's ok to freeze this cheesecake with cornstarch because there's not too much cornstarch that the cheesecake would change texture considerably after thawing.
However, if you know that you will for sure be freezing the cheesecake, it's best to use arrowroot starch since it holds up better and doesn't release water after freezing.
🍋 How to bake lemon blueberry cheesecake without a waterbath?
By baking the cheesecake low and slow in the oven, you can avoid the need for a waterbath. It won't crack and will bake evenly, I promise! And it doesn't even take that much longer than baking in a waterbath.
I honestly prefer baking low and slow over a waterbath because I've ruined a tabletop by pouring boiling water into a tray... I've also spilled boiling water over myself in the process which I don't recommend at all.
The cornstarch in the cheesecake batter also helps it set nice and flat on top and prevents it from cracking.
If you still don't trust me and don't want to risk baking without a waterbath - you can follow my instructions to bake in my raspberry lemon cheesecake.
And check out my no waterbath basque burnt cheesecake if baking without a waterbath sounds more accessible for you.
📖 Recipe FAQs
I've used both, and they both work really well! I personally prefer the wild blueberries because the blueberries are smaller and softer. My husband preferred the regular blueberries because they were larger and chunkier. Flavorwise, they both had great blueberry flavor!
Yes - any dry crunchy cookie will work well! Oreos also work really well, you don't need to take the filling of them out before crushing them into crumbs. Some other ideas are shortbread cookies, biscoff cookies, and gingersnaps.
Nope, I developed this recipe to turn out perfectly, evenly baked with minimal cracking (if any) by baking it low and slow in the oven. Also I added a touch of cornstarch into the cheesecake batter which helps prevent cracking and a sunken center.
This cheesecake can have very small cracks around the blueberry sauce swirls but they should be barely noticeable. If you're getting large cracks, chances are that you've overbaked the cheesecake, or baked it at too high of a temperature and the outside baked faster than the inside had a chance to bake and set. You can get an oven thermometer to ensure that your oven is the right temperature that you set it to. And keep a close eye on the visual cues of a baked cheesecake!
🎂 More related recipes
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
Equipment
- Electric Hand Held Mixer
Ingredients
Blueberry Sauce
- 2 cups blueberries 283g, 1 US pint
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice from about 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cheesecake Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- ½ cup butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Blueberry lemon cheesecake swirl batter
- 32 oz cream cheese four 8oz packs, softened, 1000g
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 lemon zested
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed from about 1 lemon
- yellow food coloring optional
Garnish (optional)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream 35%, chilled
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup greek yogurt chilled, or sour cream
- ½ cup blueberry curd
- ¼ cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
Blueberry Sauce
- Combine blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a saucepan.2 cups blueberries, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Cook on low heat, stirring well to make sure it cooks evenly and doesn't burn. Mash the blueberries roughly with a spatula. Once it starts to bubble and becomes thick, remove from heat and let the sauce cool.
Cheesecake Crust
- Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Grease a 9" round springform pan with a bit of butter.
- Combine graham crumbs, brown sugar, melted butter, and salt in a large bowl. Mix together well to combine.2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ cup butter, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Transfer the crust mixture into the springform pan and press the mixture into the sides and bottom. Pack it in tightly by pressing it down with the bottom of a glass.
- Place the pan onto a baking sheet and bake it in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and work on the cheesecake batter while the crust bakes and cools. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C) after the crust cools.
Blueberry lemon swirl cheesecake batter
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Mix with a paddle attachment or an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and mix again to ensure everything mixes evenly.32 oz cream cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- Add one egg into the cream cheese mixture. Mix just until it's incorporated, and scrape down the bowl. Repeat with the rest of the eggs, making sure to blend each egg in and scrape down the bowl before the next egg. Don't overmix - mix just until each egg dissappears.4 large eggs
- Add vanilla extract and sour cream to the cheesecake batter. Mix just until it's incorporated.1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 1 cup sour cream
- Transfer half of cheesecake batter into a separate bowl. This will be the blueberry batter. Add about three quarters of the blueberry sauce into this bowl and mix with a spatula until it turns into an even purple color.
- Into the remaining bowl of cheesecake batter, add grated lemon zest from one lemon, and the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Optionally, add enough yellow food coloring to make it a yellow color. Mix with a spatula until the batter is smooth and even.1 lemon, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, yellow food coloring
- Add large scoopfuls of batter into the baked crust, alternating the blueberry and lemon cheesecake batters. Do this until all of the batter is used up.
- Then, add spoonfuls of the remaining blueberry sauce on top. Use a knife to swirl the batter and sauce gently.
- Bake the cheesecake on the baking tray in the center rack of your oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, at 300°F (150°C). The cheesecake is ready when the middle is puffed up and jiggly - but not liquid.
- Remove from the oven and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature before covering the pan with a plate and popping it in the fridge to cool for at least 6 hours or overnight to set.
- Before serving, remove the cheesecake from the pan by running a knife along the edge of the cheesecake and releasing the outside ring.
Garnish (optional)
- Combine whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla in a medium chilled bowl. Whip to medium peaks with a wire whisk. Add greek yogurt and whip until it reaches stiff peaks.½ cup heavy whipping cream, ¼ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ cup greek yogurt
- Scoop the whipped cream onto the cheesecake, I made 8 scoops. Use the back of small spoon to create divets in the center of each scoop of whipped cream.
- Add a dollop of blueberry curd into the center of each divet. Decorate the top with fresh blueberries.½ cup blueberry curd, ¼ cup fresh blueberries
Notes
- Don't overmix the cheesecake batter once the eggs are added.
- Don't bake at too high of an oven temperature: If the oven temperature is too high, then the cheesecake outside will bake faster than the inside resulting in cracks.
- Look for visual cues that the cheesecake is finished baking: The top should be puffed up and wiggly if you give the pan a nudge. It shouldn't be cracked on top.
- Let the cheesecake set for at least six hours or overnight in the fridge: This ensures that it has the perfect creamy but set texture that slices easily.
Kae
I’m making this, but I think golden Oreos for the crust maybe??
Mary
Yes that's a great idea! You can use golden oreos with the filling - no need to scrape the filling off 🙂