No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
Kristy Norrell
No-bake desserts are perfect for hot summer days and blueberries are one of summer’s most perfect fruits, so this easy cheesecake is kind of a no brainer. There are a lot of things to admire about it. Besides the lovely purple hue, it’s refreshing and creamy, and so simple to make. No oven needed!
The first step here is to make the blueberry sauce. It’s a simple undertaking, just a matter of simmering some blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice together until the berries have broken down and released their juices. You can use storebought blueberry preserves or jam here instead, but since nothing compares to the flavor of fresh, sun-kissed blueberries and it really is easy to do, I encourage you to make your own!
The blueberry sauce goes into the fridge to chill while you construct the crust. It’s a simple graham cracker base – just graham cracker crumbs, butter, and salt. Salt always seems a little odd in a dessert, but what it does is bring out the sweetness in the crust. It really adds to it! That gets pressed into a springform pan and goes into the freezer to harden up while you prepare the rest of the filling.
Cream cheese gets beaten with powdered sugar until it’s creamy and smooth and then whipped cream and the chilled blueberry sauce are gently folded in. It’s a beautiful bright and cheery purple and it gets spread over the graham cracker crust before it goes into the fridge to set.
A few hours later and without having ever touched the dial on your oven, you can slice into this cool, delicious summer treat. It’s just the thing on a hot summer day but I certainly wouldn’t mind a slice no matter the weather. Enjoy!
No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
20 minutes active, 4 hours inactive to prepare serves 8-10
Ingredients
- For the blueberry sauce:
- 2 cups blueberries (thawed if frozen)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- For the crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- Pinch of salt
- For the cheesecake filling:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
- Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- First, make the blueberry sauce:
- In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine blueberries, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until blueberries have softened and sauce has reduced, about 5-7 minutes. Place in refrigerator to chill.
- While the sauce cools, make the crust:
- In a large bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, salt, and melted butter until well combined. Press crumbs firmly into prepared pan. Place in freezer while you make the filling.
- In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Add whipped cream and fold in gently. Fold in chilled blueberry sauce.
- Spread blueberry filling over prepared crust and chill in refrigerator until firm, at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Adapted from Also The Crumbs Please.