No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake

Ingredients notes and substitutions

• Blueberries - you can use either fresh or frozen ones. If you use frozen blueberries, thaw them before you use them. Whenever possible, I recommend using fresh blueberries, though.
• Lemon juice - use freshly squeezed lemon juice rather than bottled one. Bottled lemon juice adds too much acidity to the filling, and it simply doesn't taste that good.
• Cornstarch - acts as a thickening agent for the blueberry sauce. The sauce needs to be as thick as jelly once cooled, and cornstarch is helping you achieve this.
• Graham crackers - if you don't have graham crackers available where you live, substitute with digestive biscuits (UK) or similar cookies.
• Heavy whipping cream - depending on where you live, the name will vary. Just look for whipping cream or heavy cream that has a minimum of 36% fat content. Don't go with a light product.
• Cream cheese - either brick-style (US) or spreadable (UK) works. Let brick-style cream cheese soften at room temperature before using it. Use spreadable cream cheese straight out of the fridge since it's soft already.

Step-by-step instructions

Combine the cornstarch and water and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed pan, bring the blueberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice to a simmer.

Cook until the blueberries break apart, and the sauce stops foaming. Stir constantly.

Then stir in the cornstarch mixture and bring the sauce to a boil. Cook until it has thickened and reduced. When you start seeing the bottom of the pan while stirring, and the lines stay visible for a few seconds, you know the sauce is done.

Transfer the sauce to a shallow heat-proof bowl and let cool uncovered. Then cover and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight. It thickens as it cools. Once cooled, it should look and behave like jelly.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter and stir until the crumbs are evenly moist. Then, transfer the crumbs to a parchment paper-lined springform pan and press the crust into the bottom and halfway up the sides, using the base of a flat-bottomed cup. Freeze the crust until you are done with the filling.

In a large mixing bowl, whip the whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to the fridge until you are done with the next step.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until creamy, combined, and no lumps remain. Add the chilled blueberry sauce (must be cold and as firm as jelly) and fold it into the cream cheese mixture until well combined.

Gently fold one-third of the whipped cream into the blueberry mixture.

Proceed with the remaining two-thirds of the whipped cream. Be careful that you don't overwork the filling. It's perfectly fine to have a few streaks of whipping cream throughout the filling.

Transfer the filling to the prepared crust and spread evenly but carefully without deflating the filling. Chill in the fridge overnight.

Tips for success

• Cook the blueberry sauce until it has thickened and reduced. When you start seeing the bottom of the pan while stirring, and the lines stay visible for a few seconds, you know the sauce is done.
• Chill the blueberry sauce in the fridge before you add it to the filing. It must be cold and as thick as jelly.
• Whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
• Don't overwork the filling when folding the whipping cream into the blueberry mixture. When it comes to folding whipping cream: less is more.
• Let the no-bake cheesecake set in the fridge overnight.
• Keep it in the fridge all the time. Don't let it sit at room temperature for longer than 15 minutes, or the filling is getting too soft.

FAQ's

Why is my filling too soft and didn't set?

First of all, it's worth mentioning, the filling is on the soft side but firm enough to slice the cake. It's not as firm as baked cheesecake, though. However, if the filling ended up too soft to slice the cake, there are mainly two reasons why this happened.

1. The blueberry sauce was the reason. The sauce wasn't either not cooked long enough and hasn't thickened properly, or it was not cold at the time you added it to the cream cheese mixture. Before you start mixing the filling, look at the blueberry sauce. It should look and behave like jelly. If it is runny and soupy, it's better to cook it a little longer and maybe add a little more cornstarch and chill it again. The easier solution? Simply use 1 cup (290g) of blueberry jelly or jam for the filling instead.
2. The whipping cream was the reason. That could mean that you didn't mix it until stiff peaks formed (be careful that you don't mix it too long, though, or you end up with a curdled mess). Whipping for 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed should suffice. Once whipped, gently fold it into the filling without deflating the whipped cream too much. It's better to have some streaks of whipping cream in the cake rather than a deflated, unstable, and too soft filling.

My recommendation: Please watch the video and the step-by-step photos for visualization to see how the consistencies of the ingredients are along the process. Also, please read the instructions carefully and my tips for success (previous chapter).

How to fold whipped cream into the filling?

Start at one o'clock when working with the right hand and at eleven o'clock with the left hand. Then scrape the spoon down the side of the bowl until you are at the bottom of the bowl. Scrape along the side of the bowl until you see the spoon again. The spoon should now be at seven o'clock when folding with the right hand and at five o'clock with the left. Then fold over the top. Turn the bowl a little and repeat. Stop immediately when the filling is incorporated.

Freezing instructions

After chilling the cake in the fridge as described, freeze it for 1 hour in the freezer. Then wrap with plastic foil tightly and store in a large freezer bag or container. To thaw, unwrap the cake and store it covered in the fridge overnight. Serve the next day.

Variations

This recipe was originally made with an Oreo cookie crust. The combination of blueberries and Oreos may sound funny but is very delicious. Try it yourself. Make the crust as directed and swap the graham crackers for 36 Oreo cookies. Crash them with the filling into fine crumbs and combine with the butter.

More cheesecake recipes

If you love cheesecake as much as I do, you will love the following recipes as well. They are loved by family, friends, and readers around the world.

• Lemon Cheesecake
• Chocolate Cheesecake
• Oreo Cheesecake
• No-bake Strawberry Cheesecake
• Mini Cheesecakes
• Air Fryer Cheesecake