Summer is for desserts made with all the lovely berries that are in season, and I can’t get enough. This light and creamy, no bake lemon blueberry cheesecake is a simply delicious way to celebrate all the plump juicy berries. Blueberries pair beautifully with lemon, and the tart sweetness in this easy cheesecake recipe is a wonderful combination of bright citrus and sweet cream cheese. A spoonful of lemon curd with each slice is a nice touch, but you could also serve it with the blueberry sauce from my original no bake vanilla bean cheesecake. Or make both, and let your guests choose their favorite!
Looking for more no bake cheesecake recipes? Don’t miss this blackberry cheesecake and strawberry orange cheesecake.
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Ingredients
Crust
- Graham Crackers. You can use any flavor of graham crackers that you like, but I think the original honey flavored ones are best with lemon blueberry cheesecake. If you’re not able to find graham crackers, use digestive biscuits or vanilla wafer cookies.
- Granulated Sugar. Adds a little more sweetness, although I usually don’t add sugar to my graham cracker crusts, since the crackers are already sweet.
- Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Unsalted Butter. Melted butter moistens the crust to bind it together, and adds a rich, buttery flavor.
Filling
- Heavy Whipping Cream. Adds a rich, creamy texture to cheesecake.
- Gelatin. Use unflavored powdered gelatin to thicken and set your no bake cheesecake.
- Cream Cheese. Full-fat cream cheese is preferred for the best flavor in cheesecake.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens the filling.
- Lemons. You’ll be using both the zest and the juice of fresh lemons to add a bright, tart flavor to the lemon cheesecake filling.
- Sour Cream. Adds a tangy, rich flavor and texture.
- Blueberries. You should use fresh blueberries, since frozen berries will make your filling look streaky.
For Serving
- Lemon Curd. Serve your cheesecake with homemade lemon curd, or store bought. Store bought lemon curd is thicker, and will need to be warmed slightly to a pourable consistency.
- Blueberries. Garnish the top of your cheesecake with fresh blueberries, and edible flowers, if you have them.
Instructions
Make the Crust.
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Lightly spray the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with non-stick baking spray.
- Combine the crushed graham crackers with the sugar and salt. Drizzle with the melted butter, and toss with a fork until moistened and crumbly. Dump the crumbs into the pan, and press the crumbs firmly against the bottom and several inches up the sides of the pan.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until fragrant and golden brown. Cool completely.
- Note that you can skip the step of baking the crust, but I like to bake it briefly just to toast the graham crackers for a richer, nuttier flavor.
Make the No Bake Cheesecake Filling
- In a microwaveable glass measuring cup or bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the heavy whipping cream with the gelatin. Let stand for 5 minutes.Microwave on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds, to dissolve the gelatin.Set aside while you make the filling. If any small lumps of undissolved gelatin remain in the warmed cream/gelatin mixture, pour it through a mesh strainer.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla bean until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the lemon juice, lemon zest and sour cream.
- Gradually add the remaining 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, and beat until soft peaks form.
- Add the strained cream/gelatin mixture to the mixing bowl and beat until smooth and thick.
- Fold in the blueberries. Immediately spread the filling over the cooled crust and smooth out the top.
Chill the Cheesecake.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap (not touching the filling), and refrigerate until completely set, about 6 hours, or overnight.
- To serve, run a sharp knife around the side of the cheesecake, to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan. Unlock the sides to remove it from the base.
- Serve slices with the lemon curd and more blueberries.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of gelatin should I use?
- You should use unflavored powdered gelatin for this recipe, which is easily available in the US. I don’t have any experience with gelatin sheets, so I’m not able to advise on how to use them.
Can I make no bake cheesecake without gelatin?
- You can omit the gelatin if you prefer, but you’ll need to make sure your cream is whipped thick enough, as you don’t want it to deflate and cause your cheesecake not to set. The gelatin ensures your no bake cheesecake will be perfectly set.
What can I substitute for the graham crackers?
- If you can’t find graham crackers, use digestive biscuits or vanilla wafers.
Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh lemons?
- You can use either fresh or bottled lemon juice, but you’ll need fresh lemons for the zest.
Do I have to use a springform pan?
- A springform pan is a type of cake pan that has sides that can be removed from the base. It’s typically used for cheesecakes and other molded desserts so that the cheesecake can be easily removed from the pan and presented on a cake pedestal.
- If you don’t have a springform pan, you can assemble this recipe in a deep-dish pie pan, and just serve it the same as you would slices of pie.
- For a wider cheesecake that’s not as tall, you can use a 9 or 10-inch springform pan.
How long does no bake cheesecake stay fresh?
- No bake cheesecake is best eaten within 3 days.
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Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake (No Bake Recipe)
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- 8-inch Springform Pan with Removable Bottom
- Electric Mixer (Stand or Handheld)
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups finely crushed graham crackers, approximately 1 1/4 sleeves
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar, optional
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 1 ½ cups cold heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 envelope (1/4 oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1 ½ lbs cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 small lemons, zested and juiced (you'll need 1/4 cup of lemon juice)
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
For Serving
- 1 cup lemon curd, slightly warmed
- fresh blueberries
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Lightly spray the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with non-stick baking spray.
- Combine the crushed graham crackers with the sugar and salt. Drizzle with the melted butter, and toss with a fork until moistened and crumbly. Dump the crumbs into the pan, and press the crumbs firmly against the bottom and several inches up the sides of the pan.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until fragrant and golden brown. Cool completely.
- Note that you can skip the step of baking the crust, but I like to bake it briefly just to toast the graham crackers for a richer, nuttier flavor.
Filling
- In a microwaveable glass measuring cup or bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the heavy whipping cream with the gelatin. Let stand for 5 minutes.Microwave on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds, to dissolve the gelatin.Set aside while you make the filling. If any small lumps of undissolved gelatin remain in the warmed cream/gelatin mixture, pour it through a mesh strainer.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla bean until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the lemon juice, lemon zest and sour cream.
- Gradually add the remaining 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, and beat until soft peaks form.
- Add the strained cream/gelatin mixture to the mixing bowl and beat until smooth and thick.
- Fold in the blueberries. Immediately spread the filling over the cooled crust and smooth out the top. Cover loosely with plastic wrap (not touching the filling), and refrigerate until completely set, about 6 hours, or overnight.
- To serve, run a sharp knife around the side of the cheesecake, to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan. Unlock the sides to remove it from the base.
- Serve slices with the lemon curd and more blueberries.
Notes
- Leftover no bake cheesecake should be covered and refrigerated, and is best eaten within 3 days.
Simply beautiful:)
Trying this tomorrow, but I cannot find any mention of a vanilla bean in the ingredients. I can use extract or paste and I guess I’ll just use a heart measurement 😁