No Bake Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

This light and creamy no bake cheesecake is flecked with real vanilla bean, nestled in a buttery, salted graham cracker crust, and topped with a luscious blueberry compote. When you want cheesecake, but don’t want to bother with the tedious process of baking a cheesecake, this no bake vanilla bean cheesecake will satisfy your craving for an easy but delicious dessert. Enjoy it plain, or top it with a homemade fruit sauce!

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What is the Difference Between a Baked Cheesecake and a No Bake Cheesecake?

Traditional baked cheesecakes include eggs in the batter. To bake the cheesecake, you would need to wrap the springform pan in aluminum foil (to prevent leaking), and set the pan in a larger roasting pan full of water – this is called a water bath. The water bath helps the cheesecake bake more gently and evenly. After baking, the cheesecake rests in the oven for a while longer, and then chills in the refrigerator. The process can take a while, and can be extremely frustrating if water leaks into the pan, which will ruin the cheesecake.

No bake cheesecakes don’t include any eggs, and as their name suggests, do not need to be baked to set. Instead, cooks rely on heavy whipping cream and gelatin to thicken and set the filling without baking. No bake cheesecakes are quick and easy to make, with little room for error.

There is also a great difference in texture between the two cheesecakes. Baked cheesecakes are dense, heavy and rich, while no bake cheesecakes are very light, creamy and almost mousse-like. Both versions are delicious!

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

• Graham Crackers. The graham crackers are crisp and crunchy, with hints of honey and cinnamon. When crushed, they’re perfect for soaking up melted butter to form the base of the cheesecake.
• Sugar. The sugar is optional, and personally, I don’t add sugar to my crust. Most people like a little extra sweetness, though. You can use either white sugar or brown sugar.
• Coarse Kosher Salt. A salted graham cracker crust is best, as the salt enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness.
• Unsalted Butter. Melted butter moistens the crushed graham crackers and binds the crust together.

Cheesecake Filling

• Cream Cheese. The cream cheese is the star of our no bake cheesecake filling. Full fat cream cheese is preferable for the best flavor.
• Heavy Whipping Cream. Without eggs or baking, we’ll be using heavy whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks to help thicken and set the cheesecake. The whipped cream also makes this dessert very light, silky and creamy.
• Sour Cream. Adds a tangy flavor.
• Powdered Sugar. Sweetens the filling, while the fine texture dissolves easily.
• Vanilla. I scraped a vanilla bean for my filling, but you can also use vanilla bean paste or good quality vanilla extract.
• Gelatin. Gelatin is a protein obtained by boiling the skin, tendons, ligaments, and bones of cows and pigs with water. It is commonly used as a setting or jelling agent in jello and no bake desserts. I use unflavored powdered gelatin, which comes in a box containing four 1/4-oz envelopes. I have no experience with using gelatin sheets.

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 to remove the lumps.
• In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer (either stand or hand held is fine) to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the sour cream.
• Gradually add the remaining 1 cup of cold 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.
• Immediately pour the filling into 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.

Blueberry Compote

What you’ll need:

• 1 pound blueberries (or pitted cherries), fresh or frozen and thawed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Making the compote:

• Combine the blueberries, sugar, corn starch and lemon juice in a saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from the heat, transfer to a container, and refrigerate until chilled.

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?

• You can use any flavor of graham crackers (honey, cinnamon or chocolate), as well as other cookies that are hard and crunchy, such as digestive biscuits, vanilla wafers, ginger snaps or Oreos (without the cream filling).

Do I need to bake the graham cracker crust?

• No, you don’t need to bake the crust, as it will set just fine if you press it firmly into the pan. I bake mine briefly because it gives it a toasted, nutty flavor.

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.

If I don’t have an 8-inch springform pan, can I use a 9 or 10-inch pan?

• This recipe makes a fairly small cheesecake, so the smaller 8-inch springform pan is the ideal size for tall slices. You can use a larger pan, but your cheesecake will be shorter and thinner.

If I want a larger/fuller cheesecake for a 9 or 10-inch pan, how should I adjust the recipe?

• Increase the crust to 2 1/4 cups crushed graham crackers + 3 tbsp brown sugar + 1 1/2 tsp salt + 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) unsalted butter.  Be sure to press the crust all the way up the sides of the pan to hold more filling.
• Add an additional 1 pound of cream cheese to the filling (for a total of 2 pounds / four 8-oz blocks cream cheese).
• Add an additional 1/4 cup of powdered sugar (for a total of 3/4 cup powdered sugar).

How long does cheesecake stay fresh?

• Cheesecake is best eaten within 3 days.

What should I serve with cheesecake?

• Fruit sauce or compote.
• Fresh berries.
• Lemon curd.
• Salted caramel sauce.
• Chocolate ganache.
• Sprinkled with toffee bits.

Can cheesecakes be frozen?

• Yes, you can wrap your cheesecake and freeze it for 3-6 months. Thaw out the cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Other cheesecake ideas…

• Strawberry Orange Cheesecake
• Peanut Butter Maple Caramel Cheesecake
• Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake

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