Lemon blueberry cheesecake is a baked lemon cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust and luscious lemon blueberry curd. Lemon and blueberry make the most delicious flavor combination in this make-ahead dessert recipe!
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Blueberry lemon cheesecake combines two favorite flavors: lemon and blueberry! It’s a creamy lemon cheesecake with a rosemary brown butter crust and blueberry lemon curd on top.
I knew a homemade fruit curd would make the best topping since everyone loves it with these raspberry lemon cheesecake bars. For this recipe, I used the lemon blueberry curd from my blueberry cupcakes recipe.
I adapted the cheesecake recipe from my apple crumb cheesecake.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Lemon and blueberries make the best flavor combination for spring! For the perfect holiday cheesecake, make my caramel pecan cheesecake!
- The lemon cheesecake filling is as fluffy and creamy as these chocolate mini cheesecakes.
- Blueberry lemon curd makes the prettiest, most refreshing topping. This cake makes a stunning dessert, just like my carrot cake cheesecake.
- Brown butter and earthy rosemary makes the graham cracker crust extra rich tasting!
Ingredient Notes
Here are useful notes on some of the ingredients for this lemon blueberry cheesecake recipe.
- Unsalted butter: I prefer unsalted butter because it allows us to control the amount of salt. Brown the butter for extra flavor. You can also just use melted butter.
- Cream cheese: Use full fat, room temperature cream cheese. Use the blocks, not tubs of cream cheese. Take cream cheese out of the refrigerator at least least two hours before using.
- Sour cream: Use full fat, room temperature sour cream for the filling. If you have leftover sour cream, be sure to try my cornmeal blueberry cake and chocolate and lemon cake!
- Brown sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar. I recommend dark brown sugar for more fall flavor. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh and free of lumps.
- Eggs: Use 3 large, room temperature eggs.
- Graham crackers: Crush the graham crackers in a food processor. You can also use the precrushed graham cracker crumbs they sell in most grocery stores.
- 3 Lemons: We’re using lemon zest in both the cheesecake and curd. You’ll only need lemon juice for the curd. Lemon fans will also love these lemon and lime bars!
- Blueberries: Use fresh or frozen blueberries for the curd. You can also top the cake with fresh blueberries for decoration! If you have extra blueberries, make my blueberry white chocolate muffins!
- Fresh rosemary (optional): For a hint of earthy flavor add a little chopped fresh rosemary to the crust!
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use raspberries in place of the blueberries if you prefer.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
Quick Recap Video
Instructions
Step 1: (See photo 1 above). Melt or brown the butter. See recipe card below for instructions on how to brown butter.
Step 2: (See photo 2 above). Stir to combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter and chopped rosemary (if using) in a bowl. Spread on the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 Fahrenheit.
Step 3: (See photo 3 above). Combine the sugars and lemon zest in a large bowl. Mix the zest into the sugars with your fingertips. Add the cream cheese and mix with an electric mixer for 2 minutes til smooth. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract then beat in the eggs one at a time.
Step 4: (See photo 4 above). Pour filling into the crust. Pour hot water in the roasting pan. Place a roasting pan on the bottom rack in the oven. Place the cheesecake on the middle rack. Bake for 60-70 minutes. Turn off the oven. Crack the oven door open slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour.
Step 5: (See photo 5 above). Allow cheesecake to cool completely in the pan on a rack uncovered at room temperature. Once cooled to room temperature, refrigerate uncovered at least 4 hours.
Step 6: (See photo 6 above). While the cheesecake chills, make the curd. In a saucpan, whisk together the sugar, lemon zest, whole egg, yolk, and salt, until smooth. Stir in the blueberries and lemon juice. Stir over medium-low heat til mixture thickens. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and into a large bowl. Stir in the butter til melted.
Step 7: (See photo 7 above). Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Step 8: (See photo 8 above). When ready to serve, spread the curd over the cheesecake. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Tip #1: Use full fat, block cream cheese. Do not use cream cheese spread that comes in a tub.
Tip #2: Stir blueberry lemon curd frequently while cooking to keep it from clumping up or burning.
Tip #4: Take the ingredients for the filling out of the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Room temperature ingredients make it possible to for ingredients to get fully incorporated and makes your cheesecake nice and creamy. I like to leave my cream cheese out the night before I plan to make the cheesecake.
Tip #5: Allow time for both preparation and refrigeration. Both the cheesecake and curd need time to chill in the fridge.
Tip #6: Avoid overbeating. Beat the cheesecake mixture til the ingredients are just incorporated. Over beating creates air bubbles which can result in cracks in the baked cheesecake.
Recipe FAQs
Use fresh or frozen for the curd. If it’s blueberry season, I recommend fresh blueberries since they are at peak flavor. Fresh blueberries found off season won’t add as much flavor to curd. If it’s not blueberry season, I recommend frozen blueberries. Use only fresh blueberries for decorating.
The blueberry lemon curd can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Use a 9 inch spring form pan. Spray the bottom lightly with non stick baking spray and place a round of parchment paper on top. This will prevent the cheesecake from sticking to the pan.
Store leftover cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze individual slices in an airtight container for up to 30 days. Thaw at room temperature 1-2 hours.
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Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter browned or melted* For brown butter, start with 9 tablespoons of unsalted butter. For melted butter, use 1/2 cup butter. See notes below.
- 2 cups (168 g) graham cracker crumbs from about 16 full sheets
- ⅓ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons (1½ teaspoons) finely chopped fresh rosemary optional
Lemon Cheesecake Filling
- 32 ounces (907.19 g) cream cheese brick style, full fat, room temperature
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar light or dark, packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 3 (3) large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (230 g) sour cream full fat, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- 2 lemons zested, using only the zest, not the juice
Lemon Blueberry Curd
- 1 ¼ cups (185 g) blueberries fresh or frozen (unthawed)
- ½ lemon zest and juice, about ½ tablespoon zest and 1½ tablespoons juice
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter cold, cut into about 5 pieces
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Set one oven rack in the center position and place one rack at the lowest rack position for the roasting pan (to be used while baking the cheesecake). Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
- Lightly spray the sides and bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with baking non stick spray. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the parchment paper.
- Melt or brown the butter. If melting (not browning the butter), use 1/2 cup butter. If browning the butter, start with 9 tablespoons of butter. To brown the butter, start by melting the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally at first. Once it begins to bubble, stir it constantly. It will start to foam. Continue stirring as you watch for it to turn a light, amber color and develop a nutty smell which should happen in about five minutes. Pour the brown butter into a medium sized heat safe bowl, making sure the scrape the bottom of the pan for all the bits.
- Use store-bought graham cracker crumbs or finely crush your own graham cracker sheets. To crush the graham cracker crumbs, pulse the graham crackers in a food processor to finely ground crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and finely chopped rosemary (if using). Pour in the melted or browned butter and stir til well combined.
- Pour the graham cracker mixture into the prepared pan. Use your hands to spread it evenly on the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Pat mixture down with medium pressure with your hands or using a small flat bottom measuring cup. Be sure to press crumbs into place until compact and not loose or crumbly but avoid pressing too hard.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Crust should be golden brown. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool while you prepare the filling. Reduce oven temperature to 325 Fahrenheit.
Cheesecake Filling
- Fill a kettle with water and heat the water to boil. You'll need enough water to add about an inch of water to your roasting pan, so you'll probably need a full kettle. Take out a 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan or a roasting pan. Set aside. This will be for the hot water bath.
- Next, combine the sugars and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand held mixer. Use your fingertips or an electric mixer to rub the zest into the sugar til combined. Add the room temperature cream cheese and beat with the mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat til just fully combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat only to combine. Stop mixing as soon as the last egg has been mixed into the batter. DO NOT OVERMIX.
- Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust. Smooth the top of the cheesecake with an offset spatula or regular spatula.
- Pour about an inch or a little more than an inch of hot water in the roasting pan or 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan. Place the roasting pan on the bottom/lower rack in the oven. Close oven door for a couple minutes to allow oven to return to 325 degrees. Next, set the cheesecake on the middle rack and quickly close the oven door to keep the steam from the hot water in the oven.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes until the center is almost set. The center of the cheesecake should jiggle slightly when, with an oven mitt on, you gently shake the pan but the sides should be set. Turn off the oven. Crack the oven door open slightly and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, take the cheesecake out of the oven. Set the pan on a rack and allow cheesecake to cool uncovered til it's room temperature. Next, use an offset spatula or a small flexible rubber spatula and run it around the edges of the cheesecake. Press the spatula against the pan as you do this. This will make sure the cheesecake isn't sticking to the pan. Refrigerate the cheesecake uncovered for a minimum of 5 hours or overnight. While the cheesecake chills, make the lemon blueberry curd. Keep cheesecake in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.
Lemon Blueberry Curd
- Chop the butter into about 5 pats of butter. Place it in a large non-metal bowl. . Set a sieve over the bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium sized heavy bottom saucepan, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips. Rubbing the zest into the sugar is optional. It will help release the oils of the zest and enhance the lemon flavor.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and salt to the saucepan and whisk with a silicone whisk til smooth.
- Stir in the blueberries and lemon juice. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula or silicone whisk over medium-low heat til mixture comes to a simmer then thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, should take around 10 minutes.
- Strain the curd through the sieve, pushing it through the sieve with a spatula to Discard the blueberry skins.
- Stir in the cold, chopped butter til melted. Gently press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Set the bowl in the refrigerator to cool and thicken for at least 2 hours.
- Spread the curd evenly over the cheesecake with an offset spatula.
- Use a long, sharp knife to cut the cheesecake. Wipe the knife clean and run it under hot water in between slicing for extra neat slices.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Heidi
Delicious! I used this recipe to teach our 16 year old son how to make cheesecake. Very clear instructions & easy to make. He was so proud of himself!
Natalie
Hi Heidi, Aww this comment made my day!! Thank you so much for making this cheesecake with your son! I’m so happy you found the recipes clear and easy. That was definitely my goal when I wrote the recipe and love that your son was proud of himself! Please tell him I said great job!!