This No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake is a creamy and impressive recipe, which is made with a vanilla-wafer crust and a fresh blueberry topping. It’s the perfect make-ahead dessert for a crowd, ready after chilling for at least 8 hours.
No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 box (11 ounces) vanilla-wafer cookies, such as Nabisco Nilla
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling:
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
- 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
For the Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries and fresh mint leaves, for garnish
How To Make No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
- Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse the vanilla-wafer cookies into fine crumbs. Add the granulated sugar, salt, and melted butter, and pulse until all the crumbs are moist. Press this mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
- Prepare the cheesecake filling: In a clean food processor, blend the ricotta, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest, and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice until very smooth. Transfer this to a large bowl.
- Whip the cream: In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the ricotta mixture.
- Assemble the layers: Dollop 2 1/2 cups of the cream mixture over the chilled crust and spread it evenly. Top with 2 cups of fresh blueberries. Dollop the remaining cream mixture on top and spread to cover the berries completely.
- Make the blueberry topping: In a small saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups of blueberries with 2 tablespoons of water, the remaining 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook over medium-high heat until the berries begin to burst. Whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry, then stir it into the blueberry mixture. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 more minute until thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in 1 more cup of fresh berries, and let the sauce cool completely.
- Chill and serve: Wrap the cheesecake in plastic and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Just before serving, spoon the cooled berry topping over the chilled cake. Garnish with the remaining ½ cup of fresh berries and mint leaves.
Recipe Tips
- How to get a super smooth filling? The key is to use room temperature cream cheese and to blend the ricotta and cream cheese mixture in a food processor until it’s completely smooth and free of any graininess.
- Can I make this ahead of time? This is the perfect make-ahead dessert. It needs to chill for at least 8 hours to set properly, but you can make it up to 2 days in advance. Add the blueberry topping just before serving for the best result.
- How do I get clean slices? For the neatest slices, use a long, sharp knife. Dip the knife in hot water and wipe it dry between each cut. This will prevent the creamy filling from sticking to the knife.
- Can I use a different crust? Yes, a crust made from crushed graham crackers or shortbread cookies would also be delicious with the blueberry cheesecake filling.
What To Serve With No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
This rich and creamy dessert is a showstopper on its own.
- A cup of hot coffee or tea
- A glass of crisp dessert wine, like a Riesling
- A simple dusting of powdered sugar
How To Store No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
- Refrigerate: The recipe notes that leftovers can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, for up to 2 days.
No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Fat: 28g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Protein: 6g
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
An icebox cake is a no-bake dessert that is typically made by layering cookies or crackers with a creamy filling. The cake is then chilled, which allows the cookies to soften and the filling to set, creating a cake-like texture.
Yes. For the blueberry sauce, you can use frozen blueberries directly. For the fresh berry layer and garnish, it’s best to use fresh blueberries for the best texture.
This can happen if the heavy cream was not whipped to stiff peaks before being folded in. The whipped cream is essential for giving the no-bake cheesecake filling its light but stable structure. The 8-hour chilling time is also crucial for the filling to firm up completely.
Try More Recipes:
No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake for a Crowd Recipe
Description
A stunning no-bake layered dessert with a vanilla-wafer crust, a creamy lemon cheesecake filling, and a fresh blueberry topping, perfect for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Crust: Pulse cookies, sugar, and salt into crumbs. Mix with melted butter. Press into a 9×13-inch pan and chill.
- Filling: In a food processor, blend ricotta, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, zest, and lemon juice until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, then fold it into the cheese mixture.
- Assemble: Spread half the cream filling over the crust. Top with 2 cups of fresh blueberries. Spread the remaining cream filling on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
- Topping: Make the blueberry sauce by cooking 1 ½ cups of blueberries with sugar, lemon juice, and a cornstarch slurry until thick. Cool completely, then stir in 1 more cup of fresh berries.
- Spoon the cooled topping over the chilled cheesecake and garnish with the final ½ cup of fresh berries.
Notes
- Using room temperature cream cheese is the most important step for a smooth, lump-free filling.
- This is a perfect make-ahead dessert for a dinner party as it needs to chill overnight.
- Don’t be afraid to be generous with the fresh blueberry topping!
- The plastic wrap “sling” is key for lifting the cake out of the pan easily if you are not using a springform pan.