Ultra creamy homemade cheesecake swirled with sweet blueberry sauce. All on top of my favorite buttery graham cracker crust.
Hello, gorgeous.
If I had to choose a dessert to enjoy for the rest of my life (and there would be no savory food allowed at all in this dream), I would absolutely choose cheesecake. Or apple pie. With a never-ending supply of peanut butter on the side. But definitely cheesecake, too.
This is why I have a dessert blog.
This show-stopping blueberry swirl cheesecake needs to come with a warning label. Really, it does. Cheesecake so creamy, a graham cracker crust so buttery, and blueberry swirls sooo swirly. You will not be able to stop at one sliver. Dangerous, I tell ya!
The best (most dangerous?) part: you can easily use frozen blueberries in this cheesecake recipe, making this a fruity dessert you can enjoy year round.
Don’t be intimidated by cheesecake. That sounds hilarious when you say it out loud, but seriously! I know making a cheesecake sounds tricky, but it really is not. As long as you read through the directions ahead of time, you can handle it.
I know what you’re thinking—why is my springform pan wrapped in aluminum foil?! Make sure you read my post about how to avoid cheesecake cracks.
This blueberry swirl cheesecake sits on a graham cracker crust. The recipe is basically the same as my traditional graham cracker crust, but with slightly less butter since cheesecake is so heavy and wet. The crust turns out buttery, soft, and crunchy at the same time. Don’t forget to pre-bake the crust as the recipe instructs below, otherwise your crust will be crumbly and not really stick together.
The cheesecake filling is my favorite base for cheesecake—the same recipe I use to make my Cookies ‘n Cream Cheesecake on page 74 in my cookbook. Have you tried it yet? If so, then you know why it’s my go-to. Creamy, thick, and melt-in-your-mouth fantastic.
Make sure you plan ahead because this cheesecake has a few stages. First, it takes awhile to bake through. Second, it must sit in the oven after baking as the oven cools down—this is another trick to avoid cheesecake cracks. Then, once the cheesecake is room temperature, you must chill it. Because of all these steps, this is a great recipe to begin the night before; that’s exactly what I did before I brought it to a family dinner.
I used leftover blueberry sauce from the swirl to spoon on top of the cheesecake. I could drink this sweet blueberry sauce with a straw. Maybe throw some whipped cream on top of the slices too. Why not?!
The blueberry swirl is similar to my blueberry sauce recipe; today’s is a bit thicker for the cheesecake.
More Cheesecake Recipes
- Cheesecake Recipe
- Mini Cheesecakes
- Amaretto Cheesecake
- Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- No Bake Cheesecake
- Snickers Cheesecake
- Cheesecake Pie
Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Ultra creamy homemade cheesecake swirled with sweet blueberry sauce. All on top of my favorite buttery graham cracker crust. Your guests will beg for seconds!
Ingredients
Blueberry Sauce
- 2 teaspoons (6g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) warm water
- 2 cups (380g) fresh or frozen blueberries*
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
Crust
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheet graham crackers)
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 24 ounces (678g) full-fat block-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240g) full-fat sour cream (or yogurt), at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Make the blueberry sauce first: Whisk the cornstarch, lemon juice, and warm water together in a small bowl until the cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside. Warm the blueberries and sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously for 3 minutes until the blueberry juices begin to release. Add the cornstarch mixture and continue to stir for another 2–3 minutes, smashing some blueberries as you go. The mixture will start to thicken. Remove from heat and put the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl (to separate the cooked berries and the juice). Keep separated and set both (the cooked berries and the juice) aside.
- Make the crust: If you’re starting out with full graham crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in sugar until combined, and then stir in the melted butter. Mixture will be sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour into prepared pan and with medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and partly up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumby/crumbly. Tips: You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help press down the bottom crust and smooth out the surface, but do not pack down too hard. For more shaping technique tips, see the graham cracker crust recipe page.
- Wrap aluminum foil on the bottom and tightly around the outside walls of the springform pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Allow to slightly cool as you prepare the filling.
- Make the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed in a large bowl—about 3 full minutes until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream and vanilla, beat until combined. On low speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. Do not over-mix the filling after you have added the eggs.
- Pour the filling into the crust. Drop spoonfuls of the smooth blueberry sauce onto the batter. Using a knife, gently swirl as shown in the photo above. If you have leftover blueberry sauce, mix it with the cooked blueberries you set aside. Save for topping the baked cheesecake.
- Place the aluminum foil-wrapped springform pan into a large roasting pan and place into the oven. Fill with about 1 inch of hot water. The foil wrapped around the pan will prevent water from leaking inside. Read more about preventing cracks in cheesecake with a cheesecake water bath.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes or until the center is almost set.* Turn the oven off and open the door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight (preferred). Loosen the cheesecake from the rim of the pan and remove the rim. Cut into slices and serve chilled. Top with remaining chunky blueberry sauce, if desired. Cover leftover cheesecake and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: You can easily freeze this cheesecake for up to 2 months. Cover tightly and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Blueberries: If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw.
- Avoid overbaking the cheesecake. When the cheesecake is done, there will still be a 2- or 3-inch wobbly spot in the center; the texture will smooth out as it cools.
- Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 200g ground digestive biscuit crumbs (about 2 cups; 13–14 biscuits), 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, and 6 Tablespoons (85g) melted butter. Pre-bake the crust for a bit longer, about 12–14 minutes. And from what I understand, spreadable cream cheese sold in a tub in countries outside of the US is a little different from the spreadable cream cheese in the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and more solid and should be OK to make this pie. I have no experience with it, but this is what I’ve heard from other non-US readers. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Keywords: blueberry swirl cheesecake, blueberry cheesecake
Hi Sally,
How long should I bake this if I am going to use an 8-inch springfoam pan? And also if I am going to cut down the recipe in half and use a 4-inch springfoam pan?
Thank you!
Hi Beatrice! There is too much batter for an 8-inch pan. You can certainly cut the recipe in half to make a thinner 8-inch cheesecake or 2 4-inch cheesecakes. I’m unsure of the bake time, but they’re done baking when the centers are only *slightly* jiggly.
Hey Sally if I wanted to try this without the blueberries do you think it’d turn out? I couldn’t find a plain one in your recipes.
Yep! You can simply leave the blueberry swirl out. 🙂
Hey there,
If I wanted to just have the blueberry filling on the top of the cake, would you recommend doubling the recipe or would it be enough?
This should still give you a good amount to spoon on top. Enjoy!
I loved this recipe. My cheesecake cane out perfect and my family was so impressed. I used frozen blueberries and it was just delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipe 🙂
Hi Sally,
Thanks for your recipe! I made the cheesecake yesterday and it was soooooo good! Creamy yet not too heavy! so beautiful!!!
But just a little question,my cheesecake it doesn’t turns out like milky white colour as yours,it’s a bit brown.
I baked that in lower third rack position as you wrote,should I cover the top with aluminum foil so it won’t get brown next time?
That’s the best way to prevent the top from browning too much– covering loosely with aluminum foil. So glad you loved it!
I made this amazing cheesecake for a dinner party we went to last night, and the reviews are in! Awesome; OMG this is amazing; Wow, you can make this again…” It was so good and looked amazing with the blueberry swirled through it. It wasn’t heavy and with fresh local blueberries, it was the perfect seasonal dessert. Thank you so much for your details instructions. I have never done a water bath, but it worked so well, I may do it for all my future cheesecakes!
This is my very first cheesecake ever that I have made and I thought it was going to be really difficult but its in the oven as I speak and smells amazing!!! I can not wait to try it when it comes out. Thank you for a great and easy recipe. I used fresh blueberries for the swirl and put the rest in a food processor to blend them for a drizzle!!! 🙂
If I were to use yogurt instead of sour cream, what flavor of yogurt would I use? Plain?
Plain, yep!
Hello Sally,
Thank you for this beautiful recipe. So crunchy and creamy! I couldn’t find blueberries when I needed them and turned this into a raspberry cheesecake which was pretty good too and will attempt mango next. It’s summer after all! 😉
Best wishes from Berlin, Germany where you can really impress people with a cheesecake like this! So thank you again, also, for using the metric system as well!
Lisa
I’ve made raspberry and it is just as delicious as blueberry! Definitely let me know how the mango turns out – that sounds incredible for summer!
Hey Sally… I have made this twice and it truly is the best cheesecake I have ever eaten!… the texture is perfect!… I have a question though… if I want to give this cheesecake away, how do I remove the bottom.? .. I feel like this is a silly question….
Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to do that after the cake has been baked in the springform pan. I suggest just making sure the recipient knows you need it back! Next time, you can use a disposable one. 🙂
Becky, cut a circle of parchment paper (not waxed paper) and put it on the bottom before you press the cracker crumbs in. Use a metal flipper to help move the cake to a cardboard cake plate when it has cooled completely. This won’t guarantee that the transfer to a cardboard cake plate will be flawless, but it will make it a lot easier. Best thing; they can keep the plate and paper.
thank you John!… I will try this… because I can’t seem to find disposable springform pans…this sounds like it will work! 🙂
Made this exactly per directions for Easter. It was fabulous!!!!! Thank you for a true winner, Sally.
By far the best cheesecake recipe I have found. Made this for our family Easter dinner and had nothing left! This will be a repeat dessert for a long time!
Made this cheesecake for the first time, it is SO GOOD seriously. Huge hit with everyone at the event I brought it to.
Really give yourself time to make this, it took ingredients over an hour to get to room temp, about 45 min for crust, filling and assembly, nearly an hour to bake and an hour for temp to come down in the oven with heat off. But totally worth the effort! I added the fresh lemon juice to sauce plus a tiny bit of lemon oil, I like how rich and fragrant the oil is, also added some cinnamon to the sauce for more depth of flavor.
Hi Sally! I’m baking this cheesecake tonight for christmas. Can I left it two days on the refrigerator, or shall I freeze it? Thank you so much for this recipe, I already made it once and its wonderful 🙂
I’d leave it in the refrigerator, covered tightly, until Christmas Day. Merry Christmas!
Hi sally!
I’ve made it as the recipe says a couple of times now and each time it has worked great. This time i wanted to switch it up a bit for fall but i’m afraid the sauce will be too runny if i replace it with orange juice. I would like to make the cheesecake with an orange sauce instead of the blueberry one, could i just substitute the blueberries with fresh orange juice?
Hi Laurea! I’m unsure how to make an orange “swirl” but what about adding orange zest and a Tablespoon or two of OJ to the batter? That may be your best bet!
I made this for Thanksgiving and my husband (who is crazy picky!) said it was the best cheesecake I’ve ever made. Every recipe I’ve made from your blog is a show stopper! Thank you!
Hi Sally. When freezing this cheesecake, do I freeze after it has cooled or after it has set in the fridge for 6 hrs? Thanks!
Great question! Either would be fine, but I always freeze after I have chilled it in the fridge.
If I’m looking to add liquor to this recipe what would you suggest? I was thinking grand marnier in the blueberry sauce or something cream based in the filling.
I really like the idea of a couple Tbsp of Grand Marnier in the sauce!
HI Sally, this cheesecake looks so good! Can’t wait to make this for the fam:) but because I only have 2 10-ounce packages of cream cheese can I just up the amount of Greek yogurt to replace the other 4 ounces? If that makes sense. It would be a great help if you could answer! Thank you so much,
Alyssa
I *think* that should be fine because it is only 4 ounces. Let me know how it goes!
Sally,
What would you recommend I change if I wanted to make a strawberry swirl cheesecake?
Hi Courtney! Here is what I would do: Since I don’t have a recipe for strawberry sauce at the moment, I would just sub in chopped strawberries for the blueberries 🙂
I’ve made this cheesecake about six times, both exactly to the recipe and with variations and it has come out perfect everytime with no cracks or brownibg, and perfectly smooth and creamy. However, I just moved into a new house and was not able to bring my beautiful brand new oven with me. It hasn’t seemed to effect any other recipes, however I’ve made two cheesecakes in it so far, both of which have browned on the top. They haven’t cracked and they are very creamy, they just aren’t as appealing looking. I know the problem is viciously my oven, but how would you suggest fixing it? Should I try cooking for less time? Should I lower or raise the rack? Should I lower the temperature ? I don’t know, and would love a suggestion! 🙂
It’s never easy leaving a beloved oven! But the fix can be very simple. I would lower the oven rack and you can even “tent” a piece of aluminum foil on the top of the cheesecake during the last bit of baking time. This will help protect the top from over-browning.
Hi Sally!! I made this cheesecake for Mother’s Day a while back, and it was delicious! I usually have terrible luck with cheesecakes, but this one turned out amazing. I wanted to make it again, but this time adapt it to be a lemon blueberry cheesecake- how would you suggest adding in the lemon flavour? Thanks so much for the great recipe!!
Hi Bianca! I’d beat in about 1 Tablespoon of zest and 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice. 🙂
My daughter and I made this last night for my husband for Father’s day. IT IS WONDERFUL! we added a bit more blueberry sauce to the top since we had tons of them from picking the night before. This will be my go to cheesecake, super easy, creamy, and delish! Thanks
Hello Sally! My mother really loves cheesecake, especially lemon raspberry, so I was thinking I’d switch out the blueberries for raspberries and try and make the cheesecake more lemony. I was thinking lemon juice, lemon zest, or lemon extract; any idea on which would be best and how much I should use?
Thank you so much, none of your recipes have failed me yet!
Your creation sounds amazing. I’d use about 1 Tablespoon of zest and 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice. No need for extract.
Hi dear! What type of yougurt do you use here? Natural? I can`t find sour cream where I live and will have to use this substitute. Does it affect the taste/texture somehow? Thanks!
Any plain yogurt will do. I would avoid nonfat yogurt though. Low fat or full fat would be best.