Roasted Blueberry Cheesecake

This might not be what you expected when you thought to make a ‘blueberry cheesecake’ conventionally this would be a vanilla cheesecake with blueberries baked in, or a blueberry compote or sauce for the topping. 

And there may not be a blueberry in sight when you look at this cheesecake sans topping, but it will be the most blueberry forward tasting cheesecake ever. To get this perfect blueberry cheesecake filling (with its vibrant purple color!), we are going to slow roast fresh blueberries in the oven. Doing this removes some of the water from the berries, and intensifies the sugars and berry flavor. We’ll then puree it and add it straight into a cheesecake filling. 

Recipe Origins 

If this method sounds familiar it’s because you’ve seen it in my reader beloved roasted strawberry cheesecake (which is gorgeously pink from slow roasting strawberries). I have been wanting to ‘blueberry’ that cheesecake for years and now idk how I waited this long because this blueberry edition is now one of my favorite cheesecakes! 

For that one I also swirl in some of the additional berry puree and bake it as bars but I skipped the swirl here and went with a round shape, more of a showstopper. 

Recipe Ingredients 

Blueberries: fresh blueberries that have gone a bit soft. Don’t use frozen, the clinging ice to them will add more water to the puree. 

Sugar: fine granulated sugar. Some to help the berries roast and some for the cheesecake filling. 

Digestive cookies: I find these in the ‘international’ section of the grocery store. If you can’t find them or don’t want to use them, you can opt for graham crackers. 

Butter: unsalted butter or salted, for the crust. It will be melted. 

Powdered sugar: just a bit for the crust, not only does it improve flavor but it will help hold the crust in shape. 

Cream cheese: two bricks of full fat cream cheese. It is essential you bring them to room temperature before making the filling. 

Sour Cream: full fat sour cream. This can be substituted with labneh if you like. 

Lemon: lemon zest goes into the filling. 

Salt: fine sea salt. If using table salt, halve the amount. 

Vanilla: pure vanilla extract. 

Eggs: two large eggs, brought to room temperature. 

Special tools required for this recipe 

1. An 8 inch round cake pan: to bake the cheesecake 
2. A 13×9 inch cake pan (sheet pan size): this will be the water bath 
3. Parchment paper & metal clips: to line the pan and hold the parchment in place 
4. A food processor: to puree the berries and later to grind the cookies 
5. A stand mixer or hand mixer: to beat the filling 

How to make a Blueberry Cheesecake 

Start by roasting the blueberries 

Spread the blueberries into a square or round 8 or 9 inch pan. Toss them with the sugar and preheat the oven to 325 F. 

Bake the berries for about 30-45 minutes, stirring at every 15 mark to ensure they are roasting evenly. Take them out when the berries are mostly burst and there is a thick puree beginning to form: 

Press the berries through a fine mesh sieve to remove the skins. Take your time doing this to extract as much ‘berry’ as you can 

Leave it aside to cool fully. You can also transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for a few days. 

Make the crust

Grease then line a round 8 inch cake pan with parchment paper, secure the paper with metal clips. 

Grind the cookies in a food processor and stir with the melted butter and powdered sugar. 

Then press into the pan: first the bottom then up the sides. Use a measuring cup to help you pack it in. 

Bake the crust for 10 minutes to set it. If it comes out bubbles, use a measuring cup to pack it back into place. 

Make the filling 

Start by zesting the lemon over the sugar then rubbing it in to release the lemon oils 

Over the sugar add the softened cream cheese and then begin to cream it

Once it’s very soft, add the flavorings and beat. Scrape down the bowl as needed so no cream cheese is left uncreamed

Add the sour cream and the now cool blueberry puree (no more than a scant cup of puree) 

Mix it in, scraping down the bowl as needed (isn’t that color amazing?!) 

While the mixer is on, add the eggs and beat to just combine. We don’t want to over-whip them or too much air will be incorporated into the custard and the cheesecake will puff then sink. 

Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust, then place the cheesecake in a larger baking pan and fill the larger pan halfway with water 

Bake until you can shake the pan and it only wobbles a bit in the center. 

Chill on the counter (in the water bath) for about an hour, then transfer it to the fridge for an eight hour chill. 

FAQ on Blueberry Cheesecake 

Why do I need two cake pans? 

One to make and bake the cheesecake in and one larger one for the water bath. 

Why pre-bake the crust? 

This helps set the crust so that it’s not very crumbly when slicing. 

Why bake the cheesecake in a water bath? 

The water surrounding the cheesecake and pan will create a barrier between it and the high heat of the oven so that it bakes more slowly and evenly. This leads to a creamier custard in the filling. 

Why are there brown spots on top of my cheesecake? 

Often those spots are an indication that the cheesecake is slightly overbaked. They can also occur if the cheesecake is baking under a hotspot. As long as it’s not several or a very large one the cheesecake is still fine. 

Why is my cheesecake so soft in the center? 

If it’s overly ‘wet’ in the center it was possibly under-baked. You might have taken it out when it was still too wobbly and it needed more time in the oven. 

How do I know when the cheesecake is done baking? 

Around 50 minutes into baking time, check it by shaking the cheesecake pan a bit and seeing how it wobbles: if it is set on the sides and only a bit in the center jiggles, it’s likely done baking. If it wobbles all over or has a very wide circle of ‘wobble’ it needs more time. 

How long does a cheesecake need to chill? 

Ideally 8 hours or overnight to help the custard set. 

What should I top this blueberry cheesecake with? 

Whipped cream! And fresh blueberries. But also, if you are in the mood for a blueberry compote as a topping… 

Blueberry Compote Topping Recipe 

Ingredients

• 280g blueberries, fresh or frozen 
• 50g or ¼ cup fine granulated sugar
• 1 tsp – 1 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice 

Instructions 

In a small pot add all the ingredients for the compote. Set over medium heat and cook as the blueberries burst. Once you have a half soupy mix from some blueberries bursting and releasing their juices, and half blueberries that are still formed, remove it from the heat. Once it’s at room temperature, set it in the fridge where it will thicken. 

Make Ahead & Storage Info 

This is an ideal make ahead recipe: it needs to chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours before serving but it’ll keep in the fridge for about 3 days. Just don’t add the topping until the day you plan to serve it. 

Roasted Blueberry Cheesecake Recipe 

Roasted Blueberry Cheesecake

A super creamy, very blueberry flavored cheesecake made by slow roasting fresh blueberries.

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Chilling Time: 8 hours hrs

Yields: 1 8 inch round cheesecake

5 from 2 votes

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Ingredients

Blueberry Puree

• 500 g fresh blueberries at least a few days old (going soft)
• 2 tablespoons fine granulated sugar

Crust

• 113 g or ½ cup unsalted butter
• 270 g or 2 packed cups digestive cookie crumbs
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Blueberry Cheesecake Filling

• 200 g or 1 cup fine granulated sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 2 bricks full fat cream cheese at room temperature (quite soft)
• 60 g or ¼ cup sour cream full fat
• All of the blueberry puree should come to about 1 cup
• 2 large eggs at room temperature

Method

Make the puree (this can be done a day or two in advance)

• At least a few hours before you’ll bake the cheesecake, make the roasted blueberry puree:
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a 9 inch cake pan (square or circle) toss the blueberries with the sugar. Roast the berries for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. The berries will increase in size, then begin to burst. Use a wooden spoon to mash them slightly when you stir.
• Out of the oven, let them cool slightly so the pan and berries are easier to handle then transfer the berries, scraping down all the juices, into a food processor and blend until smooth.
• Pour the puree through a fine mesh sieve, stirring and pressing down to remove all the skin-less puree. Discard the skins. You should have about a cup of blueberry puree (it’s ok if it’s a little less but don’t add more than a cup of puree to the cheesecake or it will be overly ‘wet’). Let the puree cool fully then transfer to a sealable container and chill in the fridge.

Make the crust

• Lightly grease an 8 inch round cake pan (you can also use an 8 inch square pan if you plan to make bars) and line it with parchment paper. Use metal clips to hold the parchment in place. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Grind the cookies in a food processor into fine crumbs. In a large bowl, melt the butter then add the cookie crumbs and powdered sugar. Stir together until the mix resembles wet sand. When you squeeze the crumbs in your palm it should leave a slight oily residue, if it’s very oily you might need to add more crumbs (this will happen if you’ve used a different cookie which has a higher fat %).
• Press half of the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and then the other half up the sides. The sides won’t be perfect and straight against the parchment paper, it’s ok - just do your best. Use a measuring cup to help you pack the crumbs into the bottom.
• Bake the crust for 10 minutes. When it comes out it may look misshapen or bubbled, just use a measuring cup to pack it into place again. Set it aside to cool and lower the oven temperature to 325 F.

Make the filling

• Set the sugar in the bowl and zest the lemon over it. Rub the zest into the sugar to release the oils.
• Scrape the softened, room temperature cream cheese into the bowl of the stand mixer, along with the vanilla and salt and affix the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on low and cream together the flavorings, sugar and cream cheese until it’s smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl as needed and beat again so it mixes evenly.
• Add the sour cream and blueberry puree (no more than 240g or a scant 1 cup of puree) and mix on low to combine. Scrape down the bowl as needed and mix.
• With the mixer on, add the eggs and mix until just combined. Pour the filling into the baked crust and smooth over the top so it’s in an even layer.
• Set the 8” cake pan with the cheesecake in it in a larger cake pan, a 13x9”. Fill the larger pan halfway with water. Set it in the middle rack of the oven, away from any hot spots. Bake the cheesecake in the water bath until it is set, and only the center wobbles just a bit when you gently shake the pan, about 60 minutes. Take the cheesecake out, still in its water bath, and let it cool on the counter to room temperature. Once it’s cool, set it on the counter for about ten minutes then in the fridge to chill for 8 hours. Serve cold, store in the fridge. The cheesecake will last up to 4 days.

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