No-Bake Cheesecake with Quick Blueberry Sauce
We’ve started a bit of a heat wave where I live, and though it doesn’t stop me from still turning my oven on frequently, I love any chance I have to make decadent desserts without it.
A light and fluffy cheesecake with fruit sauce is one of my favorite desserts, but can sometimes seem too heavy for warm summer days right? I love a dense and rich classic NY version, but was hoping to make something a little more creamy and airy.
I love this recipe not only because of the texture (which is creamy and fluffy as can be,) but not having to turn my oven on actually makes it do-able most summer days! It’s a great base recipe for what I know what be a variety of flavors, mix ins, and varieties. (Individual servings in a jar anyone?)
Served alone the flavor would have been lovely with subtle hints of vanilla and lemon, but I topped it with an easy as pie blueberry sauce for an added touch. (Simple fresh strawberries or other fruit sauces would also be delicious.)
I’ve found another new kitchen staple in this sauce, as it came together in 5 minutes but was so fresh tasting and delicious. I’m thinking it would be dreamy over some freshly churned ice cream, pound cake, or pancakes too! Since the best blueberries haven’t quite reached our markets here in NYC, I used the frozen organic ones I had in the freezer- but either will do! :)
No-bake Cheesecake with Quick Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Filling
- 12 oz cream cheese, softened.
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Sauce
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup water
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 3 tablespoons corn starch dissolved in 1/4 cup water.
- 1 tablespoons lemon zest
Instructions
For the Cheesecake:
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter together in a medium sized bowl and mix. Press into the bottom and sides of a 6 or 7 inch spring form pan. Chill until ready to use.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
- In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Transfer the filling into the prepared crust, using an off-set spatula to gently smooth the top.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill for several hours or overnight.
For the sauce:
- In a small saucepan combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring gently until boiling.
- Add the cornstarch/water mixture and without breaking the berries- carefully stir it in. Cook for 2-3 minutes over low heat, stirring until sauce is thick. Fold in lemon zest.
- Sauce will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Recipe loosely adapted from: All Recipes
I bake a lot in the summer too in spite of the heat, but I do love a good no-bake dessert for those days when I just can’t bear the thought :) This blueberry sauce is calling to me, I’d be pouring it over everything, starting with pancakes!
So pretty! Love the sauce. I’ve yet to try a no bake cheesecake but you’ve got me curious now because it sounds so easy!
How delicious! I love the sauce for sure!
Everyone needs a great no-bake dessert for the summer, and you’ve totally got me with that blueberry sauce!
Wow, Audra! This looks incredible. I think this would definitely be a hit at our summer parties here in toasty Texas – everyone’s trying to keep cool with treats like this (and lots of beer, too!). Haha. Thanks for sharing!
Looks so lovely and cool and refreshing! I make a blueberry sauce similar to that, and it’s pretty magical. Our former apartment’s kitchen was pretty miserable in the summer, but I’m so happy to say that this place has central A/C. Quite a NYC rarity! You can borrow my kitchen if it gets too hot. ;-)
I may need to Jennifer!
I also enjoy baking, but the heat does get to me sometimes, I’m not as tough as I use to be.
Our temps have been high these past days, between 99 – 103 …..hot!!
This no-bake cheesecake sounds too good to pass up, especially the blueberry sauce….YUM!!
I really want to make a no-bake cheesecake now too! This looks amazing! And that sauce is to die for
I love any and all no-bake desserts during this time of the year. This one looks especially perfect with that berry sauce!
Cheesecake, aka fluffy, sweet clouds of goodness :)
no bake cheesecakes are right up my alley! i love not having to turn on the oven in the summertime or just whipping up a dessert super fast. i love that blueberry sauce drizzled all over the top.
I’m sold. Not only does this look AMAZING, but it doesn’t require me to heat up my already boiling house. I’m 9 months pregnant and no AC is not fun! Thank for sharing such a lovely summer dessert!
Oh I bet! 9 months!! Good luck :)
Oh my, this cheesecake looks heavenly delicious! I also try not to turn on the oven much during summer but it’s always hard to find satisfying no-bake desserts. I’ve never been a huge cheesecake fan but yours looks wonderful and super creamy, plus I really love that blueberry sauce!
xo, Elisa
I don’t ever see a difference in the heat of the kitchen during the summer and winter, so I can use the oven all I want. The only time I notice it is if three different things are cooking in the oven and on the stove top, that’s when things get way too hot for comfort.
This cheesecake looks absolutely delicious and the blueberry sauce looks divine :)
My first apartment in the city would get hot when summer started and then that was it, it wouldn’t cool down until fall. Even now it is hard keeping an apartment cool while I bake and it is hot out. This is the perfect solution!
Girl, we should form a hot-as-heck kitchen club. Serrrrrrriously, who wants to turn on that oven?! No bake cheesecake, what a gift to the culinary world. Nom.
Ohhh how I love a good no-bake cheesecake! This one looks absolutely divine! Pinned!
I just pump up the A/C when I turn on my oven during the summer but going the no-bake route is a great idea also! I’m loving this cheesecake…so much lighter than the NYC-version. And the fruit totally makes it a health food, methinks.
Oh, yum yum yum yum yum…..
Nice recipe. Thank you and have a great weekend.
In the phrase:
– 12 oz cream cheese, softened.
What mean “oz”? Will be abbreviation ?
Ounces