Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake with Almond Crust

Hello summer! This Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake brings all the flavors of spring and summer to your table. A rich, creamy lemon cheesecake is accented with sweet blueberries for the perfect combination of tart and sweet. It's all set in a crunchy nut crust that's a perfect foil for the smooth filling.

Get ready for the season and bake up this decadent showstopper dessert!  It's bound to impress! Ideal for Mother's Day, Father's Day, and summer entertaining.

OK, you might have noticed I've been on a lemon blueberry kick lately. I've made (and definitely eaten) Lemon Blueberry Pancakes, Lemon Blueberry Muffins and Lemon Blueberry Doughnuts and I still haven't gotten enough! It's just that those sweet blueberries and  tart lemons seem to be the perfect combination for the spring and summer seasons.

Summer never tasted so good! 

These lemon blueberry recipes are always refreshing and bright and ideal for summer brunches, backyard get-togethers and picnics. In keeping with that theme, I couldn't think of a better way to use them than in one of my favorite desserts, a creamy, rich New York cheesecake.

This lemon cheesecake is super simple to make and, after several tries, has just the perfect amount of sweet versus tart. I tried it this time with a blueberry pie filling topping but I think it's just as delicious without any extras added on.

It's definitely got the creamy, dense cheesecake vibe going on with a nice tart lemony flavor added in. And each bite is pure heaven with that extra sweet pop of blueberry flavor. It's like bringing all those refreshing flavors of the season right to the table. 

Now I know what you're thinking, making a cheesecake is just too hard! No way, believe me, you've got this! Just follow my step-by-step directions below and the few important tips and you'll be baking up this delicious, showstopper dessert in no time.

You can make this with the standard graham cracker crust that I use for my New York Cheesecake or opt for the simple nut crust I used in this recipe. Its crunchy texture complements the smoothness of the cheesecake perfectly, plus, it's a great way to make this dessert gluten-free.

Cheesecake Tips

• Always make sure your cream cheese is room temperature and soft. This will help make the creamiest cheesecake as it will mix better with the other ingredients. 
• Pro Tip: If your cream cheese is not soft enough when you are ready to start baking, cut into smaller squares, place on a plate, and heat in the microwave for 15 seconds. Repeat if necessary.
• Make sure to use a medium speed on your blender and blend until smooth. This will happen quickly if your cream cheese is soft. Overmixing adds air to the batter and can cause the cheesecake to crack as it rises too quickly then falls.
•  I think the most important tip is DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN! Opening the oven can change the temperature quickly and create drafts causing the cheesecake to fall in the center and crack. This rule applies not only to when it is baking but for the extra time in the oven after it finishes baking.
• Overbaking can also ruin a good cheesecake and is one of the biggest culprits for large cracks in the top. Follow the guidelines for how long to bake and how long to leave it in the oven after baking. When you finally open the oven the cheesecake will have edges that are set and slightly pulled away from the edge of the pan with a center that is still a little jiggly.
• Lastly, to prevent cracking, turn off the oven after the allotted baking time and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN! This last step not only helps the cheesecake cool slowly preventing cracks it also helps it to finish cooking as well.

Follow these guidelines and you should have a beautiful cheesecake as a result. By the way, if your cheesecake does develop a small crack, a nice topping of fruit, a dusting of powdered sugar (or cocoa in some instances), or a decoration of whipped cream will make it unnoticeable. 

How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake

1. Place ground almonds, lemon zest and sugar together in a medium bowl. You can also use almond meal in place of almonds but it will not come out as crisp. (photo 1)
2. Pour in melted butter and mix well. (photo 2)
3. Press into bottom and partially up sides of springform pan. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. You can also bake the crust for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees then let cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. (photo 3)

1. Gather the ingredients. (photo 1)
2. Beat cream cheese at medium speed until light & fluffy. (photo 2)
3. Gradually beat in sugar. (photo 3)
4. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. (photo 4)
5. Fold in sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. (photo 5)
6. Fold in blueberries. (photo 6)

7. Pour mixture into almond crust. then bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. When time is up, without opening door of oven, turn oven off and leave cheesecake there for an additional hour. 

8. Remove from oven when the hour is up and cool on wire rack for at least 1 hour. Place in refrigerator and let cook for 4 hours to overnight.

This blueberry cheesecake will keep for about 1 week in the refrigerator.

Freezing Cheesecake

As to freezing, a sour cream cheesecake actually freezes very well. So go ahead and make it in advance, tightly cover it with plastic wrap then aluminum foil and freeze.

It will keep well for 3 months in the freezer.

I love decorating my lemon blueberry cheesecake to make it look extra special. It's an option but one I take full advantage of. Plus, if you do happen to have developed a crack in the top, no one will ever know.

Just prior to serving, I top mine with blueberry pie filling then pipe whipped cream in dollops around the top and finish it off with thin half-slices of lemon, sprigs of mint, and blueberries.

Doesn't that just look oh so delicious and decadent?! And it's great to serve all spring and summer long for Mother's Day. Father's Day or any other special occasion. Enjoy!

More Delicious Dessert Recipes

• Blueberry Galette is an easy and rustic pie made with fresh blueberries.
• Lemon Chiffon is a fluffy cake with a sweet and tart lemony glaze.
• Mandarin Orange Cake with pineapple frosting.
• Key Lime Cake with raspberry cream cheese frosting.
• Lime Cheesecake made with tequila and Grand Marnier for wonderful margarita flavors.
• No Bake Peach Cheesecake with graham cracker crust is perfect for summer.

Find lots of easy dessert recipes here on 2CM!

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Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake with Almond Crust

Hello summer! This Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake brings all the flavors of spring and summer to your table. A rich, creamy lemon cheesecake is accented with sweet blueberries for the perfect combination of tart and sweet. It's all set in a crunchy nut crust that's a perfect foil for the smooth filling. Get ready for the season and bake up this decadent showstopper dessert!  It's bound to impress! Ideal for Mother's Day, Father's Day and summer entertaining.

5 from 3 votes

Print Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Resting time in oven: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 480kcal

Author: Linda Warren

Ingredients

Almond Crust

• 2 ½ cups ground almonds
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• 5 Tablespoons sugar
• 4 Tablespoons butter melted

Cheesecake

• 16 oz full fat cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sour cream
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries

Optional Toppings

• Blueberry Pie Filling
• Garnishes: whipped cream lemon slices, blueberries

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Almond Crust

• Mix ingredients together in a medium bowl.
• Press into bottom and partially up sides of springform pan.
• Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Cheesecake

• Beat cream cheese at medium speed until light & fluffy.
• Gradually beat in sugar then add eggs one at a time until incorporated.
• Fold in sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla.
• Fold in blueberries.
• Pour mixture into almond crust.
• Bake 40 minutes then turn oven off and leave in oven for an additional hour. DO NOT OPEN OVEN!
• Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
• Run knife around sides to loosen then place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• If decorating, just prior to serving, top with blueberry pie filling, pipe whipped cream in dollops around top and place a thin half-slice of lemon, a sprig of mint and a blueberry on each dollop. Serve.

Notes

Cheesecake Tips

• Always make sure your cream cheese is room temperature and soft. This will help make the creamiest cheesecake as it will mix better with the other ingredients. 
• Pro Tip: If your cream cheese is not soft enough when you are ready to start baking, cut into smaller squares, place on a plate, and heat in microwave for 15 seconds. Repeat if necessary.
• Make sure to use a medium speed on your blender and blend until smooth. This will happen quickly if your cream cheese is soft. Overmixing adds air to the batter and can cause the cheesecake to crack as it rises too quickly then falls.
•  I think the most important tip is DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN! Opening the oven can change the temperature quickly and create drafts causing the cheesecake to fall in the center and crack. This rule applies not only to when it is baking but for the extra time in the oven after it finishes baking.
• Overbaking can also ruin a good cheesecake and is one of the biggest culprits for large cracks in the top. Follow the guidelines for how long to bake and how long to leave in oven after baking. When you finally open the oven the cheesecake will have edges that are set and slightly pulled away from edge of pan with a center that is still a little jiggly.
• Lastly, to prevent cracking, turn off the oven after the allotted baking time and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN! This last step not only helps the cheesecake cool slowly, preventing cracks, but helps it to finish cooking as well.

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 201mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 932IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 1mg

This post has been updated and was first published on May 3, 2020.