Gluten-Free Blueberry Cheesecake

Our Gluten-Free Blueberry Cheesecake recipe is the perfect spring or summer dessert for blueberry season! You’ll love the layers of crispy graham crust, luscious blueberry filling, and fresh blueberry topping. You get a double dose of blueberry flavor in every bite!

Spring and summer are blueberry season, which means it’s the perfect time to make all our favorite blueberry recipes, from blueberry muffins and blueberry coffee cake to this delicious gluten-free blueberry cheesecake.

This gorgeous blueberry cheesecake is the perfect spring dessert! Made with a crisp gluten-free graham cracker crust, a blueberry bedecked cheesecake layer, and a fresh blueberry topping, it’s a showstopper through and through.

Cheesecake may be a labor of love, but it’s absolutely worth it when it tastes like this! And don’t worry–even if this is your first time making cheesecake, we’ll walk you through every step of the process.

Let’s start by gathering your ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need to get started on this classic cheesecake recipe…

Simple Ingredients To Get Started

• Gluten-Free Graham Crackers. Regular graham crackers are NOT gluten-free, so you need to use gluten-free graham crackers to keep this crust gluten-free. We’ve got LOTS of brands of gluten-free graham crackers to choose from, but my go-to is Pamela’s.
• Granulated Sugar (white sugar). This helps bind the crust and sweeten the filling.
• Melted Butter. To hold the crust together. Simple & easy!
• Cinnamon. A little kiss of cinnamon is amazing with the blueberries!
• Full-Fat Cream Cheese. We only recommend blocks of full-fat cream cheese for making cheesecake. I love Philadelphia brand the most.
• Sour Cream. Another classic ingredients for cheesecake! It adds brightness and creaminess for the perfect texture.
• Fresh Lemon Juice. You’ll need some for the topping, and some for the filling.
• Lemon Zest. A MUST! Fresh lemon zest contains the most concentrated lemon flavor, thanks to the lemon essential oils. Remember you want JUST the yellow zest, NOT the bitter white pith underneath!
• Cornstarch. A little secret that makes a big difference in texture!
• Vanilla. A kiss of vanilla extract adds a beautiful aroma that complements the lemon nicely.
• Eggs. To bind the cheesecake together.
• Fresh Blueberries. For a double dose of fresh blueberry flavor, we’re adding some sweet, juicy blueberries to the blueberry cheesecake mixture and some for the topping. Yum!
• Fresh Blueberry Topping. Our blueberry sauce recipe is perfect for this cheesecake. It’s got a brighter, fresher color and flavor that can’t be beat! This easy recipe is made with blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, water, vanilla & salt.
• Whipped Cream. Pillowy swirls of whipped cream are the perfect finish!

How To Make Gluten-Free Blueberry Cheesecake, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

First, Make The Crust

1. Preheat & Prep. Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. (I love to use pre-cut parchment rounds)
2. Crush Graham Crackers. Add gluten-free graham crackers to a food processor. Pulse until you’ve crushed the crackers to fine crumbs with no big lumps. (Don’t have a food processor? You can do this in a large zip-loc bag with a rolling pin.)
3. Add Butter. Next, add sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon to graham cracker crumbs and pulse or stir to combine, until all crumbs are coated with butter and the sugar is evenly distributed.
4. Pat Out Crust. Pour the crust mixture out into your prepared springform pan and use your fingers or the back of a measuring cup or drinking glass to pat the crumbs out into an even layer along the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Note: the crust will not go all the way up the sides of the pan. Just about 1 inch up the sides!
5. Bake & Cool. Place the crust in the preheated oven and bake 10-12 minutes or until fragrant. Set the crust to the side to cool while you make the filling.
6. Prep Pan For A Hot Water Bath. If Using A Hot Water Bath (Recommended), wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan with foil. Or, to fully waterproof the pan (*highly recommended*), place the springform pan into a slow cooker liner bag or an oven bag/turkey bag. Pull the bag up the sides of the springform pan, then gather the excess to one side and knot tightly to keep the bag secure to the sides.

Make The Cheesecake Filling

1. BEFORE YOU GET STARTED: Make sure the cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are all brought to room temperature or the filling will not mix correctly. DO NOT skip this step!
2. Maintain Oven Temperature of 325 degrees F. Make sure you have a rack arranged in the center of the oven.
3. Prepare For Water Bath. Start bringing a small pot of water to a boil while you make the cheesecake. Set out a large roasting pan for a traditional water bath or a 9×13 pan for a modified hot water bath (SEE NOTES)
4. Combine Cream Cheese & Sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer. Beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together on medium-low speed 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and well blended.
5. Add Eggs One At A Time on LOW Speed, until just barely mixed. 
6. Add Sour Cream, Cornstarch, Lemon Zest, Lemon Juice & Vanilla to the cream cheese mixture and mix on LOW speed until just barely combined. (Keep in mind that you don’t want to add any extra air to the cheesecake, so mixing by hand or on low speed at this point is very helpful!)
7. Stir In Fresh Blueberries. Add 2 cups blueberries and mix them in as gently and slowly as possible so you don’t add any extra air. Gently tap the bowl against the counter to help remove any air bubbles.
8. Pour Cheesecake Filling Over The Cooled Crust and smooth the surface with a spatula.
9. Create Hot Water Bath. Carefully pour 3/4 to 1-inch of boiling water into the bottom of the roasting pan. Carefully lower the prepared & wrapped springform pan into the water so the water comes about 1-inch up the sides of the springform pan. (See notes for modified hot water bath instructions)
10. Bake. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake cheesecake 60-70 minutes or until the edges are just set and the center gently wobbles (like Jello or gelatin). If the center still seems sloshy and liquid, add 3-5 minutes to the bake time and check again. (Err on the side of under-baking rather than over-baking)
11. Cool 1-Hour In The Oven. When the cheesecake is finished baking, turn OFF the oven heat and crack the oven door open 2-3 inches. Let the cheesecake cool IN the oven for 1 full hour. (To help prevent cracks, you can run a thin knife around the edges of the springform pan before letting it cool.) After 1 hour, remove the springform pan from the hot water bath and the slow cooker liner/oven bag.
12. Chill the Baked Cheesecake Uncovered in The Fridge AT LEAST 4-6 Hours (up to overnight) before decorating.

Make The Blueberry Topping

1. Set aside 1/3 of the Blueberries. Set aside 1/3 (4 ounces/113 grams) of the fresh blueberries for later.
2. Combine. Add the remaining 2/3 blueberries, the sugar, water, lemon juice, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan.
3. Cook to Soften. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a spatula, until the blueberries soften and the sauce thickens, about 5-8 minutes. (The sauce will go from opaque to translucent and glossy.) It’s ok to gently break up some of the berries with your spatula as they cook, if you like.
4. Stir in Remaining Blueberries. Add the reserved 1/3 of the blueberries, along with the vanilla extract and cook 2-3 minutes more.
5. Cool To Set. Let the blueberry sauce cool a bit, then transfer to an airtight container or jar and chill in the refrigerator. The blueberry sauce will thicken up even more in the refrigerator. The ideal texture for using on cheesecake is thick, but scoop-able, not runny or liquid. If you want to thin it out more, you can stir in 1 teaspoon of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Decorate & Serve The Cheesecake

1. Prepare Stabilized Whipped Cream. In a glass or metal bowl or a stand mixer, beat heavy cream on medium speed until it starts to get fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and whip on high heat until stiff peaks form. (The whipped cream should hold its shape on your spatula even when you rotate it around.)
2. Option 1: Decorate the Whole Cheesecake. Spoon blueberry topping on top of the chilled cheesecake and spread almost to the edges, leaving about a 1-inch border. Pipe whipped cream around the sides, and add any desired garnishes. This looks gorgeous, but can be a bit messier for slicing and plating.
3. Option 2: Decorate Individual Slices. Cut the cheesecake into slices and plate. Spoon blueberry topping over the cheesecake slice, letting it run down the sides. Dollop or pipe whipped cream on top and add any desired garnishes.
4. Pipe Whipped Cream Swirls. Add whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip (I used an Ateco 849 closed star tip) and pipe small swirls of whipped cream around the border.
5. Store Leftover Cheesecake covered in the refrigerator 2-3 days. (The cheesecake will store best if the topping is stored separately rather than spread on top.)

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Blueberry Cheesecake

Make it Pretty! The blueberry cheesecake topping is definitely beautiful enough on its own, but we also love adding swirls of whipped cream. Make it even prettier by garnishing with fresh mint leaves, a few extra blueberries, or some fresh lemon zest. You can also sprinkle some extra graham cracker crumbs over the whipped cream! 

USE ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS! The key to a smooth, creamy gluten-free cheesecake is starting with room temperature ingredients. If you use cold cream cheese or cold eggs, for instance, your filling may be lumpy or require extra mixing. The goal is to avoid adding any extra air into the cheesecake so it doesn’t fall after baking, so room temperature ingredients will blend best.

Do I Have To Use A Water Bath? When possible, I highly recommend it for the best texture and the prettiest appearance. Our recipe card has instructions for a traditional water bath, a modified water bath (where you put a 9×13 pan of hot water on the rack below the cheesecake in the oven), and tips for how to manage if you don’t use one. Keep in mind if you skip the water bath, your cheesecake may crack and get a deeper golden brown on top instead of staying smooth and uniform.

Can I Make It Vegan? Probably not. Rather than trying to substitute here with vegan cream cheese, vegan butter, vegan sour cream, and egg substitutes, I recommend finding a vegan blueberry cheesecake recipe.