How to Make Blueberry Cheesecake

July is National Blueberry Month. This year, why not celebrate by making a blueberry cheesecake? This recipe uses fresh blueberries when they’re in season, but you can always substitute them for frozen blueberries when they’re not. Here’s the recipe:

Blueberry Cheesecake Recipe:

Adapted From Epicurious.com

Ingredients:

For the crust:

9 graham crackers

½ cup old-fashioned oats

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:

¼ cup water

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (from approximately 2 packets)

12 ounces cream cheese

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

For the topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions:

For the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit. Pulse the graham crackers, oats, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor or blender until graham crackers are ground fine. Melt butter in a saucepan or in the microwave. Slowly add butter and vanilla extract to food processor or blender and pulse until well incorporated. Press mixture to the bottom and up one inch of the sides of a 9-inch round spring form pan. Bake in the center of the oven until the crust is golden brown, which should take about ten minutes.

For the filling:

Leave the cream cheese out on the counter for at least an hour to bring it to room temperature. To prepare the gelatin, pour the water into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin into the water and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Set the burner on low heat and gently stir in the gelatin until it dissolves. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly while assembling the rest of the ingredients.

Using a food processor is the optimal way to make this cheesecake. Add cream cheese, cream, sugar, and lemon juice to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the blueberries and blend until smooth. Don’t worry if the berries aren’t completely pulverized. The cheesecake tastes best if some larger pieces of blueberry remain.

If you don’t have a food processor or would rather use your electric mixer, simply pulse the blueberries in a blender until pulverized. In a large bowl, add cream cheese, cream, sugar, and lemon juice and blend using an electric mixer until smooth. Add the blueberry puree and mix until well incorporated.