New York Style Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote
Rich and creamy New York style cheesecake, an easy recipe to make gluten free too. I’ve made this for my family and they couldn’t tell the difference, especially since cheesecake doesn’t require much gluten to begin with. The blueberry compote is interchangeable with any berry you like, and adds the perfect finish for each decadent slice.
Notes: I like a thick crust for my cheesecakes so I go a bit heavier with the graham crackers, feel free to scale the amount down a bit to your preference.
You can also just boil your water for the water bath instead of warming it in the oven, you just want to make sure the water is hot for the water bath when the cake goes in.
Cheesecake crust:
gluten free graham crackers, roughly 10 oz
butter, 4 Tbsp
cinnamon, 1 tsp
sugar, 1 Tbsp
Cheesecake filling:
cream cheese, 4 packs (2 lbs) room temp
sugar, 1 cup
salt, 1 tsp
sour cream, 1 cup
cornstarch, 2 Tbsp
lemon juice and zest, 1 lemon
vanilla, 1 tsp
eggs, 4 (room temp)
Blueberry Compote:
blueberries (fresh or frozen), 1 pint
sugar, 2-3 Tbsp
lemon juice and zest, 1 lemon
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°. This recipe requires a water bath so find a large enough vessel that can fit the cake pan into it. Fill up that vessel about 1-2 inches high with water then place in the oven to start warming up. Grab some foil and line the outside of the 9in pan with at least two layers of foil to prevent the water from seeping in.
Begin by forming the crust. Empty the graham crackers into a ziplock bag and use a mallet or a rolling pin to crush them up fine (feel free to use a food processor). To the bag add butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Give it a good mix, if it seems too dry and not clumping up, add some more melted butter. Pour into the 9in round pan and spread evenly. Use a flat cup or jar to form the crumb along the edges and bottom of the pan. Make sure to apply a decent bit of pressure so it doesn’t crumble apart too much when slicing. Place into the preheated oven and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
For the filling, use either a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip up the cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cornstarch until smooth. Once combined, add the sour cream, lemon juice, and zest, then continue mixing for another minute to combine. One at a time, add the eggs individually, making sure to fully combine before adding the next egg.
Once the crust has cooled, pour the filling into the cake pan and spread the top evenly with a spoon or spatula. Give the pan a few taps on the counter to remove the air bubbles.
CAREFULLY remove the water bath vessel from the oven and gently place the cake pan into the center, making sure the water doesn’t rise too high. Bake on the middle shelf for about an hour. After an hour the cake should still have a slight jiggle to it, turn off the oven and let sit for another 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely or refrigerate before slicing.
Blueberry Compote Topping:
Preheat a small skillet or pot on the stovetop. Add the berries to the hot pan and let sizzle for a minute, allowing the juices to ooze out. Reduce heat, add the lemon juice, zest, sugar and stir. The blueberries should start to soften and release more juices, let that sit and cook down for a couple minutes. If the mixture is too thick add a splash of water, if too thin add a cornstarch slurry. I usually like the consistency as is. Once reached your desired thickness, remove from heat and let cool before topping the cheesecake.
