slice of lemon ginger panna cotta cheesecake with blueberry sauce

YOU GUYS. I don’t mean to shout, really, except that I do. Because CHEESECAKE DAY.

A billion and a half bloggers (or, more like nearly 80) and I are teaming up today to share what I consider one of the best desserts to exist, and that is cheesecake. There were no rules, no perks (well, except getting to eat cheesecake), no incentives — just that we all love cheesecake and we want to share it with the world.

So here I am, world, with a lemon ginger panna cotta cheesecake with blueberry sauce and a gingersnap crust. Mama.

lemon ginger panna cotta cheesecake on cooling rack

True story — I’ve actually never had panna cotta. But I have had panna cotta gelato and now, this panna cotta cheesecake, and I can safely say from having eaten both of those things that I really, really, ridiculously love panna cotta. It’s mild in flavor, oh so creamy and it pairs beautifully with flavors like lemon, ginger and blueberry. It makes this cheesecake taste extra decadent but without adding, like, a million extra cups of heavy cream slash calories and fat. This fact makes it my new favorite cheesecake.

lemon ginger panna cotta cheesecake with slice on plate

This recipe is nearly no-bake, too — you only need to bake the crust for about 10 minutes in the oven, otherwise the rest is done on the stovetop or in the fridge while you wait eagerly and wide-eyed in front of the fridge for the cheesecake to be done relax and read a book outside or take a walk around the lake or go down a slip ‘n’ slide (ummm, real life, I really miss slip ‘n’ slides). Basically it gives you a lot of time to enjoy the summer, and then when you’re all done, cheesecake. It’ll be the best day ever.

I really loved this cheesecake with blueberry sauce spooned on top (with a few extra spoonfuls into my mouth, yessss), but you can totally swap the blueberries for raspberries, or strawberries, or cherries, or blackberries, or — well, you get my point. All the berries can be friends with this cheesecake. And my mouth. My mouth is definitely friends with this cheesecake.

slice of lemon ginger panna cotta cheesecake on plate

And before I get any more awkward, I’ll leave you to the recipe. Happy Cheesecake Day, everyone!

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lemon ginger panna cotta cheesecake

Lemon Ginger Panna Cotta Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Adapted from 2 Sisters Recipes
  • Prep Time: 5 hours 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 5 hours 50 mins
  • Yield: 1 10-inch cheesecake 1x
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Ingredients

Scale

For the blueberry sauce:

  • 1 pint (about 2 cups) fresh blueberries
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

For the cheesecake crust:

  • 1 cup Ginger Snap crumbs (from about 20 cookies)
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (from about 6 crackers)
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake filling:

  • 2 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1 packet unflavored gelatin
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 (8 oz) package Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups light sour cream
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

  1. To make the blueberry sauce: In a small saucepan, bring blueberries, water and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes until blueberries have cooked down and mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat; stir in lemon zest. Transfer sauce to a bowl or container and chill in fridge until ready to serve.
  2. To make the cheesecake crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together Ginger Snap crumbs, graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Add butter and stir until well combined. Using your fingers or the bottom of a glass, press mixture evenly into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown and set.
  3. Meanwhile, make the cheesecake filling: Pour 1/2 cup of the heavy cream into a small saucepan on a stovetop; sprinkle with the gelatin. Let sit 2 minutes.
  4. Turn on heat to low; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add remaining heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Cook, stirring often, 5 minutes until sugar is dissolved and cream is heated through.
  5. Meanwhile, add cream cheese, sour cream and lemon zest and juice to a blender. Blend 1 minute until well combined. Pour in hot heavy cream mixture. Blend another 4 to 5 minutes until filling is well combined and thickened.
  6. Pour and spread filling evenly onto cooled crust. Chill in refrigerator uncovered for 1 hour, then cover with plastic wrap or foil and chill another 4 hours (or overnight) to set.
  7. Serve chilled cheesecake with blueberry sauce spooned on top.