Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Tart

A slice of a creamy lemon blueberry tart on a white plate.

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Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Tart

A smooth, tangy lemon tart made with a cream cheese filling and swirled with a vibrant blueberry sauce, all baked into a crisp, buttery shortbread crust. Make it ahead for an easy, impressive dessert.

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creamy lemon tart, lemon blueberry tart, lemon cream cheese tart

Servings: servings

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

For the Shortbread Crust:

1 recipe Shortbread Pastry crust fully baked and cooled; use a 11-inch tart pan

For the Blueberry Sauce

¼ cup water
10 ounces fresh blueberries 2 cups
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the Lemon Filling:

12 ounces cream cheese room temperature
5 large eggs
1¼ cups granulated sugar 250 grams
¾ cup fresh lemon juice about 4–5 lemons
2 tablespoons lemon zest
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Prepare the crust:

Follow the shortbread crust recipe, using a 11-inch removable bottom tart pan. Fully bake and cool the crust. Once done, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Make the Blueberry Sauce:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, blueberries, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the berries begin to break down. 
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch, then add to the berry mixture. Cook for another minute to thicken. Remove from heat.
Reserve ½ cup of the sauce and press it through a fine mesh strainer to remove the skins and seeds. Cover and refrigerate both the strained purée and the remaining sauce until needed.

Make the Tart:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt, then stir in the cream. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each and scraping the bowl as needed.
Pour the lemon filling into the pre-baked crust, smoothing the surface. Drop small spoonfuls of the reserved blueberry purée on top and swirl with a skewer.
Bake at 325°F for 35–40 minutes, or until the edges are set but the center has a slight jiggle. Let cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before serving. Serve with the remaining blueberry sauce.

Notes

Use room temperature cream cheese and eggs for a silky-smooth filling that blends without lumps.
Don’t skip the chill time. It needs several hours in the fridge to fully set, so plan ahead.
Bake just until the center jiggles slightly. Overbaking leads to cracks and a rubbery texture.
Use a removable-bottom tart pan. It makes releasing the tart way less stressful.
Zest before you juice. It’s way easier to zest lemons while they’re still whole.
Tap the pan gently before baking. This helps pop any air bubbles in the filling.
Let the tart cool completely before refrigerating. Placing it in the fridge while still warm can cause condensation on the surface.
Wipe your knife between slices. If you want clean edges when serving, a quick wipe between cuts keeps the layers tidy and the swirl intact.

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