Lemon blueberry cheesecake for two, baked in a bread loaf pan for a small serving size.
Look, there’s a lot going on in this world. And I just want to talk about the berries. Mainly, the blueberries. They’re amazing this year. It’s almost making up for the fact that the strawberries are not what they should be (not that it stopped me from putting them in this strawberry cake for two, a small batch strawberry jam , or this strawberry pretzel parfait). And don’t even get me started on the disappointment that is cherries this year.
Thanks for letting me be someone in your life that complains about fruit. When there are bigger problems in the world. Pass the fork, right?
I like to think you and I can escape into dessert together. That we can make a mini cheesecake for two and feel good. And give away the other four mini slices and make four other people feel good, too.
Of all the things I’ve scaled down, this cheesecake for two is one of my favorites. It’s not just convenient to use a bread loaf pan (<–affiliate link to the *exact* pan I use) to make five mini slices instead of a giant labor-intensive cheesecake, but it’s also incredible. It doesn’t crack. It doesn’t sink. It just IS. It exists and holds its shape as a cheesecake should. When you slide your fork into it, it’s somehow still light and fluffy.
Someone told me in Chicago that they abandoned their family’s recipe for cheesecake when they tasted this cheesecake for two. (And I was like ‘sorry, Grandma!’).
I’m starting to realize from my Facebook page that you guys are mainly looking for small-batch dessert recipes for portion control more than a romantic date night dessert. And that’s amazing. I love that you want to eat dessert every day of the week without tempting leftovers on the counter.
So, even though this lemon blueberry cheesecake makes five slices, I want you to know how to freeze the extra slices: slice the entire cheesecake, cover the top and sides with a piece of parchment or wax paper, and then wrap in plastic wrap, place in a container and freeze. The only problem is that being frozen still won’t stop you from eating them. Not that I know from experience. (I definitely know from experience).
You can absolutely cram more blueberries into this cheesecake than 1/3 cup. You can press extras into the surface, too. I love that the low baking temperate of this cheesecake keeps them mostly whole, instead of a soggy mess. Each blueberry becomes a bite of jam in the oven.
And it’s exactly as delicious as it sounds. Lemon blueberry cheesecake for two.
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake for two
Lemon blueberry cheesecake for two, made in a bread loaf pan.
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 6 graham cracker sheets
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
For the filling:
- 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, beaten
- zest of 1 lemon, freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
- 2 teaspoons flour, for coating blueberries
- Powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Lower an oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the cheesecake from the pan. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor (or a plastic bag), crush the graham crackers into crumbs.
- Stir the melted butter and granulated sugar into the graham crumbs.
- Push the crush firmly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, until crisp and beginning to turn light brown.
- Meanwhile, beat together the room temperature cream cheese, sugar, egg, and lemon zest until very creamy, about 1 minute.
- Next, stir in the lemon juice.
- In a small bowl, stir together the blueberries with the flour, just to coat.
- Stir the blueberries gently into the cheesecake batter.
- Spread the batter over the cooked crust, lower the oven to 300, and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the cheesecake is set. The top will not be sticky.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven, and let cool completely. Chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours before slicing and serving with a dusting of powdered sugar.
