Huckleberry Cheesecake Recipe

This Huckleberry Cheesecake recipe is ridiculously good! The cheesecake is rich, dense, and incredible on its own, and made even better with the tart and sweet huckleberry topping! If you don't have access to fresh huckleberries, we also include a recipe where you can make this with huckleberry preserves.

Jump to:

• What are Huckleberries?
• Why You Will Love This Recipe
• Key Ingredients
• Instructions
• Recommended Recipes
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Recipe
• Reviews

What are Huckleberries?

Huckleberries are similar to blueberries, but a little bit smaller, and they are a delightful combination of tart and sweet. The flavor of huckleberry balances a rich cheesecake perfectly, giving it just the right level of tanginess.

If you are lucky enough to have picked fresh huckleberries then you already know how delicious they are! But for those of you new to the huckleberry world, you are in for a delightful treat!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

In my humble opinion, this recipe is the best cheesecake recipe you will find! When you serve it, people will be asking you what bakery you purchased it from. Yep, it's that good!

But don't be intimidated! Just because it tastes like it is from a bakery doesn't mean you need to be a master baker. Even a beginner baker can make this luscious cheesecake! And if you are looking for a miniature version, check out this Mini New York Cheesecake Recipe!

Key Ingredients

• Cream Cheese: The filling for this cheesecake is similar to a classic New York cheesecake. That means it has a lot of cream cheese! Two pounds of cream cheese, to be exact! This makes it creamy, dense, and delicious!
• Eggs: Eggs add more creaminess to the cheesecake, and contribute to the rich texture. But too many eggs can cause your cheesecake to crack. We achieve the best of both worlds by using 4 large eggs and 2 egg yolks.
• Flour: Another way we fight against cracks is by adding flour to the cheesecake. This provides structure to the cheesecake and helps it to stand firm.
• Sour Cream: Adds moisture to the cheesecake, without making it too liquidy.
• Lemon Juice, Vanilla, and Sugar: For mouthwatering flavor.
• A Graham Cracker Crust: Not pictured is the graham cracker crust. But don't be fooled! It is still an important part of this cheesecake. We use graham crackers, butter, sugar, and just a pinch of salt.
• Huckleberry Topping: For fresh huckleberry topping you need fresh huckleberries, of course, along with sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and a little bit of water. But if you are making this with huckleberry preserves it is even easier - just preserves, lemon juice, and water!

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Crust

A great crust is a foundation for a wonderful cheesecake, and this crust does not disappoint! There is not a hint of sogginess. It is crisp and buttery, with a hint of salted caramel flavor, just like in this Philadelphia Cheesecake Recipe.

• Wrap your springform pan with aluminum foil before filling with the crust, so that the water bath does not leak into your cheesecake.
• It can be tricky to get a crust distributed evenly. To make this easy, use a measuring cup or flat-bottomed glass to press in the crust to the bottom and sides of your springform pan.
• When the crust bakes, the sides may slip down. But don't fret! Just use that same measuring cup while the crust is still warm, and you can press the sides back up nice and high.

Step 2) Make the Filling

• Begin with all of your ingredients at room temperature. All of them! That means, the cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs all need to be sitting on your counter for at least an hour. This helps your ingredients incorporate together without having to overmix.
• Don't overmix. Mixing your cheesecake batter heavily will add too much air into your cheesecake. Then when it bakes the cheesecake will fall, causing cracks in the surface.
• It is okay to beat your cream cheese and sugar together well, but for the rest of the ingredients, mix them in on low speed until they are just incorporated.

Step 3: Prepare the Water Bath

Before we get into how to make a water bath, let's take a look at why you want to make a water bath for your cheesecake. To put it simply, the water bath releases steam that allows your cheesecake to cook slowly. This helps it cook evenly and also keeps it from cracking.

• The most important part of preparing for a water bath is wrapping your springform pan with heavy-duty foil. Use foil that is 18" wide so that you can use an 18x18-inch square. Place the pan in the middle of the foil and bring the foil up around the pan. The pan should be wrapped where there are no creases or holes on the bottom half of the pan, where water can get in.
• Place the springform pan, filled with the cheesecake, in a large roasting pan. If you do not have a large enough pan, you can place the springform pan directly on an oven rack and put the water in a pan on the rack below. This does not work quite as well but is better than not using a water bath at all.
• Pour boiling water into the pan, being careful to not splash into the cheesecake. Fill the roasting pan with 1-inch of water.
• About halfway through baking, check the pan and add more water, if needed.

Step 4) Bake

• The hardest part of making cheesecake is that it is an exercise in patience! It cooks at a low temperature of 325 degrees so that the outside of the cheesecake is not overcooked by the time that the middle is ready.
• Look for your cheesecake to be just developing some light brown spots, with the middle still being a little bit jiggly.
• Turn your oven off and crack the door open. Let the cheesecake cool slowly for an hour.
• Remove from the oven and refrigerate for 8 hours.

How to Make Huckleberry Topping

• Fresh or frozen huckleberries can be used to make the huckleberry topping. And if you don't have access to whole huckleberries, check out the recipe notes for directions on how to make a topping using huckleberry preserves!
• To make the topping, place the berries, water, and sugar into a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. This softens the huckleberries and draws out the juices.
• Adding the cornstarch directly to the sauce would make it lumpy. Instead, mix it with lemon juice. This makes a slurry, which is a starch and liquid mixed to thicken a sauce. Add the slurry into the huckleberry mixture and cook it for a couple of minutes until the sauce has thickened, then cool.
• If you want your topping thinner, then add more water, a half tablespoon at a time. If you want it thicker, make another slurry and add a half teaspoon at a time to the mixture.

Recommended Recipes

• Huckleberry Pie
• Sugar Cream Pie
• Boston Cream Pie
• Strawberry Shortcake

Frequently Asked Questions

Let me know how you like this recipe by leaving a review! And follow along on Instagram @stateofdinner for behind-the-scenes and to be among the first to know when new recipes post!

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