Today I’m so excited to show you how to make the best Cheesecake Recipe of your life. Simple, classic, and no water bath required!! The texture is smooth, rich, and creamy, served over a crisp homemade graham cracker crust.
I’ve included tons of detailed tips and important info in today’s post so you can make the perfect creamy cheesecake every time. For a visual how-to, be sure to check out my step-by-step video beneath the recipe!
The Perfect Cheesecake Recipe
This cheesecake recipe has been a long time coming.
For a recipe with so few ingredients (cream cheese, eggs, sugar, sour cream, vanilla & salt), it took a lot longer than you might think to develop the perfect version. I’ve shared a few cheesecake variations in the past, including my No-Bake Cheesecake, but getting a perfected classic version took lots of testing. Finally, here we are.
Oh, and we are skipping the water bath! I’ve always found them to be largely unnecessary with cheesecakes. Cook yours on a low temperature and follow my tips below and you’ll have a perfectly creamy and crack-less cheesecake without all the hassle of a water bath.
Other tested/perfected classics to try: my Pound Cake, Chocolate Cake, and Carrot Cake, (to name just a handful).
Must-Know Tips for Baking the Perfect Cheesecake (Without a Water Bath!)
Use room temperature ingredients
It’s important that your cream cheese comes to room temperature before you begin making your cheesecake. This will prevent any lumps and ensure a cheesecake with a smooth, creamy texture. However, to ensure that all of your ingredients blend together nicely and give you the desired result, they should all be at room temperature before you begin.
Take it easy on the eggs
Over-beating your eggs is one of the quickest ways to ruin a cheesecake. Over-beating can ruin the texture and can cause cracks. To prevent this, lightly scramble each egg before adding it into your batter. Keep your mixer on low speed and stir until just combined. Be sure to pause after each addition and scrape down the sides and bottom of your mixing bowl.
Don’t open the oven!
I know how tempting it can be to want to check on your perfect, beautiful cheesecake, but wait until it’s finished baking (or close to it) before opening the oven door! Yes, you will have to test for doneness at some point and there’s a real possibility it will need more time in the oven, but minimize opening the oven as much as possible.
Opening the oven door can drastically reduce the temperature of your oven, which will slow the baking process and might cause your cheesecake to sink or crack.
Free your crust!
Once your cheesecake is done baking, allow it to cool for 10 minutes on top of the stove. Then, run a knife around the inside of the springform pan to loosen the crust from the sides.
As your cheesecake cools, it may to shrink a bit. If the crust is stuck to the pan, your crust won’t give but your cheesecake will (leaving you with cracks). Free the crust from the sides so it can contract with your filling as needed.
Cool at room temperature before moving to the fridge
I always let my cheesecake come to room temperature before chilling. For bests results, let it cool as gradually as possible. I put mine on top of my oven (the warmest spot in my house) so it can gradually cool off as the oven does.
This pre-chilling cooling period can take an hour or two, but it’s worth it. An abrupt temperature change (moving the cheesecake directly from oven to fridge) is likely to make it crack.
How to Store Cheesecake
Cheesecake should always be stored chilled in the refrigerator. When I’m ready to store mine, I’ll usually replace the springform ring and then cover the top with foil.
Cheesecake shouldn’t be left out at room temperature for more than 4 hours (or less if it’s particularly hot/humid!).
Can I Freeze Cheesecake?
Yes, you can freeze your cheesecake! Fortunately, this cheesecake recipe actually freezes very well. To freeze, first allow your cheesecake to cool on the stovetop and in the fridge as instructed. Once it’s chilled, you can freeze by wrapping thoroughly in plastic wrap and then wrapping in foil. Cheesecake will keep in the freezer for several months.
To thaw, transfer to the fridge and let it thaw there overnight.
Here’s a great source for more information on freezing cheesecake, including suggestions if you’d like to freeze by the slice.
Other Cheesecake Variations You Might Like:
- Oreo Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Chocolate Cheesecake
- Or try something different and serve this cheesecake on an Oreo Crust!
Enjoy!
Treat yourself to a FREE E-BOOK!
The BEST Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust¹
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (170g)
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar (can substitute white)
- 7 Tablespoons butter melted
Cheesecake
- 32 oz cream cheese² softened to room temperature (910g)
- 1 cup sugar (200g)
- ⅔ cups sour cream (160g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F (160C).
- Prepare Graham Cracker crust first by combining graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and brown sugar, and stirring well. Add melted butter and use a fork to combine ingredients well.
- Pour crumbs into a 9” Springform pan and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your pan. Set aside.
Cheesecake
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl (using a hand mixer) add cream cheese and stir until smooth and creamy (don’t over-beat or you’ll incorporate too much air).
- Add sugar and stir again until creamy.
- Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt, and stir until well-combined. If using a stand mixer, make sure you pause periodically to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula so that all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- With mixer on low speed, gradually add lightly beaten eggs, one at a time, stirring just until each egg is just incorporated. Once all eggs have been added, use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again and make sure all ingredients are well combined.
- Pour cheesecake batter into prepared springform pan. To insure against leaks, place pan on a cookie sheet that’s been lined with foil.
- Transfer to the center rack of your oven and bake on 325F (160C) for about 75 minutes. Edges will likely have slightly puffed and may have just begun to turn a light golden brown and the center should spring back to the touch but will still be Jello-jiggly. Don't over-bake or the texture will suffer, which means we all suffer.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on top of the oven³ for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes has passed, use a knife to gently loosen the crust from the inside of the springform pan (this will help prevent cracks as your cheesecake cools and shrinks).
- Allow cheesecake to cool another 1-2 hours or until near room temperature before transferring to refrigerator and allowing to cool overnight or at least 6 hours. Enjoy!
Jackie
Oh man, my mouth is watering! Will this work in a store bought 9 ounce graham cracker crust? Please say “yes”. 😀
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Jackie! It will work, however this recipe yields quite a bit of batter, too much batter for one pie crust. If you’re going to do that, we recommend cutting the recipe in half. You will also want to keep an eye on the bake time, as it will be different than what is listed. Enjoy! 🙂
Jackie
Yay! Thanks for your quick response. I happen to have a store bought crust in my pantry so I’ll try it and let you know how it turns out, bake time, etc. Cutting the recipe in half is perfect because I really didn’t need a big cheesecake this time. You can bet I’ll be making your recipe as written in the very near future.
Denise
Hello,
I’d like to make this for my mom’s birthday dinner dessert. She doesn’t eat sugar. Could I substitute monk fruit instead? Have you tried sugar substitutions?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Denise! Unfortunately we aren’t familiar with sugar substitutions. Hopefully someone who is can chime in! ❤️
Monica
I’m so sad! I checked it ten minutes early and it is so dark 😩
It’s a newer oven and the temp is definitely right because I’ve checked it. I don’t know what happened!
Sam
Hi Monica! Do you keep an oven thermometer in the oven? New ovens can be tricky and it could be running hot, unfortunately 🙁
Also make sure to bake in the center rack. I hope that helps!
Farrah
Absolutely perfect! I’ve been making cheesecakes for years and always struggled with cracking and being able to tell when the cheesecake is done without over baking.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy our recipe was a hit for you, Farrah! Enjoy that cheesecake 🙂
Debbie
I made this cheesecake yesterday and we had it with dinner tonight. I literally have no words for how good it is. It is sweet and creamy. The crust was perfect. My mother and son were blown away as well. It really is the perfect cheesecake. And I am so excited… I baked the best cheesecake of my life!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it was a hit for you, Debbie! Thank you so much for your five star rating and kind words. Enjoy! ❤️
Kristin Grant
I’m not sure what happened but the pie crust was barely even enough to cover the bottom (I should have made more) and I cooked it about 65 min and it got pretty brown. I used a 9in springform pan but it seemed like maybe I should use an 8in next time? It looks way overdone.. I haven’t tried it yet because it’s cooling 🙂
Sam
Hi Kristin! The amounts indicated are enough for a 9 inch pan, the crust recipe makes enough that you can even go partway up the sides of the pan. While you could make this in an 8″ pan, keep in mind the baking time will be longer and take care to not overfill the pan.
Jill
Hi!! I’ve made this cheesecake SEVERAL times now for family birthdays and holidays and we all love it!! I was wondering if there’s an easy way to convert this recipe into a pumpkin cheesecake? thanks for an amazing and easy recipe!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Jill! We’re so happy you love this recipe! We recommend you try our pumpkin cheesecake recipe instead. Let us know how you like it!
Jill
Thank you for the super quick response Emily!! My apologies for not searching your site 😉 I’m super excited to make the pumpkin cheesecake for my aunt and uncle’s 57th anniversary tomorrow!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Absolutely, Jill! And no worries at all, we’re always happy to help point you in the right direction. 😊 Please let us know how the cheesecake turned out! ❤️
Randy
My wife requested a gluten-free, lemon cheesecake for her 70th birthday tomorrow. I started with gluten-free graham crackers, and followed the recipe, incorporating the zest of a small lemon along with the sour cream, vanilla, and salt. The batter before the egg addition was wonderful; she already thanked me after tasting the batter and it’s wonderful. We can hardly wait to taste the finished product tomorrow night when the kids come over! Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds like a delicious 70th birthday dessert! If you want some extra lemon-flavor, you could always serve the cheesecake with a dollop of lemon curd. Enjoy! 😊
Randy Howard
I can now say this cheesecake (with added lemon zest, no lemon curd necessary! ) was super yummy. It was a big hit.
One suggestion for the recipe: indicate table salt, if that’s intended, as so many cooks now have a variety of salt types available.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! We’re so happy it was a hit for you, Randy! Thanks for the salt suggestion 🙂
Debbie
I haven’t tasted it (yet) but it’s easily the most gorgeous perfect cheesecake I’ve ever made in my life. Followed the instructions explicitly and they didn’t steer me wrong. I’m stunned that it is just so perfect.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for your five-star review, Debbie! We hope it tastes as good as it looks. 😊
Sammy
Surely it’s delicious
jan
Made this cheese cake for the neighbors and they raved about it. I will definitely keep this recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy to hear this, Jan! Thanks for letting us know how everyone liked it. Enjoy!
Zoey
Hi I did a half batch and used a standard round pie tin, with foil underneath for an easy transfer after baking. 45 minutes was the perfect cook time at 325.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for letting us know how it turned out for you, Zoey! Enjoy!
Sammy
Surely I will keep that recipe and the lemon cheese cake is my favourite one it’s finger licken
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you like it, Sammy! Enjoy!
Anna
1 1/2 of crumbs is not 170 grams. 😞 I was using grams making the cheese cake and crust didn’t come out right because of the wrong measurements given.
Sam
Hi Anna! 1 1/2 crumbs is 170 grams, the weight measurements are all exactly what I use myself. What was wrong with the crust, maybe I can help troubleshoot.
Randy
I too think I will use a little more than 170 g — say 190 g — in the future. It was difficult to get enough crumb crust to go all the up the sides.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Randy! We’re sorry you had trouble with the crust. This could be because your springform pan is a little bigger than what we used, or if your bottom layer was just a little bit thicker than pictured. We hope it still tastes good regardless! 🙂
Julie
Thank you! I added a little more sugar due to my sweet tooth.It was perfect! So creamy! It was a hit at a family birthday party.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yum! Thanks for letting us know how everyone liked it, Julie! ❤️
ivy
I want to try this recipe but I only have an 8 inch spring form pan instead of a 9 or 10 inch. How could I convert it?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Ivy! You will have too much batter for an 8 inch springform pan, so make sure not to over-fill the pan or you will have a big mess on your hands. Your baking time will probably be different as well, just keep an eye on it and check for the signs that it is done. 🙂
Mariela
Can this recipe be turned into cupcakes?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Mariela! We suggest you make our mini cheesecakes instead. 😊