The Best Cheesecake Recipe
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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!
The BEST Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
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
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.1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 7 Tablespoons butter
- 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).32 oz cream cheese²
- Add sugar and stir again until creamy.1 cup sugar
- 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.⅔ cups sour cream, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 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.4 large eggs
- 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 50-60 minutes (or longer as needed, see note 3). 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 oven⁴ 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). Do not remove the ring of the springform pan.
- 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. I remove the ring of the springform pan just before serving then return it to the pan to store. Enjoy!
Notes
1) Graham cracker crust
For more details on making this crust or to use whole graham crackers, please see my Graham Cracker Crust Recipe.2) Cream cheese
Make sure that you use the brick-style cream cheese, not the spreadable version that is available in tubs.3)Bake time
Exact bake time can vary depending on your oven, whether you bake your cheesecake on a baking pan or not, the color of your springform pan (light or dark), and even the precise temperature of your ingredients. Because of this I recommend checking your cheesecake at 50 minutes and adding time as needed. However, it is not uncommon for the cheesecake to take as long as 75 minutes to bake, but it's better to check sooner.4) Cooling cheesecake
I recommend the top of the oven because it is usually the warmest place in my house (after it’s been on for over an hour). This will help to cool the cheesecake more gradually and will also help avoid cracks).Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Turned out totally yummy! We made 3 small pie-sized cheesecakes with this recipe, just needed more crust. We were bad and started eating one as soon as it cooled. Will layer some real mango jelly on top of one tomorrow. Loved it.
Can I use unsalted butter? Or would salted butter be better? It’s my first time making cheesecake and I’m so nervous!!
Hi Nisa! Either works fine for the crust. 🙂
This may be a silly question, but when should I take the springform sides off? After a night in the fridge/just before serving? Thank you!
Hi Sam! I typically leave mine in the springform pan and remove the ring to serve. If there are any leftovers just pop the ring back on, cover it up, and right back to the refrigerator. 🙂
This is great. I’ve made it at least 7 times. Coworker suffering through chemo (she’s better now) couldn’t eat. This recipe with a bit of strawberry topping was something I made for her twice.
I wonder how to swirl in some berry filling. 🤔
I’m so glad everyone has enjoyed it so much, Christopher! You could dollop some berry filling on top and swirl it with a toothpick after putting it in the pan. 🙂
Thank you! I make cheescake for virtually every holiday and I found this recipe to be the most straightforward, and yet, fulfilling!
You can probably split the batter and add/mix to one a compote or a berry jam from a farmers market. I would then pour in sections so that they are some what layered and swirl with your spatula. My local farmers market jams are McClutchens. They have a delicious Black and Blue Berry and a strawberry butter that I may try this out with!!
No sure what happened. The batter tasted yummy and was creamy but after baking for 75 min and cooled it was gritty like and didn’t taste so good anymore. I lightly fork beat the eggs just to mix them up. All ingredients were room temperature. I cheaped out and used store brand cream cheese, brick. Also noticed that the sheet pan had a watery liquid in it when I took it out of the oven. Maybe I over mixed it? Also, It fluffed up high and dropped as it cooled, with no cracks at all. Any thoughts because I want to try again. And by the way, hubby and me did it together so I thank you for that!!
Hi Celeste! The mealy texture and puffing during baking indicates an over-mixed batter 🙁 We’re so sorry it didn’t turn out nicely for you.
I am making this tonight and so excited that it doesn’t require a water bath. Two questions: 1. Just out of curiosity, how come the crust doesn’t have to be baked? 2. Would you recommend that I wrap the bottom of the Springform pan with tinfoil (as if it’s being done in a water bath)? Or would doing this increase heat to the cake?
The crust gets baked as the cheesecake bakes and if you are concerned about your spring form pan leaking you can wrap it in foil, otherwise it’s not necessary. 🙂
Can you eat the cheesecake when it’s still warm??? This is my first time making a cheesecake.
Hi Rob! I would not recommend it. It needs to set and chilling is the only way to do that. It would be quite messy if you cut into it while it was still warm.
After the recommended bake time center is still liquid ? Did tooth pick test . Is this expected ?
Hi Liz! The toothpick test won’t work on the cheesecake. If it’s still really liquidy I would leave it in the oven for a few more minutes. 🙂
The top was solid but when poked with tooth pick still looked a bit wet so i kept It in there another 10-15 mins . Hopefully it cooked through. I have It in the fridge overnight now .
Great recipe! I’ve been making cheese cakes for years. It took me a really long time to achieve that perfect smooth creamy top. I did not always use a bain-marie (water bath), but have had fantastic results ever since. I’ve tried this recipe twice once with the water bath and once without. It is good both ways, it dosen’t crack at all either way, but the bain-marie makes a lighter top, and smoother consistency. Great for a beginner, or someone with a little more experience. Thank you for sharing!
We absolutely LOVE this recipe. It is requested at every family gathering I attend! So glad I found this recipe a few years ago when looking for one without a water bath! Thanks!!
Thanks so much for the review, Leslie! We’re so happy it’s such a hit for your family ❤️
I made this cheesecake and it split and cracked all over. The taste was good but it was really ugly and I have never had a problem with making beautiful cheesecakes.
I’m so sorry this happened, Violet! Theres’s a few things that can cause this, over-mixing or over-baking are the two most common. 🙁 You could always top it with some chocolate ganache. 🙂
Hi I’m getting ready to make your cheesecake but I wanted to know if you made a diabetic version?
Hi Yolanda! Unfortunately I do not have a diabetic version.
i’m sure it’s excellent but unsure when to take it out if the springfoam pan – after cooling down on top of the stove for 10 minutes then running a knife around the edge to loosen – do you then release the cake or wait until after it cools down to room temp after 1-2 hours?
thank you!
Hi Cat! I leave it in the pan until serving. There’s no need to remove the outer ring after separating the cheesecake. 🙂
I used this recipe for my first cheesecake ever and it was a hit!!! And guess what- not one crack in the top! I was shocked. The cheesecake was a little thick for my liking but everyone else really loved it. Overall this is such a great recipe and it’s great if you’re a beginner.
Yay! Congrats, Karen! Thanks for using our recipe 🙂
can i back those with an apple crumble topping???
I’m not sure how that would work here. 🙁
If I am using store bought pie crust will it still require same bake time?
Hi JJ! If you use a store-bought crust, you’ll need to halve the recipe. Your bake time will be different too, so keep an eye on it 😊
I’m worried that I did something wrong. I cooked my cheesecake for 70 minutes and it was very puffy in the middle. It also looked like it was puffing up and down. I stopped cooking it because it looked like it was getting a little too dark.
I’m so sorry this happened, Karla! If it was puffy it may have accidentally been over-mixed. 🙁
I read 40 minutes would be the reduced time. Trying it as we speak
I would love to know how it turned out!
Why does the pumpkin cheesecake require less baking time than the plain?
It’s baked on a higher temperature. 🙂
Making this as we speak! Question… I measured 170 G of graham crackers before crushing. Crushed, they measure more than one and a half cups. Should I just go ahead and use all of them?
Hi Cat! I would just use it all, the butter to graham cracker ratio is what is important here. 🙂
Do you use a water bath?
Hi Eva! We cover this in the post 😊
Wonderful cheesecake, my first one ever. Appreciated the very clear instructions and not needing to do a water bath (very intimidating).
Now I have a question: my husband likes a thinner cheesecake, would it be possible to half the filling recipe on this to make a nice thin cheesecake? (Again, I’m a cheesecake newbie, just don’t want to mess anything up) If so, what do you think the cook time might be?
Hi Alex! You could certainly cut the recipe in half and make it that way. I’m honestly not sure what the bake time would be. You’ll want to keep an eye on it and check for the same cues to make sure it’s done.
Can you share a link to the type of Springform pan you have? Mine leaks and I would like to find one that doesn’t.
Hi Nicole! I actually link to it in the recommended equipment section. 🙂
Do you really have to use the springform pan
Hi JoAnn! A springform is most definitely the best pan to use for cheesecake, so we highly recommend one. If you don’t have one, a cake pan will work, but you may not be able to fit all of the batter (springforms are deeper). Be sure not to overfill your pan! Getting the cheesecake out of your pan may be a little tough, so using foil or parchment is a good idea. 🙂
Am I correct that you do not pre cook crust?p
Correct! Enjoy, Patricia 😊
When should I remove the cheesecake from the springform pan ? Should I release the spring before I put it in the fridge ?
Hi Ed! I don’t take the ring off until serving. Make sure to free the cheesecake from the edge of the pan after cooling for a few minutes, then you can just leave it in the pan. 🙂
This is my third time making this recipe. First time, filling smooth as silk, second time, a little lumpy, this time (it is baking now, more small lumps! My sour cream was still cold when I added it, eggs may have still been cool as well. The taste, however, is fantastic! I add a little fresh lemon juice as another baker has said she does. Any suggestions on avoiding the lumps? Thank you, Marie.
I’m so glad you’ve ultimately enjoyed it, Marie! The cream cheese is the biggest culprit of lumps, you’ll want to make sure that’s at room temperature all the way through. You then want to make sure to mix it well with the sugar, but don’t overdo it. The only other thing is to make sure all of your ingredients are the same temperature, but of course, as you have found out a few lumps in the batter aren’t the end of the world. 🙂
Do you line the springform pan with parchment paper?
We don’t find it necessary here 😊