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
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.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
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Sally
Easy to make. I’m baking right now but didn’t have enough graham cracker crust to go up the side. Hope it will be okay
Joy Wolfe
We were celebrating our son and daughter-in-law’s 18th wedding anniversary, so I decided to fix this cheesecake as part of the celebration dinner. I followed the directions exactly, and everyone said it was the best cheesecake they had ever eaten! Mine did not crack either! Thank you for such a delicious and easy way to make cheesecake.
Cathy
I made this cheesecake recently along with the pumpkin cheesecake squares…both are to die for!! We couldn’t stop eating them both! Question: I’d like to try and give this cheesecake recipe an eggnog-like twist, if possible….could I just add cinnamon and nutmeg?? Or maybe another egg yolk? (None of us drink alcohol so I wasn’t planning to add any rum). Would love to have any suggestions!
Sam
Hi Cathy! I haven’t tried it personally, so I’d be hesitant to comment on the egg yolk, but the cinnamon and nut meg are fine. You can add those to taste. 🙂
Rhonda Sewell
Question: After I run the knife around the edge, how long do I wait to pop the spring form to let it cool further?
Sam
Hi Rhonda! I leave the cheesecake in the pan. There’s no need to remove it until serving. 🙂
Mama
I made this last night n it is really good,, i was doubtful towards the end thinking i mixed it too much,, i did alter a little like i didnt do the crust on the bottom n i put a tray with water in bottom oven n i think i did 8″ pan,, still came out good most definitely will make this again
Jeri
I made this cheesecake for our game night as a holiday surprise treat. The gang thought it was fabulous, even suggested I open a bakery to share with others. I added a strawberry topping with whipped cream and a sprinkle of blueberries. The folks absolutely loved it. It was easy and no cracks to be found. One issue though…the graham cracker crust was kinda short and thin. Next time I will make an extra portion of crust so that it is thicker and come up higher on the sides. Thanks for the recipe. It was wonderful.
Katelyn
Was looking for a recipe similar to my late grandmothers because I wasn’t given a temperature to cook at, main difference being sour cream wasn’t added to the base, and 1 tsp of cinnamon was added for a subtle secondary flavor. A sour cream mix was added as a secondary layer on top added after 15 minutes minutes of cooling then popped back in for about 15 minutes. The sour cream mix is the whole of a 16oz container mixed with about 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla, should taste like a sour vanilla greek yogurt of sorts. Thanks for the help.
Brenda Walker
I am making this for a Christmas Eve dinner,am wondering if I could substitute peppermint extract for the vanilla and and add a bit of crushed candy canes to the batter.
Sam
Hi Brenda! That will work! I would probably use 1/2 teaspoon of each vanilla and peppermint extract. This will give you a subtle peppermint flavor. You could increase that if you’d like. Stay tuned, tomorrow I am publishing a peppermint bark cheesecake that may interest you. 🙂
Sara
This was honestly THE best cheesecake ever. I received a ton of compliments. Question though – I would like to make this in a 13×9 for a party (cheesecake bites). Any suggestion on recipe modification and/or baking time/temp changes?
Thank you sooooo much!!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed it Sara! This recipe will bake in a 9×13 just fine. The baking time will vary, everything else will stay the same. We would estimate about 40 minutes, but keep an eye on it! 🙂
Courtney
Can I add mix ins? If so how much of each is ideal?
Sam
Hi Courtney! It really depends on what you are adding. You could probably get away with a little more of some things and a little less of others. You also have to be careful to not overfill your pan if adding extra ingredients and you may need to discard some batter.
Cynthia
I made this recipe over the weekend. Best tasting cheesecake ever. Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Cynthia! Thanks for the review ❤️
Barbara
Looks like a super easy recipe I just tried it, it was impossible not to keep stirring to get rid of all the lumps! I know there has to be some lumps but you have to really stir it to incorporate everything because I didn’t notice till the end yours was really lumpy when you dumped it into the pan so I don’t know how this is going to turn out I let the cream cheese sit at room temperature for 2 hours and get the eggs one at a time at room temperature exactly how you did it but the graham crackers there’s no way it was going to go up the side of a 9-in spring pan with only using a cup and a half I played with it twice and it basically covered the bottom I wonder if yours was an 8 inch and you didn’t notice cuz yours really went up the cake and this one me and my friends are noticed a 9 in only covered the bottom with using a cup and a half following your recipe thank you so much for sharing can’t wait to try it when it’s ready hopefully it turns out thank you.
Sam
Hi Barbara! I use a 9″ pan, it should be able to cover the sides and bottom but it’s OK if yours does not go up all the way. If there were lumps this is usually due to the cream cheese being too cold, it can take a while for it to soften completely in the winter unfortunately.
Maddie
Made it mini!!
Used this recipe and the attached crust recipe and quartered the recipes! Cooked in a mini cheesecake pan (not sure of dimensions; came in a set of 4, made to split a full recipe). Baked in a convection oven for 22 mins.
Absolutely delicious!! My boyfriend and I split the mini cheesecake and it was perfect! After one bite, he said he was ready to get down on one knee haha. I also made a quick fruit topping (1 cup frozen fruit + 2t lemon zest + 1.5T sugar microwaved and then strained, drizzled over cheesecake).
100% will make again!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Those sound adorable, Maddie! We’re so happy you both enjoyed them so much ❤️
Beth
I just made this. It was super easy and turned out pretty good. It did crack but I’m pretty sure that’s because I didn’t let the cream cheese get warm enough so I had to beat it for a while before it got smooth. Tastes great though. I also used Biscoff cookies for the crust because I forgot to get Graham crackers. It looks pretty dark but doesn’t taste like it. Thanks!
Amanda
I am NOT a cook. But I thought I’d give this a try, and it turned out FANTASTIC!! Perfect cheesecake. This will be my go to recipe forever. Thank you for sharing.