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.
Alma
The whole family loved the recipe. This was the best I have ever tried. I will not be looking for another recipe ever! I only had vanilla bean, so I scraped the seeds in and I added lemon zest and a little lemon juice. There were very minor changes. I am positive this recipe would have been great without the additions. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you found our recipe, Alma! Your additions sound divine. Thanks for the review 😊
Nicole
Thanks for a wonderful recipe. Made with 2 kids and we all had fun and it came out amazing.
How long can you store these in the fridge for?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy the cheesecake turned out so nicely for you, Nicole! You can store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Keri
This recipe was easy and turned out perfect. My family enjoyed the cheesecake by itself, as well as with homemade raspberry sauce or strawberry jam on top! YUM
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you loved it, Keri! Thanks for commenting ❤️
Pamz
I have a small spring pan since it is just myself and my husband. I will make this cutting the ingredients in half. Should the cooking time be cut in half as well?
Sam
I don’t think the bake time would be cut in half, but without having tried it in a smaller pan I can’t say for sure. You’ll just want to make sure to keep an eye on it as it bakes. 🙂
Aaliyah S.
When the cheesecake came out of the oven and after it cooled, I tasted it and now it is the best cheesecake I have ever made or tasted.
And I’m only 10 I’m the youngest person in my family to start baking.
Thank you for this recipe
Joseph
Try adding 3 shots of espresso during the final stages of batter mixing. I usually reduce the eggs by one when I do this.
Louie’s Mom
I tried this recipe to make my first ever cheesecake from scratch. The flavor was great, but I definitely did something wrong in the execution, my cheesecake came out of the oven puffed way above the lip of my pan, then shrunk, concaved and cracked. It was also golden brown across the top. I might have cooked it too long, everyone still said it was delicious though.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Oh no! A cheesecake that puffs up can be caused by incorporating too much air into the batter, especially while mixing the eggs. You also may want to make sure that your oven isn’t running hotter than it lets on–many ovens do, unfortunately 🙁 We have lots of tips in the post and the video that are helpful for beginner cheesecake bakers, if you’d like to check those out. We are glad it still tasted great! 😊
Ari
Everyone in these comments is so sweet anyway I just made this and took it out of the oven an hour ago, I forgot to separate the edges so it cracked a bit but it smells sooooo good! The texture looks amazing and I’m so excited to eat it tomorrow, and it was one of the easiest cheesecake recipes I’ve ever made.
Chad
Perfect. Made many cheesecakes and this one turned out great, not too much egg flavor. Did take something from another recipe and added lemon juice, lemon zest and a tablespoon of flour to this one and it was the best combination. Didn’t make it taste like lemon, but gave it a very fresh, refreshing flavor. Will make this many times again.
Ashley
How much of the lemon juice and zest did you use?
Chad
2 teaspoons of juice and 1 teaspoon of packed zest.
Anna
I used about a half to a full teaspoon of each. It tasted great!
Emily
Can you use this recipe for cheesecake cupcakes?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Emily! Yes you can. We actually have a recipe for mini cheesecakes, if you’d like to follow the instructions there 😊
Dori
Hey. Your recipe looks pretty doable for me, who hasn’t baked a Cheesecake yet. Altough I really try to eat less sugar (I know that I haven’t chosen the best recipe for this option. Ooops, sorry not sorry)
I was wondering whether I could cut down on sugar or reduce it a bit (the less sweet tast would be just a benefit, but I’m concerned about the texture). Can I use just the biscuits and the butter in the base (since the biscuits are already sweet)?
Huggz,
Dori
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Dori! We’re not sure how reducing the sugar would go here or how much to recommend. Our recipe isn’t overly sweet though. The sugar in the crust helps bind it together, so you will have a pretty crumbly crust if you remove it there. Make sure to read through the post and watch the video for lots of tips for first time cheesecake makers 😊
LH
Could I make this in a pie pan instead of springform pan?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
This recipe will make too much batter for a pie pan. Cutting it in half might work though 🙂
Bob Trexler
SMOOOOOOTH AND CREAMY!!! OMG this will be the LAST cheesecake recipe that you will EVER use! I baked it for 70 minutes and it still had some serious JIGGLE left but the edges were looking done so that was the PERFECT time to take it out. I did add the zest and juice from one lemon but other than that I followed directions completely. Tasty, and did I mention smooth and creamy?
THANK YOU SAM!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you loved the cheesecake, Bob! Thanks so much for trying our recipe and leaving a review 😊
Jen
Once this cheesecake is made how long will it last? I need to make it three days before the event. Will it hold in the fridge for that long?
Sam
Hi Jen! It should be fine for 3 days in the refrigerator. 🙂
Denise
I just put my first ever homemade cheesecake in the oven! I’m sooo excited I chose your recipe! What kind of toppings do you suggest?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We hope it turns out beautifully, Denise! Blueberry sauce, strawberry sauce, raspberry sauce, and chocolate ganache are a few of our favorite toppings 😋
Shirley Smith
How do you remove the cheesecake from the metal bottom to give it to someone?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Shirley! It can be a bit difficult, but the best way we have found is to take off the ring and slide two big spatulas underneath the entire bottom of the cheesecake to free the crust and pick up the cheesecake. Good luck! 🙂
Jeanette Sims
I line the bottom with wax paper! Works great!
Mike
Another way is to use one of those big pizza spatulas if you have one. Just carefully slide under and transfer to another pan/plate and carefully slide out. Just like with a pizza.