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.
Karyn
I made this yesterday and it turned out amazing!!! Followed the recipe as written. I actually used a 10in springform instead of a 9in, and the cheesecake was perfectly baked at 45 mins. I did have to double the crust with a larger pan. I also made a strawberry sauce/topping that went with the cake perfectly! I haven’t made a cheesecake in 10 years, but this recipe was easy to follow and tastes great.
Neeanne Balamiento
Best cheesecake recipe. I’ve already made this twice and everyone loved it!
Becky
This is my first cheesecake I ever made and it was so good I gave some to family members to try and they loved it..
Easy to follow recipe and also loved there is a video to follow..
Thank You this he will not disappoint!
Caroline
How would this turnout if it had to be frozen for a couple days to a week before hand? Would the graham crust get soggy?
Sam
Hi Caroline! I haven’t personally frozen it, but many others have reported doing so with success. I don’t think the crust will get soggy. 🙂
ed m
FANTASTIC!!! We had a friend-professional chef-who made cheesecakes with berry sauces-cherry, blueberry, strawberry- . Do you have any thoughts on how to do that??
Sam
Hi Ed! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake! I do have a blueberry cheesecake and a strawberry cheesecake (and a raspberry version, coming soon!) that I think might interest you. Enjoy!
Linda R
I made this last year and very good.
Can I add heath bits to the cheesecake?
If so when
Sam
Hi Linda! You could add heath bits. I would stir them in briefly at the end. Just as a note, they may dissolve while baking, but I don’t know for sure. 🙂
Kassidy
I didn’t have enough graham cracker crumbs to go up the sides of the pan, but it still was delicious !
Kathy
Hello… I have s couple of questions, you say to put the cheesecake in the refrigerator do you cover it? if you do cover it do you have to worry about it getting weepy?
Thank you
Sam
Hi Kathy! I personally don’t cover mine but it wouldn’t hurt to do so. I’d just cover the springform pan with aluminum foil. I’ve never had an issue with it getting weepy. Enjoy!
Kathy
Thank you Sam … my friend Cindy is the one who’s making it as a matter of fact it’s in the oven right now and it should be coming right out and we were just deciding what to do after we got to the point where you said to put it in the refrigerator. she kept saying it’s going to be weepy but I’ve done it before where it didn’t but I just wanted to be sure because I usually make a New York style cheesecake of course that was a long time ago now I would make vegan cheesecakes.
but thank you so much for such a quick response cuz I just sent the response to Cindy now.
MJ Collins
Was thinking about trying this in 4″ mini springform pans to make individuals.
What would you recommend for bake time? Any other thoughts about mini’s?
Sam
Hi MJ! I have not personally baked them in 4″ pans so I can’t say for sure how long they will take. I don’t think you will have any issues doing so. Enjoy! 🙂
Jeronda Frith
i absolutely love this recipe. I have made it about 7 or 8 times. everyone loves it and keep asking me to make another. I have a question though. how would this recipe do in a 10 inch springform pan.
Barbara
I tried this recipe and brought it to work. So far, I’ve had 2 people wanting to buy one from me and another asked me to make it for her birthday. Best cheesecake I’ve ever had!
Mary Ryken
I just made this cheesecake over the weekend and I only had a 10″ springform pan. It turned out great and I baked it for only 50 min. You may want some additional graham crackers for the crust however. My crust was thin, but I like it that way.
Andromeda LeTourneau
Any idea why the filling separated from the crust after baking? And how to prevent it?
Sam
Hmmm that’s very interesting. I haven’t ever run into this issue. Was your crust pressed really firmly into your pan so maybe it was sticking to your pan more than the cheesecake?
Andromeda LeTourneau
I did! So it’s best not to press too firmly?? I will try that next time.
Sam
You do want to press firmly, but you don’t want to smash it so hard that it sticks to the pan instead of the cheesecake, if that makes sense. 🙂
Dom
I don’t typically post on recipes but this cheesecake recipe was incredible. Had Restaurant quality fluff to it. Made chocolate and peanut butter sauce and drizzled over each slice. So good. Will be making it again.
Brent
The best cheesecake and got a lot of compliment every time I baked them. Do you have an eggless version of this?
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Brent! I do have a no bake cheesecake that does not have eggs in it, but it’s not going to be the exact same. 🙂
Brent
this is the second time making it and it is delicious and my wife and kids ate it all up fast. My questions are about the cracking and when do you suggest adding a topping like strawberries and such. Move oven is built into the wall so I haven’t got a warm top to sit it on. just wondering if you had another idea how to stop the cracking. thank you.
Sam
If it’s an option, you could just leave the oven door open. I know that’s not always feasible though. When/if you want to put a topping on is really up to you. If the cracks don’t bother you and you don’t want to add anything extra then you don’t have to. If you are making it to really impress a crowd and you want it to look perfect you could opt for a ganache topping. If it’s cracking every time you make it, I would try to focus on not over-mixing the batter or potentially checking it a few minutes earlier to see if it is finishing baking just a little earlier. I hope this helps. 🙂
Jackie Forestieri
I made this yesterday for a birthday party. This cheesecake turned out fantastic and everyone loved it! The recipe was simple (for cheesecake) and easy to follow, and best of all, no cracks! I’ve made cheesecake many times over the years, and I think this is the first time it didn’t crack. I will definitely make this again.
I served it with a simple fruit sauce I made. Delicious and it’s almost gone already!
Denise
I make this for every holiday. I love it. I add a sour cream topping and berries to make it pretty.