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.
Lisa
The best cheesecake I ever made. Thank you Sam
Richard
This is my wife’s favorite cheesecake, thank you so much for the recipe! I usually top with some cooked down fruit like blueberries and had to sub in Greek yogurt for the sour cream with good results, but the sour cream is definitely better.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy it’s a hit, Richard! Thanks for the feedback on the sour cream vs. yogurt 🩷
Barb
This is my very 1st attempt to even make a homemade cheesecake. Just good out of oven for cooling and it looks FABULOUS! We’ll see tomorrow after cooling overnight.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We hope you love it, Barb!
Charlie (Sharlene) Mason
Hello, This is Charlie. I am a 78 year young grandma, who LOVES baking. I can’t wait to try your version of cheesecake. I don’t usually like cheesecake but yours seems great. I will let you know how it turns out. God bless.
Sam
I hope you love it, Charlie! 🙂
Barb
Can you make this cheesecake without a crust?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We haven’t tried making this recipe crustless 😞
Michelle
Good recipe except your website is very frustrating. Every time I loaded the recipe an ad covered the screen and then the website stopped working and I had to reload. Not ideal when other websites have good recipes without this issue.
Sam
Hi Michelle, would it be possible for you to send me a screenshot of what you experienced? That should absolutely not be happening and I’m upset to hear that you experienced this. If it’s possible for you to recreate the issue, could you send the screenshot to samantha@sugarspunrun.com? I want to get this fixed ASAP but can’t replicate it on my end 🙁
Mel
how long did you bake your cupcake?
Sam
Hi Mel! I have a recipe for mini cheesecakes you can follow for bake times. 🙂
April
This cheesecake recipe is the BEST!!!
Lisa
Love this step by step recipe! So, so delicious!
Leo
Has anyone made this cheesecake substituting monkfruit with erythritol for the sugar?
Sam
Hi Leo! I have had a few commenters report using monkfruit with success, but I haven’t tried it personally. Enjoy! 🙂
Emily
This is my first time ever reviewing a recipe and we haven’t even tried the cheesecake yet but it smells so good and the notes were incredibly helpful. I attempted this cheesecake as my first time baking one for my husband’s birthday and because of the notes there are 0 cracks and it looks to be cooked properly! The tips from how to beat it, cooking time, and how to cool it to avoid cracks were incredibly helpful and it was super convenient having the measurements for the ingredients also in the steps. Thank you for the easy to follow recipe!
Tinsley Andrews
The BEST cheesecake I’ve ever made!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you enjoyed it so much, Tinsley! 🥰
Cyrena Engstrom
Everyone tells me this is the best cheesecake they’ve ever had anytime I bake it! I just had one question; if I want to make a lemon version, do I just use the juice and zest from 1 lemon to add in to the cheesecake batter?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Cyrena! We recommend you make our lemon cheesecake instead of altering this recipe 😊
Alexis
This was my first time making a cheesecake, and it was for my husband’s birthday. I don’t typically leave comments, but had to come here to report back that it turned out perfectly!!! It was a hit with everyone and not too much to handle in the slightest. Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy it turned out so nicely for you, Alexis! Thanks for using our recipe 🩷
Miriam
easy to make following the directions and tasting is absolutely amazing did have to cook for 70 minutes up here in the mountains.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy it was a hit, Miriam! Thanks for the review 🩷
Bianca
Can I substitute sour cream for heavy cream?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Bianca! Plain Greek yogurt is a good substitute for the sour cream. We would not recommend heavy cream. 🙂
Sarah G
I chose this recipe as it was my first time attempting a cheesecake. It turned out AMAZING! I followed the recipe exactly. I do think next time I will omit the extra salt, and add a little.bit more vanilla. I shared some slices with my neighbors and it was a hit! Thank you sooo much for sharing this!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy everyone enjoyed it so much, Sarah! 🩷
NR
I made my first cheesecake ever using this recipe and it turned out perfectly silky smooth, I was so happy!! I worried because the cake cracked a lot after baking but luckily it was not over baked. Baked for 1 hour 15 min and it was perfect. Will definitely make this again.