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.
Mason
All my butter in the crust leaked out ot my spring form pan. What pan brand do you have?
Sam
Hi Mason! I use a Wilton spring form pan. It could happen with any pan though. You can always bake it over a cookie sheet to catch all of that dripping butter. 🙂
Peter E Schneider
Nordic Ware Leak proof didn’t lose a drop
Kiley
Is it ready to eat after the 6 hour cooling time or is it better in the fridge longer? When do you put it in the fridge, like after an hour of sitting on the stove?
Thank you, can’t wait to try it!!
Sam
Hi Kiley! As long as the cheesecake has cooled in the refrigerator completely it will be good to eat. You want the cheesecake to come all the way to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator. 🙂
Judy
Had to adjust the crust as my son is gluten intolerant. We used pamela’s honey Graham’s and followed the recipe as you had it. The crust looked just like regular crust. If you wish the crust to go up the sides a way you will have to use more than 1 1/2 cups of graham. Otherwise, it was fabulous.
Sam
Thank you for the update, Judy! I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Deanna Morris
I made this recipe using allulose and stevia instead of sugar. It was fantastic!
Sam
Thank you so much for the feedback, Deanna! So many people ask about sugar substitutions and I just don’t know so that is good information. I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Ivy
If I bake 2 cheesecakes at once would I bake them any longer or the usual hour and 15 minutes??
Sam
Hi Ivy! Yes you will probably have to bake the cheesecakes just a little bit longer. 🙂
Katherine
Hi I need help I bought a store bought crust supposed to be for cheesecake but I don’t know how would I use it just pour everything into that and put it in the oven?
Sam
Hi Katherine! I’m not sure which crust you bought specifically but I’m guessing it is one in a pie plate? Yes you would just add the cheesecake batter and bake BUT keep in mind those crusts are usually smaller than the one I call for in my recipe so you probably will not be able to use all of the batter. If that is the case you will also likely need to reduce the baking time as it will not need to cook as long.
Melissa
Can I make this cheesecake as the recipe states and bake it without the crust? I am making a multi-layer cake, with one layer of rich chocolate cake (maybe two), one layer of cheesecake and is frosted entirely in homemade buttercream. This is at the behest of my daughter who turns 14 tomorrow (on Mother’s Day. (She wants an actual layer of cheesecake, rather than cheesecake filling/frosting. Thank you.
Sam
Hi Melissa! Yes, you can. I also do this in my cheesecake stuffed carrot cake recipe if you wanted to grab the cheesecake recipe from there. It’s scaled down a bit to make it a little easier and more suited for a cake.
Gayle
Most other cheesecake recipes have you bake the crust for 10 minutes before adding the filling. Just want to make sure that I don’t need to do this before I continue. Thank you in advance!
Sam
Hi Gayle! You do not have to pre-bake the crust here. 🙂
Jenny
The top is not really light yellow – for mine it is dark brown!!! and there is a very tick skin developed. I followed exactly the steps, but this happened both times.. I baked for 75 mins and over preheat for 325..
Sam
Hi Jenny! I am so sorry you are having issues. It sounds like the cheesecakes are being over-baked. Are you sure you oven temperature is accurate? It may be running a little bit hot if the cake is finishing early. I hope this helps. 🙂
Erika
Could this recipe be used in a traditional pie plate as opposed to a springform pan? wasnt sure if it would make too much or have different cook times …
Sam
Hi Erika! It will make too much batter for a traditional pie plate. You can use it, but don’t overfill the pie plate and make sure to keep an eye on it because I’m not sure how long it will take to bake. 🙂
Claudia
I made this cheesecake the other day, it was so delicious. Everything about it was great my only complain is that I could taste the sour cream, what can I do to fix this?
Sam
Hi Claudia! I’m so glad you enjoyed! You could try reducing the sour cream by half and see how you like it that way. I hope that helps!
Claudia
Thank you so ❤️
Trevor
One easy thing to do is replace a portion of the sour cream with full fat plain greek yogurt. Reduces the cooking time slightly, and less taste of the sour cream in the final dish.
Sara Montez
Hi Sam! I can’t wait to try this recipe but was wondering if anyone had tried it with a sugar substitute, like Splenda?
(And I apologize if someone already asked this and I missed it in the feed.)
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Sara! I have not tried it with Splenda but am hoping someone else who has tried can chime in!
Jin
Second time baking it- followed exactly the same steps. But both times it developed very thick skin on top of the cheese part in dark brown. It looks very different from yours which is white and no skin. Jin
Sam
Hi Jin! Could it be that the cheesecake is being baked too close to the heating element or that your oven is running hotter than it claims? Those would be my best guesses.
SwiftSwirl
Is there any eggless version of this?
Sam
I have a no-bake cheesecake that does not use eggs 🙂
sam
Can i swirl raspberry preserves on top?
Sam
Yes you can! Enjoy!
Leonie
I currently have 1000g of cream cheese in my fridge (since I could only find 250g bricks)… I would like to use all of it for this recipe to avoid waste. Would the measurements need to be adjusted?
Sam
Hi Leonie! It might work just using all of the cream cheese, I am not certain. Technically all of the ingredients would need to be increased proportionately.
Tara
Everyone loved this recipe! Had to go get supplies to make more 😬
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it was such a hit, Tara! I hope that your second cake is enjoyed just as much. 😉