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.
sharon
Do you grease the springform pan first?
Sam
Hi Sharon! No need here. 🙂
Suz
I love cheesecake but it has always been a challenge to make a good homemade cheesecake—for me, until I found this recipe. The instructions were very clear and organized and I had no issues making a perfect cheesecake. Thank you for sharing your recipe and your tips and tricks
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much Suz! 🙂
Terri
I really want to try this, but I don’t have a springform pan. Can I use a regular square pan? If so, do i have to make adjustments? (i have all the ingredients, but in the NC heat I seriously don’t want to go to the store)
Sam
Hi Terri! I am not sure how big your pan is but this will really work in any kind of pan. You may have a little more difficulty getting the cheesecake out of the pan and the bake time may differ for different pans but it will still work. 🙂
Heather H
Can I use a glass pie pan for this?
Sam
Hi Heather! You can use a glass pan, but baking time may differ. 🙂
Jenna
Is it okay to use a 10” pan instead?
Sam
Yup! 🙂
Ashley
I baked my cheesecake using a conventional oven. So with that I had to lower my temp to 10 to 15 degrees when baking.
The conventional oven does get a bit warmer than your regular oven.
Sam
Thanks for the feedback, Ashley! 🙂
Christina
I LOVE this recipe! If I wanted to make a larger cake for a bigger crowd, could I double the recipe and put it in my 12 inch springform? Thank you!!
Sam
Hi Christina! I am not sure you would need to double it to fit it into a 12 inch pan, but you certainly can. 🙂
Jean
Would this cheesecake turn out the same if I baked it in a rectangular tin pan? Also, would I just double the recipe? Thanks! I can’t wait to try this.
Sam
Hi Jean! This will bake in a rectangular pan, but since I don’t know how big the pan is I can’t tell you how to alter the recipe. Baking times will vary as well. 🙂
Anika
Hi!
So I don’t have graham crackers but Maria Cookies (galletas maria). Would that work fine? And would I have to change anything?
Also I saw that Serene didn’t have enough cream cheese and I do not have enough either, so what should I change
I have 2 full bars of cream cheese and a half of one.
Sam
Hi Anika! The cookies will work as long as you can make them into nice fine crumbs that are sturdy enough to not absorb all of the butter. You will want to make sure to cut the other ingredients down as much as you cut down the cream cheese. You need to keep things proportional here. 🙂
Terri Morris
This is the first time I have ever made a cheesecake. When do you remove the springform side?
Sam
Hi Terri! I normally remove it right as I am about to serve it. It holds everything in place and makes moving the cheesecake around easier. 🙂
Brenna
Can I line the springform pan with parchment paper?
Sam
That should work fine. 🙂
Hannah
Hi what would happen if i miss the sour cream?
Sam
Hi Hannah! You will at least need to substitute it with greek yogurt. I really don’t recommend leaving it out completely. Your cheesecake may not turn out.
Serene O
Hi Sam
I made this a second time…I dont have enough cream cheese so I reduced sugar and eggs just roughly..and added a little more yogurt. The cake still turned out delicious, well baked with no cracks whatever so.
A very forgiving recipe..Thank you very much for such excellent recipe.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Serene! 🙂
Maigen
Why does my cheesecake “fall”? It comes out of the oven all puffed up and within minutes it falls. It doesn’t seem to affect the density and the flavor is wonderful. It just doesn’t look as pretty. I’ve tried not overwhipping it – but I’m at a loss.
Sam
Hmmm my first thought is definitely the eggs being over-beaten. Is it possible that your oven temperature is inaccurate or did you bake it too close to the heating element in the oven?
Jenny
Hi! How can I add some raspberries to this? I have both fresh and jam. I made the original and loved it!
Sam
Hi Jenny! You could certainly stir some raspberries in at the end or if you’d like you can swirl the jam in as well. I like to dollop the jam in a few places on top and then run a toothpick through it to swirl it in. 🙂