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.
Katie
I can’t say enough about this amazing and perfect recipe! I think I’ve made it already 3 times in the past month for various occasions and each time I get so many compliments! We went apple picking and had lots of leftover apples so I’ve made lots of apple cheesecake (just cooking apples,cinnamon, and brown sugar like for apple pie filling) then adding the apple “pie filling” to the cheesecake. I’m definitely a beginner for baking and this cheesecake recipe makes me feel like a pro, it doesn’t crack! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
Sugar Spun Run
Katie, what a compliment! Thank you! I am so happy that you enjoyed the Cheesecake and I love the apple pie variation you created. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Uncle Ricky
Greetings Kristalyn,
I’ve made your Cheesecake recipe before and it turned out great without any variations to the recipe. Thank you from me and my roomates. We love it!
This time I’m going to pair it with a Carrot Cake. I was wondering can cheesecake be made without the great cracker crust… Without any crust at all? This will work betterwith my desert if at all possible.
Thank you again for sharing.
Sugar Spun Run
Hello! I am so happy that you and your roommates enjoyed the cheesecake! You can bake it without the crust. Carrot Cake paired with cheesecake is one of my favorite flavor combinations. I have a Cheesecake Layered Carrot Cake that might you also enjoy! Happy baking! 🙂
Deb
This cheesecake had the perfect texture! Very tasty! I would like it to be a little more tangy, so I will add a little lemon juice next time. I also used the Graham cracker crust recipe and it was delicious with the addition of brown sugar, but I would cut the butter to 5-6 tbsp. Keeper recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that you enjoyed the cheesecake recipe, Deb! Thanks for your comment, I appreciate the feedback! Enjoy! 🙂
Rebecca
I’ve followed your recipe to the T. It turned out great,it doesn’t need any variations! This is my second time using your recipe. I think this will definitely be my go to recipe for whenever i make cheesecake. My family loved it!
Sugar Spun Run
Rebecca, I am so happy to hear that your family enjoyed the cheesecake! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Annemarie Cutler
I was in need of a dairy free, gluten free cheesecake for a neighborhood party. I used this recipe and modified accordingly using gluten free graham crackers for the crust. I used almond milk cream cheese, Tofutti sour cream and to make it a bit lower in calories I used Monkfruit Sweetener instead of cane sugar. The almond milk cream cheese only comes in the whipped spreadable form so I mixed everything manually and didn’t use the mixer at all. I am happy to report that it came out quite amazing. The neighborhood people all loved it asking for the recipe. I am making it again by special request for someone who had it at the party. I am going to cook for just a little less time as I did get two small cracks in the first one. The cracks were very small and easily covered up with topping, however.
Sugar Spun Run
Annemarie, I love that you created your own substitutions to make it gluten-free and lower in calories. I am happy that you and your neighbors enjoyed the cheesecake! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Harry Clemenzi
Sam, thank you very much for posting your recipe.
Mine came out scrumptious!
I tried baking it for 60 minutes, as I always want to err on the side of being moist rather than dry… I do think next time I will give it another 5 minutes, just to compare.
I served it today to some family and friends and all we’re amazed at how good it was. (We bake quite a bit.)
*I must confess, I am a bit of a chocolate lover. So I opted to use chocolate graham crackers. What a hit! I could not ask for a better recipe. Thank you again for sharing!!!
#would you please let me know somehow what brand cheesecake pan you have? Mine did some leaking of the butter from the crust… I would like to get a better quality one that does not leak.
Gratefully,
Harry C
Sam
Hi Harry! You are very welcome, I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the cheesecake! LOVE the sound of the chocolate crust, YUM! Here is the cheesecake pan that I use most often, though recently to be safe I’ve just started keeping a foil or parchment lined cookie sheet under my pan anytime I bake with a springform pan. I hope that helps, and thank you so much for your comment!
Cathy
I made this for my sister-in-law’s birthday. Followed the recipe to a T, but it seemed to have rose and browned too much. Therefore there are cracks and is not as beautiful looking as I would have liked. It smells delicious though and I’m sure it’ll taste delicious too. Any suggestions for next time?
Sam
Hi Cathy! I am so sorry to hear this happened! Most likely if it rose too much and browned like that, the eggs may have been slightly over-beaten and the browning may be a result of baking too long. I hope this helps. 🙂
Parisa
Hi, I baked your cheesecake recipe for the first time today. I pulled it out of the over after 65 min and thought it’s not down so I added 10 min. It came out browned on one side. I think 70 min is what I should try next time as 75 was too much. It also cracked in the middle in 3 lines. How can I prevent the cracking? Also does the graham cracker crust need to come all the way to the top of the pan on the sides?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Parisa! I am so sorry that your Cheesecake did not turn out as you had hoped. You mentioned that it had browned on one side, it makes me think that your oven may not be cooking evenly. This could be the reason that it had cracked as well. Sounds like it just baked too long. The recipe post outlines additional reasons it could crack and how to avoid them if you wanted to reference it again. Also, the graham cracker crust does not need to come all the way up the sides. I hope that you give this recipe another try. 🙂
Veronica
I made this recipe and followed it to a T and unfortunately it did not come out well. I’m an experienced baker and know I followed the recipe exactly and abided by all your “tips” and for some reason my cheesecake cake out slightly “wet”. It’s cooked all the way through but when you take a bite a tiny bit of water seems to seep from the filling. It’s probably the use of sour cream that causes this. It’s no where near the thick, smooth, creamy texture you get from restaurant cheesecake. Also it’s incredibly bland. I don’t like overly sweet cheesecake, but this recipe definitely needs more than 1 cup of sugar. Thankfully I made a raspberry compote to serve on top but it’s far better than the cheesecake itself is. I wanted to love this recipe and made it for my husband’s birthday but now I feel bad that his birthday dessert came out so underwhelming.
Sam
That’s very odd! I definitely wouldn’t attribute it to the sour cream as I exclusively make mine with sour cream and have never had that issue. Between the wet and not-at-all thick, smooth, or creamy texture you are describing and the flavor being lackluster, I’m actually wondering if it’s possible that the cheesecake might’ve been over-baked a bit? Trying to troubleshoot (because that has definitely not been my experience with this cheesecake), that would be my best guess, and all other things being followed exactly is all I can imagine. Sorry it wasn’t a hit for you, Veronica, I definitely wouldn’t be happy with a cheesecake that came out wet and with poor flavor, either!
Heidi Goodnough
Just put mine in the oven, but I made an apple crisp top for it. I always add some flour to my mixture to help solidify it. Will let you know how it is.
Sugar Spun Run
Apple Crisp on top sounds delicious! Yes, please let me know how it turns out. Enjoy! 🙂
Liz
Can I use a pre-made graham crust from the store that’s in the pie containers? And if so, would the baking time or temperature change?
Sam
Hi Liz! This cheesecake makes too much batter for the pre-made graham cracker crusts. It might fit in two of them but I am not positive what the baking time would be, unfortunately 🙁
Cynthia Allen
Can I use baking spray, so that the cheesecake will release easily? Also will the temperature change if I’m baking in sa gas oven oppose to an electric oven
Sam
Hi Cynthia! You can use baking spray if you’d like. I use a springform pan so I don’t need to spray the pan. The temperature will remain the same. 🙂
Marcia
I’m going to make two and using same pan; my question is will the first cheesecake once cooled slide off the bottom pan easily so I can make the 2nd cake? Suggestions?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Marcia! You will want to make sure that the cheesecake is cooled before removing it and that the pan is cooled before baking an additional cheesecake.
I have two recommendations. The first is to remove the cheesecake by using a spatula. Use the spatula to loosen the cheesecake by working it around the sides (underneath) and gently sliding it off onto a plate or dish.
The second is to bake using parchment paper or foil. Place paper/foil inside the pan before adding the cheesecake batter. Once baking is complete and cheesecake has cooled, lift and place on to a serving tray.
Either of these methods will work. I hope that you enjoy the cheesecakes! 🙂
barb
can you make this in a 9×13 pan so it can be cut in squares and if so what needs to change -bake time?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Barb! Yes, this would work in a 9″ x 13″ pan. Baking time will vary, everything else will stay the same. I would estimate about 40 minutes, but keep an eye on it. Let me know how your cheesecake turns out! 🙂
Meri
Should I cut the recipe in half if using a 9 inch glass pie plate? How long do you recommend baking?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello Merci, I don’t think that there is enough batter to fill two 9″ pie plates. You could fill the one and possibly use the remaining filling to make mini cheesecakes. As far as a recommendation on timing, you will just need to keep an eye on it. Let me know how it turns out.
Josh
I was just wondering what the serving size is for the health ingredients.
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Josh! The serving size is for 1 slice of cheesecake, the cake should be divided into 12 slices total. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Kristalyn Poole
What temp and time would I use for this recipe if using a convection oven?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Kristalyn! I have not tried baking the cheesecake in a convection oven so I can’t give you a recommendation. Let me know what you end up doing, and how it turns out! 🙂