Look no further for a creamy and ultra smooth classic cheesecake recipe! Paired with a buttery graham cracker crust, no one can deny its simple decadence. For the best results, bake in a water bath.
Not a Plain Cheesecake Recipe
As much as I love cheesecake, I’ve never published a classic cheesecake recipe. There’s been peanut butter cheesecake, blueberry swirl cheesecake, Snickers cheesecake, pumpkin swirl cheesecake, lemon cheesecake, caramel turtle cheesecake, or Amaretto cheesecake. Plus more cheesecake in my published cookbooks. That’s a lot of cheesecake recipes without a single nod to where it all originates: classic cheesecake.
To me, classic cheesecake is creamy, rich, and smooth. My cheesecake recipe is not as dense as New York cheesecake, but it’s just as special. It’s thick, it’s velvety, and there’s no denying its decadence. When I imagine what Chandler and Rachel’s stolen cheesecake tastes like, it’s this!
While there’s a glaring absence of chunks, swirls, and sprinkles in this ivory crowned jewel, there’s nothing plain about it.
Preparing my cheesecake recipe is rather simple—it’s baking the cheesecake that could result in a flop. Many factors are at play like the springform pan leaking, the surface of the cheesecake cracking, under-baking, over-baking, etc. I have plenty of tricks that will help guarantee classic cheesecake perfection, including determining when the cheesecake is done and everything you need to know about a cheesecake water bath.
How to Make Classic Cheesecake
You only need a few basic staple ingredients for this cheesecake recipe.
- Brick cream cheese: Four 8-ounce bricks of full-fat cream cheese are the base of this cheesecake. That’s 2 pounds. Make sure you’re buying the bricks of cream cheese and not cream cheese spread. There are no diets allowed in cheesecake, so don’t pick up the reduced-fat variety!
- Sugar: 1 cup. Not that much considering how many mouths you can feed with this dessert. Over-sweetened cheesecake is hardly cheesecake anymore. Using only 1 cup of sugar gives this cheesecake the opportunity to balance tangy and sweet, just as classic cheesecake should taste.
- Sour cream: 1 cup. I recently tested a cheesecake recipe with 1 cup of heavy cream instead, but ended up sticking with my original (which can be found here with blueberry swirl cheesecake!). I was curious about the heavy cream addition and figured it would yield a softer cheesecake bite. The cheesecake was soft, but lacked the stability and richness I wanted. It was almost too creamy. Sour cream is most definitely the right choice.
- A little flavor: 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and 2 of lemon juice. The lemon juice brightens up the cheesecake’s overall flavor and vanilla is always a good idea.
- Eggs: 3 eggs are the final ingredient. You’ll beat the eggs in last, one at a time, until they are *just* incorporated. Do not overmix the batter once the eggs are added. This will whip air into the cheesecake batter, resulting in cheesecake cracking and deflating.
And as always, make sure all of the cheesecake batter ingredients are at room temperature so the batter remains smooth, even, and combines quickly. Beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky over-beaten cheesecake batter, hardly the way we want to start!
How to Make a Graham Cracker Crust
Since classic is the keyword of the day, we’re sticking with cheesecake’s main squeeze: a graham cracker crust. I reduced the butter from my original graham cracker crust recipe by 1 Tablespoon. I find this crust remains a little more crunchy. Make sure you pack the crust in tight and pre-bake it to help prevent any sogginess.
You could use this Oreo cookie crust instead. No big changes necessary to the recipe below, but I do encourage you to lightly grease the bottom of the springform pan because Oreo crusts tend to stick. Or you could use a Biscoff pie crust instead if you’d like.
I like to use the bottom of a small measuring cup to smooth the crust mixture into the springform pan. Speaking of, you’ll need a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. A springform pan has removable sides so you can safely release the cheesecake without having to flip the pan over or struggle to cut the cheesecake inside the pan. Springform pans can leak if you’re baking the cheesecake in a water bath (more on that below!), but this particular pan is reliable. I haven’t had any leaking issues.
Cheesecake Water Bath
I promise a water bath is nothing complicated. All you’re doing is placing the springform pan in a roasting pan, filling it with hot water, and baking. What’s the point, you ask?
I actually have an entire post and video tutorial for How to Make a Cheesecake Water Bath.
You see, cheesecake loves a humid environment. The steam from the hot water will lift the cheesecake up slowly and evenly, reducing the risk of cracks on the surface. Additionally, this slow and even baking method helps prevent the cheesecake from sinking back down as it cools. Taking a few extra minutes to prepare a water bath for this cheesecake recipe is well worth it.
Cooling & Chilling Cheesecake
Another way to help prevent cheesecake cracks is to initially cool it inside the oven. You can see me do this in the video below. When the cheesecake is done, turn the oven off, crack open the oven door, and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour. A drastic and sudden change of temperature isn’t ideal for cheesecake—from hot oven to cool counter—so do your best to control the environment by leaving the cheesecake inside. Does this make sense?
After the cheesecake cools in the oven for 1 hour, place it on the counter to cool. After it’s cool, chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or even overnight. There’s no greater test to your willpower than those several hours you’re forced to wait as the cheesecake cools down and then chills in the refrigerator. But every minute is completely worth it when you take that first luscious bite.
For a quicker, easier alternative to making a classic cheesecake, try this cheesecake pie or pumpkin cheesecake pie. Or if you want to completely skip the baking and cooling process, try my no-bake cheesecake instead.
4 Success Tips for Perfect Cheesecake
To summarize, here are some tricks I discussed:
- Do not over-mix the cheesecake batter.
- Bake in a water bath.
- Leave cheesecake in the cooling oven for 1 hour.
- Cool completely at room temperature.
Cheesecake Toppings
Enjoy your velvet-rich cheesecake as is or get a little fancy with a selection of toppings. I love cheesecake best with fruit, so I serve it with this simple raspberry sauce. Or you could top with homemade lemon curd, chocolate ganache, salted caramel, strawberry topping, blueberry sauce topping, or homemade whipped cream. Get creative or keep it simple. Either way, it’s going to impress. (And you’d totally eat it off the floor… Chandler and Rachel style.)
If you’re really looking to take your toppings to the next level, check out my pecan pie cheesecake or caramel apple cheesecake pie.
How to Freeze Cheesecake
- Cool the cheesecake on the counter before freezing. No need to chill it in the refrigerator.
- Freeze on springform pan: Remove the outer rim from the springform pan. Wrap the cheesecake with the bottom of the pan with a few layers of plastic wrap, then a final layer of aluminum foil.
- Freeze without springform pan: After the cheesecake has completely cooled, run a sharp knife underneath the crust to release it from the bottom of the pan. Carefully slide it onto a parchment paper lined piece of cardboard or use a plate. Wrap it all in a few layers of plastic wrap, then a final layer of aluminum foil.
- Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Do not freeze cheesecake with any toppings. Add toppings, like homemade whipped cream or salted caramel, when serving cheesecake.
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PrintBest Classic Cheesecake Recipe
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 7 hours, 45 minutes (includes chilling)
- Yield: serves 12-16
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Look no further for a creamy and ultra smooth classic cheesecake recipe! Paired with a buttery graham cracker crust, no one can deny its simple decadence. For the best results, bake in a water bath.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheet graham crackers)
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake
- 32 ounces (904g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (optional, but recommended)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Make the crust: If you’re starting out with full graham crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in sugar until combined, and then stir in the melted butter. Mixture will be sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour into an ungreased 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and partly up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumby/crumbly and you can use the flat bottom of a small measuring cup to help smooth it all out if needed. Pre-bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the hot pan on a large piece of aluminum foil. The foil will wrap around the pan for the water bath in step 4. Allow crust to slightly cool as you prepare the filling.
- Make the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice then beat until fully combined. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. After the final egg is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. To help prevent the cheesecake from deflating and cracking as it cools, avoid over-mixing the batter as best you can. You will have close to 6 cups of batter.
- Prepare the simple water bath (see note): If needed for extra visuals, see my How to Make a Cheesecake Water Bath; the visual guide will assist you in this step. Boil a pot of water. You need 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so make sure you boil enough. I use an entire kettle of hot water. As the water is heating up, wrap the aluminum foil around the springform pan. Place the pan inside of a large roasting pan. Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to smooth it into an even layer. Carefully pour the hot water inside of the pan and place in the oven. (Or you can place the roasting pan in the oven first, then pour the hot water in. Whichever is easier for you.)
- Bake cheesecake for 55–70 minutes or until the center is almost set. If you notice the cheesecake browning too quickly on top, tent it with aluminum foil halfway through baking. When it’s done, the center of the cheesecake will slightly wobble if you gently shake the pan. Turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven in the water bath as it cools down for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and water bath, then cool cheesecake completely uncovered at room temperature. Then cover and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean and dip into warm water between each slice.
- Serve cheesecake with desired toppings (see Note). Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This cheesecake can be made the day before. It has to chill for quite some time before serving. See step 5. Another way to make this cheesecake ahead of time is to freeze it. Cheesecake can be frozen up to 3 months. See instructions in blog post above.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowl | 9-inch Springform Pan or 10-inch Springform Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Roasting Pan | Silicone Spatula
- Oreo Cookie Crust: Feel free to replace the graham cracker crust with this Oreo cookie crust. Spray bottom of springform pan with nonstick spray, as Oreo cookie crusts tend to stick. Pre-bake the crust, just as you do with the graham cracker crust in step 2 above.
- Toppings: One of my favorite toppings for this cheesecake is raspberry sauce. Or you could top the baked and cooled cheesecake with salted caramel, lemon curd, strawberry topping, chocolate ganache, red wine chocolate ganache, fresh fruit, or whipped cream. The topping from my pecan pie cheesecake is also an option!
- Alternate Water Bath Method: This method works as well, and you don’t have to bake the cheesecake IN water. Boil a kettle or pot of water. You need 1 inch of hot water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so make sure you boil enough. Place the cheesecake on the center oven rack of the preheated oven. Place a large metal baking or roasting pan (do not use glass—I usually use a 9×13-inch baking pan or an extra-large cast iron skillet) on the bottom rack. Pour boiling water into the empty pan, about 1 inch deep. Immediately close oven to trap the steam inside. This unique water bath adds steam to the oven without having the cheesecake sit inside the water itself. No need to wrap the springform pan in foil. See How to Make a Cheesecake Water Bath for more information.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring all cold ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients combine quickly and evenly, so you won’t risk over-mixing. Also, beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky cheesecake batter, hardly the way you want to begin!
- Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 200g ground digestive biscuit crumbs (about 2 cups; 13–14 biscuits), 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, and 6 Tablespoons (85g) melted butter. Pre-bake the crust for a bit longer, about 12–14 minutes. And from what I understand, spreadable cream cheese sold in a tub in countries outside of the US is a little different from the spreadable cream cheese in the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and more solid and should be OK for this recipe. I have no experience with it, but this is what I’ve heard from other non-US readers. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Keywords: cheesecake
I had made this recipe a while back and pulled it out again for a very special Bridal Shower. I used lemon curd and blueberry compote for additional toppings. Huge success, people were asking for the recipe. I love to bake and haven’t tried one of Sally’s recipes that I have not enjoyed. Thank you Sally!!
★★★★★
This cheesecake is by far the best I’ve ever made! I made this for my mom, who is diabetic, so I subbed the sugar for truvia (which meant I used significantly less sugar substitute than you would sugar – I think I used 1/3 cup truvia), and it still came out great. I am guessing the texture was slightly affected (it was a little looser), however it wasn’t enough to impact anything negatively. Will definitely make again!
★★★★★
A reay easy recipe to follow. Was my first time doing a baked cheese cake I thought it would’ve been harder but it was pretty simple. It turned out great! Much better than the frozen ones I have been making.
The only problem I had was I think the water from the water bath got through the tin foil to the crust because it was a bit soggy. Other than the soggy crust it’s super tasty!
★★★★★
Adore your recipes. Thank you.
AMAZING! Everyone that tried it loved it and said it was the best they’ve had. The recipe is helpful and easy to follow. Mine baked for a total of 80 minutes, and I only had time to chill it for 3 hours. I will absolutely use the recipe again. Sally’s baking is my go-to for recipes!
★★★★★
This is my favorite cheesecake recipe of all time. No other cheesecake ever compares, homemade or store-bought. I make it every year for my dad’s birthday because it’s all he wants. It’s incredibly creamy, it has the perfect tart-sweet balance. I’ve made it with Sally’s strawberry topping (my favorite), with her caramel sauce and added pecans for a turtle cheesecake, swirled cinnamon and brown sugar into it and topped it with an apple topping… the possibilities are literally endless, but they’re all delicious with this cheesecake as the base. I also really love that there is so much graham cracker crust. It goes up the sides of my cheesecakes and it’s just delightful. Thank you for this recipe, Sally!!! One of your very best.
★★★★★
Absolutely hands down the perfect cheesecake recipe. My crust is leaking a syrupy liquid after a day or two. I’ve been using Biscoff cookies for the crust. But it happens with graham crackers as well. Any suggestions?
★★★★★
Hi John, so glad you enjoy this cheesecake. It’s likely the sugar or butter from the crust. You can slightly reduce the sugar, but I wouldn’t reduce the butter. In addition to slightly reducing the added sugar, you can add more crumbs, such as another 1/4 cup.
Hi there- love your recipes! If I want to make this in an 8″ pan, would I just save a leave out a bit of batter?
Hi Mary, absolutely, then you can use the leftover batter for a few mini cheesecakes on the side! Bake time will be a bit shorter, too.
This is the best cheesecake recipe ever! I make it for holidays, birthdays, “I need a cheesecake” days haha It always turns out perfect, never cracks, and everyone says it’s the best cheesecake they’ve ever had. I use vanilla beans and it makes the cheesecake beautiful!
★★★★★
Question! I’ve made this recipe a few times and it’s absolutely the best. I wanted to make a strawberry cheesecake and I was wondering if I could add pureed strawberries to the batter or if that liquid would throw off the batter too much? Any suggestions on how to incorporate the berries?
Hi Tammy! Strawberries are very tricky to add to cheesecake. Our favorite method is to make a strawberry topping, like we do with our strawberry cheesecake pie.
Tammy, I’ve done the strawberries swirled into the batter. It works great! I simply added 1 Tabelsooon of flour or cornstarch. It comes out great. I also do the swirl with homemade blue berry sauce. Cook down fresh or frozen berries with a little water and sugar, cook down to where you want it. cool and swirl into cheese cake batter. I sell cheesecakes from my home, I’ve never had any problems doing fruit in the batter.
I like your recipe as well as the way of simple clear presentation
★★★★★
I loved these ads so much! I’m sure the cheesecake recipe buried under them would’ve been great too.
★★★★★
I just made this and it cracked on me so bad 🙁 what did I do wrong? This is the first time I attempt cheesecake.
Hi Tanya, there are a few factors that can go into cheesecakes cracking—this post on how to prevent cracks in cheesecake will be a helpful place to start. Let us know if we can help troubleshoot further!
This is THE cheesecake recipe. Followed exactly as written. Came out SO PERFECT. I used the 9 inch pan, so it took the entire 70 minutes. PERFECTION. Speechless.
★★★★★
Made this as my very first cheesecake. I poured the water in the water bath a little too high and it seeped into the tinfoil, which made its way into the crust.
Despite the soggy crust, this was probably one of the best cheesecakes Ive had. It tasted just like my grandmother used to make.
Cant wait to make it again with a drier crust this time.
★★★★★
I use large Reynolds bags, not turkey size the smaller one. I open it up, set my cheesecake in it, set in roaster, fill with boiling water. I just pull the bag down some on the pan. No more water seeping in.
I love the bag idea! Where is your tie – in the center of the cheesecake, or to one side? I am concerned it might draw in the water if it gets close to it. Thank you!
Excellent cheesecake! Room temp ingredients, water bath and don’t over mix. Comes out perfect every time!!
★★★★★
Going back to adding Oreos into the batter which you said yes! I’m going to do the oreo crust as well, however can I use the thin Oreos?
Hi Lisa, we don’t recommend it, since the cookie and cream ratio is much different than regular Oreos. Regular Oreos work best for our Oreo crust.
I love this recipe so very much. Each and every time I make it, I receive the most awesome compliments. This is my 40th time, at least, making this exact recipe for my family. This time for my daughters 14th birthday. She request a peach cheesecake. So I delivered. Perfect as always. I also note, that a lot of times I don’t like to use my full size oven because it heats up my house too much in the summer months. So instead I use my Ninja Foodie XL air fryer on the bake setting. I follow all the same instructions but change my baking time to 45-50 minutes. It yields perfect results. I will also not when I use the airfryer, it is hard to find a roasting dish big enough to fit my spring form pan in that also fits inside the air fryer. So I place a smaller baking sheet with boiling water in it on the level underneath the cheesecake. It works amazingly well and trikes awesome results.
Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe. It has been my go to for several years now.
★★★★★
Totally agree on the water bath comment! I don’t have a dish large enough to fit my cheesecake pan with water, so I always just put a pan of water in the oven along with my cheesecake and it works like a charm! Just FYI for those with the same issue as me and Crystal. 🙂 Don’t skip out on the water bath… definitely helps prevent cracking.
Love this recipe! Can I add smashed Oreos to the batter before baking?
Definitely!
I have made this many times and it’s my go-to cheesacake recipe.
I’m going to try making mini cheesecakes in muffin tins, do you have any idea how long I should bake them for??
Hi Holly, here is our mini cheesecake recipe–you can follow that as a guide for baking time. Enjoy!
Has anyone tried making this in small ramekins instead of a springform pan? I’m trying to determine baking time adjustments for a smaller serving.
Hi Ella Jane, You might try our mini cheesecakes that we make in a standard muffin pan.
All your recipes are to die for! Just a question, in my country we don’t have sour cream. Can I use heavy cream instead?
★★★★★
Hi Maggie, Full fat plain or Greek yogurt works in the place of sour cream.
Hi Thank you very much for all the recipies here. This has become my go to place for baking.
One question the serving is too big for me, can i half this recipe and still use it?
Hi KD, you can try cutting the recipe in half for a 6 inch pan. We have not tested it this way so we’re unsure of the bake time. Or, you may enjoy this small batch cheesecake which uses a loaf pan.
I double wrapped my pan with aluminum foil and it still leaked. My crust is ruined.
Hi!
If I wish to skip eggs, what would be recommend to replace it with flax eggs or skip them altogether?
Hi Sarita, we don’t recommend omitting the eggs completely, and we haven’t tested this recipe with flax eggs to know the result. It may be best to find a recipe specifically written without eggs as an ingredient. Let us know if you try anything!
It’s ridiculous how delicious this was and how perfectly it turned out. I used the recipe exactly as written and served with salted caramel (another of Sally’s recipes) as a topping and it was absolutely incredible. Thank you for this intuitive and detailed recipe!
★★★★★
This cheesecake turned out very well. I used a mango coulis. Hard to imagine a better taste or texture. Those I served it to were impressed. I used a crispier type of graham cracker, which turned out to be a good move.
★★★★★
Missing some vital information. Had to search another site to find baking time.
Hi Kris, see beginning of step 5 for baking time: “Bake cheesecake for 55–70 minutes or until the center is almost set.”
I combined this recipe with Sally’s white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars recipe because I had made a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake before the internet and I was determined to make another. I had read the issues that sally experienced, which is why she converted to bars versus cake. I’m happy to report that I was successful in making a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake! The water bath had seeped into the spring pan despite wrapping foil around it but the crust is still delicious. As well I chose to melt a raspberry chocolate bar on the Graham crust prior to filling. The cake cracked despite the water bath but it’s still delicious and reminiscent of the one I made all those years ago
★★★★★
I’m wanting to make a salted carmel cheesecake and I really love this cheesecake recipe! Can I add some salted carmel sauce in the cheesecake recipe and if so how much?
Thanks.
Hi Ingrid! We haven’t tested a salted caramel version, and it would take some experimenting to determine the right amounts so that the cheesecake will still set. Your best bet is to make the plain cheesecake and top with our salted caramel. Let us know if you try it!