Inspired by Cheesecake Factory, this easy cheesecake recipe is a New York-style cheesecake that is rich, dense yet creamy, and not overly sweet, just like our amazing mini chocolate cheesecakes. Together with the sweet with a touch of the salty base, this is the cheesecake that you want to make to impress! And it's baked without the water bath method!
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Baking a cheesecake, more a big whole cheesecake like this is quite intimidating. Well, I'm here to tell you, it's not at all. It looks and sounds more difficult than it is.
This cheesecake is easy to make with just a handful of ingredients. Many of our readers who haven't even made cheesecakes before decided to try this recipe and it came out so successfully that they were so surprised! Now you know why this recipe is one of our readers' favorites, right? *wink!*
I'm going to share with you all my tips and tricks so you can make this amazing beauty with no problems.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Biscuit crumbs - I love to use digestive biscuits as they are sweet but slightly salty. Perfect balance for the whole cheesecake. They're easy to find in Europe and despite the name, they're not horrible, at all! Trust me.
Cream cheese - Plain and full fat. Here in Europe, cream cheese comes in a tub instead of a brick. It doesn't matter how it comes, as long as it's plain and full fat, like when I use it for my creamy no-bake strawberry cheesecake and no-bake key lime pie.
Sour cream - Full fat. It's going to make the cheesecake's texture light and creamy, just like in my blueberry cheesecake bars.
All-purpose flour - It helps to get that dense yet creamy texture for this New York-style cheesecake. It also prevents the cheesecake from cracking, like in our cinnamon roll cheesecake.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions/Additions
SUBSTITUTION: Use graham crackers or any sweet biscuits (a touch of saltiness would be a bonus!).
SUBSTITUTION: Full-fat Greek yogurt works great also.
SUBSTITUTION: Any dry sweetener works great. You can even use brown sugar, or coconut sugar but just know that the cheesecake's color will be slightly darker. Don't use liquid sweetener as it will affect the cheesecake to set properly.
Chef's Tip: Don't use whipped cream cheese or the one for spreading.
Why This No Water Bath Method Works
Everybody says you need to use the water bath method when you bake a cheesecake or else it's going to puff up and crack. Well, guess what? That is totally wrong!
I've been making cheesecakes for years and never once have I used a water bath for my baked cheesecakes. I've made this big whole cinnamon roll cheesecake, pecan cheesecake bars, and our top hit mini cheesecakes (just to name a few) and regardless of their shape and sizes, none of them was made using the water bath.
I'm going to share with you my secrets on how to make baked cheesecakes without the water bath.
- Less mixing - Mix the ingredients the least possible at every stage in the recipe. Mixing too much will incorporate air into the mixture and will make the cheesecake puff up while baking. And then as it cools down it's going to shrink and that different textures will cause the cheesecake to crack.
- Low temperature - The most crucial part is not using the water bath for baked cheesecakes. We want to cook the cheesecake very slowly (mimicking the water bath cooking environment without the hassles). Not only the cheesecake will not crack but it will also have the smoothest texture.
How To Make Easy Cheesecake
- Blend biscuits into a fine mixture, add butter, and mix. Pour into a 7-inch (18 cm) springform pan, and press to the base and the wall. Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Using a handheld whisk on the lowest speed, whisk cream cheese until creamy.
- Add in sour cream, vanilla extract, sugar, all-purpose flour, and lemon juice. Mix well.
- In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
- Pour the eggs into the cream cheese mixture and fold everything together using a spatula.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 285ºF (140ºC), without the fan, on, on lower ⅔ rack, for 1 hour 45 minutes or until the edges have set and the center wiggles a bit when you lightly shake the pan. Cool completely at room temperature and chill for 8 hours. Decorate as you wish, slice, and serve!
Recipe Expert Tips
- Make sure to use the ingredients at the temperature specified in this recipe. This is to make sure they mix easily with each other without having to mix too much. Mixing the ingredients too much will cause the cheesecake to crack.
- Make sure to use the correct oven temperature. We want to bake the cheesecake at a very low temperature to avoid it from cracking. I always use a portable oven thermometer to avoid any problems. It's cheap by the way!
- Chill the cheesecake for 8 hours to give it time to develop flavor with great texture. You won't regret it.
How To Serve & Store
Serve - Every great cheesecake needs time to develop that amazing flavor and texture. As much as you'd want to slice it once it cooled down, well don't. Chill it in the fridge for 8 hours, it's going to be worth it. Serve chilled. Don't leave the cheesecake outside of the fridge for too long (especially if you're in hot weather).
Store - In the fridge. It lasts up to 5 days. Freeze in portions (easier to grab the amount you need!) in an air-tight container. Frozen cheesecake lasts up to 2 months, although the texture could change slightly, especially the base. My family doesn't mind, so I freeze mine all the time. Thaw in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend having it outside the fridge for more than 20-30 minutes. It also depends on the temperature of your place (or where you're going to have the party). If it's cold or you're in winter, then it could be longer. If it's hot or you're in summer, then just take it out right before serving.
It's because of these 2 reasons; the ingredients were over-mixed and the oven temperature was too high. Do refer to my tips above to easily solve this.
If you didn't change any of the ingredients and follow all the instructions in the recipe, then the oven temperature was too high. Ovens are not made the same and their temperatures are mostly not accurate. That's why I use my portable oven temperature to get the correct temperature every time I'm using my oven.
You can, yes. But why put so much effort just to rush it at the last step? Trust me, restrain yourself, it's going to be worth the wait.
It's okay. Try reducing your oven temperature by 70ºF (20ºC).
After 8 hours of chilling in the fridge, remove the springform part. Insert a small knife underneath the cheesecake crust and gently move it all around to help loosen the cheesecake from the pan. Using the same knife, lift the cheesecake a bit and insert a flat spatula underneath. Do the same in the opposite direction. Holding both spatulas, swiftly and confidently transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate.
Explore Related Holiday Desserts
If you tried this Easy Cheesecake or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the comments below!
Watch The Recipe Video
📖 Recipe
Easy Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 3 cup (300 g) digestive crumbs
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter , melted
Cheese Filling
- 16 oz (450 g) full fat cream cheese , room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup (285 g) sour cream , room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- 3 tablespoon (24 g) all purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs , room temperature
Topping
- some berries of choice
- some powdered sugar
Instructions
Crust
- Place digestive biscuits into a food processor and blend until you have a fine texture. Pour into a bowl together with butter and mix well.
- Blend biscuits into a fine texture, and add into a bowl with butter. Mix well. Pour into a 7-inch (18 cm) springform pan, and press to the base and the wall. Freezer for 30 minutes.
The Cheese Filling
- Mix cream cheese in a bowl, using a handheld whisk at the lowest speed, for a few seconds just until creamy. Add in sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract, flour, and lemon juice and mix. Set aside.
- Lightly beat the eggs in another bowl. Pour into cream cheese mixture, and gently fold everything together using a spatula. Pour the mixture into the springform pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 285ºF (140ºC), without the fan on, on the lowest ⅔ rack for 1 hour 45 minutes or until you see the surrounding of the cheesecake has set but the center still wiggles a bit when you gently shake the pan.
- Remove from the oven, cool completely and chill in the fridge for min 8 hours.
How To Remove Cheesecake From The Pan
- This is how I do it with all my cheesecakes. Take out cheesecake from the fridge. Remove the springform. Insert a small knife underneath the cheesecake crust and gently move it all around to help loosen the cheesecake from the pan. Using the same knife, lift the cheesecake a bit and insert a flat spatula underneath. Do the same in the opposite direction.
- Holding both spatulas, swiftly and confidently transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate.
Notes
- Use a portable oven thermometer for a more precise temperature reading (I use it too). This avoids the oven from being too hot, which will cause cracks on the cheesecake.
- Do not over-mix at any stage in this recipe to avoid having cracks on the cheesecake.
- Like any other cheesecake out there, this is better served chilled. I would recommend you plate it right before serving and keep the balance immediately back in the fridge.
Nutrition Facts
The nutrition facts provided are an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sergey says
Hi Bea,
My name is Sergey, I am from Russia. Thanks for the recipe.
In the video it is mentioned to put 125g of sour cream (1/2 cup), but in the bottom you suggest putting 1 1/4 cup sour cream (285 g). What amount of sour cream it's better to add?
And one more question. In Russia we don't have philadelphia cream cheese. What is its the fat percentage?
Mary says
Sergey,
8 ounces (250 grams) of Philadelphia cream cheese has 12% fat. Hope you can find a substitute!!!
Nativity dias says
Haven't tried .want to try so want to know if can use curd or fresh cream
Nativity dias says
Can I use curd instead of sour cream
Yasmeen says
Hi! I was wondering if i used a 6 inch pan, what would be the heat and time I’d be using?
Thank you!
Bea says
Hi! The heat would be the same but maybe you'll need to adjust the time until you see the surrounding of the cheesecake has set but the center still wiggles a bit when you gently shake the pan. Hope it helps.
Alex says
Hi Bea, thanks for your recipe and tips! I would like to give this a try, but i can't seem to find the instructions to adjust the baking times if using an 8'' or 9'' baking pan instead?
Could you kindly advise? Thanks!
Bea says
Hi Alex! Roughly for an 8 inch, you make 1.2 batch of the recipe, and for 9 inch it's 1.4 batch. Hope it helps.
Asma says
hey I have a question I am from the Netherlands. I wondered what purpose flower means. is that normal flour? or cornstarch?
Bea says
Hi Asma! All purpose flour is the normal flour. Not cornstarch. Hope it helps.
Tima says
Hi. I was just curious. Why do you need all purpose flour in the recipe? I’m trying to make a low carb version and would typically not use flour in the filling to keep the carb down. Thanks!
Bea says
Hi Tima! I use it because it helps in preventing cracks but more than anything it's because I love the texture it gives to the cheesecake 😉.
Mayra Gomez says
I have already made this and tastes amazing ! but i have a question for a 9inch pan it would be the same steps ? and what kind of biscuit do you use for the crust? thank you!
Bea says
Hi Mayra! I'm glad that you enjoyed it! I used digestive biscuits for the crust, you can use graham crackers with no problem. And yes, the steps would be the same, just adjust the time accordingly though. Thank you!
Salwa Ikhlaq says
Hello Bea. I made this cheesecake last weekend and it turned out amazingly well. My family & I loved how rich, creamy & deliiiiiiiicious it was. This recipe is definitely a crowd pleaser.
Bea says
Yeaaayy! I'm excited to hear that it was a hit! Thank you for your feedback Salwa! 😘
Beren says
Do I have to change anything if I use an 8inch baking pan?
Bea says
No need, it'll be slightly thinner with the base and shorter with the filling but still fine. Adjust cooking time accordingly though.
Wijdane says
Hi I love the recipe it looks really simple and I am dying to try it but I only have one issue is that my oven has only the fan option could it make any difference if I cook it with the fan on
Bea says
Hi Wijdane! If you're using fan-forced oven, lower the temperature a bit because usually the temperature is higher with it. Fan-forced oven also tends to make baked goods a tad drier, that's why I never use it for all my bakings, unless specified. Hope it helps!
SHANON MCBEE says
EASY AND FANTASTIC!!! THANK YOU!!
Bea says
Thank you Shanon! XO
Nat Rodrigez says
Hello!
I made this several days before Christmas and kept it in the freezer. I thawed it one day before and served it on Christmas Eve. Guess what??? It was a hit among our family!!!
Thank you for sharing and happy holidays!
x
Nat
Bea says
Hey that awesome Nat! I'm happy to know that everybody loved it. Thanks for your comment and sharing about freezing the cheesecake. Happy holidays to you! XOXO
Shirley Malar says
I notice in the video that you use the cream cheese that comes in a tub. It seems to be softer -- maybe whipped,
as compared to the blocks of cream cheese. Does it make a difference in the recipe which type of cream cheese you
use (as long as it's full-fat)?
Thank you,
Shirley
Bea says
Hi Shirley! Yes, the cream cheese that I use in all my cheesecake recipes are full fat. You see it softer because it's at room temperature (as I always indicate in the recipe), it's not whipped cream cheese. Mine just happens to be in tub form. Use block ones if you have them at your place, just make sure they're full fate. Hope it helps.
Adelina Goldfeld says
Hola Bea ! Me encantó tu blog,por eso me subscribí,hice varias cosas,todas excelentes y muy exactas.Mi problema: me subscribí por que era en español,ahora todas tus publicaciones son en inglés,idioma que no lo entiendo,quiero saber si hay forma de recibir en español,muchas gracias,Adelina
Bea says
Hola Adelina! Gracias por subscribir a mis newsletters. Desde el principio hemos indicado que las publicaciones (newsletters etc) están en ingles, por ahorra. De todas formas, puedes leer mis blogs y recetas en español aquí, solo tienes que seleccionar, en el menú arriba, el botón que tiene la bandera española para cambiar el idioma. Lo siento! Un saludo grande!
Mae says
Hi! I’m curious as to how it will turn out if i used a 9 inch pan. Do i adjust the temp and baking time? Thank you!
Bea says
Hi Mae! The base will be thinner and the filling will be not tall. Use the same baking temperature but adjust the time (less time). Refer to my written instructions above on how to check if it's done.
Ica says
Hi, I want to make this but I don’t have sour cream atm. Do you have any substitute for it? Thanks xoxo
Bea says
Hi Ica! I have not tried it but many said they tried it with full fat Greek yogurt and it worked great. Let me know how it goes. Hope it helps! 😊
J says
Hi Bea, I want to try your cheesecake ingredients however, which one should I adjust in the ingredients, cooking time and temperature if I want the same taste and height but using a 9-inch diameter cake pan?
Appreciate your help.
Thanks!
Bea says
Hi! I'd say make 1.4 batch of the recipe if you want it to be tall. Keep the temperature the same but cook it longer. Watch how the edges set and the center still wiggles when gently shaken, to know that it's cooked. Hope it helps!