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.
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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!
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📖 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.
Sabrina Kelley says
I’m planning to try out this recipe. In the video, it seemed like you used whipped Philadelphia cream cheese. Should I use whipped or regular brick style cream cheese?
Bea says
I'd recommend you to use brick cream cheese. And nope, I don't use whipped Philadelphia cream cheese. Mine just happens to come in a tub, instead of brick. Hope it helps and thank you!
rubi feliciano says
hi my family love your cheesecake.
i going to try a doble size but my question is about the time and temperature.
can you help me with that please im cooking the one for 32 slices. 32 oz of cheese
Bea says
Hi Rubi! I'm glad that you and your family are enjoying it. I can't say exactly how many minutes since I haven't tried doubling it but what I recommend is to see the physical indication of when it's cooked. 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 and thank you!
naomi says
I tried this, and replaced half of the cream cheese to plain yogurt, and it worked! super easy, no cracks and yummy! topped it with half blueberries and half mangoes 🙂 the best! thanks Bea!
Bea says
That's awesome, Naomi! Thank you for your feedback and also for sharing your take on it 🙂
Abi says
Hi Bea! I love cheesecake and want to try out this recipe. I wanted to ask you about how I could adjust the measurements to fit a 9 inch cake tin instead of a 7 inch one. I have a spring-form cake tin at home but I realized it is slightly bigger than the one mentioned in your recipe. Would love to give this recipe a try!
Bea says
Hi Abi! For 9 inch pan, multiply all ingredients by 1.4. Adjust the cooking time (refer to recipe card for tips). Hope you give it a try!
Susannne Kitchen says
What àre digestive biscuits?
Bea says
Hi Susanne! You can read about digestive biscuits here.
Durga Panirselvam says
Hey, I have tried your advice of reducing the temperature and it worked perfectly. I'm planning to reduce the crust by 50g and increase the cream cheese mixture by 50g due to some of my loved ones' request. Is there anything else that I have to consider before making those changes ?
Julie Elizabeth Morse says
Hi, this looks amazing. I have a fan only oven and reduced the temperature (waiting to come out of the oven...) is the recipe suitable with this oven? I didn’t realise until after I had started. Thanks Julie x
Bea says
Hi Julie! The fan forced ovens tend to make baked goods drier and the temperature is usually off by 20º minimum, that's why I never use it with my baked goods including breads. I think you could pull it off if the temperature is much lower. Hope it helps and let me know how it goes.
Iris says
Hi my cake was burnt on top after baking in oven for 1 hr 45 mins and it rise alot in height. Why is my cake top not like yours? Was it because i had fold the mixture too much and caused a lot of air to enter and resulted the cake to rise in oven?
Bea says
Hi Iris! Yes, over mixing the ingredients will make it rise. The top was burnt because the oven temperature was too high. Since all ovens are different so I'd suggest you invest in portable thermometer (I use it too). Please refer to my tips in the post above. Hope it helps.
astrid says
hi i'm planning to make one for my cousins but i have a 24cm springform pan. what and how should i adjust the temperature as well as the baking time? hope you reply to this, thank you!
Bea says
Hi Astrid! You can make around 1.5 batch of the recipe for that. The temperature remains the same, baking time will be different. Refer to the recipe card to know the "look" of the cheesecake when it's cooked. Hope it helps, have fun!
Muriel Biner says
We followed the video which added half a cup of sour cream but the list of ingredients listed one and a quarter cups of sour cream.
I don’t know what the difference would be but the one we made with half a cup was beautiful.
Menna says
The author corrected this mistake in the description below the video.. i went thru the same mistake the first time i made the recipe
Brianna says
Hi, Bea! I am very excited to try this recipe but I just have a question. My oven is an old oven and the lowest the temperature can go is 300° F and the recipe says to put it to be 285° F. I really need some help.
Bea says
Hi Brianna! Lower temperature prevents the cheesecake from cracking (refer to my post above). Just know that you might end up with cracks with a higher temperature like your oven. Hope it helps.
Viridiana Del toro says
So good..made this recipe many times.
Durga Panirselvam says
Hey, I have actually tried this recipe twice. The taste of the cake is exceptional. However, I did have a slight crack on the center of my cake. I actually reduced the temperature to 130'C since I'm using a fan based oven. Do you have any tips on preventing the crack on the center of the cake? Hope you can reply soon! Thank you
Bea says
Hi! Glad that you liked it! You can refer to my post above on how to prevent cracks. Fan feature tend to make baked goods drier and the temperature is usually higher by 20º, that's why I never use fan feature with my oven and even more with this delicate type of cheesecake. Perhaps you could try lowering even more the temperature? Hope it helps.
Abril says
Hello! Thank you for sharing your great recipes. I've made the no-bake strawberry cheesecake and the mango lassi mini cheesecakes. They were both a hit!
Regarding this recipe, can I replace the digestive biscuits with graham crackers? Or any other cookies I can use as the base? (my local stores are all out of digestive bicuits).
Thank you again for all your work and help 🙂
Bea says
Yes, of course you can use graham crackers. You can also use oreo cookies. I'm happy that you're enjoying my cheesecakes, thank you!
Olena Beloous says
Hi,
I am not sure if there is a comment like my already. I am using 9 inch pan instead of 7 inch. Will it affect the baking time?
Bea says
Yes, baking time will vary depending on the size. Refer to the recipe card to see the indication when the cheesecake is cooked. Hope it helps.
Fei says
Hi. Does it make any difference if I didn't use sour cream or yogurt at all for the recipe? And if I reduce the recipe to half the amount, is the time baking still remains the same or I have to reduce it to half as well? Thank you in advanced!
Bea says
Yes it does. 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.