An easy cheesecake recipe with a luscious and creamy filling baked over a deliciously sweetened graham cracker crust. You’ll savor every bite!
Best of all, we walk you through, step by step with tips and tricks to guarantee that your cheesecake turns out perfect every time!
We know a thing or two about cheesecake around here. You name it we’ve made it! Anything from Oreo Cheesecake to Tiramisu Cheesecake, we sure to have a flavor you’ll love.
But if you are looking for a simple and easy cheesecake recipe, look no more because you’ve found it!
With staple ingredients and our easy directions, it’s sure to be your favorite.
This cheesecake contains no eggs, so it’s perfect for those with egg allergies. And if you need a gluten-free version, head over to Red’s Reality and check out her gluten-free cheesecake recipe.
Enough talk, let’s get to baking!
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Step by step instructions
This cheesecake couldn’t be easier to make, so let’s dive straight into the details!
Graham Cracker Crust
Line the bottom of a 9″ spring-form pan with parchment paper.
Place the crust ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir together with a fork until thoroughly combined.
Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of the spring-form pan and place in the refrigerator until the cheesecake filling is ready.
Cheesecake Filling
Preheat oven to 320°F.
Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together on low speed until there are no lumps and the cream cheese is smooth.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix until just combined.
Pour the filling into the pan and gently tap it down on a hard surface to help remove any air bubbles. Smooth the top. ( optional – Prepare water bath see tutorial for instructions)
Bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Turn the oven off, crack the door and let it cool for 1 hour inside the oven.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a sharp knife around the inside rim of the pan to release the cheesecake from the sides. (This will help prevent cracking as it cools)
Let the cheesecake rest on the counter until it’s completely cooled and then place in the refrigerator overnight to set up.
When you are ready to serve, remove the spring-form pan and let sit out for 30 minutes before serving.
Tips for success
First and foremost, you must plan ahead when making any cheesecake recipe. A cheesecake needs time to set-up properly, preferably overnight, so that means you need to bake it at least one day before you intend to serve it.
You can make this recipe up to 3 days in advance. Just store covered in the fridge until ready to serve.
How to make the best graham cracker crust
I’m pretty sure the crust is my favorite part of this cheesecake.
My secret to its fabulous flavor is light brown sugar. That, plus a little vanilla extract, gives the crust a rich, sweet flavor that is to die for!
The first thing I hear when someone takes a bite is … “Wow, this crust is amazing!”
Use room temperature ingredients
In order get the smoothest filling possible, start out with room temperature ingredients. Remove the chilled ingredients from the fridge at least a half hour before you’re ready to start baking.
TIP: If you’re in a pinch for time, turn the light in your oven on. Place the cream cheese and butter on a baking tray and pop it in the oven for about 10 minutes. The heat from the oven light is just warm enough to help soften them up a bit faster. Make sure to keep an eye on it so they don’t start to melt!
Use a water-bath when baking cheesecakes
My favorite tip when baking cheesecakes is to use a water-bath!
The hot water surrounding the cheesecake creates a gentle, even heat that bakes the cheesecake more evenly from the outside in. This results in a perfectly baked cheesecake with no cracks and a perfect consistency all the way through!
You’ll see tutorials that say to wrap a few layers of foil around the spring-form pan before you put into the water-bath, but that technique has never worked for me.
To create a leak-proof water-bath, place the spring-form pan inside of a wider cake pan before you place it in the water-bath. This guarantees that you will not have a leak!
Your crust will bake beautifully and you won’t end up with a soggy bottom! We show you exactly how to do this in our How to Create a Water Bath for Cheesecakes tutorial. I promise you will be thanking me!
How to store and freeze cheesecake
Store leftovers, covered in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Did you know you can freeze cheesecake?
To freeze, prepare the cheesecake and let it set up in the fridge overnight.
Place the cheesecake, unwrapped, in the freezer until frozen solid. Wrap the frozen cheesecake in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap and then wrap with 2-3 layers of foil.
Pop it back into the freezer, where it can stay for several months. When you are ready to serve, take it out and let thaw in the fridge overnight.
Other Cheesecake recipes you might like!
If you tried this Easy Cheesecake recipe let me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! Make sure to RATE this recipe and leave me a message in the comment section below!
Easy Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 1.5 cup (135 g) graham crackers crushed
- 1/4 cup (55 g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) vanilla extract
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 oz (453 g) cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 1 cup (240 g) heavy cream room temperature
- 1 cup (230 g) sour cream room temperature
- 1/4 cup (32 g) flour or corn starch
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust
- Line the bottom of a 9" spring-form pan with parchment paper. (optional)
- Place the crust ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir together with a fork until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of the spring-form pan and place in the refrigerator until the cheesecake filling is ready.
Cheesecake Filling
- Preheat oven to 320°F.
- Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together on low speed until there are no lumps and the cream cheese is smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the rest of the ingredients one at a time, beating on low speed until each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape the sides of the bowl between each addition.
- Pour the filling into the pan and gently tap it down on a hard surface to help remove any air bubbles. Smooth the top with an off-set spatula. Prepare water bath (optional, see video for instructions)
- Bake in the oven for 1 hour and then turn the oven off, crack the door and let it cool down for 1 hour inside the oven.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a sharp knife around the inside rim of the pan to release the cheesecake from the sides. (This will help prevent cracking as it cools)
- Let the cheesecake sit on the counter until it's completely cooled and then place in the refrigerator overnight to set up.
- When you are ready to serve, remove the spring-form pan and let sit out for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- To get butter and cream cheese to room temperature quickly use this tip. Place them on a baking tray and put them in the oven with the OVEN LIGHT turned on for about 10 minutes. The heat from the light of the oven should be warm enough to help soften the ingredients. Be careful not to leave them in for too long because they will melt!
- Store in the fridge, covered for up to 7 days.
- To freeze, prepare the cheesecake and let it set up in the fridge overnight. Place the cheesecake, unwrapped, in the freezer until frozen solid. Wrap the frozen cheesecake in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap and then wrap with 2-3 layers of foil. Pop it back into the freezer, where it can stay for several months. When you are ready to serve, take it out and let thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
this recipe was originally posted 5/2016 updated 5/2020
Omika says
Hi Amy
Just baked this looks good and is set ! Had kept it in the refrigerator to cool at night however I noticed the butter leaking out – is this ok ? Hopefully it won’t have any effect on the cheesecake
Madhu Chatwani says
was amazing! family loves it! can we use nonfat greek yogurt instead of sour cream if dont have it?
Amy Duska says
Yes you can
Pooja says
Should I bake the crust ?
Amy Duska says
You can but it is not necessary.
Vijya says
Fabulous recipe- I added lemon juice and rind, my daughter enjoyed snaffling it up