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    Home / Dessert

    Simple Cheesecake Recipe

    Published: May 1, 2020 / Updated: Sep 21, 2023 by Amy / 155 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    An easy, eggless cheesecake recipe with a luscious and creamy filling baked over a deliciously sweetened graham cracker crust. Best of all, we walk you through, step by step with tips and tricks to guarantee that your cheesecake turns out perfect every time!

    A slice of cheesecake on a serving spoon.

    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!

    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!

    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.
    • 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. 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!
    • 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!

    How to make an eggless cheesecake

    This cheesecake couldn't be easier to make, so let's dive straight into the details!

    Let's start with the 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.

    A graham cracker crust pressed into a spring-form pan.

    Next, the 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.

    Easy cheesecake filling in a mixing bowl.

    Pour the filling into the pan and gently tap it down on a hard surface to help remove any air bubbles. Smooth the top.

    Now we bake!

    If using a water bath, prepare it and place into the oven as it preheats. Bake the cheesecake 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.

    How to store and freeze cheesecake

    Store leftovers, covered in the fridge 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.

    3 more eggless cheesecake recipes

    • Vanilla Bean Cheesecake (eggless)
    • Chocolate Covered Cheesecake (eggless)
    • Instant Pot Cheesecake (eggless)
    A slice of cheesecake on a serving spoon.

    Simple Cheesecake Recipe

    Amy Duska
    An easy cheesecake recipe with a luscious and creamy filling baked over a deliciously sweetened graham cracker crust. You'll savor every bite!
    4.92 from 34 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr
    Chill Time 8 hours hrs
    Total Time 9 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16
    Calories 311 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Crust

    • 1.5 cup graham crackers crushed
    • ¼ cup light brown sugar
    • ½ cup butter melted
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Cheesecake Filling

    • 16 oz cream cheese room temperature
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup heavy cream room temperature
    • 1 cup sour cream room temperature
    • ¼ cup flour or corn starch
    • 2 teaspoons 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.
    Keyword banana cheesecake recipe, easy cheesecake recipe

    this recipe  was originally posted 5/2016 updated 5/2020

    A simple cheesecake recipe that anyone can make. So easy! AmyintheKitchen.com

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    Comments

    1. Ali says

      February 20, 2020 at 9:29 pm

      5 stars
      I was skeptical without eggs, but it turned out amazing. I used blueberry syrup to swirl in the batter before baking and used a regular size muffin pan with standard cupcake liners to make cheesecake bites.

      Reply
    2. Ali says

      February 15, 2020 at 9:22 pm

      Could I add fruit swirls to the batter?

      Reply
      • Amy Duska says

        February 16, 2020 at 5:12 pm

        Yes you can!

        Reply
    3. Margot Surgent says

      December 30, 2019 at 2:04 pm

      Excellent

      Reply
    4. Terry Wittern says

      December 26, 2019 at 2:54 pm

      Hi Amy. Lovely cheesecake! First time my DIL got to eat baked cheesecake due to egg allergy; she loved it! I’m curious, though...does anyone else have trouble with a LOT of butter leaking onto the bottom of the oven and creating a cloud of smoke? I wonder what would’ve happened to all that butter (and the cheesecake!) if I’d been using your clever trick for the water bath? Thanks for the yummy recipe!

      Reply
    5. Anne says

      December 22, 2019 at 11:44 pm

      I've made this recipe before as directed and it was fabulous! I would like to make this for Christmas baking in a square pan, freezing, cutting into squares and dipping into chocolate. Think it would work?

      Reply
      • Amy Duska says

        December 23, 2019 at 9:43 am

        Yes that would work!

        Reply
    6. Amy says

      November 27, 2019 at 6:48 pm

      Giving this a go for my son with an egg allergy! When it goes in the fridge over night, should it be covered with anything or left uncovered?

      Reply
      • Amy Duska says

        November 27, 2019 at 6:49 pm

        Hi Amy, you can leave it uncovered!

        Reply
    7. Savanna says

      September 27, 2019 at 5:31 pm

      I've made this a couple times. Except I have to swap the crust for a check base, so my mom and sister can have it. I bake it in the water bath, I wrap the bottom with foil, but it still comes out wet. What am I doing wrong?

      Reply
      • Amy Duska says

        October 02, 2019 at 2:22 pm

        I put my 9" spring-form pan into an empty 10" cake pan for protection when using a water-bath instead of using foil. I find that the foil never fully protects the crust and water always seems to find a way in.

        Reply
    8. Sap says

      May 17, 2019 at 1:08 am

      5 stars
      These cheesecake turned out great! I tried it in a 12-well cupcake pan and taste wise they were still perfect, but for some reason the bottoms of the cheesecakes became a little wet after refrigerating. Any idea why this would be? Thanks in advance!

      Reply
      • Amy Duska says

        May 21, 2019 at 10:10 am

        Hi Sap, did you cover the cheesecake with plastic? Sometimes the moisture can cause condensation.

        Reply
    9. Melissa says

      May 07, 2019 at 8:42 am

      Made this again for like the 5th time... it doesn't disappoint!

      Reply
    10. Lisa Gallas says

      April 18, 2019 at 3:32 pm

      Could you add cocoa powder and chocolate chips to this? Or maybe just cocoa powder?

      Reply
      • Amy Duska says

        April 18, 2019 at 4:24 pm

        Yes you could add either. If you add cocoa powder, I would add 1/4 cup and taste to see if you should add more. I would also SIFT the cocoa powder into the mixture to avoid any lumps.

        Reply
    11. Rebecca says

      March 26, 2019 at 10:58 pm

      5 stars
      I have made this a couple of times, and I love it. Super delicious. I was wondering, though...has anyone tried eating this without baking it? You could, right? I was wondering because I made my sister in law a brownie-bottom turtle cheesecake for her birthday today, using the cheesecake recipe here for the cheesecake filling. She requested a 6inch so I just made the full recipe, but put the extras in the fridge, and I kind of want to eat it with a spoon. What changes happen when baking the cheesecake that I will miss if I just dig in with my spoon??

      Reply
      • Amy Duska says

        March 27, 2019 at 8:28 am

        Hi Rebecca! I have actually tried to make this cheesecake without baking it and it did NOT set up overnight in the fridge! It must be baked unfortunately. It will still be tasty! Just not set like a regular cheesecake. Let me know if it does set up for you because I've only tried it one time and it didn't set!

        Reply
    12. Parita Pooj says

      March 22, 2019 at 6:33 pm

      5 stars
      I had been looking for an egg-free recipe that gets the texture and taste of cheesecake just right and this is perfect. While I have never tried a cheesecake baked with egg, all my friends who have had some of the best cheesecakes in New York loved this better! They especially love the crust. I had to bake it twice in two weeks because they loved it so much. I am sharing this recipe with everyone I know. Thank you so much for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Amy says

        March 24, 2019 at 6:26 am

        Thank you Parita! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed this recipe enough to make it twice in two weeks!

        Reply
    13. Harpreet Singh says

      March 03, 2019 at 11:02 am

      i made this yesterday just to practice. I had a family gathering today and took it along. I was afraid it might not be so good and here i am sharing with 20 people. They all loved it!! Thank you.

      Reply
      • Amy says

        March 03, 2019 at 11:18 am

        That's awesome! 🙂

        Reply
        • Amanda Day says

          May 26, 2019 at 12:41 am

          How long does it need to set in fridge after cooling?

        • Amy Duska says

          May 28, 2019 at 11:33 am

          Atleast 6 hours. Over night is best.

    14. Traveler says

      February 25, 2019 at 4:43 pm

      I dont like sour cream. Can I substitute another cup of heavy cream for the sour cream? Or will that cause a texture or other problem? Thank you.

      Reply
      • Amy says

        February 26, 2019 at 10:42 am

        I've never tried it without the sour cream but I don't really taste the sour cream in the final product. I would substitute a half cup of heavy cream and 4 oz. of cream cheese in place of the sour cream. I hope this helps and if you decide to try it, please let me know how it turns out!

        Reply
      • Lakshmi says

        March 19, 2019 at 4:26 pm

        This came out amazing!! I substituted yoghurt for sourcream, and it was still super delicious and creamy. I also made a 4-inch cake for my daughter’s 5th month birthday, so I quartered the recipe, the quantity was just perfect. Thanks for the recipe!

        Reply
    15. Sita says

      February 13, 2019 at 1:40 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recipe and turned out awesome. Just wondering if I could do crustless? Please give your suggestions.
      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Amy says

        February 13, 2019 at 3:29 pm

        Hi Sita, I have never done it crustless before but I believe it can be done. I would definitely wrap the bottom of the spring form pan with foil, just in case to prevent leaking.

        Reply
    16. Anita says

      January 23, 2019 at 6:38 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Amy. Well developed recipe and love the eggless part. I was able to use reduced fat ingredients and it still tastes great. Thanks for your special tips, especially about the water bath and incorporating other flavors into the cheesecake. My boys finished the cake in one day with some help, and asked for another one. Fortunately, this is easy to make. Thanks so much.

      Reply
      • Amy says

        January 24, 2019 at 11:47 am

        I'm so glad you and you're family enjoyed this recipe! And thank you for such a great review 🙂

        Reply
    17. Amy says

      January 23, 2019 at 6:24 pm

      Thanks so much for this recipe. I have looked at many others and none compare to this one in terms of the light, not too sweet flavor. It was easy to make and I am not a baker. I did reduce the butter in the crust to reduce the overall fat content. Worked out just fine.

      Reply
    18. Cheryl says

      January 03, 2019 at 1:06 pm

      5 stars
      I am allergic to eggs as well.It was so easy to make and it was delicious!!!

      Reply
    19. Rich says

      December 26, 2018 at 9:34 pm

      5 stars
      This was excellent - my son has an egg allergy so we try and avoid eggs where possible (and is a picky eater - he wouldn't eat this chesscake anyway). I subbed in monk fruit sweetner for the sugar and it was great - my wife can usually taste a sugar sub a mile off but even she said it was delicious. Will definitely use this as my go to cheesecake - may experiment with some flavour additions (lemon peel, choc chips, raspberries etc).

      Reply
    20. Mir Patel says

      December 23, 2018 at 7:47 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recipe twice it turned out great! Thank you for having an eggless cheesecake recipe.

      Reply
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