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This is the single best cheesecake recipe you’ll ever try. Perfectly smooth and crack-free, it has a golden, crispy graham cracker crust, and a beautifully balanced flavor that is not too sweet nor too tangy. But what truly sets it apart is its unbelievably creamy, rich, melt-in-your mouth texture (not dry, eggy or crumbly – I’m looking at you, Cheesecake Factory!). The secret? Bake very low and slow in a water bath, and slightly underbake. Trust me, I’ve done the tests, and will prove that it’s worth it! And don’t worry – it is easier to make than you think.
I’m a cheesecake fanatic (seriously, I used to eat 3 slices a day in college), so when I call this cheesecake the “best”, it is not an exaggeration. I have meticulously tested and perfected this recipe over 4 years, and it’s been a reader favorite on my blog for 3 years running. I’m sharing a video tutorial, step by step photos, and detailed tips to help you nail it, too – regardless of your baking experience.
I have tried so many cheesecake recipes over the past 40 years, and am always skeptical about others’ comments. This is THE best cheesecake I’ve ever had. It only gets better with each subsequent day. My quest is over.
– Tina, ★★★★★
My secret to the creamiest texture
Most recipes either over-bake cheesecakes, or bake them too fast without a water bath. This results in an eggy, dry texture that feels unpleasant after a few bites. My cheesecake is slightly underbaked by design: in a water bath, at 300F (lower than most recipes) for ~75-80 minutes. This prevents the cheesecake from heating too fast or rising too much. Once chilled, it sets up into a gorgeous rich, creamy and silky texture.
Of course, the ingredients matter too. This cheesecake is loaded with 4 blocks of full-fat cream cheese (Philadelphia preferred!), sour cream and heavy cream – my dairy trifecta!
This is the creamiest cheesecake that I’ve made by far – and I’m no novice when it comes to baking cheesecakes!
– Pattie, ★★★★★
Yes, you do need a water bath!
I know water baths seem intimidating and can be tempting to skip, but I am going to convince you that they’re simple and absolutely worth it.
For a water bath, you place the springform pan with the cheesecake inside in a larger baking tray which is filled with ~1″ of boiling water, and place that in the oven to bake. The water never exceeds 212F (100C). This heats the cheesecake slowly and evenly while creating steam that keeps the top smooth and crack-free.
Some recipes suggest placing a separate pan of water on the lower rack instead, but I put this to test, and here are the mind-blowing results:
The cheesecake baked without a proper water bath is uneven, wrinkled, and slightly overcooked. The one with a proper water bath is lighter in color, perfectly smooth and straight, and evenly baked. No filter, no tricks – the proof is in the pudding. Bottom line: a proper water bath is a must.
2 ways to prevent water from leaking in
Water leaking into the cheesecake is a common concern when it comes to a water bath, but it’s easy to prevent. Firstly, you need to make sure you’re using a good quality, airtight springform pan (not old, loose ones!). Secondly, you wrap the pan on the outside for an added layer of protection. There are 2 ways to do this:
- Take 2-3 large sheets of aluminum foil and wrap them tightly outside the pan at different angles, rising almost to the top
- Use a silicon water bath protector which is designed specifically for this purpose!
Step by step photos
You can find the detailed recipe in the recipe card below, but let’s go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything.
1. Make the crust
Brush a 9″ springform pan with butter.
Then line it with parchment paper on the bottom and sides. This will not only help release the cheesecake easily, it will also prevent it from cracking as it cools.
Grind graham crackers into a fine crumb.
Add melted butter and pulse until combined.
Press the crumbs into the pan to form a tightly packed crust – taking your time in this step will help achieve an even, crispy crust.
Bake the crust for 7-8 minutes and set aside. Once cooled, wrap the pan in aluminum foil on the outside, or place it inside a silicone pan protector.
Do you really need to pre-bake the crust?
After testing this recipe both with and without pre-baking the crust, I’ve found that pre-baking results in a more crispy and less oily crust. It takes no extra effort, you just need to plop in and out of the oven that you’re preheating anyway – so def do it.
2. Prepare the cheesecake batter
First, add the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla to a bowl.
Whisk for 3-5 minutes until smooth and well-combined, scraping multiple times as you go.
Break and lightly whisk the eggs separately, then add to the batter.
Whisk on low speed until the eggs are just combined.
Add the sour cream, heavy cream, and lemon juice.
Whisk on low speed just until the ingredients are incorporated.
3. Bake & cool
Pour the batter on top of the baked crust, then gently tap out air bubbles.
Bake the cheesecake low and slow in a water bath (more details below!).
Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours or until firm to touch.
This cheesecake is phenomenal on its own, but if you want to add even more *pizzazz* to it, you can turn it into a Lemon Meringue Cheesecake with lemon curd and meringue on top, or a Strawberry Cheesecake by adding fresh strawberry compote!
Final tips before you make it
- Use high quality, full-fat ingredients, especially cream cheese (use blocks like Philadelphia), heavy whipping cream and sour cream (and if you don’t have access to sour cream, check my easy homemade sour cream recipe)
- Bring the ingredients to room temperature for at least 2 hours before starting so they mix evenly
- Scrape your bowl and whisk / paddle attachment multiple times while making the filling to prevent unmixed lumps of cream cheese
- Don’t over-whisk the eggs and creams. Whisk on low speed only until combined (30 seconds or less) – overmixing can incorporate a lot of air, which we don’t want
- Avoid sudden changes in temperature. Don’t open the oven door in the middle of baking, and let the cheesecake cool at room temperature before putting in the fridge
- Don’t rush the chilling process! This cheesecake needs to be fully chilled to set and maintain its creamy texture
The Creamiest New York Cheesecake
The creamiest New York cheesecake: rich and luscious with a crispy crust and perfect crack-free surface. Baked low and slow in a water bath and slightly underbaked for a silky texture!
Yield:12 servings
- Prep Time:
- 30 mins
- Cook Time:
- 75 mins
- Chilling Time:
- 7 hrs
- Total Time:
- 8 hrs, 45 mins
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Ingredients
Crust:
- 225g Graham Crackers (15 full graham cracker sheets)*
- 6 tbsp melted unsalted butter (85g)
Cheesecake:
- 32 oz full-fat cream cheese (4 8oz blocks or 910g), room temperature*
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (325g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract, but paste is superior)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup full-fat heavy cream (120g), room temperature
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream (240g), room temperature*
- 2–3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice*
Serving:
- Extra heavy cream or berries for decoration (optional)
Instructions
Prep:
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature
- Preheat oven to 300F (conventional / no fan)
- Prepare a 9″ springform pan. Lightly brush softened butter inside the pan and line it with parchment paper (I recommend a parchment circle on the base, and a separate strip of parchment along the sides of the pan).
Crust:
- Grind the Graham crackers in a food processor until they form a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined
- Transfer the crust ingredients to the prepared pan. Pack very tightly using the back of a measuring cup. You can push a little up the edges, or leave it all on the bottom for a slightly thicker crust
- Bake the crust in the pre-heated oven for ~7-8 min, then remove from the oven
Cheesecake:
- First, whisk the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla for ~3-5 min until well combined and creamy. Keep scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle / whisk to ensure everything combines evenly. I recommend using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer
- Break the eggs in a separate bowl and whisk lightly. Don’t overbeat because if the eggs get airy they will give a spongy texture to the cheesecake. Add them to the batter slowly and mix at a low speed until JUST combined
- Add the cream, sour cream, and lemon juice and mix at low speed until just combined. Keep scraping the bowl and whisk / paddle
- Prepare the pan with the baked crust for the water bath. Either wrap it tightly with 2-3 large sheets of aluminum foil on the outside, or gently place it inside a silicone water bath protector
- Pour the batter into the baked crust. Gently tap the cheesecake pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles; this will help prevent cracking
- Place a large tray in the oven and fill it with ~1 inch of boiling water. Place the cheesecake pan in the water and bake for about ~75-80 min in the middle rack. Don’t open the oven until at least 70 minutes. When done, the cheesecake should be set at the edges but be very jiggly in the middle (like jello!). The exact time may vary depending on your oven, the color of your pan(s) and how much water is in your bath – so trust the jiggle test over the clock!
- Cool the cheesecake for 1-2 hours at room temp. After this, place it in the fridge and chill for at least 6 hours (or overnight), uncovered, until it’s fully cooled and firm to touch. Fridges can vary, so make sure the cheesecake is fully set before removing from the pan (overnight is usually safe!). I chill the cheesecake with the aluminum foil / silicone protector still in place
Serving:
- Once the cheesecake has chilled, carefully remove it from the pan and transfer to a serving stand. If there are any imperfections, you can use a hot offset spatula to smooth them out
- Optionally, decorate the cheesecake with plain whipped cream and / or berries. Serve and enjoy!
Video Tutorial
Notes
- Parchment paper: Make sure to put a parchment circle on the bottom of the pan and parchment strips on the sides. The parchment on the sides will help make sure the cheesecake doesn’t stick to the edges of the pan. Cheesecake shrinks slightly as it cools after baking, and if it is stuck to the edges of the pan, it can crack. The parchment paper prevents this issue.
- Graham crackers: You can substitute them with Wheat Digestives in some parts of the world
- Sugar in crust: I originally shared this recipe with sugar in the crust, too, but have since updated to remove it as I find it better this way. If you want to sweeten the crust, too, you can update the crust quantities to 190g Graham Crackers (12 full sheets), 3 tbsp granulated sugar (35g), and 5 tbsp melted unsalted butter (70g)
- Cream cheese: Make sure to use full-fat cream cheese that comes in blocks, not tubs. Philadelphia is always a safe choice
- Sour cream: If you can’t find sour cream where you live, you can make your own at home with this recipe
- Lemon juice: Please don’t omit this! It adds a beautiful fresh tangy flavor that complements the cream cheese beautifully
- Convection (fan) oven: I highly recommend a no-fan setting for this cheesecake as fan forced ovens tend to run hot and can cause cracks. However, if you have no option and have to use a fan oven, reduce the temperature to 275F
- Make ahead: You can bake this cheesecake up to 2 days ahead of time, and keep it refrigerated in the springform pan. After the first night of chilling, cover the cheesecake with cling wrap. Remove from pan and decorate when ready to serve
- Freezing: This cheesecake can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months; just make sure to cover it with cling wrap and place it in an airtight container. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before serving
Comments
Asma Amer
Made again. Rocked again. Thanks a zillion❤️
Arthur Jack
I also made a modified version with the same cheese-cake mix. That turned out okay, too. I think for “novice cooks”, when you are making the cheese-cake mix, after it is properly blended, there is even a question mark – why don’t I freeze and eat this as is? But the crust has to finish cooking, and there is the eggs, and sugar and stuff – so it is a neat recipe, because all of that stuff kind of mixes together, at 325 degrees for an hour and 15 minutes. The modified version I made was with an Oreo crust- that worked too. And I added a bit of jello for color, and though the gelatinous layer is actually a bit unwieldy, the color it adds is nice. So a few “finishing touches”, – like berries of some kind, or something that adds a bit of color, is nice.
Zainab
Absolutely delicious! Thank you zoha for the recipe!
Kathy
this was easy to make. everyone loved it
John Stabrylla
Quick question. Personally not a fan of Graham cracker crust. Can I simply omit it and just use the parchment and aluminum foil to seal it up? Thanks in advance.
Kim
The top browned on mine a bit- how can i avoid that happening next time-
AA
absolutely loved this recipe..it came out perfect and everyone loved it
Azra
Hi Zoha. May I ask why you stated that tub cream cheese is not as good as the block cheese? In what way is the latter better can you please clarify? Because Philadelphia cheese is not easily available where I stay. thanks.
Zoha
Hi Azra! Block cream cheese has higher fat and lower water content than tub cream cheese. Tub cream cheese is usually meant to be used a spread and isn’t as rich. So it results in a less rich and less creamy cheesecake.
Azra
Hi Zoha. If one wants to make a small cheesecake can we just divide the ingredients by half? 😬
Zoha
Yes! But use a smaller pan too 🙂
Joe
How do you adjust the recipe for a 10″ spring pan vs a 9″ spring pan?
CHRISTINE L VEGLIA
My 17 year old daughter and I made this cheesecake and EVERYONE loved it. What a great taste and texture. Highly recommend.
I just wonder why we had to wrap it the pan in three layers of aluminum. Was it to prevent water seeping in?
How long does a springform pan last until it’s no longer reliable?
Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Christine
Hi, I saw in the comments something about running a butterknife around the edges of the pan but I can’t seem to find that anywhere in the recipe so I don’t know when to do that! Is it when it first comes out of the oven or after the overnight chill? Thank you!
Shalea Brabo
I never never do reviews.
This hands down is the BEST CHEESECAKE recipe. My husband requests one in the fridge at all times, I have the best husband in the world so of course there’s always one in the fridge! Everyone he shares it with can’t stop talking about it!!!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!
Kira
In two hours your cheesecake will be ready in 16 hours. Why do people who make these recipes put the time at 2 hours, then say it needs to set for 12+ more hours? For those of you who are lazy like me and don’t read the recipe fully through before starting bake this is a problem.
Kiersten
Can you add fillings to this prior to baking? Such as cinnamon sugar crumbles, raspberry sauce, etc? How will it affect the baking?
DR
New York style cheesecake can I add 2 tablespoons a white rum two cheesecake batter
Zoha
Hi DR, I haven’t tried this myself so cannot say
Zuhairah Abd
hi zoha
I will be making your cheesecake recipe for the holidays I’m making 1.25 recipe how much long to bake
Zoha
Hi there. it depends on the size of the pan you’re using – is it 9″? i don’t think the quantities will fit
cat
I used this recipe as to make the base part of a chocolate ganache cheese cake and it worked like a charm. I rarely read the whole page of a recipe, but your descriptions of why and how each step is important was rather helpful- one note; would you happen to know the cook time for half a batch? It makes a ton of cheese cake filling –
Zoha
Hi Cat! thank you so very much for your kind words. Are you planning to make a half batch in a 9″ pan still?
Sue M.
This was the first time I’ve ever baked a cheesecake and everyone loved it. My husband said it was the best he’s every had. I used gluten free graham cracker crumbs for the crust because my daughter and granddaughter have Celiac and this was an amazing dessert the entire family was able to enjoy.
Zoha
Thank you so much for your kind review, Sue! Means the world to me <3
Mona
In the video you added corn starch but in the recipe written you didn’t, is it optional? I didn’t add it and watched the video after I made it 😭
Zoha
Hi Mona! I have noted this above the video too, but i recently updated the recipe and no longer add cornstarch. it’s fine with or without it 🙂
Joe
How do you cook it if the spring pan isn’t waterproof? I tested the spring pan before I made the crust but its not waterproof, please advise.
Zoha
hi Joe! Since cheesecakes are costly to make, i actually recommend getting a new springform pan. Then wrap the outside with several sheets of foil tightly.
Amy
Omg it’s in the oven now and I realized I forgot the lemon juice!! Am I screwed?!
Zoha
No it should be totally ok 🙂