This is the best recipe for a New York Cheesecake that is rich, thick, dense, and smooth, just like it should be. Complete with a buttery graham cracker crust, this NY baked cheesecake is the perfect dessert.
I love cheesecake in all of its forms. No bake cheesecake, Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars, Chocolate Chip Cheesecake, cheesecake with Oreos, Pecan Pie Cheesecake, Basque Cheesecake, and Pumpkin Cheesecake are all recipes you’ll find here. Those flavors may sound tempting, but for now, stick with me, because this New York Cheesecake recipe is the original and the best.
I’m sharing all of my best cheesecake tips and tricks too. I want you to be successful in making this decadent New York Style cheesecake so you can impress all of your friends with your dessert skills!
Check out my Graham Cracker Crust recipe for more tips on making the buttery base layer of your cheesecake, or see the recipe card below.
Take a culinary trip to NYC in your own kitchen! Make a Classic Waldorf Salad and Black and White Cookies too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- An Impressive Dessert– Everyone knows that cheesecake is a challenging recipe to get right, so they will be so impressed with you when you serve them this delicious NY style cheesecake after dinner.
- Can be made ahead – Cheesecake keeps well in the fridge or freezer, so it’s a great option if you’d like to make dessert a few days or weeks in advance.
- Classic Flavor– This simple recipe has a well-balanced, creamy, rich flavor that everyone loves. It also goes well with any toppings you may like to add.
Key Ingredients in New York Style Cheesecake
Here’s what you need to make this classic cheesecake dessert. It’s only 8 common ingredients!
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Graham Crackers: You’ll need 10 large graham crackers to make 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs, which is the perfect amount to make a thick, beautiful crust for NY cheesecake.
- Butter and Sugar: Mix these in with the graham cracker crumbs to make the best crust!
- Cream Cheese: Make sure you buy cream cheese in block form, not the spread that comes in a tub. You’ll need four 8-ounce blocks. Full fat cream cheese is the best choice when making cheesecake, but Neufchâtel cheese can also be used. Do not try to make a NY style cheesecake with fat-free cream cheese. It will not be good!
- Eggs: In cheesecake recipes, eggs act as a binder. Let your eggs come to room temperature before mixing them in.
- Granulated Sugar: On its own, cream cheese doesn’t have a lot of flavor. Sugar is key to making this cheesecake taste like cheesecake instead of a bagel schmear!
- Sour Cream and Heavy Cream: a small amount of both are mixed in with the cream cheese to make the filling extra smooth.
- Vanilla Extract: This adds bakery style flavor to all of your favorite baked goods. Be sure to use a high quality, pure vanilla extract.
- Strawberry Topping: This is optional, but I highly suggest that you make up a batch of my easy Strawberry Sauce to serve with your cheesecake. Yum!
Equipment Needed
To make the perfect cheesecake, you need to use the right tools.
A 9-inch Springform Pan is the only type of pan I’d ever recommend baking a cheesecake in. A springform pan allows you to remove the outer edge of the pan from the base. This means that you don’t have to struggle to cleanly remove your dessert from a cake pan!
A large roasting pan (like you might roast a turkey in) is needed for the water bath. If you don’t have one of these, consider purchasing one. Otherwise, I’ll tell you how to create a water bath without one below.
You’ll also need some aluminum foil, a couple of mixing bowls and a hand mixer to complete this recipe.
How To Make New York Style Cheesecake
- Get Ready to Bake. Preheat your oven to 350F°/180°C. If you’re using a convection or fan oven, set it to 325F°/160°C. Grease the inside of a 9-inch springform pan with butter and set it aside.
- Make Graham Cracker Crust: Crush the graham crackers in a food processor, then combine them in a bowl with melted butter and sugar. Stir the mixture and let the graham cracker crumbs absorb the butter.
- Press it down: Pour the mixture into the springform pan, and press it down to cover the bottom. Use a measuring cup or the bottom of a glass to help flatten and compact the crust.
- Bake the Crust: Bake for 8 minutes to set, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 325F°/160°C(275°F/140°C for fan oven) and begin making the NY cheesecake filling.
- Prep the pan. Once the crust has cooled, wrap the outside of the springform pan with two layers of aluminum foil. This will keep any water from getting in while the cheesecake is baking in its water bath.
- Cream the cream cheese and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on high speed until creamy.
- Finish Making the Filling: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then add sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Don’t overmix, but do make sure that all of the ingredients are incorporated. Pour the filling into the prepared graham cracker crust.
- Prepare a Water Bath: Place a roasting pan on an oven rack in the center of your oven. Then place the cheesecake inside of the roasting pan. Fill the space between the two pans with boiling water to a depth of about 1 inch.
- Bake: Bake NY style cheesecake for 55-60 minutes. If the cheesecake starts to brown too much on the top, tent it with foil to protect it. The cheesecake is done when the edges are completely set but the center is still jiggly.
- Cool: Turn off the oven, but do not remove the cheesecake. Open the oven door slightly, and allow the cheesecake to cool down in the oven for 1 hour. Then, place the cheesecake in the fridge, covered, for at least six hours (or overnight) before serving.
- Serve: Loosen the edges of the cheesecake from the pan with a knife, then remove the outer ring of the pan. To get clean slices, run the knife under warm water and dry it between each cut. Serve topped with whipped cream and strawberry sauce if desired.
Tip!
If you don’t have a food processor, put the graham crackers in a heavy zip top bag and break them up using your rolling pin or a meat mallet.
Recipe Tips
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients. For a creamy NY cheesecake, all of the ingredients must be at room temperature before mixing them. If they aren’t, you’ll end up with lumps in the filling or an uneven mixture.
- Make your own graham cracker crumbs. It’s really not difficult to crush graham crackers, so please don’t buy pre-made graham cracker crumbs. You’ll get a much better texture and flavor by doing that part yourself.
- Two different oven settings. Remember to change the temperature of the oven after baking the crust. We’re using a lower heat for baking the cheesecake.
- Don’t Overmix. While it’s important that the filling ingredients are well-combined, it’s also important not to overmix them. Overmixed cheesecake will crack as it bakes.
- No Roasting Pan? It’s fine! You can create a water bath environment for baking your cheesecake using any large pan. Simply fill a deep cake pan or casserole dish with boiling water and place it on the oven rack underneath your cheesecake. It works just as well to create the humidity that the cheesecake needs.
- Cooling is important. Follow the instructions for allowing the cheesecake to cool while still in the oven. This slow, gradual cooling process will help you avoid cracks.
Storing Tips
NY Cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Cheesecake can also be frozen. I suggest freezing individual slices, wrapped well with plastic wrap. These can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just thaw and enjoy!
What To Serve With NY Cheesecake
This cheesecake will be welcome almost anywhere and with any meal. I like bringing this one when I am invited to someone’s home for dinner, to save the host from needing to bake dessert!
Since NY style cheesecake takes a while to make, you might want to have an easy and light meal like a Chicken Cobb Salad or Shrimp Ceasar Salad.
Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders are always a favorite dinner meal. Or make things super simple and make Pepperoni Pizza for dinner.
More Cheesecake Recipes
All Desserts →
FAQs
New York style cheesecake tends to be denser than regular cheesecake as it contains more cream cheese. Regular cheesecakes are often lightened with a larger amount heavy cream and sour cream.
The enemy of any baked cheesecake is dryness. A dry baking experience will leave your cheesecake with unsightly cracks and splits, plus the texture of the cheesecake will be dry. A waterbath turns the oven into a humid, moist environment that will help you avoid cracks.
Sometimes, even with the best preparation, you’ll still get a crack or two. Don’t let it get you down. Chances are it won’t be noticed once you’ve sliced the cheesecake. You can also just cover the top of the cake with berries or chocolate sauce to hide the crack!
I can’t wait to hear how much you and your family enjoyed this New York style cheesecake! It’s truly the best, most classic dessert. Make sure to Pin it for later!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
New York Style Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 10 sheets graham crackers or 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs. see note 1
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) melted butter
- 4 8-ounce packages (900 g) full fat cream cheese softened to room temperature, see note 2
- 1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position. And preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C,) or 160°C for a fan oven.
- Lightly grease a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with butter, then line it with parchment paper (bottom and sides).
- Make the graham cracker crust by crushing up the graham crackers in a food processor, then in a bowl combine crumbs with melted butter and sugar. Stir and let the butter moisten the crumbs.
- Press the mixture onto the bottom of the pan, and make it flat. I like to use a measuring cup or a glass to help flatten and press the crust.
- Bake in the oven for 8 minutes then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Lower the temperature of the oven to 325F°/160°C. (275°F/140°C fan oven)
- Wrap two large pieces of foil around the outside of the springform pan to protect it, taking care to cover the seams.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on high speed until creamy. Then add the eggs one by one mixing in between until just incorporated. Add sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla and mix until smooth but make sure not overmix the batter (if you overmix, the cheesecake will crack as it bakes).
- Pour the mixture onto the prepared graham cracker crust.
- Prepare a water bath. Choose a roasting pan that fits in the 9-inch springform pan. Place the roasting pan in the oven, then place the cheesecake pan in the middle of it. Carefully pour boiling water into the space around the cheesecake until the water level is 1 inch deep.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes. If the cheesecake starts to brown too much at the top, just tent it with foil to protect it from browning. It’s done when the edges are completely set but the center is still jiggly. Switch off the oven.
- Slightly open the oven door, and allow the cheesecake to cool down in the oven for 1 hour. Then remove from the oven and let it cool down uncovered until it’s completely cooled. Chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.
- To serve, loosen up the edges of the cheesecake from the pan with a knife, and then remove from pan and slice with a knife (run it under warm water and dry it, this will help you get neat slices). If you like, serve topped with homemade strawberry sauce.
Notes:
- If you can’t find graham crackers, there are options. In the UK, use 14 digestive biscuits in place of the graham crackers, and omit the sugar from the crust. In Australia try Arnott’s Marie crackers. You’ll want 200g of cracker or cookie crumbs total.
- You can use Neufchâtel cheese. The cheesecake won’t be as rich but it will have fewer calories. The recipe will not work with fat-free cream cheese.
- Make sure that your ingredients are at room temperature (about 70°F/21°C) and are not cold otherwise your cheesecake will be lumpy.
- Remember to change the temperature of the oven after baking the crust. We’re using a lower heat for baking the cheesecake.
- No Roasting Pan? It’s fine! You can create a water bath environment for baking your cheesecake using any large pan. Simply fill a deep cake pan or casserole dish with boiling water and place it on the oven rack underneath your cheesecake. It works just as well to create the humidity that the cheesecake needs.
- To prevent cracking make sure to grease the sides of the pan before pressing in the graham cracker crust.
- One more way to avoid cracks is to follow the instructions for allowing the cheesecake to cool while still in the oven. This slow, gradual cooling process will help you avoid cracks.
- For clean slices, dip your knife in warm water before slicing, and wipe it off with paper towels after each slice.
- To Store: Cheesecake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or well-wrapped in the freezer for up to two months.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Martina Evans says
Fantastic recipe Diana, thanks! I love me a good cheesecake. Hopefully I can make my own. Fingers crossed x
Choclette says
This sounds really delicious. I do love a good cheesecake, but I do tend to get put off by water baths – my kitchen gets steamy very quickly and doesn’t dry out very fast.
Shiran @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
This is a beautiful cake! 🙂
Diana Sh says
You have to try it, it tastes amazing I promise! 🙂