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I’m so excited to teach you how to bake the best cheesecake! With a rich and creamy texture and a crunchy graham cracker crust… it’s even better than the cheesecake factory cheesecake.
Chilled in the refrigerator, you can store in the springform pan for up to 5 days, and top with whipped cream right before serving. Water bath guide and cheesecake step-by-step video tutorial in the recipe card.
Let’s Bake Cheesecake!
If you’re a cheesecake lover, this cheesecake recipe is going to change your life!
Because let’s be real, what’s better than than sinking your fork into a slice of cheesecake? From the crunchy graham cracker crust to the silky smooth cream cheese filling… this seemingly fancy dessert is pure perfection! And actually quite easy to make at home.
And did I mention that cheesecake is the ultimate holiday dessert? Because you can make it days – or even months – in advance. Which is a good thing because although it’s an easy dessert, it’s definitely a time consuming one. This recipe can be made up to 3 days in advance and chilled in the refrigerator… yay for make-ahead dessert!
I’m Cheesecake Factory Alumni
Have you ever wondered: how are cheesecake factory cheesecakes baked? Well, you’re not alone in pondering this question. I worked there over 5 years, serving dessert to thousands of cheesecake lovers. And during that time, people asked me that exact question over and over again.
I’ve probably consumed over 1 million calories from cream cheese taste-testing my way to the answer! I’d take a slice or two home almost every night… sometimes even more! And quickly it became my life mission to learn how to bake next level cheesecakes. After years of research, I finally created the perfect recipe to share with you.
The Best Cream Cheese?
The most important ingredient in this recipe is cream cheese! With dozens of cream cheese options, it can be hard to know which variety works best, right? Well, I can tell you that after baking HUNDREDS of cheesecakes, the best cream cheese is brick-style cream cheese. I love Philadelphia brand, but use your favorite.
Just be sure your cream cheese is:
- Brick-Style
- Plain (Unflavored)
- Full-Fat
- And Room Temperature (before you begin baking)
Cheesecake Ingredients: Start with Room Temperature Ingredients
- Cream Cheese: Our number one ingredient, so be sure to read all my cream cheese tips above. And do not attempt to make this without cream cheese.
- Granulated Sugar: I don’t suggest reducing the amount of sugar in this recipe. Or using an alternative sweeteners, not even brown sugar.
- Eggs: Use large eggs and bring them to room temperature before use. You’ll use both whole eggs and egg yolks. Save egg whites for another recipe. Be sure to add the eggs one at a time, as sdding eggs one at a time helps avoid over mixing.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract adds so much delicious rich flavor. Do not use artificial or imitation vanilla.
- Heavy Cream: Aka heavy whipping cream, don’t sub with milk, half and half, or sour cream.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: Pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs are the easiest choice. If you can’t find them, you can crush graham crackers in a blender until they’re fine crumbs, then use them as called for in the crust.
- Butter: Unsalted butter works best, but salted butter will work just fine.
Some people ask if they can add lemon juice to this recipe to cut the richness, and you can. But don’t add more than a teaspoon.
Make the Graham Cracker Crust
- Wrap a springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. The foil will protect the pan from the water bath, keeping your graham cracker crust nice and dry!
- Spray the pan with non-stick spray. Or grease the pan with butter. Greasing the pan ensures no sticking. No sticking equals perfect slices!
- Combine the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar. This is your graham cracker crust mixture!
- Press the graham cracker crust firmly into the bottom of the springform pan. A firmly packed graham cracker crust will bake up thick and won’t crumble much when sliced.
How to Make Cheesecake
- Cheesecake Prep: Turn the oven on and preheat the oven 20 minutes before you plan on baking. Prep you baking pan by wrapping it with aluminum foil and spraying it with nonstick baking spray.
- Par-bake the Graham Cracker Crust: This step ensures a crunchy graham cracker crust. Allow the crust cool as you make the batter.
- Make the Cream Cheese Batter: Use a food processor, stand mixer, or a handheld electric mixer to make the batter. Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust and smooth the top.
- Bake in a Water Bath: Place the springform pan inside roasting pan and fill with hot water. If you don’t have a roasting pan, use a large pan with high sides.
Let’s Bake Cheesecake
- Bake the Cheesecake: After you preheat the oven, you’ll bake the cheesecake. Until the edges look firm, but the center is a little wiggly. Don’t over bake, it’ll firm up a good amount as the cake cools.
- Cool: The cheesecake cools in the oven first. Let it cool in the oven, without opening the oven door. Then you’ll cool again at room temperature, and finally chill in the refrigerator. This is a lot of chilling but I promise it’s worth the wait!
- Slice and Serve: Use a large sharp knife and wipe it between slices. Top with whipped cream right before serving! Or try homemade chocolate sauce or raspberry sauce.
- Storage: Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Or follow my guide below and you can freeze this extra rich and creamy cheesecake for up to 2 months.
Make a Water Bath: Grab a Springform Pan and Aluminum Foil!
A water bath is an essential step in making the best cheesecake! The water bath helps the cake stay nice and moist – and gives it that signature creamy texture! A water bath also ensures the cheesecake doesn’t crack as it begins to cools down.
You will let the cake cool in the water bath, in the oven, without opening the oven door. Then you’ll remove the cheesecake from the water bath as you cool it to room temperature and eventually chill in the fridge.
I promise, making one isn’t as hard or scary as you might think, and once you do it a few times, it becomes second nature.
This creamy dessert will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days! To keep it even longer, you can freeze it!
- Let it cool completely at room temperature! This will take several hours, so be patient.
- Wrap the whole cake – or slices – in two layers of saran wrap. Then wrap tightly in aluminum foil.
- Transfer to a freezer bag, tightly seal, and place in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- To defrost, thaw in refrigerator overnight. Do not attempt to thaw in the microwave or oven!
Cheesecake Factory Menu Inspired Desserts:
- Oreo Cheesecake
- Key Lime Cheesecake
- New York Style Cheesecake
- Chocolate Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
Even The Kitchn wrote a review on this recipe (saying it’s the only one you need)!
The Best Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups (198 grams) graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup (67 grams) sugar
- 7 tablespoons (99 grams) butter, melted
For the Creamy Cheesecake:
- 5 blocks full-fat cream cheese (40 ounces total) room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 3 large egg yolks room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113ml) heavy cream room temperature (Use an extra 1/4 cup for even creamier cheesecake)
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly spray a 9″ springform pan with non-stick spray.
- Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with heavy duty tinfoil. I recommend doing several diligent layers here to ensure no water creeps through when you place the pan in the water bath. Set pan aside.
- In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter; stir well to combine. Firmly pat the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Place partially baked crust on a cooling rack and set aside while you prepare the filling.
For the Creamy Cheesecake Filling:
- In the body of a high power blender, food processor, stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a very large bowl using a hand held mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until completely smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add sugar and vanilla and beat smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add in the eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add in the cream and beat until it’s just incorporated in the batter.
- Pour filling into prepared crust and, using a silicone spatula, smooth the top.
- Place the cheesecake pan into a large, deep pan. Fill the pan with 2 inches of hot water. This is your water bath and will help ensure your cheesecake comes out crack free.
- Carefully place the pan in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Turn oven off and let the cheesecake sit, undisturbed, for 45 minutes, inside the oven with the door shut. The cheesecake should be still slightly wiggly.
- Remove cake from oven and gently run a knife very around the edge of the cake. Place the cheesecake pan on a cooling rack and cool completely, then loosely cover the pan with saran wrap and chill for at least 8 hours.
- Cheesecake will keep, covered in the fridge, for 5 days. Cheesecake may be frozen for 2 months. Thaw overnight before slicing.
Can you tell us how many calories and fat count is in this cheesecake?
I don’t mean to be rude, but if you were going to have a cheesecake, just go all the way, don’t substitute the heavy cream for some fat free stuff or get 0 sugar cream cheese or none of that stuff. the beauty of eating cheesecake, is the satisfaction and not feeling guilty
maia: I TOTALLY agree with you!!! So many people want to change a recipe to be “low-fat” or Keto and then they complain that it didn’t turn out. Just make the recipe as is-no substitutions! Have a great day maia!
I dont have a pan large enough to fit me 9 inch pan either. I put a pan of warm water in the bottom rack of the oven under the cheesecake while baking. It seems to help and i usually have no cracking.
You do NOT want to know!
Oh my, this is sooo good! I even used only half the amount of sugar called for and used Stevia for the other half. I drizzled sugar free homemade Carmel sauce over it and it was heavenly!
Thank you for sharing!
I made this – superbly delicious and decadent !
Everyone loves it! Thank you for the recipe !
I have one question thou.
Without baking paper lined, I lost quite a bit of the bottom crust when I cut and serve the cheesecake. They get stuck to the base.
Is this supposed to be right?
Hi. do you mind telling me what’s the weight in grams for the cream cheese? we use metric system here. when I did a conversion, it came up to 1134g! is that right? thank you.
Im wondering the same – did you end up making it with 1134g?
Ive read lots of other recipes that use parchment paper in the pan.
What can I use for a water bath? I completely missed this part and now I just have a 9″ tin, oh dear
Made this cake for a friends birthday. Admittedly, I was a little worried as the batter seemed a little runnier than other recipes, BUT she baked beautifully in an hour, turned off the oven and let her stay in the oven for another hour. She was firm, no breaks… loved it
I would love to make this cheesecake, but I would like to add chocolate. How much should you add. Thanks
Hi Dawne. I would suggest checking out this recipe 🙂 https://bakerbynature.com/ultimate-chocolate-cheesecake/
Hey could you plz suggest as to what is the substitute for eggs here?
Hi! Unfortunately, I cannot suggest a substitute for eggs in this recipe as they are a crucial ingredient.
there’s a vegan egg substitute that called JUST and its in a little squirt bottle in my Kroger egg section. I haven’t tried it but just a suggestion 🙂
For one you could make the crust out of a brownie mix, or if you want it in the actual cheesecake filling, just pour half the filling on your crust, then add a layer of chocolate, then add the other half of the filling. You can also add chocolate pieces to the top after it has completely cooled.
This looks amazing, but we dont need a full cheesecake sitting around the house.
Do you have any tips for freezing? Specifically, freezing it in individual slices? How do you wrap it or package it?
Hi S! If you’re freezing the whole cheesecake, you’ll want to let it cool completely in the fridge, then wrap the whole pan tightly in a double layer of saran wrap and then a single layer of foil and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw the cheesecake overnight in the fridge and eat it within 3 days.
If you’re freezing slices, you want to place the slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 6 hours, or until the slices are solid. Then wrap each one individually in a double layer of saran wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Again, the slices should be thawed in the fridge overnight and eaten within 3 days.
Make individual cakes in cupcake tins . That way you can freeze and eat 1 at a time as wanted.
wow, the cake looks delicious and very attractive, thank you for sharing
If you choose sour cream over the heavy cream is the measurement the same. 1/2 cup of either……
Hi, thank you for sharing the recipe! It looks delicious and I want to make it, I’m just not sure at what temperature should I bake the cheescake for an hour?
She said 350F
Hi! So excited to try this. I am going to use 6” springform pan, with reduced quantities of ingredients. does the cooking time stay the same or does it reduce aswell?
yes, I’ve reduced recipes many times now that we are empty nestors! If you are going to go down by 50%, I’d start checking at 30 min; reason being the density & width of the reduced ingredients of the cake won’t require the hour. Done-ness is tricky, use a toothpick in the center of the cake. If done, I’d also keep the cake in oven for half the time (heat is off at this stage).
If I am using a 10 inch pan do I need to add more of the ingredients?
Hey how did you reduce the recipe if you don’t mind please give me measurements
I made this for Father’s Day but feel 60 min just wasn’t enough baking time.
I think it says bake for 1 hr then leave in oven for another 30 minutes before taking it out of oven to cool.
It says 80 minutes (1 hour + 10 mins) and then to leave it in the over for another 45 minutes, turned off 🙂
1 hr + 10 minutes is 70 minutes. Did I miss the other 10 somewhere?
Hi, so looking forward to trying this! My favourite dessert is cheesecake and this sounds devine. Quick question, what cream cheese do you recommend? We usually use Philadelphia cream cream cheese for desserts in our part of the world, is there a specific cream cheese or one that you use that you would advise to use in this recipe? Thank you.
I used store brand regular (full cat) cream cheese and it turned out delicious!
This may be the old Lin
dy’s Cheesecake recipe. I’ve this for years and it’s absolutely sensational.
Looks delicious and can’t wait to try! Thank you for sharing. Just a quick question. In the tips section you mentioned Sour Cream but I don’t see it in the actual recipe. Does this cheesecake need it? Thanks!
Hello!! It’s heavy cream, not sour cream. You add it at the end, it is mentioned in step #3 of the creamy cheesecake filling (cream). Hope it helps
No Worries, Sour Cream workshop just fine. It is being used bij the cheesecake factory within cheesecakes aswell and I have made mine this wau and it is perfect. Either way use heavy Cream or sourcream.
I am 71 and never made a cheese cake. This was the perfect one. It was everything I was hoping for. Thanks for making my Easter dinner special during our self quarantining time.
What kind of cheese did you use it?
Hi Linda,
I’m trying this chessecake out today. I’m taking your word.
Ruby
Hi there, I’d like to make this into mini cheesecakes, how long would I bake them
I dont have heavy cream, so I can use 1/2 cup of sour cream instead?
I got a springform pan for Christmas. I have never made a cheesecake before. I am going to try your recipe for New Years but I have a question. When do you take the outside of the pan off.
I see you leave the bottom but no mention of the sides..
I don’t have a big enough pan so I read you put a pan under the cheesecake on the rack below.
The.n do I leave the pan in oven when cake is done and it sits with the oven off.
Thanks in advance for your help in making my first cheesecake. I will let you know how it. Comes out. By the way I live way down south in Louisiana. Toni
If you not putting the cheesecake in the water you don’t have to put the foil on it..
Nope!
I would love to make it. Could you please convert all the measurements in to grams. I really dont want to guess.
It looks amazing.
Thank you!!
Hmm…I personally would still always want to wrap the bottom and sides of my cheesecake filled springform pan with aluminum foil because I’ll never forget how the filling leaked all out from the bottom of a springform pan I was baking a ricotta cheesecake in many years ago!
Hmm…I personally would still always want to wrap the bottom and sides of my cheesecake filled springform pan with aluminum foil because I’ll never forget how the filling leaked all out from the bottom of a springform pan I was baking a ricotta cheesecake in many years ago!
After you separate the cake w/knife from side pop side form off immediately. If your pan is not large enough either scale down the recipe or save excess batter for a second dish (I have cooked it up in sprayed dessert cups in same oven smaller bath and used result in stuffed brioche French toast w/nutmeg or as an awesome layer in strawberry cheesecake pancake stack. w/whipped cream. I try to leave 1/4 from top of springform and it goes IN bath, I open oven door 15 min after removing heat and remove about 10 min later. Don’t forget to foil the outside of springform (use WIDE heavy duty foil)keep foil above waterline or it will find way in. (Last tip I do same recipe w zest of 2/3 fresh lemon.)
Why would you not wait until the cheesecake is cool to take off the side portion of the springform pan? And you removing instructions are very different that original post. Why do you recommend this method?
Hey there
The oven need to be at what temperature ? You don’t say
It says 350
This is the very best cheesecake I’ve ever made. I don’t actually place my cheesecake in the water, instead place Pan of water on bottom shelf in oven and my cheesecake on the shelf above. Turns out perfect every time. Cindy
That’s what I did, too. (I didn’t have a big enough pan to actually make water bath. It’s on the way into ‘fridge for overnight! Looks beautiful! Fresh blueberries will make it a delightful breakfast!
I was wondering the same, the crust gets baked at 350, does the cheesecake too?