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New York-Style Cheesecake is rich, creamy, and one of the most famous cheesecake recipes in the world! With a crunchy graham cracker crust and dense but creamy cheesecake filling, it’s delicious with strawberry sauce on top! Follow my pro-tips below to prevent cracking while the cheesecake bakes.
New York Cheesecake? Yes, Please!
Reader Sheri F. says: 
This truly is the best NY style cheesecake recipe!!! So many compliments from friends and family that it’s the best cheesecake they’ve ever had. Even my cousin from NJ! I’ve made it 3 times in the last 6 weeks.
If you’re a cheesecake purist, today’s new cheesecake recipe is for you! Because today I’m teaching you how to make the BEST New York-Style Cheesecake! This variety of cheesecake is famous for a few reasons:
- Thick and crunchy graham cracker crust – with lots of buttery flavor.
- Dense but creamy cheesecake filling – truly the perfect texture!
- To-die-for delicious classic cheesecake flavor – it’s hard to stop at one slice!
- Delicious plain or with a variety of topping like whipped cream, strawberry sauce, hot fudge, or salted caramel sauce.
If you’re a cheesecake pro, you’ll love knowing that I have tested and perfected this recipe. And it has dozens of 5-star reviews! If you’re a cheesecake beginner, this recipe is a great starting point for you because it’s basically foolproof. But feel free to ease your way into the cheesecake baking world with these New York-Style Cheesecake Bars, which are even easier!
Cheesecake Ingredients
- Graham Crackers Crumbs: For ease, I buy them already crushed. But you can buy sheets of graham crackers and pulverize them in a food processor or a high-power electric mixer.
- Unsalted Butter: Melted butter is the binder for the graham cracker crust. If you can only find salted butter, simply omit the salt called for in the recipe.
- Cream Cheese: Brick-style full-fat cream cheese works best for cheesecake recipes. For easy and even blending, make sure it’s at room temperature – or softer – before making the cheesecake batter.
- Sour Cream: Adds richness and a delightfully tangy flavor to the cheesecake. If you cannot find sour cream, an equal amount of full-fat plain Greek yogurt is the best substitution.
- Vanilla Extract: A dash will add delicious vanilla flavor while enhancing the other flavors in this recipe. Be sure to use pure vanilla, not artificial or imitation vanilla.
- Eggs: This recipe calls for whole eggs and egg yolks. Use large variety eggs. They help thicken the batter and give it a smooth texture. Be sure to add the eggs one at a time, and beat on medium-low speed until just combined.
- Flour: A small amount of all-purpose flour gives this cheesecake it’s trademark dense yet creamy texture. I think a 1-for-1 GF flour would work fine here.
- Heavy Cream: Aka heavy whipping cream. This dairy product makes the cheesecake insanely smooth and creamy. Do not sub milk or half and half.
The Perfect Springform Pan
After baking HUNDREDS of cheesecakes, I’ve finally found the perfect springform pan. Actually, I have two favorites: Fat Daddio’s Springform Pan and USA Pan Springform Pan.
- You’ll need a 9-inch springform. A regular 9-inch cake pan will not work. Luckily, these pans have many uses beyond cheesecake recipes, and are worth the investment! Please don’t attempt this recipe without the right pan.
- The springform pan needs to be able to hold at least 8 cups of batter, so choose one that’s at least 2.5 inches deep. If you end up with extra batter, you can always bake it in a muffin tin like these mini cheesecakes.
- I suggest a springform pan that’s lighter in color. Lighter colored pans will bake a cheesecake with a pale top. Darker pans will yield darker baked goods. A dark cheesecake top isn’t the end of the world though… and some people even prefer it!
Secrets to a Creamy Cheesecake
- Full-fat Cream Cheese: This cheesecake recipe is not the place to use reduced fat cream cheese. I also don’t recommend using Neufchâtel, which is lower in fat content. And thus will produce a less creamy cheesecake. So buy full-fat brick-style cream cheese for best results.
- Sour Cream AND Heavy Cream: Most cheesecake recipes only use one of these ingredients. But in my testing I’ve found you get the creamiest cheesecake when you use both! If you cannot find sour cream, plain full-fat Greek yogurt is the way to go.
- Do NOT over Mix the Batter: You should do the majority of your mixing BEFORE you add the eggs and flour. Once you’ve added these ingredients, you want to mix on low speed until just combined.
- Water Bath: Baking in a water bath allows the cheesecake to bake slowly and evenly. This produces an ultra creamy cheesecake!
- Follow the Cooling Process: After baking, you’ll turn off the oven, but don’t open the oven door! You’ll let it cool this way for 30 minutes before removing it from the oven and then removing the pan from the hot water.
How to Prevent Cracking
- Don’t Over Mix: Especially once you’ve added the eggs and flour! The only time you want to mix the cheesecake batter on high is while you’re getting the clumps out of the cheesecake. Once you add in the eggs, it’s crucial to mix on low so that you don’t beat too much air into the batter. Excessive beating will make the cheesecake puff up in the oven and then sink and crack once you remove it from heat.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Cold ingredients don’t bond evenly! And in this case, cold ingredients would also require a lot of mixing, which as stated above, is a no-no. So be sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. Especially the full-fat cream cheese, which needs to be quite soft before use.
- Water Bath: Baking in a water bath is an essential step for creamy cheesecake! This extra step will help prevent cracking and will ensure a smooth and creamy cheesecake recipe!
- Don’t Over Bake: This is the piece of advice most people ignore… and the regret it! You do not want to over bake your cheesecake. In fact, you want to remove it from the oven before it sets completely in the center. A little jiggle is a good thing, because it will continue to cook as it cools.
- Cool Slowly: You’ll want to cool this New York-Style cheesecake slowly, which helps prevent cracking. You’ll begin by cooling the cheesecake in the oven, with the temperature turned off. Then you’ll open the oven door, remove the cheesecake, and cool to room temperature. Finally, you’ll chill in the fridge for several hours.
Once you finish chilling your cheesecake, you can slice it and dig in! To get clean slices of cheesecake, use a large knife and press firmly down when cutting. Wipe the knife clean with a warm wet cloth between slices.
Baking in a Water Bath 101
Baking a cheesecake in a water bath helps the cheesecake stay moist, creamy, and helps prevent cracking. A lot of new bakers fear this process, but I promise there’s nothing to fear. I have a whole post on how to make an easy water bath for cheesecake, but here are my top tips broken down:
- Springform Pan: Before you even think about baking cheesecake, make sure you have the right springform pan on hand! This is essential for cheesecake AND for the water bath.
- Aluminum Foil: To ensure no water seeps into our pan, you’ll wrap the springform pan with aluminum foil. I recommend extra wide heavy-duty aluminum foil, which basically promises no water will ruin your graham cracker crust.
- Roasting Pan: You’ll need a pan that’s wide enough to hold the springform pan and deep enough to hold about 3-inches of hot water. A flat-bottomed roasting pan works best, but you can get creative here and try to find a pan you already have that works.
- Hot Water: The last step before placing your cheesecake in the oven? Add about 3-inches of freshly boiled hot water into the roasting pan. Make sure you pour slowly; you don’t want the water to splash and get IN the cheesecake.
How Long Does Cheesecake Last in the Fridge?
One of my favorite things about cheesecake recipes is that you can make them in advance! Baked and fully cooled, this cheesecake will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. So you can bake it before your next holiday gathering and relax knowing desert is ready when you are. Or you can freeze it following my instructions below!
Can you Freeze Cheesecake?
- Baked cheesecakes freeze great, and will keep for up to 2 months when frozen correctly.
- You must cool and chill the cheesecake completely before freezing it. Then you can decide if you freeze the whole cheesecake or cut it up and freeze it in slices. If freezing whole, do not freeze in the cheesecake pan!
- Place the whole cheesecake – or slices – on a baking pan and carefully place in the freezer just until firm. This takes about an hour for slices and two hours for the whole cheesecake.
- Remove from the freezer (set a timer so you don’t forget) and wrap the cheesecake tightly in several layers of saran wrap. The plastic wrap will ensure the cheesecake doesn’t get freezer burn.
- Place the whole cheese, or the slices, in a large freezer bag. Press out any excess air, then seal the bag. Label with the date and pop the bag in the freezer for up to 2 months!
- To defrost this New York-style cheesecake, remove it from the freezer the night before you plan on serving it. Thaw the wrapped cheesecake in refrigerator overnight, or until soft and sliceable. Do not attempt to thaw this cheesecake in the microwave or oven!
While the Cheesecake Bakes…
This cheesecake has a long bake time… but since you’re already in the kitchen, why not make a fresh strawberry sauce? You’ll only need a handful of ingredients like strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar. And this strawberry sauce is the perfect topping for cheesecake! Between the crunchy graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and fruity strawberry sauce topping, it’s literally dessert perfection!
The Best New York-Style Cheesecake
New York-Style Cheesecake is rich, creamy, and one of the most famous cheesecake recipes in the world! With a crunchy graham cracker crust and dense but creamy cheesecake filling, it's delicious with strawberry sauce on top! Follow my pro-tips below to prevent cracking while the cheesecake bakes.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups (210g) graham crackers crumbs
- 1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter melted
For the New York-Style Cheesecake:
- 3 8-ounce packages (681g) full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup (227g) full-fat sour cream room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups (249g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (28g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (113ml) heavy cream room temperature
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick spray. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with heavy duty extra wide aluminum foil. I recommend doing several diligent layers here to ensure no water creeps through when you place the pan in the water bath. Set the pan aside until needed.
- In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and melted butter. Mix well. Press the crust into the prepared pan, pressing the crust down firmly and slightly up the sides.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. Place partially baked crust on a cooling rack and set aside while you prepare the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees (F).
For the New York-Style Cheesecake Filling:
- In the bowl of a large food processor, add the cream cheese and sour cream and beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the sugar and vanilla until combined.
- On the lowest speed, beat in the eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating until just combined, and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, then fold in the cream, mixing just until combined. Then use the spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times to ensure the batter is smooth and all of the ingredients have been evenly combined.
- Pour the filling into the prepared crust and, using a silicone spatula, smooth the top. Place the cheesecake pan into a large, deep pan. Fill the pan with 3-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 30 minutes.
- Turn the oven off and open the oven door just slightly. Let the cheesecake sit, undisturbed, in the oven in the water bath for 30 minutes as it cools down.
- Remove cake from the oven and lift out of the water bath. Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack and cool completely, then chill for at least 6 hours. Do not remove the cheesecake from the springform pan until completely cooled!
Equipment
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Hello! A quick question…
I see that the crust, filling, and sauce all take sugar, but only the filling specifies granulated sugar… Do all three take granulated sugar? Thank you so much!
Kristel
Hi Kristel. Yes, all three use granulated sugar. I will update the recipe now 😉 xoxo
Water got into the aluminum foil and the crust around the outside looks soggy! I am just sticking it in the fridge now to set. Is it even worth trying, or is it a fail? 🙁
Hi Kari. I’m so sorry water got inside your foil 🙁 I know that must be so upsetting after working so hard on this recipe! However, I have had this issue before and after chilling for the 6 hours it turned out fine. So don’t loose hope! Keep me updated on how it turns out – I’m crossing my fingers for you.
Btw – did you use multiple layers of heavy duty aluminum foil? I find that method is best for keeping the water out.
I used 4 layers and water still got in. Mine is in fridge now.
Try wrapping the springform in a crockpot liner before wrapping it with layers of foil. Voila! No water seepage! Works every time.
Try wrapping with parchment paper first. Works with me
I use multiple layers of foil and tightly encase the foil with two layers of cooking twine.
The same thing happened to me today! Tried making this for my husband because cheesecake is his favorite, and I’ve always been too nervous to make it on my own. Wishing I had just stuck to buying it from the store… I used 5 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil, and water still managed to seep into the springform pan. I let it sit for 8 hours, but it was totally ruined. My husband understood and appreciated my
efforts, but I feel I wasted the entire day. If you’re nervous at all like I was, I would try anything to avoid the water bath! I read another post that said to maybe try filling a pan with water and placing it on the lower rack, with the springform pan on the rack above. If I ever am brave enough to attempt this again, I will avoid placing the springform pan in the water.
Hi Hannah. I’m so sorry to hear this didn’t work out for you. Especially on Valentine’s day. I can only imagine your disappointment. A quick question: Did you wrap the foil all the way up the sides of the pan at every angle? The foil should go to the top of the pan and tuck over slightly. That’s really what prevents the water from seeping in. I tend to use 8 to 10 pieces of foil, wrapping them in opposite directions and really pressing them up and in to ensure there’s no way water is seeping through. I think I’ll do a video on water bath techniques soon and add it into this post, which will hopefully help!
Just put the pan in a oven safe turkey bag and then cover that with foil. Works like a charm.
Hi I find that not wrapping foil around spring form pan and not using a water bath works great for me!!Beasuse the last cheese cake I made used hot water in a oven safe large glass measuring pitcher, placed on cookie sheet, under the spring form pan gives enough moister to keep cheese cake from cracking.. it’s been working for me. No cracks!! Used on this cheese cake, worked wonderfully.
Try setting your springform pan inside of a slightly larger cake pan instead of foil.
This is what I have been doing with my cheesecakes lately- adding a 9×13 pan full of water to the lower rack of the oven because I’ve also dealt with soggy crusts. Unfortunately my cheesecakes still crack. I have this recipe in the oven now and it started to crack about halfway through cooking. Any other tips to try? I love cheesecake and I’ll eat it crack or not but it doesn’t make for nice presentation. Plus I’d rather it crack than be soggy.
Christine…a pan filled with water on the bottom rack worked well for me also.
(I can hide the crevasses with sweetened sour cream!)
I had the Water everytime .I had a Dear Friend to share a tip me.
Place Cheesecake in Springfoam Pan , And use Roasting Pan with Water on Rack under your Cheesecake. Thats the way over 10 Years with no cracks .Cheesecake Perfect everytime
Other than this did you change the recipe at all?
That is the way I do it as well … large pan of water on the rack underneath the cheesecake. Perfectly every time!
I did this and mine cracked
I did this with the pan on the rack below the springform. Filled the roasting pan with water My cheesecake has a huge crack. Totally bummed. I guess the strawberries will help.
Don’t give up! This is my favorite cheesecake recipe. It’s perfect. I set my springform pan in a square silicone baking dish then set it all in a large pan of water. It comes out perfect. No way for water to get in unless you slosh it lol
If nervous about water bath try this technique that does not require wrapping or tinfoil. Place cheesecake in cold oven. Turn on at 200 degrees. Let bake for 3 hours. Turn oven off and let sit in oven for another hour (longer if you want) then remove from oven and cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge. You should have a creamy white (not browned) cheesecake with a smooth top and no cracks.
I did the same & water leaked in & made the crust soggy,.
Today I made it & baked it without the water bath but cut the time down to 60 mins & it was delicious
The best recipe ever!!
I use the foil, however I put a thin casserole dish on top of a cookie sheet. Then I pour boiling hot water into the cookie sheet and put the cheesecake pan on top of the casserole dish and cook as directed. This eliminates any chance of water getting into your cake. I’ve done this several times and every time it is a success. 🙂
Can you use a regular pan instead of a spring form? Didn’t catch that until after I bought everything for it. I just have regular glass pie pans. Would that effect the water bath? Thank you in advance
Hi Amanda. Unfortunately, I do not think this would work in a regular pan. There is too much liquid and it will not cook properly in the glass. I hope you can find a springform pan to make this!
I know I’m late but I used a regular glass pan and I wrapped it. Never once used water and it came out delicious
How long does the strawberry sauce last? I’m assuming the lemon acts as a preservative.
I’m thinking of making the sauce a day and a half ahead but not sure if that’s a great idea!
Hi Fil. Making it a day ahead of time should work just fine.
Can you wrap the pan in aluminum before you put all the ingredients in the pan. ??
Yes! Wrap the pan first 🙂
This is the only baked cheesecake I have ever made and it rivals anything I have purchased in a store or restaurant. I had all the ingredients on hand- but my sour cream was older than I thought and looked like a penicillin farm. Substituted that with .25 cup cottage cheese and .25 ricotta and an extra teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Perfection! I had garnered info from several different recipes and went with this one. I used an 8″ springform pan instead of 9 or 10, I just ended up cooking it for about 20 min longer bc it was thicker in the pan. So delicious! My family and the neighbors loved it!
I’m about to find out how this turns out without the flour added. I didn’t see until just now where the flour was supposed to go. After it was in the oven baking already of course!
Hi Gigi. I would bake it anyway, dear. It will come out delicious, just a little less thick.
I’ll be finding out tonight how it tastes without the heavy cream. I was following step by step instructions, came to the add cream part & thought it meant the sour cream which was already added so I figured I already did. Later as it was in the oven I realized that I had bought “heavy” cream for the recipe & I didn’t remember adding it, that’s when I realized looking back at the recipe that the “cream” was “Heavy” cream. ☹️ Hopefully the strawberry sauce & fresh whipped cream (that I’ll make with the heavy cream that I didn’t add to the cake) will make up for the flavor & lack of “fluff”!
Is it supposed to still be giggly coming out of the oven after sitting for 45 mins?
If it’s still a little jiggly, that’s fine. It still needs to chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours 🙂 It’ll firm up during that time.
I love all the cheesecakes but New York style is my favorite favorite. So hope you don’t mind that I’m drooling all over your blog!
I don’t mind one bit, love 😉
Mmm.. It looks creamy! I believe that it’s the best NY cheesecake 🙂
This looks so creamy and delicious! Love your tips, I am a cheesecake lover!
Michael is drooling and jabbing me in the ribs hella hard right now.
….I think he likes this cheesecake 😛
Ha! I think maybe you should make this for him…?! xo
Hi! Question…when you refrigerate after running knife and letting sit for another 15 do you leave it in the spring form pan? Do you leave the foil in it?
I have same question, after running knife around pan do I take spring form off or before serving .?
You take the sping form off after the cake has chilled, but before slicing it 🙂
The BEST cheesecake I have made! My family says it’s fantastic!!! It’s the only recipe I’ll make from now on.
Yay! So happy it’s a hit, Christine 🙂
Do I also cover up the top with foil or just the bottom?
This came out perfect and the flavor . This is the best cheesecake I have had thus far. I would suggest wrapping the cheesecake cake pan in a slow cooker liner before wrapping it in foil to ensure that no water seeps in during the baking process. Thanks for the delicious recipe.
I love the slow cooker liner suggestion. Thank you for the tip.
I use this too! Otherwise water gets in no matter how well I wrap it
Thank you for this suggestion!!! I will be looking for one of those liners. I’ve made this cheesecake for several holidays at the request if my family and each time I’ve added more foil and water STILL gets in and make the crust soggy .
Just want to say that your recipe made me famous with family and friends. Best cheesecake ever !!!