Easy Cheesecake Recipe (No Water Bath!)

A few years ago I shared with you how to make cheesecake with graham cracker crust. That cheesecake is made extra creamy thanks to the ratio of sour cream to cream cheese. It’s amazing and you all have loved it (along with our pumpkin cheesecake!)

For this easy cheesecake recipe, I wanted it to be simple. Straightforward. No waterbath and no cracks. This cheesecake has more of a traditional New York style cheesecake texture. More cream cheese than sour cream.

It’s not quite as easy as our no bake cheesecake, but follow our steps and you’ll find this baked cheesecake with graham cracker crust is quite easy. Perfect for those that want that classic cheesecake texture.

How do you keep a cheesecake from cracking without a water bath?

Before you make our recipe, it’s important you know these 7 tips we used on how to prevent cracks in a cheesecake. It seems like a lot, but it will soon become natural.

• Avoid Overmixing the Batter. Too much air in the batter can cause it to puff up and then sink, leading to cracks. Mix on low speed and follow our steps for how to add the ingredients.
• Use Room Temperature Ingredients. Cold cream cheese or eggs don’t blend as smoothly and can lead to a lumps in the batter, causing uneven baking. Allow all ingredients—especially cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs—to come to room temperature before starting.
• Spray the Springform Pan. Spray the springform pan with cooking spray twice. Once before you press the crust, and another time before you add the cheesecake batter.
• Bake at a Low Temperature. Our easy cheesecake recipe without a water bath bakes the cheesecake at a low temperature, just 275ºF. This allows the cheesecake to cook slowly without as much of a temperature shift, which prevents cracking.
• Don’t overbake. A perfectly baked cheesecake will be set around the edges but still have a slight wobble in the center. Overbaking causes it to dry out, which often results in cracking. It will continue to firm up as it cools.
• Cool Gradually. Sudden temperature changes can cause the cheesecake to contract too quickly, leading to cracks. Once it’s baked, turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool slowly inside for about an hour. Then, move it to a cooling rack.
• Loosen the Edges. After baking, if it looks like the cheesecake might be sticking to the edges, run a thin knife around the edge of the cheesecake (without removing the springform side yet) to loosen it from the pan. Because I spray the pan, I don’t often have to do this.

How to Make an Easy Cheesecake

To prepare, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9” springform pan with cooking spray. If you have a cheesecake wrap, place the pan in that. Otherwise, if your pan leaks, wrap the outside in aluminum foil to keep your oven clean.

• Use a food processor to process the graham crackers into fine crumbs. 
• Place the crumbs in a medium bowl and add the brown sugar and butter. Mix until well combined. Press the mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the prepared pan.
• Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Allow the crust to cool while you prepare the filling.
• Lower oven temp to 300ºF. Let the crust cool for at least 5 minutes before filling.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar on low speed just until creamy and smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. 

6. Add the salt, vanilla and sour cream. Mix again just until combined. 

7. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix at this point. 

8. Spray the edges of the springform pan (on top of the crust) with cooking spray again. Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared pan. Tap the pan 2-3 times on the counter to release any air bubbles.
9. Place the cheesecake in the oven. Immediately lower the oven temperature to 275°F and bake for 1 hour.
10. After 1 hour, turn off the oven, but do not open the oven. Let the cheesecake continue to cook with the oven off for 60 minutes. Then remove the cheesecake and let it cool completely at room temperature. Loosen any edges that look like they may be sticking. This helps prevent cracking.

11. Remove the band off the springform pan. Loosely cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap, then refrigerate overnight.

Cheesecake Toppings

There are endless toppings that would be perfect on this traditional cheesecake recipe. Choose your flavor!

• Lemon curd
• Caramel sauce
• Strawberry topping
• Raspberry sauce
• Chocolate fudge sauce
• Cherry pie filling
• Fresh berries such as raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.