My New York Cheesecake recipe 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:

1. Thick and crunchy graham cracker crust – with lots of buttery flavor.
2. Dense but creamy cheesecake filling – truly the perfect texture!
3. To-die-for delicious classic cheesecake flavor – it’s hard to stop at one slice!
4. 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: I buy them already crushed, but you can buy sheets of graham crackers and pulverize them in a food processor.
• Unsalted Butter: Melted butter is the binder for the graham cracker crust.
• Cream Cheese: Brick-style full-fat cream cheese works best for cheesecake recipes. For even blending, make sure it’s at room temperature – or softer – before making the cheesecake batter.
• Sour Cream: If you cannot find sour cream, an equal amount of full-fat plain Greek yogurt is the best substitution.
• Vanilla Extract: Be sure to use pure vanilla, not artificial or imitation vanilla.
  Eggs: This recipe calls for whole eggs and egg yolks. They thicken the batter and give it a smooth texture.
• 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 9-inch cake pan will not work). These pans have many uses beyond cheesecake recipes, and are worth the investment!
• 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.

Secrets to a Creamy Cheesecake

• Full-fat Cream Cheese: This 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.
• 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!
• 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! Once you add in eggs, it’s crucial to mix on low so you don’t beat too much air into the batter. Excessive beating makes the cheesecake puff up in the oven, then sink and crack once removed from heat.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: Cold ingredients don’t bond evenly! 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 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.

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!