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
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
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. 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!
© Little Sunny Kitchen
