This New York cheesecake recipe finally got my picky mother-in-law to admit I can bake. Dense, ridiculously creamy, with that perfect tang. First time I served this New York cheesecake at Thanksgiving, three people asked if I'd ordered it from that fancy bakery downtown. Nope. Just me, my mixer, and a whole lot of cream cheese.
Why You'll Love This New York Cheesecake Recipe
I avoided making cheesecake for years because it seemed impossible. Then my aunt showed me her New York cheesecake method and everything clicked.
What actually happens: Crush graham crackers, whip cream cheese with eggs and sour cream, bake it in water, chill overnight. That's it. You get this knockout New York style cheesecake that's dense, creamy, with zero cracks. My husband ate four slices in two days. My cousin who owns a bakery asked for the recipe. That's when I knew this homemade New York cheesecake was legit.
Where people mess up: Skipping the water bath gives you the Grand Canyon of cracks and dry edges. Overbaking turns your traditional New York cheesecake into rubber. Using light cream cheese? Your baked cheesecake tastes like air. This authentic New York cheesecake recipe avoids all that.
My breakthrough: First attempt, I skipped the water bath. Giant crack appeared, edges crusty, middle sunken. Looked terrible. Then I tried the water bath method. Pulled it out looking bakery-perfect. Smooth top, creamy throughout, no cracks. That's when this classic New York style cheesecake went from disaster to "holy crap, I actually made that."
What You'll Need for New York Cheesecake Recipe
Nothing exotic. Your regular grocery store has everything.
For the Crust
- Graham crackers
- Butter
- Sugar
- Salt
For the Filling
- Cream cheese
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Sour cream
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon juice
- Salt
For the Topping
- Sour cream
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
Check the recipe card for exact measurements.
How to Make New York Cheesecake Recipe
This traditional New York cheesecake needs time but barely any actual effort.
Make the Crust
- Heat your oven to 325°F
- Pulverize graham crackers until they're fine crumbs
- Mix with melted butter, sugar, and salt
- Pack it hard into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan
- Bake 10 minutes until it smells amazing
- Let it cool completely
- This base makes authentic New York cheesecake taste legit
Prep the Water Bath
- Wrap your springform pan in two layers of heavy foil
- Cover the sides completely
- Keeps water out of your New York style cheesecake
- Put a big roasting pan in the oven
- Boil water in a kettle, keep it hot
- Don't even think about skipping this for creamy New York cheesecake
Make the Filling
- Leave cream cheese out for an hour minimum before starting
- Cold cream cheese makes lumpy New York cheesecake filling
- Beat it until super smooth and fluffy
- Add sugar slowly, beat until creamy
- Add eggs one at a time on low speed
- Scrape the bowl after each egg
- Mix in sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, salt
- Beat just until smooth
- Overmixing ruins baked cheesecake texture
Bake It
- Pour filling over the cooled crust
- Smooth the top
- Put the foil-wrapped pan in the roasting pan in the oven
- Pour hot water halfway up the springform pan sides
- Bake 1 hour 15 minutes at 325°F
- Center should jiggle when you shake it gently
- Edges set, middle looks slightly underdone
- Perfect for dense and creamy New York style cheesecake
- Turn off oven, crack door open
- Let it cool in there for an hour
- Prevents cracks in your classic New York cheesecake
Add Topping
- Mix sour cream, sugar, vanilla while it cools
- After the hour, spread it on top
- Bake another 10 minutes at 325°F
- Should look set, not brown
- This gives traditional New York cheesecake that signature tang
Chill It
- Cool to room temperature completely
- Refrigerate minimum 8 hours, overnight is better
- Run a knife around the edge before opening the pan
- Slice with a hot knife, wipe between cuts
- Now you've got authentic homemade New York cheesecake
You'll have incredible New York cheesecake with that famous dense texture, smooth top, and rich flavor that tastes exactly like the real New York delis.
Top Tip
Full-fat ingredients are mandatory for New York cheesecake recipe. I tried light cream cheese once during a "healthy eating" phase. Total disaster. Grainy, bland, wouldn't set right. Real cheesecake demands full-fat cream cheese, full-fat sour cream, real heavy cream. That's what creates the signature dense texture. Light ingredients give you disappointing results that taste like cardboard pretending to be the real thing.
And seriously, don't open the oven while it bakes. Temperature swings cause cracks. Let it be.
Variations
The classic New York cheesecake is already perfect, but you can play around.
Different Crusts: Oreo crust for chocolate fans. Vanilla wafers work great. Gingersnaps add spice to your traditional New York cheesecake.
Flavors: Swirl in raspberry puree before baking. Extra lemon zest for more tang in your New York style cheesecake. Melted chocolate for marble effect.
Toppings: Fresh berries are classic. Caramel sauce is incredible. Cherry topping for retro diner vibes. Or keep it plain to taste the pure creamy baked cheesecake.
Storage
New York cheesecake keeps beautifully, perfect for making ahead.
Fridge: Cover your classic New York cheesecake and refrigerate up to 5 days. Flavor improves after a couple days. Day three is peak New York style cheesecake according to my family.
Freezer: This traditional New York cheesecake freezes perfectly for 2 months. Wrap slices individually in plastic then foil. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Texture stays creamy and dense.
Make Ahead: Bake your New York cheesecake up to 3 days early. Actually better that way since it needs overnight chilling to set and develop flavor. Making authentic New York cheesecake ahead beats serving it fresh.
What to Serve With It
This rich and creamy New York cheesecake stands alone beautifully, but here are options.
Classic: Plain with black coffee. How real New York delis serve it. The dense New York style cheesecake needs nothing else.
Berries: Fresh strawberries or blueberries cut the richness. Berry sauce is traditional. Makes your classic New York cheesecake look fancy.
Chocolate: Warm ganache drizzled on top. Not traditional but delicious on creamy New York cheesecake.
My Journey With This Recipe
Made my first New York cheesecake for my mother-in-law's birthday. Big mistake choosing that moment to experiment. Skipped the water bath because it looked complicated. Watched a massive crack split the top as it cooled. Edges overcooked, center jiggly and raw-looking. Covered the crack with whipped cream and hoped nobody would notice. Everyone noticed. It was mediocre New York style cheesecake at best.
Second try, I followed every step including the water bath. Wrapped that pan like I was protecting nuclear codes. Baked it surrounded by hot water. Let it cool slowly in the oven. Chilled it overnight. Cut into it the next day and actually gasped. Perfectly creamy. Zero cracks. Dense and silky. My husband said it matched the classic New York cheesecake from that famous Brooklyn place. Total redemption.
Then I tried being clever with low-fat cream cheese. Horrible. Grainy, flavorless, wouldn't set. Learned that authentic New York cheesecake isn't diet food and went back to full-fat everything.
Now I make this traditional New York cheesecake monthly. People beg me to bring it to gatherings. My sister won't celebrate her birthday without it. My neighbor swaps homemade soup for slices of my creamy baked cheesecake. The formula is simple: room temp ingredients, water bath, slow cooling, overnight chill.
FAQ
What is the difference between classic cheesecake and New York cheesecake?
New York cheesecake is denser, richer, and made with extra cream cheese plus sour cream or heavy cream. It’s always baked (usually in a water bath) for a thick, fudgy texture. Regular cheesecake can be lighter, fluffier, or even no-bake, but New York cheesecake is always dense, tangy, and heavy.
What exactly is New York style cheesecake?
New York cheesecake is a baked, ultra-dense cheesecake made mostly of cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream or heavy cream on a graham crust. It’s rich, simple, tangy, and incredibly smooth—no mix-ins, just pure cream cheese flavor.
What is the secret to making good cheesecake?
Use room-temperature ingredients, bake in a water bath, and cool it slowly. Don’t overmix after adding eggs. These steps prevent cracks and create that smooth, dense New York texture.
What was Frank Sinatra's favorite cheesecake?
Frank Sinatra loved Junior’s cheesecake from Brooklyn—famous for its classic, dense New York style. He reportedly had it shipped to him while traveling.
More Recipes You'll Love
After mastering this New York cheesecake recipe, try my Garlic Chicken Sandwich for savory dinner that's equally impressive. My Avocado Grilled Cheese delivers that same comfort with creamy avocado and melted cheese. And my Tomato Pesto Grilled Cheese works perfect for quick lunches.
Classic New York Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 9-inch springform pan Essential for easy cheesecake removal
- 1 Large roasting pan For water bath
- 1 Electric mixer Stand or hand mixer
- 1 Food processor For graham cracker crumbs
- 1 Heavy-duty aluminum foil To waterproof springform pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 32 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1.25 cups sugar
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Crush graham crackers into fine crumbs using food processor or place in zip-top bag and crush with rolling pin. Mix crumbs with melted butter, sugar, and pinch of salt until mixture resembles wet sand. Press firmly into bottom of 9-inch springform pan, packing down tightly. Bake 10 minutes until golden and fragrant. Remove and let cool completely.
- Wrap outside of springform pan with two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, bringing foil all the way up the sides. Make sure there are no gaps or tears. This waterproofs the pan for water bath. Place large roasting pan in oven. Boil water in kettle and keep hot.
- Let cream cheese sit at room temperature at least 1 hour before starting. Beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed 3-4 minutes until completely smooth, fluffy, with no lumps. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Gradually add sugar and beat another 2 minutes until light and creamy.
- Add eggs one at a time to cream cheese mixture, beating on low speed after each until just incorporated. Scrape bowl between each egg. Add sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt. Beat on low until mixture is completely smooth. Don't overmix.
- Pour cream cheese filling over cooled graham cracker crust. Smooth top gently with spatula to create even surface. Tap pan lightly on counter a few times to release air bubbles. Place foil-wrapped springform pan into roasting pan in oven.
- Carefully pour hot water from kettle into roasting pan until it comes halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour 15 minutes. Center should jiggle slightly when gently shaken. Edges should look set but center will look slightly underdone.
- Turn off oven and crack door open about 1 inch. Leave cheesecake in oven to cool gradually for 1 hour. This prevents cracking. After 1 hour, remove cheesecake from oven and water bath. Remove foil carefully.
- While cheesecake cools in oven, whisk together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla for topping. After 1-hour oven cooling, spread sour cream mixture evenly over top of cheesecake. Return to oven at 325°F for 10 minutes. Topping should look set but not browned.
- Remove cheesecake from oven and let cool to room temperature on wire rack, about 2 hours. Once at room temperature, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Cheesecake needs this time to fully set and develop best texture.
- Run thin knife around edge of cheesecake to loosen from pan sides. Remove springform pan ring carefully. Slice with hot, clean knife, wiping knife between each cut. Let cheesecake sit at room temperature 20-30 minutes before serving for best texture.
Notes
Nutrition
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with This cheesecake:
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