The Best Homemade Cheesecake – get the secret for the lightest and fluffiest cheesecake ever! Graham cracker crust, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice. Super easy to make and everyone raves about it! Once you taste it you will know why!
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Pin This RecipeHomemade Cheesecake with No Water Bath
I’ve been making this cheesecake for years. The recipe came from a parent when my Mom taught school. This is truly The Best Homemade Cheesecake recipe on the planet! Chicken Legs says this is the best dessert that I make. He said other desserts I’ve made are good, but this is the absolute best!
What makes this cheesecake so great? It has a super light and fluffy texture. How does it get that way? The egg yolks are beaten in with the cream cheese and then the whipped egg whites are folded into the batter. That makes all the difference.
How to Make The Best Homemade Cheesecake
This dessert is easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Pour graham cracker mixture into a springform pan. Using a measuring cup or bottom of a glass, press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Wrap the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil and set aside.
Place cream cheese in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add sugar and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add egg yolks, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Mix well.
In a large bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer on high speed until stiff and creamy. Carefully fold the egg whites into the cheesecake batter. Pour batter into the crust. Bake cheesecake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and keep the oven door closed. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for an hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and cool it on a wire rack. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours before serving.
Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- For best results have your ingredients at room temperature before making the cheesecake.
- You can use any cookie crumbs for the crust.
- Chocolate cookies, biscoff cookies, or gingersnaps are all delicious.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer.
- Do I have to freeze the cheesecake? It is best to freeze the cheesecake, but you can refrigerate the cheesecake overnight before serving if you don’t want to freeze it.
- It is VERY IMPORTANT to thoroughly chill the cake before serving. If you do not freeze or refrigerate the cake it will be too soft.
- The cheesecake needs to chill to properly set up.
- Take the cheesecake out of the freezer 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
- You can thaw the cake on the countertop or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Run a knife around the edge of the springform pan to help release the cake and prevent cracks.
- The cheesecake will keep up to 3 months in the freezer wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How to Seve The Best Cheesecake Recipe
This classic cheesecake recipe is our absolute favorite dessert! My family and friends request this for cookouts, birthdays, and holidays. It tastes amazing! Top your slice with some fresh whipped cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, or cherry pie filling. We usually just eat it plain. Either way, this is sure to become your favorite cheesecake recipe!
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The Best Homemade Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Crust
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 5 Tbsp sugar
- ⅓ cup melted butter
Filling
- 3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 4 eggs separated
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325ºF.
Crust
- Combine all ingredients and press against sides and bottom of 9-inch springform pan. (I use a measuring cup to do this – works great!)
Filling
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy.
- Add sugar, 4 egg yolks, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- In another bowl, beat 4 egg whites until stiff and creamy. Fold egg whites into cream cheese mixture. Pour into crust in the springform pan.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour with the door closed.
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool. Wrap the pan with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for several hours, up to 3 months, before serving.
- Remove from freezer and remove from pan before allowing the cheesecake to thaw.
Notes:
- Do I have to freeze the cheesecake? It is best to freeze the cheesecake, but you can refrigerate the cheesecake overnight before serving if you don’t want to freeze it.
- It is VERY IMPORTANT to thoroughly chill the cake before serving. If you do not freeze or refrigerate the cake it will be too soft.
- The cheesecake needs to chill to properly set up.
- Take the cheesecake out of the freezer 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
- You can thaw the cake on the countertop or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Run a knife around the edge of the springform pan to help release the cake and prevent cracks.
- The cheesecake will keep up to 3 months in the freezer wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
- For best results have your ingredients at room temperature before making the cheesecake.
- You can use any cookie crumbs for the crust.
- Chocolate cookies, biscoff cookies, or gingersnaps are all delicious.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Steph
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Hi, can you please clarify if you need 8 oz of cream cheese or 3 packs (each 8 oz) of cream cheese . Thank you
3 packages
I love this cheesecake, but my crust never goes all the way up the edges. I always have filling higher than the crust… how thin should it be?
Do you recommend salted or unsalted butter?
Either is just fine. I always use unsalted butter.
So you Don’t cook the crust first? It’s my first time making cheese cake.
I do not cook the crust first. There is no need to. It will cook along with the cheesecake.
How could I adjust the baking time if I want to make this recipe as mini cheesecakes (in my muffin tin)??
The first time I made it ,it was perfect and loved by all. I was asked to make it for Christmas. I made one exactly like the first one and it ran over the edges of the pan. Tried again and same thing. What do you think happened?
I really can’t say. Maybe you filled the pan too much?
Do you pre – bake the graham crust ?
I do not prebake the crust
Do you freeze it or put it in the fridge while it is still in the entire pan? or do you take the frame off and then put it in?
I freeze it in the pan
I have just made this, but would like to know if you put this directly in the freezer or allow it to cool before freezing.
I let it cool slightly before freezing.
When I decided to try my hand at making a homemade cheesecake, I tried different recipes, yes even the one on the inside of Philly cream cheese packages. I tried this one and guess what? I haven’t had the need to try another one. I’ve made this one several times and it’s come out perfect every time, even the time I forgot the sour cream! Thank you for making it so easy to make and impress!
hi can i use an 8 inch pan instead of a 9 inch?
I have made this several times before. I have substituted half of the gram crackers with shortbread cookies and it is delicious! I always get compliments and requests to make it. 😊
Hi! I am planning to do this but I’m confused about the cream cheese. Do you mean that 3 packages is equivalent to 8oz overall or each package should be 8oz? Please reply🙏🏻 Thank you!✨
3 blocks of 8-oz cream cheese
Has anyone put like pumpkin in this ?
Here is a great pumpkin cheesecake recipe: https://www.plainchicken.com/ritz-carlton-pumpkin-cheesecake-with/
Have you tried melted chocolate in the recipe and folding it in? I wanna try this so bad but i love chocolate cheesecake or cherry cheesecake
Actually the best cheesecake recipe I have come across. It’s delicate and creamy. A real crowd pleaser. A tip I have from making it many a times is ensuring cream chess is room temperature. Love your recipe
SO glad you enjoyed it as much as we do. I really think it is the best too!
How long do you freeze the cake for? Is 3 or 4 hours sufficient?
I usually freeze it overnight. You can also refrigerate it overnight. The cheesecake MUST be completely cooled and chilled. You can try it at 4 hours and see how it works.
I am planning on making it for Heritage day, can I just refrigerate it overnight instead of freezing?
Yes – but make sure you let it sit in the refrigerator at least 24 hours. Chilling is the most important step!