So excited to share this simple classic New York Style Cheesecake that’s smooth, rich and creamy with a crisp graham cracker crust. For this cheesecake recipe we skip the water bath and bake at low heat using a springform pan.
This cheesecake recipe isn’t super sweet and it has an ever so small sunken center to create the perfect shelf for toppings! For the topping, you can add fresh fruit, compote, or melted chocolate drizzle for extra pizzaz. Personally, I like a cheesecake to do this for that reason. It also has a more rustic aesthetic.
One of the biggest complaints I have with sweet cravings is that you have to commit to making a large quantity of something. This recipe is actually a happy medium to satisfy cravings and enough to share with a handful of friends or family without it being a whole ordeal. I guarantee you’ll skip freezing this treat!
Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, I have made a birthday tradition to make a petite New York Style Cheesecake for our neighbor. Every year I try to top the cheesecake with fresh fruits. One year was fresh blueberries tossed in edible silver glitter. The following year, homemade strawberry compote with fresh cut strawberries. Simple, elegant, delicious!
Key Ingredients
- Cream Cheese: 1 pound of full fat cream cheese. Do not use reduced fat otherwise you may have soup.
- Sour Cream: Adds moisture and softens the texture. Adds a subtle tang.
- Eggs: I recommend pasture raised eggs with golden yolks. The eggs bind the cheesecake together.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh flavor that offsets the richness.
- Graham Crackers: Traditional sturdy crust amazingness.
Temperature Matters
Always work with a preheated oven for best results.
Keep an eye on your graham cracker crust. Temperatures can fluctuate differently in each type of oven. If you smell it, it’s likely done. The estimated range is 12-15 minutes. It’s okay to slightly under-bake. If you over-bake, you risk a hard crust.
When the cream cheese mixture is added and now you’re baking, resist the urge to open the oven multiple times. The only time you should open the oven is to quickly rotate the pan halfway through cook time. The next time you check is at the 45 minute mark. If it’s wobbly, give it up to 5 more minutes. Any more it will likely be over baked.
Avoiding the Dreaded Cracking & Uneven Texture
Your star ingredients should be room temperature: cream cheese, sour cream, eggs. This is to ensure that they mix well and you don’t have dreaded lumps.
Don’t over beat your eggs. This could ruin your texture and potentially cause cracking.
Let the cheesecake cool at a minimum of 10 minutes before attempting to remove the springform. You must let the cheesecake fully cool to room temperature before even moving it to the refrigerator. Do this prematurely, you’re going to get cracks.
Petite New York Style Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 7 Graham Crackers broken into I-inch pieces
- 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter melted and cooled
- 3 tbsp Light Brown Sugar packed
- 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- ⅛ tsp Salt
Filling
- 1 pound Cream Cheese softened
- ⅔ cup Granulated Sugar (4⅔ oz)
- 2 Large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup Sour Cream room temperature
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
FOR THE CRUST
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom of 6" round springform pan with parchment paper. Grease well.
- Process cracker pieces in food processor to fine, even crumbs, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle melted butter, sugar, flour, and salt over crumbs and pulse to incorporate, about 5 pulses. Transfer crumbs to prepared 8" round and, using bottom of dry measuring cup, press into even layer.
- Bake crust until fragrant and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
FOR THE FILLING
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
- Add sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Pour filling over crust and spread into corners. Bake cheesecake until edges are set but center still jiggles slightly, 45-50 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cheesecake cool completely.
- TO STORE: Wrap pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
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Best cheesecake you’ll ever have! Recipe was easy to follow and it tastes amazing! Party show piece everyone was impressed!