The Best New York Style Cheesecake You'll Ever Make - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes

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The cheesecake style made in New York has been loved for many generations and has gained popularity over the decades as it spread across America. It typically consists of a rich, creamy filling made with butter, cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla which is then baked together on a delicate crust made of graham cracker crumbs and sugar.

This New York Style Cheesecake recipe is a staple for any home cook. You can make a million different cheesecake flavors and unique cheesecake recipes using this one foundational recipe.
– Ashton

Ideas for More Cheesecake Flavors

You can build on this basic cheesecake recipe for so many more unique cheesecake flavors and ideas!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake – add 1 cup mini chocolate chips to the filling
Peanut Butter Cheesecake – replace 8 ounces of the cream cheese with 1 cup of creamy peanut butter
- Monster Cookies Cheesecake – make a peanut butter cheesecake filling, mix in 1 cup plain M&Ms and top with homemade chewy peanut butter granola.
Mint Chocolate Chip – replace the graham crackers in the crust with chocolate graham crackers, add 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and 1 cup mini chocolate chips to the filling.
- Grasshopper Cheesecake – same as above + serve with a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce.
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake – replace the graham crackers in the crust with chocolate graham crackers, add 1 cup white chocolate chunks to the filling, and swirl in 8 tablespoons of raspberry preserves. Top with whipped cream.
Tuxedo Cheesecake – replace the graham crackers in the crust with chocolate graham crackers and spread homemade chocolate ganache over the top.

New York Style Cheesecake

Yield: 12-16 slices

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

This recipe for New York Style Cheesecake is a staple for any home cook. You can make a million different cheesecake flavors and unique cheesecake recipes using this one foundational recipe.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

18 whole graham crackers (or 3 cups crumbs)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, melted

For the Filling:

56 ounces (7 bricks) full fat cream cheese, room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 large eggs, room temperature

Instructions

For the Crust:

In a food processor, blend together all of the ingredients until they form a moist, crumbly mixture. See my graham cracker crust post for tips and tricks for a couple of shortcuts.
Press mixture into the bottom of a 10" springform pan and up the sides as much as you can.
Bake for 15 minutes, and then let cool completely.

For the Filling:

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the sugar, flour, heavy cream, and vanilla. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, mixing in between each addition.
Pour filling into the crust.
Bake for 45 minutes*. Reduce oven temperature to 325ºF and bake for 30 minutes more. Turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar for 1 hour.
Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely. Chill for at least 6 hours and until ready to serve.

Notes

*Optional: before baking, set pan inside a large, shallow roasting pan. Carefully ladle boiling water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of springform pan. This will keep the cheesecake from cracking along the top.

I don't typically care too much about cracking (I usually cover up the top with whipped cream and berries), and so I don't do this extra step... because it's just that much more work. Plus, using room temperature ingredients really goes a long way in minimizing the cracks anyway.

But if avoiding the cracks on the top are important to you, be sure to add this extra step!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 653Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 179mgSodium: 430mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 1gSugar: 42gProtein: 10g

What is the difference between New York Style cheesecake and regular cheesecake?

The differences between cheesecakes (there are several different styles within the United States alone!) are subtle, but they’re there if you know what you’re looking for.

New York Style

The most distinct feature of a New York Style cheesecake is simply the amount of cream cheese in the recipe– a lot. New York Style Cheesecake is extremely rich and dense made with cream cheese, heavy cream, and oftentimes egg yolks in addition to the eggs. It’s typically not baked in a water bath and begins baking at a higher temperature for a short amount of time before it’s brought down to a lower temperature for the remainder of the bake time. This gives the cake a rich and cream interior with its signature golden brown top.

I used a graham cracker crust in my NY Cheesecake, but apparently the traditional New York crust is more cake-like.

“Regular” Cheesecake

This recipe uses sour cream instead of heavy cream, is typically baked in a water bath to prevent cracking on top, and has a graham cracker crust. It has a lighter taste and texture than NY Style.

Italian Cheesecake

There are some similarities between this cheesecake and the New York Style cheesecake. However, the differences are notable in the fact that Italian cheesecake incorporates ricotta cheese into the filling. It also normally has no crust at all or a sugar cookie-type crust.

I made this Ricotta Cheesecake several years ago, and it sounds like it fits the description pretty well. It’s absolutely delicious!

What are the different styles of cheesecake?

New York Style Cheesecake – dense and filling, no frills
Philadelphia – deep flavor, smooth texture, uses Philadelphia cream cheese
Chicago Style – fluffy, creamy on the inside, firm exterior, shortbread crust
Roman Cheesecake – no crust; made with flour, honey, and ricotta; topped with poppy seeds
Swedish Cheesecake – served warm and involves a process that curdles the dairy
Vegan Cheesecake – made with tofu and/or blended cashews
Japanese Cheesecake – pillowy and soft, made with egg whites that are whipped into stiff peaks
No Bake Cheesecake – lacks the thick texture of a baked cheesecake, but is usually still creamy; no eggs
Italian Cheesecake – uses ricotta cheese
Classic Cheesecake – uses a water bath for baking at a moderate temperature, uses multiple forms of dairy, graham cracker crust

New York Style Cheesecake FAQ

What is the easiest way to make a crust for a cheesecake?

The easiest way to make a crust for cheesecake is by crushing graham crackers with melted butter and sugar. Mix until there are no more large chunks of graham cracker left.

Why do you put sour cream in cheesecake?

Both sour cream and heavy cream alter the texture of the cheesecake. Without one of these sources of liquid, the cheesecake texture would be very egg-y and off-putting.

Is there a way to make New York Style Cheesecake without eggs?

No, there isn’t a way to make New York Style Cheesecake without eggs. Eggs are a crucial ingredient in this dish, and their protein content helps the cake set up during cooking.

How do you ensure that your baked cheesecake has a smooth top?

You can ensure that your baked cheesecake has a smooth top by using an egg white to “glaze” or seal the cake, so it doesn’t form large cracks. To do this, beat one egg white until it is slightly foamy and brush the surface of the cake with egg white before placing it in the oven.

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10 thoughts on “The Best New York Style Cheesecake You’ll Ever Make”

Serene @ House of Yumm

June 12, 2014 at 12:24 am

Oh yum..I think I’m drooling. I’m with you, any cheesecake that is on my fork is the best cheesecake! But I’m in love with the whipped cream and strawberries on top of this one. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous!
Charlotte Moore

June 12, 2014 at 7:10 am

I thought this might be the recipe I use until I saw how much cream cheese there is and the flour. Mine is called New York and has 4 packs light cream cheese, light sour cream, 2 T corn starch, and I use sucanat with honey for the sugar. I also do not use a crust. My crew doesn’ like the crust. I put a pan of hot water on the bottom rack but it still cracks. They say it is great but I don’t eat cream cheese so I wouldn’t know. As long as they are happy that is what matters.

It is a beautiful picture with berries on top.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

June 12, 2014 at 8:23 am

Such a beautiful cheesecake! Looks delicious, too! Pinned!
Mir

June 12, 2014 at 8:37 am

I don’t think you need to pick a favorite cheesecake. It’s like picking a favorite child. Just love them all!
This one is very lovely. And very patriotic!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust

June 12, 2014 at 10:00 am

Ashton!! This is GORGEOUS!! Best cheesecake ever.
Averie @ Averie Cooks

June 12, 2014 at 12:13 pm

What a gorgeous cheesecake! Wow! I know you had some lucky friends and family to help you devour this baby 🙂 pinned
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel

June 16, 2014 at 11:05 am

Now THIS is a cheesecake! All other cheesecakes before it look measly in comparison. Sky-high, with that perfect crust and topped with berries — makes me think of eating cheesecake with you and Dorothy a couple years back. COME BACK TO CA!!
- Ashton
  
  June 16, 2014 at 7:33 pm
  
  That was some good cheesecake eating! Remember how you ordered a salad? Freak. 😉
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen

October 20, 2014 at 2:52 pm

Seriously my favorite cheesecake is whichever one I’m eating too 🙂 But this one sure is pretty!
angie

January 2, 2015 at 7:02 pm

Just made this last night and just tsted it now and it is fabulous thanks for the recipe

Comments are closed.

Ideas for More Cheesecake Flavors

You can build on this basic cheesecake recipe for so many more unique cheesecake flavors and ideas!

Ingredients

For the Crust:

For the Filling:

Instructions

For the Crust:

For the Filling:

Notes

Nutrition Information:

What is the difference between New York Style cheesecake and regular cheesecake?

What are the different styles of cheesecake?

New York Style Cheesecake FAQ

Homemade Toppings for Cheesecake

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Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread Recipe

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10 thoughts on “The Best New York Style Cheesecake You’ll Ever Make”