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Easy and Creamy Cheesecake (+Video)

This easy and creamy cheesecake is absolutely delicious! Make your own crust or use store-bought. This recipe comes out perfect every time!

THE BEST FOOLPROOF CHEESECAKE RECIPE

This is one of the easiest cheesecakes you will ever make. Cross my heart. And forget about all those cheesecake recipes from the past where you had to leave the oven door open for 5 hours after baking for the cheesecake to set. This recipe has an easy baking method that takes all of the scariness out of making cheesecake.

two separate slices of cheesecake on two white round plates. Cheesecakes are topped with cherry pie filling.

MAKE A HOMEMADE CRUST OR USE STORE-BOUGHT

I give directions below for both. Most times I am just picking up a store-bought graham cracker crust. When buying a graham cracker crust for this recipe, you will want to look for the one that says “2 extra servings” on the packaging.

Close up photo of a slice of Easy Cheesecake recipe (topped with cherry pie filling) Recipe from The Country Cook.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • graham cracker crumbs
  • sugar
  • melted butter
  • cream cheese – see my post on How to Soften Cream Cheese Quickly
  • sugar
  • sour cream
  • vanilla extract
  • lemon juice (optional)
  • eggs
ingredients shown: cream cheese, cherry pie filling, sour cream, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST EASY CHEESECAKE:

Preheat oven to 300F degrees. 

For the crust:

Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter and pack mixture firmly into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie pan. Chill in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.

homemade graham cracker crust pressed into the bottom of a Pyrex  pie dish.

For the filling: 

Mix cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla extract and lemon juice in a mixer. Add eggs one at a time to the mixture and thoroughly combine. The key to getting a really creamy cheesecake is to mix these ingredients together really well until the mixture is kind of thick and smooth (about 4-5 minutes.).

homemade cheesecake filling in a bowl.

Pour filling into prepared pie crust.

homemade cheesecake filling poured into prepared graham cracker crust.

Bake for about 65-70 minutes. 

finished cheesecake, cooling with a red and white dish cloth in the background.

Chill in the refrigerator a few hours before serving. Optional: top with cherry or strawberry pie filling or drizzle with caramel sauce.

Easy cheesecake with homemade graham cracker crust, slice on a white plate with fork.

CRAVING MORE DESSERTS?

Easy and Creamy Cheesecake

This easy and creamy cheesecake is absolutely delicious! Make your own crust or use storebought. Cream cheese, eggs, sugar, sour cream make it the best!
4.89 from 145 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the crust:

For the filling:

Instructions

For the crust:

  • Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter and pack mixture firmly into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie pan.
  • Chill in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.

For the filling:

  • Preheat oven to 300f degrees.
  • Mix cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla extract and lemon juice in a mixer.
  • Add eggs one at a time to the mixture and thoroughly combine.
  • The key to getting a really creamy cheesecake is to mix these ingredients together really well until the mixture is kind of thick and smooth (about 4-5 minutes).
  • Pour into pie crust.
  • Bake for about 65-70 minutes at 300f degrees. Allow cheesecake to cool completely in the refrigerator before serving (about 3-4 hours)

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • You can make the pie crust, or you can just use a premade one from the store. If you use a pre-made one, try to look for the crusts that says “2 extra servings.” I you can’t find it, just go with the regular ones. You may just have a tad bit of filling leftover.
  • Chill in the refrigerator a few hours before serving. Optional: top with cherry or strawberry pie filling or drizzle with caramel sauce.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 611kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 40g | Sodium: 474mg | Sugar: 46g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

Originally published: February 2011
Updated and re-published: April 2019

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161 Comments

  1. Since I’ve discovered your recipe for this cheesecake that is all I go to now
    Absolutely, love this recipe
    Thanks again ,

    1. Thanks so much Elizabeth for taking time out of your day to let me know how much you enjoy the recipe.

      1. I’ve made many a cheese cake; but this one is by far the Best!! I’ll never do another any other way. My family loved it, it was extremely easy..I will be making this a lot, especially for family gatherings and holidays. Thank you again, it is a great recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    Been making this cheesecake since I ran across your recipe a couple of years ago. It’s awesome and easy to make. Never lasts long when I make it. I like your recipes because most of them are simple and use ingredients I usually have on hand and most of them are down home country cooking! Thank you for all your hard work, It sure is making me a better cook!

  3. 5 stars
    I made this last Friday night and it was so easy and delicious. Thank you so much for such a great recipe.

  4. 5 stars
    This recipe was so easy and turned out absolutely perfect! I followed the recipe exactly as written. My graham cracker crust turned out perfectly (there’s that word again!). I did chill it as recommended and I think that makes a huge difference when it comes time to add the cheesecake filling. My son was turning 30 and he usually asks for angel food cake but this year…”I think I’d like cheesecake, Mom.” What?! I searched, read a lot of recipes and selected this one. Again, it was not only easy with excellent detailed directions but was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone at my son’s birthday dinner. Making another one this weekend to take to my sister and niece…can’t wait for them to try it. I know it will be a hit! Definitely 5 stars. Thanks!

    1. Oh Debbie that just makes my heart smile!! So glad it turned out to be a family favorite. Thanks for taking time out of your day to come and leave me such kind words.

  5. 5 stars
    I made this recipe for christmas and it was a winner. Even my brother took some back with him for a friend to try the best recipe I have found for a cheesecake and I have made a few. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it.

  6. 5 stars
    I wasn’t able to go to my family’s house for Christmas, so making dessert was up to yours truly. I am no baker but love cheesecake. I made your recipe and fell in love!!! Even my husband, whom normally isn’t a dessert kind of guy has helped me eat this up!! Tasty, flavorful and easy to make thank you!!

  7. You said you made a few changes over the years and mention adding flour but in your recipe there was no mention of flour. Planning to make this and wondered if I need to add flour and if so, how much.

  8. I have made this recipe 4 times now, and it always turns out delicious! It's so easy to make too. This is the best recipe ever!

  9. Made this for dessert last night for the family and everyone loved it! first time making cheesecake im a happy girl! thanks for the recipe!

  10. I made this cheesecake and it turned out perfect! Ive already made it twice this week. 🙂 Such a crowd pleaser. Great recipe!!

  11. Hi. I like your recipe cos the number of ingredients are less and we're using huge amounts of cream. But everybody says we should bake cheesecake in a waterbath. Any advise?

  12. i have an even easier recipe my family has passed down generations u use 2 8oz cream cheese softened beat will mixer add in 3/4 cup of white sugar and 1 tub 8oz cool whip mix till smooth put into extra serving graham crust and refridgerate till serving add any toppings

  13. I just finished making it!!!! I took a tiny little piece from the side of cheesecake while it was still warm and OMG its so good!!!! Thankyou for this recipe:)

    My first cheese cake!!

  14. THIS LOOKS DELICIOUS!!! I do have a quick questions, though. What exactly do you mean by a mixer? I don't think I have one…will I get the same results if I mix the ingredients for the filling by hand with a whisk? Thanks! Can't wait to try it.

    1. 5 stars
      Never attempted to make cheesecake, but your recipe made it seem easy enough to try. I just made it and I’m loving it! Just didnt know how long to let it cool down before placing it in the refrigerator, but I figured it out. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

  15. Don't feel bad about giving your kid cheescake as a baby. You have to convince their taste buds to start trying new things, right? My daughter's first table food was pumpkin pie, no crust. After that, I could sprinkle a little pumpkin pie spice on cooked sweet potato or carrot and she would gobble it up. They're so easy to trick at that age. 😀

  16. looks delicious!!! Going to see you recipe for Peanut Butter Rice Krispies! I've made yesterday treats with Krispies and Peanut Butter but they look totally different. Yours look better 🙂

  17. Oh how I love cheesecake! I would glady help you eat the whole thing if you like. 😉 It looks soooo good!

  18. I have a similar recipe, can't realy remember when I found it but it works every singe time and it is so delicious! Your looks so inviting and yummy, thank you for sharin and wishing you a wonderful weekend 🙂

  19. I just love this story. The Cheesecake looks so good, a great recipe that wouldn't take all day to make. Thank you so much for bringing it to Full Plate Thursday and please come back!

  20. I love cheesecake! And this one is so easy to put together that really helps. I made my own cream cheese this week and have way to much on hand now. Maybe I'll try making cheesecake with it. Thanks for sharing!