What’s in Homemade Cheesecake?
Crunchy graham cracker crust is layered with a creamy, sweet filling and baked until it’s all set and delicious.
Graham Crackers: Used as the crust of this easy cheesecake, they provide a sweet and crunchy base. Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to the crust, and also helps to stabilize and set the filling. Unsalted Butter: Used in the crust to bind everything together. Cream Cheese: The main ingredient in the filling; it provides the creamy and tangy flavor and texture of the cheesecake. Heavy Cream: Adds richness and creaminess to the cheesecake filling. Sour Cream: Also adds creaminess and tanginess to the filling, and helps to balance the sweetness. Vanilla Extract: Homemade vanilla extract provides flavor and aroma to the cheesecake. Eggs: Help to bind and set the filling, and also provide structure and richness to the cheesecake. Kosher Salt: Enhances the flavors and balances the sweetness of the cheesecake filling.
Pro Tip: Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature so that they combine smoothly. To quickly bring cream cheese to room temperature, you can leave it out on the counter for 1-2 hours or microwave it for 10-15 seconds at a low power setting.
Variations on Easy Cheesecake
Once you known how to make cheesecake, you can start changing things up for more variation. Here are a few ideas:
Crust: Swap out the graham crackers for your favorite cookie, like Oreos, Golden Oreos, Biscoff cookies, ginger cookies, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, chocolate butter cookies, or shortbread cookies. Simply crush them up into crumbs before using! Chocolate Filling: Add ½ cup (42 grams) of unsweetened cocoa powder to the cream cheese and mix well until combined. Reduce the heavy cream to ¾ cup (170 grams) and add ¼ cup (43 grams) of melted semisweet chocolate. Caramel Filling: Add ½ cup (60 grams) of caramel sauce to the cream cheese mixture and mix until well combined. Reduce the heavy cream to ¾ cup (170 grams) to account for the additional liquid from the caramel sauce. Peanut Butter Filling: Add ½ cup of creamy peanut butter (135 grams) to the cream cheese mixture.
How to Store
Store leftover homemade cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature.
How to Freeze
Freeze this easy cheesecake whole or cut into individual slices tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.
Serving Suggestions
This easy cheesecake recipe is a great base for any flavor! Top yours off with some caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, lemon curd, or apple butter. It’d also be great with homemade magic shell, Symphony bar magic shell, or funfetti magic shell! Add a dollop of whipped cream, vanilla frosting, or chocolate fudge frosting for an even sweeter treat, or serve it up with a scoop of red velvet ice cream. Yum!
More Cheesecake Recipes We Love
New York Cheesecake No Bake Cheesecake Basque Cheesecake Cheesecake with Strawberries Chocolate Cheesecake Biscoff Cheesecake Macadamia Caramel Cheesecake
