Crustless New York Cheesecake Recipe
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Delicious, light, creamy, low carb, gluten-free crustless New York cheesecake. This cheesecake is so easy to make and it comes out perfect without a crust.
New York Cheesecake is a rich and flavorful cheesecake. This cheesecake is traditionally made plain with lots of cream cheese lending to a creamy, rich texture. The New York cheesecake recipe has been perfected over the years and become a favorite dessert staple for many. This rich and creamy cheesecake can be made Keto and Low carb with one easy ingredient swap.
In this post we teach you how to make the creamiest New York Cheesecake. We have put together some helpful tips and tricks with answers to some of the most common questions. This cheesecake is easy to make and always a crowd pleaser.
The recipe I can trust to deliver a great baked New York Cheesecake without cracks in the top, is printed right on Raskas cream cheese 3 lb. box. When I decided to try a crustless cheesecake I followed Raska’s New York Cheesecake recipe. Sure enough it came out beautifully.
Testimonies From Our Reader
Our comment section is full of praise for this recipe. Like these comments.
Our reader Kathy, says “The BEST cheesecake I have ever tasted!!! Thank you!”
Ems says “My husband said this was the best cheesecake he has ever eaten. He thinks I am a cheesecake wizard! Thanks for the recipe.”
More Cheesecakes:
Cheesecakes are a family favorite for us. If you love them too try some of our other cheesecake recipes. Here are several popular cheesecake recipes your family is sure to enjoy.
FYI: The Sugar free pumpkin cheesecake and Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake are both gluten free cheesecake recipes with crusts.
What is the Difference Between a New York Style Cheesecake and a Regular Cheesecake?
The difference between a New York style cheesecake and a regular cheesecake comes from the ingredients. A traditional New York cheesecake uses full fat cream cheese to make the creamy and dense base. A regular cheesecake uses heavy cream and sour cream for the base of the batter. This creates a lighter cheesecake with a creamy texture. The New York cheesecake will produce the rich and tangy flavor that most cheesecake lovers are looking for.
How do you Remove a Crustless Cheesecake from a Spring Form Pan?
Crustless Cheesecakes are not difficult to remove from a springform pan. The key to making sure the cheesecake will not stick is to properly oil the pan. For this recipe we use a liberal amount of coconut oil rubbed on the sides of the springform pan before the batter goes in. The oil will ensure that you can remove the sides of the springform pan without any cheesecake sticking to it.
If the cheesecake is sticking to the pan, run a butter knife under warm water. Gently slide the knife around the edges of the cheesecake. This should help loosen any bits of cheesecake that might be adhering to the sides of the pan.
Can you Make a Cheesecake Crustless?
Cheesecake can be made crustless with the right base of ingredients. New York cheesecake is dense and holds together well without a crust. A lighter cheesecake recipe may not hold together as well without the traditional graham cracker crust. This cheesecake uses 24 oz of cream cheese which helps bind the ingredients together and hold shape.
The cooling process is very important with cheesecake. Crustless is no different. Ensure that you follow the directions after baking. If the cheesecake is not properly cooled then it won’t set up properly. This could result in a loose cheesecake that does not hold together.
What Happens if you over mix Cheesecake?
Over mixing cheesecake can cause your cheesecake to fall and crack. When the batter is over-mixed, it will add too much air in the batter. This can make the cheesecake become very dense and flat. Over mixing can also make the cheesecake crack during the baking process. Prevent your cheesecake from sinking in the middle by mixing just enough to completely combine the ingredients.
Do you put Cheesecake in the Refrigerator right after Baking?
Cheesecake needs to cool down very slowly. Rapidly cooling a cheesecake will ruin the integrity of the cheesecake surface and result in deep cracks. Most cheesecake recipes will advise cracking the oven door after baking and allowing the cake to slowly cool. This Crustless New York cheesecake should then be removed from the oven and cool an additional 90 minutes at room temperature. After the cheesecake is completely cool, then it can be put in the refrigerator.
New York Style Cheesecake Recipe:
Baking your crustless cheesecake successfully with the oven method is what this post is all about.
I made both crustless and crusted cheesecake in my instant pot. Go take a Look at my Instant Pot 6 Inch New York Style Cheesecake if you want a REALLY easy way to make an easy crustless cheesecake without cracking. It’s rich and creamy too.
Crustless New York Cheesecake has a velvety, creamy texture and that unique cheesecake flavor we all love. Without a crust this is a pretty, gluten-free, light dessert.
The whole thing is just one solidified step up from eating custard! Top it any way you prefer. Cheesecake is so versatile!
The original Raska’s New York cheesecake recipe calls for a crust and gives directions on making one. I reprinted only the cheesecake filling with no crust. Because crustless is what this post is all about!
I’m pretty excited that cheesecake can be made successfully without a crust. Suddenly it’s gluten free and lighter in calories. And a beautiful low carb cheesecake recipe. That heavy, rich dessert lightens up to a movie night snack!
Light, fluffy and sinfully delicious
Cheesecake Topping Idea:
A New York Cheesecake require NO topping at all to be sinfully good. Traditionally they are served plain. However, I have topped several of mine and they are always delicious.
Ideas For the topping to this cheesecake.
- I have topped this cheesecake with the Raspberry sauce recipe from my Raspberry cheesecake squares and substituted Frozen Three Berry Blend for the fresh Raspberries.
- Maple syrup poured in a light drizzle on top and allowed to run down the sides. (see my Instant pot New York Cheesecake).
- Fresh berries of any sort.
- Whipped cream dollops or along the edge.
- Thick Chocolate or butterscotch syrups
Crustless New York Style Cheesecake NOTES:
The nice thing about a crustless New York cheesecake is the time to make the recipe shrinks since there is no crust to make and bake. This is a really easy cheesecake recipe to put together.
PRO TIPS:
To make a great cheesecake:
- Do NOT overmix the eggs. Egg proteins are delicate.
- For the best textured cheesecake add the eggs in at the end of the mixing one at a time and mix gently on low speed until just combined.
- USE this WATER BATH METHOD when oven baking any cheesecake to avoid the cracking problems cheesecakes often have.
- Just whip the few ingredients up in the mixer, pour it into your prepared springform pan and bake it in a water bath.
- Let the cheesecake sit in the oven after the timer goes off. I crack the oven door and insert a wooden spoon so the heat can slowly escape. Turn off the oven and let it sit in there about 45 minutes.The water bath and slow cool down help eliminate cracking AND falling problems.
- Even heat, during baking and cooling, seems to be the key to a successful cheesecake. Last time I made this recipe I forgot and took it out and set on the counter right after it was done. I put it back in right away but it still fell. So be careful about that!
- If you want a little higher cheesecake… try using an 8 inch pan and let it cook another 10 minutes. That is what Amanda did in the video and it worked great with the extra time. Remember the crust layer is missing so this crustless cheesecake will be a little lower in a 9 inch pan.
We absolutely love eating this low carb dessert crustless. The reduction in calories is huge! If you really want to go skinny try using non fat yogurt instead of sour cream like I did last time. Still tastes great!
Ingredients for this 5 ingredient Crustless Cheesecake
- Cream Cheese
- Sugar
- Sour Cream
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
For the Keto crustless New York Cheesecake Recipe Option:
This recipe is Keto approved with one ingredient alteration. Simply replace the granulated sugar with equivalent amount of granulated Stevia.
This video demonstrates making this cheesecake as a keto recipe with only that ONE ingredient change. It’s so easy and SO good!
Let me know how this recipe works out for you. Anytime I hear from you I’m having a great day. Especially if you have concerns, questions or if something needs changing, in your opinion.
We are always ready to hear thoughtful opinions and suggestions on Homemade Food Junkie’s recipes. I have made this one numerous times and NO cracking.
Your Printable Recipe Card:
CRUSTLESS NEW YORK CHEESECAKE
Delicious, light, creamy, low carb, gluten-free crustless New York cheesecake! This cheesecake is so easy to make and it comes out perfect without a crust!
Ingredients
- 24 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 3/4 Tsp. Stevia sweetener taste, (OR 3/4 Cup sugar as you wish)
- 3/4 Cups Sour Cream
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla OR 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Wrap the outside of a 9 inch springform pan with heavy tinfoil to make it waterproof.
- Thoroughly oil the entire interior of the pan with coconut oil or butter
- In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese. Add the sugar and mix.
- Add sour cream, scrape down the bowl as needed, and mix thoroughly.
- Crack the eggs and add in one at time, mixing GENTLY* (see notes) after each addition.
- Mix in the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan and put the pan into a one/half inch water bath(I used my roasting pan).
- Bake for 75 to 90 minutes until set and golden brown. The top should NOT jiggle a LOT when set. But it may move a LITTLE BIT. Turn off oven and crack the door slightly for 30 minutes . Then remove cake to counter and let cool until the cake is at room temperature. Remove the sides of your pan and continue to cool in the refrigerator until completely set. Several hours.
Notes
*Cheesecake texture suffers if eggs are over mixed so be gentle with them. This water bath baking method and the long slow cool down in the oven are very important to get the results you see pictured. The chill time in the fridge (best if chilled overnight) is not factored into the recipe time as it's up to you how long to chill it.
For the topping to this cheesecake as Pictured I used the Raspberry sauce recipe from my Raspberry cheesecake squares and substituted Frozen Three Berry Blend for the fresh Raspberries. This recipe would also be EXCELLENT topped with Roasted Raspberries!
FOR KETO VERSION OF THIS RECIPE: Omit the sugar and replace with a KETO approved Sweetener. Calories in this recipe without sugar is 215 per slice.
Nutrition Information
Yield
14Serving Size
1 sliceAmount Per Serving Calories 216Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 110mgSodium 177mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 0gSugar 2gProtein 5g
This nutritional analysis is done using sugar free Stevia.
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I’ve been looking for a good crustless cheesecake. Thanks for posting this. On the Keto recipe, you can’t possibly mean 3/4 Cup Stevia. I’m sure you mean 3/4 teaspoon. You might want to change that.
I’m soooo looking forward to making this recipe.
Hi Teresa, Thank you so much for pointing this out. I have corrected the recipe. Please let us know how it turns out for you. Happy Baking!
Is it possible to sub full fat unsweetened plain yogurt for sour cream?
Yes it is! We do that substitution and it works fine. Thanks for the question!
I have a deep dish pan but not a springform pan. Do you think it would work as well? Thank you1
Hi Geri, Thanks for asking about the correct pan to bake a crustless cheesecake. I am sure you can bake the cheesecake in your deep dish pan if it is the correct size. HOWEVER, Getting the cheesecake out of the pan once baked is going to be tricky.
Some tips:
-Line the pan with parchment and try to leave enough overhang of the parchment paper so you can grab it and carefully pull the cake out of the pan.
-Cool the cheesecake IN the pan so it can thoroughly set up and build strength before you remove it.
-If the cake cannot be removed in one piece without falling apart you can serve it chilled straight from the pan.
I hope this helps. Have a wonderful day!
I wish you had made the note to be gentle when mixing the eggs,
part of the instructions rather than way down under notes.
Hi Harriet, I’m sorry about that. I’ll go in and adjust the instructions for you.
I have 8, 9 and 10″ spring pans. I saw your response about how to make an 8″ cheesecake, but I’m wondering if you’ve ever tried to make a tiered cheesecake by cooking and refrigerating an 8″ and 9″ cake a day or so in advance before stacking and decorating them to serve.
Hi Joan, No I haven’t tried to make a two tiered cheesecake. But what you are suggesting will likely work if both triers are well set up as you describe. To me, a cheesecake is just so dense one layer is all that is needed. But if you have an event where you think this is the best set up please give it a try and let me know how it goes for you. Are you thinking of using fruit and whipped cream for the decorations? I’m very curious to know how you layer and decorate it.Best of luck with this!
Is it possible to make two crustless cheese cakes and
stack them? Perhaps with a whip cream center?
Am needing this for an event and prefer a high cake, bit it must be both gluten free and corn free: no cornstarch icing such confection sugar and no corn syrup or xanthan gum, which is also a corn product.
Hi Kathryn, Well…If both cakes are chilled overnight and WELL set you might get away with it with whipped cream in the middle. I have never tried this. So I don’t speak from experience. For sure I would keep the cakes separate and throughly chilled (you can make the cakes several days ahead and keep in fridge covered), until you need to put the layers on. Cheesecakes are very dense. So cutting this two layers may be tricky. You could put a berry sauce or roasted raspberry saucetopping on it too. Please let us know if you actually attempt this. Best of luck!
@Kathryn,
I think a coconut or vanilla Greek yogurt would be perfect layer between the two cakes. Smooth textured Greek yogurt is what I would use.
Crustless Cheesecake is fabulous! Big hit and I will continue making this on family gatherings.
Hi Carolyn, I’m so happy your family enjoys this recipe. We really appreciate you sharing your feedback. Thanks for the great review!
Hi! I want to do a raspberry swirl cheesecake and loooooove this recipe. Would adding a raspberry swirl into it risk destabilizing the rest of it?
P.S. I also usually whip the egg whites until they’re stiff when making this recipe. Makes it so fluffy!!
Hi Natasha, Do it the way I show you in this cheesecake recipe and it will work fine. If you DEEPLY swirl the berries into the cheesecake that is risky. Especially since you are whipping your egg whites (wonderful suggestion thank you!).
You don’t want to ruin the texture of the cake. If you lightly swirl the berries on top that should work just fine. Glad your enjoying this recipe. Happy Baking!
I’m always looking for “crust-less cheesecake” recipes, ever since I lost my Fanny Farmer Boston School of Cooking Cookbook, which had a Cheese Cake recipe (written back when cookbook authors said cakes (technically) never have a crust). It had a separate Cheese Pie recipe (when it has a crust, they said, it’s called a pie).
So this one isn’t too bad, and is very tasty, even when I made it with homemade powdered sugar (regular/turbinado/moreno sugar run though a Vitamix blender). But the texture is softer than the Fanny Farmer Cheese Cake from the 1900’s.
I also had a small monthly recipe magazine once upon a time that had a recipe for real (crust-less) cheesecake. I think it was called New York Deli Style Cheesecake. But I lost that recipe, too, so am hoping to find one similar to that.
I don’t think it had vanilla or lemon. It had, if I remember right, five 8 oz blocks of cream cheese, 16 oz of sour cream, maybe about 8 eggs, and some cornstarch, and made a 10 or 12 inch Cheesecake.
It baked for at least an hour, sat with the door closed in the oven for an hour, then with the door propped open with a spoon for an hour, then cooled on the counter for an hour, and then got covered and refrigerated for 8 hours before the sides of the spring form pan were removed.
So I guess I need to find one with either some flour or some cornstarch to give it a firmer texture. But this one has the right taste, so I’ll keep this one in my file, too.
My cheese cake spring form pan is 10 inches instead of 9 inches. Could I double the recipe if I use a 10 in. Cheesecake pan?
Hi Mimzy!
We’ve never tried that before, I would be nervous that it wouldn’t bake right. Let us know if you try it!
Best recipe I’ve ever made followed it to a T. my cheesecake always cracks this came out perfect it did look sunk in from the middle but if you leave it alone it comes right back up.
Hi Laura, Thanks for stopping by with your wonderful review of this recipe. I’m delighted it worked out so well for you. This is a very reliable recipe I have made for decades. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Katie and Diane, I made your cheesecake and loved loved it! Now I would like to incorporate some pumpkin puree into this mix. Any special tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you, Francene
Hi Francene, I suggest you DON’T mess with this recipe if you plan to serve it crustless and keep it gluten free.
The recipes I see using 15 oz. pumpkin puree in the cheesecake add in either 2 Tablespoons flour or 2 Tablespoons cornstarch ( to keep it gluten free). We DO have a very different recipe for sugar free pumpkin cheesecake.
It uses gelatin to thicken it. It also has an almond flour crust so it is gluten free. You MAY be able to make that one crustless. I have not tried it. And you can sweeten it with regular sugar if you wish.
If you don’t mind using flour you could try this recipe by Natasha’s kitchen. I hope this helps!
Can this be made with fat cream sour cream and cream cheese?
I meant fat free sour cream and cream cheese, typo sorry.
Hi Linda, Yes. That should work fine. Please let us know how it turns out for you. Have a great weekend!
Been looking for a crustless cheesecake! I don’t care about how it looks, as I will just plop this in a bowl and eat it like ice cream… can I bake it in a glass brownie dish? Or dark round cake pan? I do not have a springform. Butter or spray? Thanks!!
Hi Melanie, You can bake it in a round pan with a water bath. The springform pan is just to help release the cake easily. You will need to chill the cheesecake to help it set up. you CAN eat it warm and mushy in a bowl. lol. It will still be good. Here’s another idea for you. Try our Blackberry cheesecake cups. This is a REALLY easy recipe you can make in minutes without all the fuss. You can use real sugar and any topping (OR none) as you wish. Just dump it in your bowl and enjoy. Whatever you decide I hope you love it. Have a great day!
It came out perfect I love this recipe
Thank u
Martha It’s so great to hear your feedback on this crustless cheesecake recipe. Thanks for the great review. Enjoy. 🙂
Not sure what I did wrong. I thought I followed the recipe precisely, but my cheesecake came out short and hard with a yucky brown crust on top. I cooked it the minimum time and it was browning but still very jiggly so I gave it a little longer. Maybe I just overcooked it, but I was bummed at how flat and dense it was.
Hi Angela, Yes it is overbaked I’m pretty sure. The other thing to check is over mixing the eggs. If all your ingredients are at room temperature and the eggs were gently mixed then over baking was the problem.
It’s ok to remove the cheesecake after it has baked to the normal time and cooled in the oven as directed. The center of the hot cheesecake will jiggle when it is baked properly. As the cheesecake cools it will compress and finish. That is why we keep it in the oven without removing and then refrigerate it to set. I’m sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work out this time. It’s normally very successful. I hope you try it again.
So far so good, cheesecake is cooling in the oven with the door ajar. Should I let it cool completely before removing the outer tin?
Hi Karen, I would chill it in the springform pan to be on the safe side until it’s pretty chilled. This is not absolutely necessary if the cheesecake is at room temperature and pulled well away from the sides it will probably be fine. The extra chiling helps if the cake is not set and tries to cling to the side of the pan. Use a knife to release the sides if the cake is chilled and still attached to the pan sides before opening the pan. Hope this helps. I’d love to know how you like this cheesecake. It’s one of our favorites. 🙂
How did you figure the carb count for this recipe? My cream cheese always has 2g of carbs per oz (full fat or light), and the sour cream has 1g of carbs per tbsp (light or full fat). That would make 4.2g of carbs per slice (only Including the sour cream and cream cheese. Am I missing something?
Hi Rita, I used the very well fitness nutrition calculator for the version of the recipe using sugar. I have just updated the printable recipe card using Nutritionix calculator with Stevia as a sweetener. Hope this helps!
Can any cheesecake recipe be crustless ?
Hi Pattea, I’m not sure about that. There are MANY cheesecake recipes out there. Some may not have the structural integrity to stand without a crust. This one is tried and true so I stick to it.