The perfect cheesecake is about balance; you need to reach the right density, creaminess, and indulgent flavor to achieve that luxurious quality that characterizes this elegant dessert. The pressure to strike that balance can often make this sweet treat intimidating to make.
But don’t worry! Here are some of the best recipes for making cheesecake a simple and satisfying process, even for beginner bakers or non-bakers! Check out these 14 easy cheesecake recipes to guide you along the way.
1. Easy Cheesecake
A classic cheesecake has a smooth, creamy white filling and simple graham cracker crumb crust. It is sought after for its clean yet sophisticated look and quality. Because of the lack of intense flavoring, you get to emphasize the tastes of rich cream cheese, subtle sour cream, and hints of vanilla. This particular recipe calls for eight ingredients only and can be done within two hours!
2. Philadelphia Cheesecake — Easy No-bake Vanilla Cheesecake
Contrary to expectations, the Philadelphia in this cheesecake refers to the cream cheese brand, not the city. Philadelphia cream cheese makes such an incredible cheesecake that it’s become a category of its own. But it’s not just the brand that makes it stand out — unlike other recipes, this one has no sour cream or eggs. Plus, it’s no-bake; perfect for those with no ovens!
3. Easy No-Bake Cheesecake with Gelatin
Baked cheesecakes are typically held together by eggs, so you have to get creative for a gluten-free no-bake recipe like this one. Unlike other cheesecakes that rely on heavy cream for structural integrity, this one uses gelatin. The resulting cheesecake is unique — it’s just as tasty and indulgent as the baked type but much lighter and easier to make!
4. Strawberry Cheesecake in 4 Easy Steps
This recipe promises a gorgeous strawberry cheesecake in just four steps, seven ingredients, and less than two hours of prep time! It’s so simple because the strawberry topping calls for two essentials only — icing sugar and strawberries. Meanwhile, the cheesecake is neither baked nor has gelatin; instead, it relies on overnight chilling and the added double cream to keep it intact.
5. Blueberry Cheesecake
Three elements make this blueberry cheesecake super easy and incredibly delicious — blueberry pie filling instead of homemade sauce, simple graham cracker crust, and no-fuss cheesecake filling. These three components save you from buying so many ingredients, doing much work, and taking a lot of time. You can even prepare this cheesecake in less than 30 minutes — maybe 10 if you’re pushing it!
6. Mango Cheesecake
This recipe can help you make an exquisite mango cheesecake in under an hour! Moreover, you can see and taste the mango essence from the filling to the top. It’s sweet, tangy, and incredibly light because there are no eggs to make the cheesecake dense; instead, you’ll rely on gelatin to solidify the creamy center and mango puree topping.
7. Chocolate Cheesecake
This no-bake chocolate cheesecake is perfect for chocolate lovers. It only needs seven simple ingredients and can be prepared within 20 minutes. The chocolate flavor is intense because you’ll incorporate two chocolate sources — melted milk chocolate plus cocoa powder. As there are no eggs, this cheesecake is amazingly light and fluffy yet wonderfully smooth and rich.
8. Oreo Cheesecake
Turn your favorite chocolate and cream cookies into the most delicious and easiest cheesecake you can ever make. This Oreo cheesecake has just six essential ingredients, including MANY Oreos and cream cheese. The cookies are incorporated into the crumb crust, filling, and decorations, making sure you’ll taste all the sweet and creamy flavors in every bite.
9. Basque Burnt Cheesecake
Basque burnt cheesecakes are known for their dark top with a slightly smokey flavor. Its elegant look and unique flavor make it intimidating, but it’s one of the easiest desserts to put together. This recipe calls for five ingredients only and takes only 10 minutes to prepare. The catch? You’ll need to check on it often as it bakes to make sure it burns just right.
10. Lemon Cheesecake
Hardly any other dessert can beat the tang you get from this lemon cheesecake. And its sweet, acidic flavor intensifies when you use the freshest lemons and incorporate all lemon flavor sources — juice, curd, and zest. The deep, citrus flavor also does an excellent job of cutting through the richness and sweetness of this no-bake cream cheese filling, resulting in a wonderfully balanced cheesecake.
11. Caramel Cheesecake
This recipe takes a classic vanilla cheesecake and elevates it with a rich caramel sauce made from caramels, evaporated milk, and walnuts. You can see that candy goodness drip beautifully against the sides of every cheesecake slice. And because the actual cheesecake has a clean flavor profile, it beautifully accentuates the caramel flavor.
12. Pumpkin Cheesecake
This pumpkin cheesecake uses canned pumpkin puree instead of blending and chopping pumpkins from scratch, making it a very convenient and easy recipe to make. You also have the option to use store-bought graham cracker crust instead of homemade. And the addition of pumpkin pie spices makes this cheesecake the perfect fall dessert.
13. Peanut Butter Cheesecake
This recipe puts a creamy no-bake cheesecake spin on the popular sweet treat — Reese’s peanut butter cup. You’ll be incorporating the smooth and creamy peanut butter into the filling and topping the whole cheesecake with a rich chocolate ganache. The flavor palette is classic yet bold and will be a favorite among both kids and adults!
14. Ricotta Cheesecake
Cheesecakes are often made with cream cheese, but other cheese types can also add a delicious flavor to the cake. This recipe uses ricotta, a classic Italian cheese, to make a creamier and lighter cheesecake. Besides ricotta, you’ll need only two other ingredients, confectioner’s sugar and orange zest, making this the simplest among cheesecakes that still tastes just as good!
