Easy Cheesecake Pie (Recipe & Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction (2024)

This easy cheesecake pie is perfect for cheesecake lovers who want a quicker, easier alternative to making a classic cheesecake. The smooth and creamy filling is made of just 6 simple ingredients, and there’s no springform pan or water bath step required. It’s delicious on its own, or you can top it with raspberry sauce, whipped cream, lemon curd, fresh berries, or salted caramel.

Easy Cheesecake Pie (Recipe & Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction (1)

This pie recipe wasn’t actually in my original plan for posting on the website, but it just kind of… happened. I was working on perfecting the recipe and technique for graham cracker crust, and needed something easy and reliable to use on repeat for a filling… approximately 75 cheesecake pies later, I thought: Well, I should probably share this recipe, too!

Here’s Why You’ll Love This Easy Cheesecake Pie

  • It’s cheesecake… without the fuss
  • Batter & crust come together quickly
  • Same velvety, creamy texture and tangy-sweet taste as my classic cheesecake
  • 6 simple ingredients, plus a 3-ingredient graham cracker crust
  • Bakes and cools much faster than a regular cheesecake
  • It’s very adaptable to taste and season, depending on toppings
Easy Cheesecake Pie (Recipe & Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction (2)
Easy Cheesecake Pie (Recipe & Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction (3)

What Is the Difference Between Cheesecake and Cheesecake Pie?

Today’s cheesecake pie is like a regular cheesecake, only (1) the filling layer isn’t as thick and tall and (2) you bake it in a pie dish instead of a springform pan. Basically, the taste and texture are the same, but you don’t have as much filling in each bite.

If you’re in the mood for real, classic cheesecake… definitely put in the time and effort to make a real, classic cheesecake. However, if you love cheesecake and don’t have the energy (whether that’s physically or emotionally!) for a water bath, accidentally over-baking or under-baking it, exceptionally long cooling and chilling times, plus the possibility of large cracks on the surface, just make a cheesecake pie!

(Because regular cheesecake can be finicky, right?!)

I have made at least 12 of these in the past few weeks and every single taste tester, neighbor, family member, and friend has said it tastes exactly like regular cheesecake. (And that’s because it is! Only thinner!) You’re going to love this dessert.

And if you are in the mood for a fall inspired flavor, try pumpkin cheesecake pie next.

Can I Skip the Water Bath?

Yes! As if there wasn’t enough to persuade you to make this cheesecake pie! You see, water baths are used to help an egg-heavy dessert like traditional cheesecake bake in a humid environment. The humidity evenly bakes the rich and creamy filling so it doesn’t burn, sink, and/or crack. Since today’s filling isn’t as tall, we don’t have those problems. So, skip the water bath today!

Easy Cheesecake Pie (Recipe & Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction (4)

Success Tips for a Perfect Graham Cracker Crust

We’re using my perfected graham cracker crust recipe. You need 3 ingredients including graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. The ratio of ingredients is imperative and what you’ll find below (and also on the graham cracker crust page) yields a crisp, crumbly crust that holds shape beautifully. But what’s more important than the ingredients is the technique you use to press the crust into the pan.

Over the years, I’ve learned exactly what makes and (literally) breaks a great graham cracker crust:

  1. Use your hands first: Press the bottom and around the sides with medium-firm pressure until the crumbs aren’t moving around anymore—you don’t want any loose crumbs.You can even use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help smooth out the surface.
  2. Don’t pack too tightly: The crust needs to be compact, so it doesn’t crumble apart, but not so tight that it bakes into a hard, dense crust. You really just want to pack it until the shape has set and it’s no longer crumbly.
  3. Keep it rounded: This sounds a bit odd, but you don’t want a right angle at the bottom edges where the sides and the bottom meet. Instead, you want it a little bit rounded so it stays connected when you slice into it—so the side crust doesn’t immediately separate from the bottom crust. Slide a spoon around the inside of the crust where the sides and bottom meet, to get that rounded shape.

Or you could use an Oreo cookie crust or Biscoff pie crust instead if you’d like.

Here is a photo of the rounded crust. Be sure to pre-bake this for 10 minutes before adding the filling.

Easy Cheesecake Pie (Recipe & Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction (5)

Grab These 6 Ingredients for the Filling:

Easy Cheesecake Pie (Recipe & Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction (6)
  1. Bricks of Cream Cheese: Philadelphia cream cheese isn’t affiliated with this post, but it IS my favorite cream cheese brand. Whichever brand you use, make sure you’re using bricks of full-fat cream cheese and not the cream cheese in a tub you would use for spreading on bagels. Same rule applies when makingcream cheese frosting andstrawberry cream cheese pie.
  2. Granulated Sugar: You’ll love that this cheesecake isn’t overly sweet. Vanilla sugar would be great here.
  3. Sour Cream: My team and I tested this cheesecake pie several (several!!!!) times and there was a major difference between the pies with sour cream and the pies without sour cream. You need 1/4 cup of sour cream to help bind the ingredients together and smooth out the filling so it tastes creamy. Without it, the filling tasted like cream cheese, not cheesecake.
  4. Vanilla Extract: Feel free to use homemade vanilla extract in this pie!
  5. Lemon Juice: A splash of lemon juice adds freshness and depth of flavor—I recommend you don’t leave it out. This cheesecake pie does not taste like lemon cheesecake.
  6. Eggs: A main ingredient in any baked cheesecake! Careful not to over-mix these, and be sure to add them right at the end.

Pour the filling into the warm pre-baked crust, and then bake:

Easy Cheesecake Pie (Recipe & Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction (7)
Easy Cheesecake Pie (Recipe & Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction (8)
Easy Cheesecake Pie (Recipe & Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction (9)

Can I Add Chocolate Chips to the Filling?

I have no idea if anyone would even ask this question, but I love chocolate chips in cheesecakes and the answer is YES! Feel free to add 3/4 cups mini or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter. (What we do when making amaretto cheesecake.) This version would be tasty served with salted caramel on top.

Cooling & Chilling Is a Breeze

You know how you have to wait a few hours for a regular cheesecake to cool and then you have to wait some more for it to chill in the refrigerator? You’re doing the same thing here, only in a fraction of the time. The cheesecake cools for about 1 hour at room temperature (no need to let it cool in the oven like some cheesecake recipes!) and then you chill it for about 2–3 hours before serving.

Low-maintenance cheesecake!

Easy Cheesecake Pie (Recipe & Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction (11)

What to Serve With Cheesecake Pie

You can, of course, serve the cheesecake pie plain, but I like to add raspberry sauce, whipped cream, and fresh raspberries. Or you can spruce it up with:

  • Salted caramel
  • Blueberry sauce/swirl from blueberry swirl cheesecake (you can prepare a blueberry swirl cheesecake pie by using the same swirling instructions in that recipe)
  • Chocolate ganache or red wine chocolate ganache
  • Strawberry sauce
  • Lemon curd
  • Brown sugar pecan topping from pecan pie cheesecake
  • We slightly scaled down the filling to make room for extra toppings in this caramel apple cheesecake pie

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Easy Cheesecake Pie (Recipe & Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction (12)

Easy Cheesecake Pie

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.8 from 43 reviews

  • Author: Sally
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes (includes crust pre-bake)
  • Total Time: 4 hours
  • Yield: one 9-inch pie
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This is regular cheesecake… made easier! Enjoy a creamy, velvety smooth filling with a crispy, crunchy graham cracker crust. Skip the water bath and use a pie dish instead of a springform pan. Feel free to serve with optional toppings listed in recipe Note.

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheet graham crackers)
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

  • 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese,softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • optional for topping: raspberry dessert sauce, fresh raspberries, & whipped cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
  2. Make the crust: If you’re starting out with full graham crackers, use afood processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. Stir the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl, and then stir in the melted butter. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 9-inch pie dish. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumby/crumbly. Tips: You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help press down the bottom crust and smooth out the surface, but do not pack down too hard. And run a spoon around the bottom “corner” where the edge and bottom meet to help make a rounded crust⁠—this helps prevent the crust from falling apart. For more shaping technique tips, see the graham cracker crust recipe page.
  3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Make the filling in the next step as the crust bakes.
  4. Make the filling: Using a handheld orstand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice, and then beat until fully combined and very smooth. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed to combine⁠—you don’t want any lumps. Then on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. After the second egg is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. If you still see some lumps at this point, switch to a whisk and whisk by hand just until you break up the large lumps. Some small lumps are OK.
  5. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C) and spread the cheesecake filling into the warm crust.
  6. Bake the pie for 35 minutes or until the center is almost set. Check it at the 25-minute mark, and if it’s browning too quickly on top and around the edges, tent it with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
  7. Set the pie on a wire rack and cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Then place it in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days before serving. (Cover if chilling it for longer than a few hours.)
  8. Feel free to garnish the pie with any of the optional toppings listed in the notes right before or a couple hours before serving. (Keep pie refrigerated if you decorate it and plan to serve later.) I use asqueeze bottle to drizzle raspberry sauce on top and a piping bag fitted with Wilton 1M piping tipto zigzag whipped cream on top. For neat slices, use a clean sharp knife, and wipe the knife clean between each slice. Tip: The first slice is never pretty! Much easier to slice after that first piece is out.
  9. Cover and store leftover pie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

  1. Make Ahead Instructions: This cheesecake pie can be made up to 2 days in advance. See step 7. It’s best if the crust is still a bit warm when you pour in the filling, so I don’t recommend pre-baking the crust in advance. You can also freeze the baked and cooled cheesecake for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
  2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor| Glass Mixing Bowl | 9-inch Pie Dish | Electric Mixer (Stand Mixer or Handheld) | Cooling Rack
  3. Oreo Cookie Crust: You can use an Oreo cookie crust instead of a graham cracker crust.
  4. Toppings: My favorite toppings for this pie are raspberry sauce, fresh raspberries, and whipped cream, which are pictured in the post. You can also top the baked and cooled cheesecake with salted caramel, lemon curd, strawberry topping, chocolate ganache, or red wine chocolate ganache.
  5. Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring all cold ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients combine quickly and evenly, so you won’t risk over-mixing. Also, beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky cheesecake filling, hardly the way you want to begin!
  6. Non-US Readers: If graham crackers are not available where you live, we have also tested this pie with a crust made from digestive biscuits, and it turned out great. Use 200g ground digestive biscuit crumbs (about 2 cups; 13–14 biscuits), 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, and 6 Tablespoons (85g) melted butter. Pre-bake the crust for a bit longer, about 12–14 minutes. And from what I understand, spreadable cream cheese sold in a tub in countries outside of the US is a little different from the spreadable cream cheese in the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and more solid and should be OK to make this pie. I have no experience with it, but this is what I’ve heard from other non-US readers. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Easy Cheesecake Pie (Recipe & Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between cheesecake and cheese pie? ›

What Is the Difference Between Cheesecake and Cheesecake Pie? Today's cheesecake pie is like a regular cheesecake, only (1) the filling layer isn't as thick and tall and (2) you bake it in a pie dish instead of a springform pan.

What not to do when making cheesecake? ›

Cold ingredients are a big no-no when it comes to cheesecake. If your ingredients are cold you will have to mix them longer which will whip too much air into your batter. If the cake has too much air, it will rise too much in the oven and then the middle will sink when cooling. Nobody wants a sad, sunken cheesecake.

Is cheesecake better baked or not baked? ›

They both are great in their own way. It all narrows down to your personal preferences. If you enjoy dense and velvety cake, a baked cheesecake is the one for you. Or if you crave some light and airy dessert post-dinner, go for the no-bake one.

How do you make a no-bake cheesecake set faster? ›

Yes, you can freeze a no-bake cheesecake to hasten its setting time. However, you should only keep it in the freezer for approximately an hour since if you keep it there for too long, it might freeze solid.

What makes New York cheesecake different than regular cheesecake? ›

New York cheesecake is heavy on the cream cheese which is why it's so dense and rich. Extra cream cheese isn't the only thing that makes New York cheesecake so special. It also includes extra eggs and egg yolks to provide and smooth consistency.

What are the two types of cheesecake? ›

A New York Cheesecake is the larger, richer and more indulgent cousin of the traditional cheesecake. We all know how American's like things bigger and better in the USA and cheesecakes are no exception (not that we're complaining).

What does adding an extra egg to cheesecake do? ›

Eggs: Three whole eggs hold the cheesecake together. I also add an extra yolk, which enhances the cake's velvety texture. (Whites tend to lighten the cake, which is actually fine — if you don't feel like separating that fourth egg and don't mind some extra airiness in the texture, just add in the whole egg.)

What happens if you don't add egg to cheesecake? ›

The cake will not set properly if there is no egg in the preparation, and you will just have a cream cheese pudding. As delicious as cream cheese pudding sounds, it's actually more like buttercream.

When should you not eat cheesecake? ›

Eggs and milk have high protein and moisture content, and they're the primary ingredients in cheesecake, so when cheesecake is left at room temperature, conditions are ripe for bacteria to multiply. According to the USDA's Food Keeper App, cheesecake should be consumed within 5 to 7 days of refrigeration.

Which baking method is best for cheesecake? ›

Classic Cheesecake Recipe. Look no further for a creamy and ultra smooth classic cheesecake recipe! Paired with a buttery graham cracker crust, no one can deny its simple decadence. For the best results, bake in a water bath.

Is it better to overcook or undercook cheesecake? ›

Avoid Overcooking

DON'T overbake. Overbaking a cheesecake can cause cracks on the surface.

Why is my no-bake cheesecake not setting? ›

The primary reason a no-bake cheesecake is too runny or doesn't set up properly is generally the temperature of the ingredients. If your cream cheese is too warm, the mixture will be too soft and will never set up properly.

What to do with a failed cheesecake? ›

Perhaps your kitchen is colder because of weather or your oven has a hot spot. For whatever reason, the cheesecake has cracked despite your best efforts. Remember, your cheesecake is still delicious, so instead of calling it a failed experiment, cover the crack with a delicious topping, like a sour cream coat.

Can I eat cheesecake that was left out overnight? ›

Eggs and cheese have high protein and moisture content, which, when left out at room temperature, can lead to bacteria multiplying. Conditions ripe for bacteria will make the cheesecake unsafe for eating.

How many days in advance should I make cheesecake? ›

For serving: Remove the sides of the springform pan. Make Ahead: The cheesecake can be made and stored in the springform pan in the fridge, tightly covered with plastic wrap, up to two days ahead of time. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cheesecake can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Why is cheesecake not called a pie? ›

While a cheesecake may have a crust, it's not made from pastry dough! But some people argue that cheesecake is like a pie and therefore should be considered a pastry. While it's true that cheesecake has a filling like a pie, the physical characteristics of the crust and filling differentiate it from a pastry.

What's the difference between cream cheese and cheesecake? ›

Cream cheese is a type of spreadable cheese used to make cheesecake. Cheesecake is a creamy dessert with a biscuit crust, creamy filling made with cream cheese and other ingredients and topped with your favourite topping like compote, nutella or caramel.

Is it cheese cake or cheesecake? ›

Cheesecake is just one of the desserts that falls into the category of having “cake” in the name despite possibly not being a cake at all from a pure definition standpoint. Cheesecake is typically made with a cheese like ricotta, cream cheese, or Neufchatel (a creamy French cheese).

Why is cheese called cheesecake? ›

While it's called cheesecake because cheesecake is generally unleavened and usually has a crust—whether that crust is baked or not—it's is really a form of pie. Most baked cheesecakes use a custard base for filling comprised of milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla or other flavorings.

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