This Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake is simply the best, and it happens to be gluten-free! This New York-style cheesecake has fans all over the world! It's one of the most popular recipes on Cooking with Mamma C.
This Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake is the best cheesecake I've ever tasted! And it's become a holiday tradition for many Cooking with Mamma C visitors, ever since I posted the recipe in 2014.
I'm almost at a loss for words in trying to describe this New York cheesecake without crust. It's fluffy, airy, luscious, creamy and so delicately soft.
It's pure decadence! And, since it's flourless, this is a gluten-free cheesecake.
Delicious on its own, it's flavored with vanilla and is just begging to be accented with your favorite cheesecake topping. I've tried it with homemade versions of chocolate liqueur, strawberry liqueur and limoncello.
I know. To die for!
But it's excellent with non-alcoholic toppings like Italian Strawberries with Sugar and Lemon, caramel sauce and raspberry coulis.
We enjoy this crustless cheesecake on our trips to Connecticut to visit my in-laws for the holidays. A dear family friend makes it, and my mother-in-law stores it in the freezer to thaw when we arrive.
I asked for the recipe several years ago, and the rest is history!
Recipe ingredients
Cream Cheese - You'll need five, 8-ounce blocks for this tall cheesecake. We're not messing around!
You can use full-fat or low-fat cream cheese. Just make sure it's softened.
Sour Cream - The addition of sour cream to the batter makes this a New York-style cheesecake recipe. Use regular or low-fat sour cream.
Eggs: We're using large eggs here. I haven't tested this with other sizes.
For a keto cheesecake
You can easily make this no-crust cheesecake low carb. To make a keto crustless cheesecake, replace the sugar with a keto-friendly sweetener. Monk fruit sweetener (affiliate link) has the best taste, in my opinion.
How to make fluffy cheesecake
The key to this fluffy cheesecake recipe is beating in lots of air for volume! Besides beating after adding each ingredient, you'll beat the cheesecake filling for seven minutes.
See the recipe card at the end of this post for full instructions, but here's an overview.
Tips for the best crustless cheesecake:
- To prevent lumps, let the cream cheese, eggs and sour cream come to room temperature before starting. Beat each block of cream cheese one at a time, until it's smooth and creamy. Add each ingredient one at a time, beating after each addition, just until combined, then mix everything for seven minutes.
- To prevent over browning, move your top oven rack down to the second lowest position and bake your cheesecake there, with nothing above it so there's room. Also, if you have a dark springform pan, you'll need to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees. Note that your cheesecake will still taste good if it does get brown on top.
- To prevent cracks, bake your cheesecake in a water bath (bain marie) by filling a roasting pan ¼ full with hot water and placing your springform pan (affiliate link) with the batter in it. When done baking, leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar for one hour.
- To prevent water from seeping into your springform pan, place your springform in a large pie dish first. Then set the pie plate with the springform in the water bath and proceed. If you don't have a pie dish large enough, you'll need to wrap the outside of the springform pan with heavy-duty foil (or a double layer of regular foil), covering the bottom, up the sides and inside the top of the rim.
How to tell when cheesecake is done
The cheesecake is done when the top is set, except for a small circle in the middle. Don't insert anything into the cheesecake to test it, or it will crack.
Turn off the heat and let the cheesecake stay in the oven with the door ajar for one hour. This allows the cheesecake to finish cooking in the center while the cake cools down gradually.
Frequently asked questions
You can freeze this cheesecake for up to three weeks with good results. The texture starts to change after that, but it can be used within two months.
Cover the cheesecake (whole, partial or sliced) with plastic wrap, then foil. You can leave the cheesecake in the springform pan and just wrap the whole thing.
Thaw the cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight or let it sit out at room temperature for 2-4 hours. You can thaw an individual slice in the microwave on the defrost setting for less than a minute.
You just need to release the buckle, then lift the sides of the pan to remove the circular frame. Keep the cheesecake on the bottom portion of the pan, however. You can even place the cheesecake with the base of the pan on a cake stand.
More dessert recipes to love
- Chocolate Cheesecake - A chocolate version of this gluten-free crustless cheesecake!
- Creamy Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping - A family favorite for decades!
- Lemon Lush Dessert - A recipe made from scratch!
- Torta Caprese - A flourless chocolate-almond cake that's gluten free!
If you try this Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake, be sure to leave a comment and a rating!
Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake (NY Style)
Ingredients
- 5 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese (at room temperature)
- 6 eggs (large)
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pint sour cream (low-fat is fine)
Instructions
- Two hours ahead of time, unwrap the cream cheese blocks and set them out at room temperature to soften. Set out the eggs and sour cream also. When the cream cheese is softened, start the recipe.
- Move the top oven rack down to the second lowest position in your oven, with nothing above it (to prevent over browning the cheesecake). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (If using a dark springform pan, you'll need to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees F for this recipe, or the cheesecake will brown too much.)
- Grease a 10-inch springform pan. (See notes if you have a 9-inch springform.)
- Fill a roasting pan ¼ full with hot water. Prepare your springform pan to prevent water from seeping into it during baking. If you have a large pie dish, place the springform in it. If you don't have a pie dish large enough, you'll need to wrap the outside of the springform pan with heavy-duty foil (or a double layer of regular foil), covering the bottom, up the sides and inside the top of the rim.
- In a large mixing bowl, add one block of cream cheese and beat it until creamy. Continue adding one block of cream cheese at a time and beating well, scraping the bowl as needed. There must not be any lumps in your batter. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition on low. Add the remaining ingredients one at a time, mixing to combine after each addition. When all ingredients have been added, beat on high (or as high as you can without splashing) for seven minutes.
- Transfer the batter to the springform pan (filling it no more than ¾ of the way to the top; see notes for what to do with extra batter). Place the springform and bottom pie dish in the water bath and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Then lower the temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for 40-55 minutes, or until the top is set except for a small circle in the middle. Do not insert anything into the cheesecake to test it, or it will crack. Turn off the heat and let the cheesecake stay in the oven with the door ajar for one hour.
- Leave the cheesecake in the springform pan and let it finish cooling on a wire rack. Refrigerate it uncovered the first night if you can, unless you have strong odors in your fridge from onions or something. (See notes.)
- To slice, remove the outer circle of the pan and dip a knife in warm water to make the cuts, wiping the knife clean after each slice. (Keep the bottom of the pan under the cheesecake. You can even place the cheesecake with the bottom portion of the pan on a cake stand.)
- Store the cheesecake covered in the refrigerator (you can keep it in the springform) for up to three days or freeze it for up to 3 weeks. Wrap it in plastic, then foil before freezing it. Thaw the cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight or let it sit out at room temperature for 2-4 hours. You can thaw an individual slice in the microwave on the defrost setting for less than a minute.
Video
Notes
- Even if you have a 10-inch springform, just fill it ¾ full so it doesn't overflow.
- If you only have a 9-inch springform pan, fill it ¾ full with the batter. Bake the remaining batter in two ramekins or another suitable baking dish, in a water bath, ideally in a separate oven, so you can pull out them out earlier without affecting the springform cheesecake. I bake my extra batter in a separate oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then 25 minutes at 375 degrees, then leave it in the oven with the door ajar for 20 minutes. If you don't have a separate oven, bake the ramekins/baking dish in the same oven with the springform cheesecake for the full amount of time (it's important not to open the oven during baking) and just know that the ramekins/baking dish will come out a bit overcooked, but tasty.
- Some readers have halved the recipe with good results.
- Whenever I cover the cheesecake with foil or wrap the first night, a few drops of moisture pool on top of the cheesecake, leaving a water stain on its surface. If you don't have strong odors in your fridge, try leaving the cheesecake uncovered for the first night.
- I have never tried making this with a crust.
- This cheesecake is barely adapted from a Williams Sonoma recipe.
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Barely adapted from family friends Lee and Carol, who said it originally came from Williams Sonoma. Originally published on December 22, 2014 and updated now with additional photos and information.)
Jewel
Have you tried different pan sizes? (Drastically different). For example, the 10" pan you use holds 12 cups where as a 7x2.5" pan holds 5.5 cups. What would the bake time differ? Also, have you ever left the batter sit out, already mixed, for an extended period of time before putting into the pan and into the oven?
Mamma C
Jewel, I've only made the recipe as written and poured extra batter into ramekins. I usually bake the ramekins for the same length of time, since it's not good to open the oven door during baking. The ramekins don't have as nice a texture as the full cheesecake though, and could use less baking. I'm not able to advise you on the exact baking time if using a 7x2.5 pan.
Jewel
Why is this cooked on such a high temperature? Can I cook it for longer on a lower temp?
Mamma C
The cheesecake is baked at the high temp (400 degrees F) for just 10 minutes, then baked at 375 for the rest of the time. I have read that the higher temperature helps prevent overbaking, which would hurt the texture. I've never tried baking this at other temperatures, though, so I don't know if the result would be the same.
Jewel
Ok. also, I don't have a roasting pan. I saw the comment about putting water in a Pyrex did on the rack below, but can I just put the springform pan into the Pyrex instead of a roasting pan?
Mamma C
If your springform pan fits in your Pyrex, that should be fine, Jewel.
Elisa
I forgot the sour cream...but it's been in the oven for 15 minutes now 🙁 well let's see what happens. I'll keep you posted.
Mamma C
Maybe try spreading some sour cream on top of the cooled cheesecake to get that tang, if it tastes like something is missing. I hope you can still make this work, Elisa.
Rachel Daves
I wish I could upload a picture of how gorgeous the top of my cheesecake turned out. So soft and perfectly flat, very satisfying to pull out of the oven in a weird calming way. But the extra in the ramekins cracked horrible! So I didn't feel bad taking a tiny bite before I put them in the fridge and the ugly little things were delicious! lol. Thank you and thank you from my GF husband for this recipe. He will have a fantastic Christmas dessert!
Mamma C
I'd love to see a picture, Rachel! You could email it to me ([email protected]) or share it on my Facebook page. If you're on Instagram, you can tag me (@cookingwithmammac). As for the ramekins, they do get a bit ugly, Lol. I'm thinking of baking them in a second oven the next time, and taking them out sooner. Merry Christmas!
Veronica Hamblin
I'm so anxious to try this recipe for myself! A friend of mine made it and it was wonderful! However, I do have a question. I'm trying to eliminate sugar from as many sources as I can. Can I substitute Splenda for the sugar? Have you ever tried that, and do you have any suggestions to make the substitution successful? I'd like to add a pecan "crust" to it and make it for Christmas.
Mamma C
Veronica, I've never tried using anything but sugar, but I know other readers have done so. Someone used Xylitol at the same ratio and said it turned out well. I find Splenda is sweeter than sugar, so I'd reduce the amount slightly, but I see that the Splenda website says to use the same amount as sugar. Also, keep in mind that a crust will make the cheesecake come up higher in your pan, so just be sure to fill the pan no more than 3/4 full to avoid overflowing batter.
Katy
I wanted to make this today and JUST saw that it says to put in refrigerator over night. I don't have time to do that. Is it a must? Would 6 hours be enough?
Mamma C
Katy, you could give it a try. Another reader (Nonny) commented she served it after 8 1/2 hours in the fridge. If it looks like it needs more firming, you could stick it in the freezer for a bit too.
Lydia
Delicious and possibly the most beautiful cheesecake ever😊😊 So light and gluten free. My ONLY cheesecake recipe. Thanks so much for posting this!!
Mamma C
You're welcome, Lydia! I love it too and had to share it. 🙂
Erin
Beautiful cheesecake! I love that ti's gluten free.
Mamma C
Me too! Thanks, Erin.
Amanda
Now, that is a cheesecake. It is like the one my Aunt Elsie made, but without a crust. I like any cheesecake, but this baked one is a winner!
Mamma C
It really is a showstopper, Amanda! Thanks for your comment.
Citra Kale @Citra's Home Diary
Looks worth to try.... how many gr in 1 pint of sour cream?
Mamma C
A pint of sour cream is 16 ounces, which is 454 grams, Citra.