You have to try Mom's Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping! It's baked in a 9x13, has a super creamy texture, a refreshing tang and the best, buttery graham cracker crust!
I never thought Mom would share her cheesecake recipe with me, let alone allow me to publish it on my blog. This is big, folks.
You'll want to print this one for keeps. This 9x13 cheesecake with sour cream topping has been devoured at countless New Year's Eve celebrations, graduations and who knows how many dinners. Mom's probably made it nearly 100 times.
She got a version of this recipe from a friend many years ago, then adapted it along the way. After hearing all of the changes Mom made, I informed her this indeed was her recipe now.
So, what's special about this cheesecake?
- Mom's graham cracker crust isn't dry. Extra butter (Mom uses margarine) produces a moist crust that gets even softer after a couple days. (I wish I knew Mom's secret years ago; it would've spared me the sandy results I always got by following standard graham cracker crust recipes.)
- This cheesecake is extra creamy, thanks to half and half. Mom even increased the amount of half and half from the original recipe.
- The sour cream topping isn't baked — it's fresh sour cream lightly sweetened with sugar and spread right on the cooled cheesecake, greeting your taste buds with a refreshing tang.
And I love the convenience of using a 9x13 here instead of a springform pan, which can leak. (I use a 9x13 with square edges, similar to this one. That's an affiliate link.)
Plus...no water bath is needed; this cheesecake won't crack at the low temperature Mom recommends. And the sour cream topping would cover it anyway.
This cheesecake is quite different than the Fluffy Crustless Cheesecake so many Cooking with Mamma C readers love (me too!) That one is gluten free and has a very airy texture, compared to this super creamy one. But, both cheesecakes are outstanding and worthy of a place in your recipe collection.
Mom always slices her cheesecake into dainty squares, unlike my lasagna-slab portions you see here. (Hey, I had to fill up the plates for the photos, you know?)
And Mom simply serves her cheesecake with sour cream topping, unadorned. It's delicious like that, but I have to say, it's fabulous with fresh blueberries on top! I added them for a pop of color, but loved the way their crisp, juicy texture complemented the creaminess of the cheesecake.
I bet other berries would work well too. Maybe these Italian Strawberries with Sugar and Lemon? You'll have to experiment.
And invite me over.
Enjoy!
(Recipe Source: Barely adapted from my Mom's recipe. She says she makes her crust with margarine, instead of butter, to produce a softer result. Mom's recipe has several adaptations from the original one she received from a friend.)
Mom’s Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (buy crumbs or crush 14 long crackers)
- 12 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Cheesecake
- 3 8-ounce cream cheese blocks (softened; use full fat)
- 3 jumbo eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups half & half (full fat)
Sour Cream Topping
- 1 pint sour cream (full fat)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Garnish
- fresh blueberries for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Set out your cream cheese and eggs at room temperature for an hour before using them.
- To make the crust, crush your crackers, if needed, by placing seven cracker sheets at a time in a sealed plastic bag. Crush them with a rolling pin.
- Add your crumbs to a small mixing bowl. Melt your butter in the microwave or a pan on the stove and add the melted butter to your crumbs. Stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar. Stir your crust mixture until it's blended well, and all the crumbs are moist.
- Lightly grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Transfer the crust mixture to the pan and press it evenly onto the bottom surface, not the sides. Set the crust aside to be baked later with the cheesecake filling.
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. To make the cheesecake filling, add your softened cream cheese to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Beat the cream cheese until it's thick and creamy, getting rid of any lumps as best you can.
- Add your room-temperature eggs and 1 ½ cups of sugar. Beat until blended and no lumps remain, scraping the bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add your flour and vanilla. Beat to blend.
- Add your half & half and beat at a low speed (to avoid splashing). When the mixture is blended, beat it some more until you see some bubbles on the surface.
- Pour the batter over your unbaked graham cracker crust. Bake the cheesecake for 45-50 minutes, until it's set.
- Let the cheesecake cool on a wire rack. Wait at least 30 minutes before adding the sour cream topping.
- To make the topping, add your sour cream to a small mixing bowl. Stir in ¼ cup of sugar. When the cheesecake is cooled off, spread on your sour cream topping.
- Cover the pan with foil (be careful not to let the foil touch the cheesecake surface) and refrigerate the cheesecake overnight. Serve the cheesecake chilled, with fresh blueberries, if desired.
- Store the cheesecake covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Debbie
Well I have passed the 45-50 minute baking time, still way to jiggley in the center. Hope it turns out because I have no other dessert for Christmas. Just keep checking on it in the oven. I did check my oven to make sure it was hearing corrwctly
Mamma C
Hi Debbie - How long did it end up taking?
Debbie
Loved the cheesecake, but the cooking time as ruffly an hour and a half before middle set.
Mamma C
Hi Debbie - I'm so glad you loved it! I'm trying to figure out why it took so long to set for you. What kind of pan did you use? Do you live at a high altitude? Was the cream cheese too soft?
Debbie
I used a 9x13 stainless steel pan. No I live in Florida, no high altitude here. I left the cream cheese out for 1 he our along with eggs to come to room temp. Ni sweat, I will make again I will just adjust the time for me.
Mamma C
OK, thanks for letting me know!
Marge
Just made this for Easter. Absolutely amazing! Very creamy. I followed the recipe to the letter, except I alway add a touch of cinnamon to my graham crust. I will be printing this one and putting in my book. Thanks
Mamma C
Hi Marge - I'm so glad you loved this cheesecake! The addition of cinnamon in the crust sounds wonderful.
Rachel Gallagher
Oh my goodness! I just made this for my daughter’s birthday. She requested cheese cake and I had never made one. Which is surprising,, as I love to bake and cook. I scoured the Internet- kept going back and forth between no bake and baked. I settled on this one. SO glad I did!! I accidentally (happily!) used heavy cream instead of half and half- still amazing!! I’m at so happy at how well this turned out. Thank you for sharing!
Mamma C
Hi Rachel - I'm so glad to hear that! We've loved this cheesecake for decades. Thanks for letting me know!
Chris
I have been cooking and baking for years, I followed this recipe to a T and the cheesecake mixture was so watery! It took way over 50 mins to set.... closer to an hour and a half. It’s cooling now but man I hope this is good, otherwise that was a lot of work and wait for nothing.
Mamma C
Hi Chris - We've made this cheesecake 100 times without issue, so I'm trying to figure out what went wrong for you. Is your oven working correctly? I hope the cheesecake turned out good, once it set for you.