Creamy Small Batch Cheesecake

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Sally’s

Total Time

6 hours

Prep Time

35 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Rating

(28)

Ingredients

5 slices

1 and 1/3 cups (160g) graham cracker crumbs (about 10–11 full sheet graham crackers)
3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
optional for serving: strawberry topping, cherry topping, or even salted caramel

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Preparation

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Step 1

Lower the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the cheesecake from the pan. Set aside.

Step 2

Mix all of the crust ingredients together. Pour into prepared loaf pan and using medium pressure, press the crust mixture down with your hand so it’s compact in the pan. Bake the crust for 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the edges and top.

Step 3

While the crust is pre-baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth. Beat in the sugar, egg, vanilla, and lemon juice until completely combined and smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed.

Step 4

Pour the batter on top of the warm crust and smooth into an even layer. It will look like a lot of cheesecake batter, but it will sink down as it bakes.

Step 5

Bake the cheesecake for 40–45 minutes, until the entire surface is set. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cheesecake should come out mostly clean.

Step 6

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Once cool, refrigerate the cheesecake for 4 hours and up to 1 day.

Step 7

Remove the chilled cheesecake from the pan using the overhang on the sides. Slice and serve with optional toppings, if desired.

Chef’s notes

Make Ahead Instructions:

Make this cheesecake ahead of time and let it sit in the refrigerator for up to 1 whole day in step 6. You can also make the filling and pre-bake the crust ahead of time. Cover and refrigerate both for up to 1 day before continuing with step 4. Cheesecake can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

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Non-US Readers:

Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 180g ground digestive biscuits instead (about 12 biscuits), with the same amount of butter, and add 1 extra Tablespoon (12g) of sugar. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the pre-baking time, as digestive biscuits are not quite as crispy-crunchy as graham crackers. 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 cheesecake. I have no experience with it, but this is what I’ve heard from other non-US readers.

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Creamy Small Batch Cheesecake

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Chef’s notes

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