Cheesecakes Worth the Chill Time
Cheesecake is a plan-ahead dessert wearing the clothes of a bake. The oven part is short; the fridge part is most of a day.
Nobody makes a cheesecake on the day they want it, and the recipes that pretend otherwise are the ones that disappoint.
12 recipes to start from
Each one opens as a recipe page here, with the ingredients and timings, and credits the creator who published it.
01
Cheesecake
andianne.com · 1h 30m · makes 12
Made with crackers, cinnamon and cream cheese. 1h 30m, makes 12, 14 ingredients.
02
Double Chocolate Cheesecake
andianne.com · 1h 10m · makes 12
Made with chocolate graham cracker crumbs, dark bakers chocolate and plain cream cheese. 1h 10m, makes 12, 8 ingredients.
03
Vanilla Cheesecake
cakemehometonight.com · 7h 30m · makes 12
Made with graham cracker crumbs, cream cheese and heavy cream. 7h 30m, makes 12, 15 ingredients.
04
Chocolate Cheesecake
cakemehometonight.com · 7h 30m · makes 12
Made with oreo cookie crumbs, cream cheese and heavy cream. 7h 30m, makes 12, 17 ingredients.
05
Sourdough Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
countryroadssourdough.com · 1h · makes 21
Made with cream cheese, sourdough discard and graham cracker crumbs. 1h, makes 21, 13 ingredients.
06
Caramel Apple Sourdough Cheesecake Bars
countryroadssourdough.com · 4h 15m · makes 16
Made with honey, sourdough discard and whole wheat. 4h 15m, makes 16, 19 ingredients.
07
Oreo Cheesecake Bars
funmoneymom.com · 5h 25m · makes 12
Made with oreo cookies, cream cheese and marshmallow fluff. 5h 25m, makes 12, 7 ingredients.
08
Oreo Cheesecake Bites
funmoneymom.com · 20 min · makes 45
Made with phyllo shells, mini oreo cookies and heavy whipping cream. 20 min, makes 45, 6 ingredients.
09
Strawberry Cheesecake Pudding Shots
kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com · 40 min · makes 6
Made with box of strawberry jello, of smirnoff strawberry vodka and of strawberries. 40 min, makes 6, 7 ingredients.
10
Valentine's Cheesecake
lesswithlaur.com · 2h 55m · makes 24
Made with graham crackers, vegan cream cheese and strawberries. 2h 55m, makes 24, 12 ingredients.
11
6-Inch Basque Cheesecake
lifestyleofafoodie.com · 50 min · makes 6
Made with cream cheese and heavy cream. 50 min, makes 6, 8 ingredients.
12
Pumpkin cheesecake recipe
lifestyleofafoodie.com · 9h · makes 12
Made with crushed graham crackers, cream cheese and pumpkin puree. 9h, makes 12, 13 ingredients.
What makes cheesecake different to organise
- The chill is the recipe. A published time that excludes an overnight set is not the real total.
- Cracks come from temperature change rather than from baking too long, which is why the cooling instructions matter more than the timer.
- Room-temperature cream cheese is not optional, and it is the most skipped line in the whole method.
- No-bake and baked versions behave completely differently. Worth knowing which you saved before you start.
How to build it
- Plan backwards from when you need it, not forwards from when you start.
- Note whether yours cracked and what the cooling was like when it did not.
- Record the tin size. It changes the depth and therefore the bake.
- Tag the no-bake versions separately. They answer a different question.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my cheesecake crack?
Usually a sudden temperature change rather than overbaking. Cooling it slowly, often in the turned-off oven, is the part of the method worth recording when it works.
How far ahead should I make a cheesecake?
The day before, in most cases. The set is what gives it the texture, and the published prep time almost never includes it.