Sour Cream Topped Cheesecake is a classic, ultra-creamy dessert that is sure to impress. Enjoy it as is or add some of your favorite toppings!
Cheesecake topped with sour cream is the perfect Cheesecake Recipe to enjoy for a holiday or family get-together sprinkled with a variety of berries or on it’s own. Try my Black Forest Cheesecake and Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake for more impressive desserts!
Why You’ll Love This Cheesecake?
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- Impressive to serve your guest at your next holiday or dinner party.
Sabrina’s Sour Cream Topped Cheesecake Recipe
This sour cream-style cheesecake may just become one of your favorite recipes ever. It does take some time to bake, and you have to leave it in the fridge overnight so that it can set. However, once it’s done, the velvety cheesecake texture and rich taste are well worth the work and the wait. It’s the perfect treat to serve for any special occasion you have coming up. Serve it at your next holiday or dinner party.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker , 12 full crackers, crumbs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
Cheesecake:
- 24 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons flour
Sour Cream Topping:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup heavy cream , whipped to soft peaks
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust:
- Mix the graham cracker crumbs, ⅓ cup sugar, and 6 tablespoons melted butter and press into the bottom of the springform pan going 1 inch up the sides.
Sour Cream Cheesecake Filling:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then wrap a 9-inch springform pan in a large piece of foil to protect from the water bath. Prep a large pan of water you can set the springform pan in to bake.
- In a stand mixer beat the cream cheese and sugar, then add in the milk until combined.
- Add in the eggs one at a time until fully combined, then add in the sour cream, vanilla, and flour until combined.
- Pour filling into pan over the crust and spread evenly.
- Place the pan in the water bath and bake for 1 hour.
- Turn off the oven, open the door a couple of inches to let the heat out gently, and let it cool for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven, discard the foil.
Sour Cream Topping:
- Whisk together in a large bowl the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.
- Fold in whipped cream.
- Spread sour cream mixture over the cheesecake and refrigerate overnight before serving.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
Doing a water bath may seem like an extra step but it’s not one you will want to skip. A water bath will help prevent your cheesecake from cracking. Wrap your pan in tin foil to prevent water from going into your cheesecake and place it into a larger baking dish. Add boiling water to the larger dish and bake your cheesecake for one hour.
Table of Contents
About this Recipe
This delicious cheesecake recipe is similar to a classic homemade New York Cheesecake, but the addition of sour cream makes it even lighter and softer. One of the best things about cheesecake is all the amazing toppings you can add to it. Plain cheesecake is the perfect blank canvas for any number of your favorite dessert sauces and toppings.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes, since this cheesecake does take time to prep, cook and requires time to chill in the refrigerator overnight, this is a dessert you will want to plan for (and trust me, it’s worth the wait). If you are not serving it the next day, make sure to cover your cheesecake fully in plastic wrap or an sealed container. Your cheesecake will stay good in the fridge for up to one week.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Graham Cracker Crust: Add the graham crackers to food processor and pulse until they’re broken into coarse crumbs. Add them to a mixing bowl with ⅓ cup sugar, and 6 tablespoons melted butter. Once combined press the crust mixture into the base of the spring form pan and push it up the sides of the dish about an inch.
- Cheesecake Filling: Add the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar to stand mixer. Beat ingredients together at medium speed with the paddle attachment. Carefully add in milk. Add eggs one at a time with the electric mixer still going. Once combined, add the sour cream, vanilla, and flour. Continue mixing until combined.
- Baking Time: Pour mixture into the prepared baking tin and use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly. Place the pan in the water bath and bake for 1 hour. After the hour, turn off the oven, open the door, and let the cheesecake cool for 1 hour. Remove the cool cheesecake from the oven and discard the foil.
- Sour Cream Topping: Add sour cream, sugar, and vanilla to a large bowl, and whisk them together for about a minute. Fold in the whipped cream. Spread the mixture over the cheesecake and refrigerate overnight before slicing and serving.
Serving Ideas
This recipe is already made with an amazing sour cream topping, but you can add other optional toppings to go along with it if you like. Sour Cream Cheesecake would taste amazing with Hot Fudge Sauce, Strawberry Sauce, or Caramel Sauce. You could even put out a few of these toppings and let your guests pick what they want to put on their piece of cheesecake.
How to Store
- Serve: Cheesecake is best served chilled. Don’t leave Sour Cream Cheesecake at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Cover the cheesecake tightly in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: To freeze the cheesecake, wrap it carefully in plastic wrap or put it in an airtight container. It will stay good for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge, and then leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Frequent Questions
Do not poke your cheesecake with a toothpick, instead, try the wobble test. Gently shake the pan, the outside should be set and the center should have a slight jiggle to it.
I do not recommend skipping this step. Not only does the water bath prevent your cheesecake from cracking, it also helps the custard cook evenly to give you a smooth and velvety texture.
Variations
- Lemon Cheesecake: To add a tangy lemon taste to the cheesecake, mix 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice and ½ tablespoon of lemon zest into the batter. If you want even more lemon you could top your cheesecake layer with some Lemon Curd.
- Cinnamon Cheesecake: Another flavor you can add is cinnamon. Mix ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon into the cheesecake filling. If you want more cinnamon flavor, replace the sour cream topping with a cinnamon sugar topping. For the cinnamon topping, combine ½ cup white sugar and 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, and sprinkle it over the top.
- Berries: You can add delicious berries to the cheesecake. Mix in 1 ½ cups of frozen berries with the cream cheese filling. Blueberries, raspberries or strawberries would all taste amazing. You could also use fresh berries to sprinkle over the cake as a colorful and delicious fruit topping.
- Cheesecake Cupcakes: For fun mini cheesecakes, try dividing the graham cracker crust into a muffin tin. Press the crust so it goes up the side of each muffin cup. Then pour the cream cheese mixture over the top until ¾ full. They’ll bake faster in the small containers, so keep your eye on the mini cheesecakes while they bake.
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These photos were in a previous version of this post
Made this a few times exactly as written. It’s always a hit
Glad you enjoyed the Cheesecake and thank you for the five star review, Rose.
This cheesecake was AMAZING! My absolute favorite part was the whipped sour cream! Omg! Making this again for our ladies get-together this weekend!
One of the best cheesecake recipes I’ve seen! Excited to let my family have a taste of it.
This sour cream topped cheesecake makes a great dessert for the next family gathering! Can’t wait to let them taste this amazing recipe.
Sabrina, Every recipe of yours has been delish! Thank you for sharing, I use some of them in my cafe and get rave reviews. I also am blessed to live in CA:)