This creamy cheesecake has sweetened condensed milk baked inside. It is easy to make with just a handful of simple ingredients and it doesn’t require a water bath. Be prepared to have a new favorite cheesecake recipe.
This condensed milk cheesecake is super simple to make and is basically no fail. You don’t need a water bath and if you follow my tips, it won’t crack.
The sweetened condensed milk adds that rich creaminess, so you know it has to be good. And the recipe is easy enough you can probably commit it to memory.
My aunt Donna loves to spoil the whole family with cheesecakes. She is known for them and everyone gets excited when she pulls one out.
She makes this cheesecake, chocolate cheesecakes, round cheesecakes, square cheesecakes and more. My family always gets excited when she makes cheesecake, because they are all yummy!
So, of course I had to make her cheesecake recipe very early in this website’s life. It absolutely fit the bill of favorite family recipes, which was how this whole site started.
The best part is the recipe is easy and I never have any problems with it cracking. That’s saying something for a baked cheesecake!
This cheesecake has been requested for all sorts of occasions over the years. My sister requested it for her wedding cake.
It has been the requested treat at several birthdays. And a cheesecake or two has made an appearance at more holidays than I can count.
When I tell you this recipe is a favorite in our family, you know it is true. It has been at so many of our celebrations.
So if you need a fail-safe cheesecake recipe, this one is for you. It makes a great textured cheesecake that is the perfect mix of creamy and just the right density.
Can you use something besides graham crackers for the crust?
Of course! Any kind of cookie crumbs work well and this is a great way to easily change the flavor of this simple cheesecake.
Vanilla wafers, Oreos, or gingersnaps would all be great options to take this delicious dessert to the next level.
Carlee’s Tips for Getting Smooth Cheesecake Filling
Beat the room temperature cream cheese really well before adding anything else. This is your only real chance to get all of the lumps out.
Email Me The Link
I'll email this post to you, so you can easily find it later. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Once you start adding more liquid, it gets harder to beat out chunks of cream cheese. So make sure it’s softened, beat it well and scrape the sides of the bowl a few times before you move on.
Add the remaining ingredients a bit at a time to make sure they incorporate well. It’s worth taking a couple of minutes to do it right.
Once you start adding the eggs, keep the mixer on low. You don’t want to incorporate air at this point.
Give the cheesecake a couple of good taps on the counter before you put it in the oven. That helps get any air bubbles out.
Carlee’s Tips for Avoiding a Cracked Cheesecake
How do you avoid a crack without a water bath? Bake the cheesecake low and slow and let it cool slowly too.
This allows the cheesecake to bake through evenly. It helps give it that amazing texture as well.
Cooling it too quickly can also cause a crack. Once it is set, I like to turn off the oven and crack the door open but leave the cheesecake inside.
After about ten or fifteen minutes, I move the cheesecake to the counter to cool to room temperature. Then it goes in the fridge to chill.
The gradual cooling makes such a difference!
Storage
Cheesecake should be stored in the refrigerator. Loosely wrap the cheesecake and it will stay good in the fridge for up to a week.
For longer storage, you can freeze the whole cake or individual slices of cheesecake. Wrap what you would like to freeze in several layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month. Allow frozen cheesecake to slowly defrost in the refrigerator before enjoying.
Topping Ideas for Your Condensed Milk Cheesecake
This cheesecake is great on it’s own, but it is also wonderful with something on top. Here are a few of our favorites:
- lemon curd
- blood orange curd
- blueberry sauce
- peach sauce
- fresh berries
If you want more cheesecake goodness, I have quite a few ideas for you. Check out my collection of cheesecake recipes for more tasty inspiration.
Sweetened Condensed Milk Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs*
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 4 Tablespoons butter melted
- 24 oz cream cheese softened
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon lemon extract or almond or flavor of your choice
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F
- Stir the 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar and 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs* together in the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan, add the melted 4 Tablespoons butter. Mix together and press into the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Make sure the cream cheese is really softened. In a large bowl, whip the 24 oz cream cheese until completely smooth, being sure the scrape the sides of your bowl a couple of times.
- Mix in the 14 oz sweetened condensed milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon lemon extract (if using) until smooth.
- Add the 4 large eggs, one at a time mixing until just combined. You don't want to whip air into the mixture at this point.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the crust. Thump it on the counter a couple of times to get out any big air bubbles.
- Bake until the middle doesn't jiggle, about an hour
- Let cool and then chill at least a couple of hours, preferably over night.
Notes
Video
Email Me The Link
I’ll email this post to you, so you can easily find it later. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Did you try this recipe?
Don’t forget to leave a rating below and make sure to follow on Pinterest and Instagram for more!
Get social!
Recipes in your inbox
Once baked how do you get the bottom of the pan removed from the cheesecake? I want to make 2 and gift one.
If I know I am going to take it off the springform base, I usually put a layer of parchment paper between the crust and the bottom of the pan. That way you can slide the parchment off the pan. Once it is on the plate, you can use a spatula to lift of the cheesecake and remove the parchment. I have better luck with that than trying to slide the cheesecake off the pan without it.
Oh, and make sure the cheesecake is chilled when you move it. It will be nice and firm that way and easier to transfer.
My family enjoyed this recipe very much. I added the zest o and juice of 2 large lemons and sifted in 1/4 cup of corn starch to firm up due to extra juice from lemons. Baked for 1 hour, let cool,with oven open for 30 minutes before moving to the counter to finish cooling. Taste is creamy, with a tang at the end from the lemon juice and a brightness from the zest. I would highly recommend this recipe. Light and not dense. Fantastic!
The extra lemon sounds fabulous!
When the cheesecake is done baking, should I leave it in the oven to cool for a half an hour or so before taking it out?
That’s what I like to do. I just crack the door slightly and let it cool slowly. That helps to prevent a crack from the temperature changing too quickly.
I only have half a can of sweetened condensed milk, do you think I could use whole milk for the other half? Maybe add some sugar? Or other substitute for sweetened condensed milk?
Recipe looks so good!
Hmmmm. If you happen to have some sour cream on hand, you could probably get away with adding the condensed milk you have plus 1/4 cup of sour cream and maybe 1/4-1/3 cup of granulated sugar. That should still bake up really creamy and delicious.
@Carlee,
That worked out nicely! Thank you- a great dessert for Father’s Day.
Good, I am so glad it worked!
Can you add melted white chocolate to cheesecake and swirl raspberry sauce in cheesecake
Yes, and that sounds amazing! I know you can add up to 12 oz. of white chocolate to help the flavor come through. You can check out my recipe for chocolate condensed milk cheesecake and switch it to white chocolate if you want. But I think I’ll put a white chocolate and raspberry version on my list of things to try!
Is it 4 tablespoons of melted butter OR 4 tbsp of butter then melt it.
I usually measure it solid and then melt it. I think the difference wouldn’t be enough to make a noticeable change in the crust.
I made it beautiful
I made this with ube (Philippine purple yam), just using ube extract. I made a crust with crushed polvoron (Philippine shortbread). It was purple and incredible, with an amazing texture. We served it with coconut whipped cream (from a can). My daughter and I are officially making it for every Thanksgiving with the Fil side of the family. I would imagine putting any type of extract would make it infinitely flavorable. Rainbow cherry unicorn cheesecake next?
i made it, however did not find the texture creamy enough. will stick with sugar spun run recipe.
I’m sorry it wasn’t what you were looking for.
This cheesecake is very good I add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to mine… and some heavy whipping cream as well as a 1/4 cup of water. It leaves it a little runny but still bakes lovely when it’s done it looks different then your traditional cheesecake but taste awesome
That sounds really interesting. I like soft cheesecake, so it would be fun to try.