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.

slice of creamy cheesecake with blackberry sauce.

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.

Crust ingredients including graham crackers, butter, and brown sugar.

Grahame cracker crust pressed into the bottom of springform pan.

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!

Ingredients including cream cheese, eggs, condensed milk and vanilla ready to be made into cheesecake batter.

Mixer bowl with beaten cream cheese and some condensed milk, ready to be mixed into cheesecake batter.

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.

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Cheesecake batter in springform pan ready to bake.

Baked condensed milk cheesecake in springform pan, fresh from the oven with no water bath and no crack on top.

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.

Whole condensed milk cheesecake after the springform pan has been removed on a glass serving platter.

Slice of creamy cheesecake on plate with remaining condensed milk cheesecake in background.

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.

Lifting out slice of creamy condensed milk cheesecake out of the larger cake showing smooth cream cheese filling and rich texture.

Slice of condensed milk cheesecake served with blackberry sauce and fresh blackberries.

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:

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.

4.83 from 252 ratings

Sweetened Condensed Milk Cheesecake

Author: Carlee

Servings: Servings (a 9 inch cheesecake)

This cheesecake is super simple to make and is basically no fail. I've never had it crack on me. Follow my simple tips and you'll be enjoying your own perfect cheesecake with condensed milk as well.

Prep: 15

Cook: 1 10

Additional Time 1 25

Total: 2 50

Equipment

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

Makes: 9inch round

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

*You can buy a box of graham cracker crumbs or make you own. This recipe requires 1 sleeve of graham crackers turned into crumbs. I usually use a food processor for this but you can put them in a large resealable plastic bag and go over them with a rolling pin several times until they are fine crumbs.

For the best results, use full-fat cream cheese.