Gluten Free Cheesecake Recipe

slice of cheesecake with one strawberry cut in half

4.99 from 63 votes

Smooth, rich gluten-free cheesecake with a buttery, easy 2-ingredient crust and no water bath. Classic flavor made simple every time.

Prep Time15

Cook Time55

Resting and chilling time4 30

Total Time5 40

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cream cheese, eggs, gluten free cheesecake, salt, vanilla extract, white sugar

Servings: slices

Author: Nicole Hunn

Equipment

1 8-inch springform pan
Stand mixer or handheld mixer
Roasting pan or casserole dish for filling with water and placing in the oven

Ingredients

For the graham cracker crust

1 ½ cups gluten free graham crackers crushed (See Recipe Notes)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

For the filling

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca starch or arrowroot
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 eggs at room temperature

Customary - Metric

Instructions

Oven instructions

Preheat your oven to 300°F. Grease well an 8-inch or 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on the top oven rack.
Pour 2 cups of hot water into a roasting pan or oven-safe casserole dish and place it on the bottom rack of the oven as it heats.
In a medium-size bowl, place the cookie crumbs and melted butter and mix until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the prepared pan. Set the pan aside.
In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and vanilla, and beat on high speed until very light and fluffy.
Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once, and continue to beat. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the eggs one at a time and mix just until smooth.
Scrape the filling out of the bowl and on top of the crust in the prepared pan. Spread into an even layer and smack the bottom of the pan flat on the counter a few times to break up any large air bubbles.
Place the pan on top of the aluminum foil on the top rack of the preheated oven, and bake for 50 minutes, or until most of the cake is set, but the 2 inches in the center are still somewhat loose when shaken from side to side. If necessary, continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes (10 to 15 minutes for an 8-inch pan).
Once the cake is baked, turn off the oven and crack the oven door a bit, leaving the cake inside. Allow the cake to sit for about 30 minutes or until the oven temperature has reached about 200°F.
Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it will release cleanly from the pan as it shrinks. Allow the cake to cool, still in the pan, until it reaches room temperature.
Cover and chill the cake, still in the pan, for at least 4 hours until set.
Unmold the chilled cake and loosen the bottom from the pan. Transfer the cake carefully to a serving platter, slice with a hot, wet knife, cleaned between each cut, and serve chilled.

Instant Pot Instructions

Grease and line a springform pan that fits your Instant Pot. Use the same recipe but reduce ingredients by one-third for the smaller pan.
Add about an inch of water to the Instant Pot. Cover the top of the cheesecake pan with foil to keep condensation from dripping onto the cake. Place the pan in a silicone sling and lower it into the pot on top of the water.
Seal the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual for 32 minutes. When cooking finishes, turn it off and let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes.
Carefully release any remaining pressure, open the lid, and remove the cheesecake pan. Let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then chill before serving.

Video

Notes

For the graham crackers

If you use my recipe for homemade gluten free graham crackers, you'll need about half the recipe, or 10 rectangular crackers.

If you'd like to buy packaged crackers, I can recommend these brands: Schar, Kinnikinnick, Pamela's, and Partake Foods. They are all relatively expensive, and aren't as great for eating as homemade, but they're extra crumbly, and that works out great as crumbs for a crust.

Nutrition