This post may contain affiliate links.
Please read my disclosure policy.
These foolproof Sous Vide Cheesecakes are creamy, rich, and smooth, with a graham cracker crust at the bottom for a classic treat! Made in mason jars, it’s an easy make-ahead dessert recipe with individual servings. The sous vide technique allows you to cook the cheesecake to the precise temperature you set, guaranteeing a perfect crack-proof texture every time!
Like Sous Vide Crème Brûlée, these no-fail sous vide cheesecakes are made and served in mason jars, making them a perfect party dessert for a picnic or fun dessert for kids!
What is Sous Vide?
It’s a French technique that means cooking “under vacuum”. The food is first vacuum-sealed in a bag (or canning jar), then cooked for a long time to a very precise temperature in a warm water bath using sous vide immersion circulator. It’s known for being a precise and consistent way to evenly cook the food.
Why Sous Vide Cheesecake?
The classic baked cheesecake can be intimidating for home cooks since oven temperature varies by model, and slightly overcooking can cause cracked tops. Plus it’s quite stressful to know when your cheesecake is done and needs to be removed from the oven.
Say hi to sous vide cooking! It’s the BEST way to cook cheesecake, as it allows you to control the temperature precisely, producing a consistent silky smooth and crack-less cheesecake every time. Never need to worry about overcooking or undercooking your cheesecake!
Equipment You’ll Need
Note: I used 4-oz mason jars, which is a perfect size for making mini sous vide cheesecakes. Make sure to dry them completely before cooking.
Ingredients
- Graham Crackers: I used 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs for this recipe. You may wonder: how many graham crackers do I need to make a cup of crumbs? It’s about 15 square graham crackers to make 1 cup of crumbs.
- Butter: I used unsalted butter, but you can also use salted butter if you prefer a slightly salty flavor from the bottom crust of your cheesecake.
- Cream Cheese: It’s very important to use softened cream cheese. You can either soften it in the microwave for 15 seconds at full powder (add 5 more seconds if needed) or let it rest at room temperature for about 2 hours.
- Eggs: Room-temperature eggs aren’t entirely crucial but it helps to blend ingredients more easily. To bring eggs to room temperature they’ll need to rest for 2 hours. Alternatively, you can soak them in warm water for 10 minutes.
- Sour Cream: The sour cream softens up the texture as well as adding a slightly tangy flavor. You can substitute plain Greek yogurt.
- Granulated Sugar: Regular granulated sugar works well.
- Vanilla Extract: It adds the subtle and delicious flavor of vanilla, and also enhances the flavor of other ingredients.
How To Make Sous Vide Cheesecake
Step 1: Make The Crust Mixture
First, crush graham crackers into crumbs. The easiest way is to place graham crackers in a ziptop bag, seal the bag, and crush with a rolling pin to fine crumbs. Combine the crumbs with melted butter for a sweet and buttery crust.
Step 2: Make Cheesecake Batter
Add cream cheese and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
Mix in vanilla extract, eggs, and sour cream. Beat until combined. Tap bowl against your countertop a few times to release any large air bubbles.
Step 3: Sous Vide Cook Cheesecake
Assemble the crust and cheesecake filling in mini mason jars, and cover with lids. Sous vide cook them at 185˚F (85˚C) for 1.5 hours.
Step 4: Chill The Cheesecake
Chill in the fridge for 4 hours. Serve with fresh fruits such as raspberries and blueberries.
Tips And Tricks
Use Room Temperature Cream Cheese: It’s very important to bring your cream cheese to the room temperature so that it doesn’t get lumpy in the batter. If you forget to take the cream cheese out in advance, just place it on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 15 seconds, and add 5 seconds at a time until softened.
Close the Lid “Fingertip Tight”: As the jars are cooked in the water bath, it’s important to seal them properly. Twist the mason jar lids very gently until “fingertip tight”, which means the lid is barely closed and can be easily opened with two fingertips. This tightness prevents water from getting into the jar while allowing air bubbles to escape. If it’s too tight, the jars can crack when the trapped air presses against the glass once heated.
Avoid the “Thermal Shock”: Adding the mason jars to the water bath when the water is not completely heated will also help to prevent the jars from cracking.
Cool at room temperature before moving to the fridge: Let the cheesecake come to room temperature before chilling. For the best results, open the lid of the mason jar, and pat dry any moisture from the lid. It may take 30-60 minutes to cool down completely. Put the lid back on before moving them to the fridge.
The texture is much smoother after chilling for about 4 hours in the fridge. See the photos below to see the texture before and after chilling:
Temperature And Time
It’s best to sous vide cook your cheesecake at 185ºF/85ºC. It takes 1.5 hours to cook them in the water bath.
Variations
- Crust: You can swap out graham crackers for vanilla wafer cookies or Oreo cookies for different flavors of crust.
- Filling: Other popular fillings include strawberries, Oreos, lemon, and pumpkin flavor.
- Topping: Feel free to add whipped cream, other fruits, or even S’mores for some fun twists.
How To Serve Sous Vide Cheesecake
While I always find it tempting to dig into cheesecake while warm, the flavor is actually far superior when chilled. Place the mason jars in the fridge and let them chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.
My favorite way is to serve these cheesecakes directly in mason jars, and garnished with a few fresh berries.
Topping Ideas
You can serve your sous vide cheesecake with individual mason jars. To make it more fancy, you can add some toppings. Here are some of my favorites::
- Berries: Fresh berries like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or blackberries add a pop of color and flavor to cheesecake. (Tip: even some thawed frozen berries can work when you don’t have fresh ones.)
- Caramel or chocolate: A drizzle of thick caramel or chocolate sauce makes for an attractive serving presentation with minimal effort.
- Fruit Compote: A spoonful of fruit compote or pie filling adds a pop of color and tastes amazing. My favorite is peach compote.
- Whipped Cream: A bit of freshly whipped cream is heavenly on cheesecake.
How Long Does Sous Vide Cheesecake Last?
Sous vide cheesecakes are a great make-ahead dessert. They should be stored chilled in the refrigerator and can last up to 5 days.
Can You Freeze Sous Vide Cheesecakes?
Yes, sous vide cheesecakes freeze well in the freezer. Make sure to let them cool down completely before storing them in the freezer. Don’t top with fruits as the juices can leak from the fruits, making the cheesecake soggy. They will last up to 2-3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
FAQs
Why is my sous vide cheesecake runny?
A sous vide cheesecake is normally less thick than baked cheesecake. It may look runny when it first comes out of the sous vide water bath, but it will turn into perfect cheesecake after being chilled for a cup of hours.
If it’s still runny after chilling, it’s also possible your cheesecake is undercooked!
How can I prevent mason jars from cracking?
To avoid cracking, always use tempered mason jars that are meant for high-temperature use. Also, I’ve found that heating the mason jars gradually helps avoid breakage, rather than plunging them into hot water.
Do I have to chill sous vide cheesecake before eating?
Strictly speaking, chilling is not required, but the taste and texture of the cheesecake will be superior when chilled for several hours or more.
How to make this recipe keto?
To make a keto-friendly sous vide cheesecake, you need to eliminate sugar and use erythritol, stevia or monk fruit sweetener instead. You should also either eliminate the crust or use an almond-meal crust. Finally, check that the other ingredients don’t introduce carbs.
You May Also Like
If you like these Sous Vide Cheesecakes then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know. I love hearing from you!
Sous Vide Cheesecake Recipe (+VIDEO)
Ingredients
Filling:
- 16 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
Crust:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 15 square graham crackers)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Make the Crust: Crush graham crackers into crumbs. You can place graham crackers in a gallon-sized ziptop bag, seal the bag and crush with a rolling pin to fine crumbs. (You can also break them into pieces to fit in the food processor. Pulse until you get fine crumbs.)
- Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. It should have the consistency of wet sand.
- Make the Batter: In a large bowl add cream cheese and sugar, beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. (Don’t over-beat or you’ll trap too much air.)
- Add eggs, vanilla extract, and sous cream. Beat until combined. Tap bowl against your countertop a few times to release any large air bubbles.
- Sous Vide Cook Cheesecake: Add the graham cracker crumbs to the mason jars (about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons for each jar), and press firmly into the bottom of the jar with the handle end of a wooden spoon. (Make sure the mason jars and the lids are dry).
- Pour cheesecake batter on top of the crust, leaving about 1/2 inch from the top.
- Place the lid on each mason jar, and twist it gently until “fingertip tight” (This means the lid is barely closed and can be easily open with two fingers.)
- Fill a large container or pot with water, and set the sous vide precision cooker to 185ºF/85ºC. (For this recipe, you don't need to preheat the water bath.)
- Use a kitchen tong and slowly place the mason jars into the sous vide water bath. Cook for 1.5 hours.
- Chill the Cheesecake: When the timer goes off, remove the mason jars from the water bath and pat dry the surface of the lid with paper towels.
- Open the lid and let them cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. In the mean time, dry the inside of the lid.
- Once the jars are cool to the touch. Put back the lid and fasten it. Let the cheesecake chill in the fridge for about 4 hours or up to 5 days.
- Decorate with fresh berries and mint and serve.
Notes
- It’s very important to use room temperature cream cheese so it doesn’t get lumpy in the batter.
- Avoid closing the lid too tight. “Fingertip tight” is the best, so that air bubbles can escape from the jar.
- Make sure to add the mason jars to the water bath BEFORE the water is completely heated. This will also help to prevent the jars from cracking.
- Let the cheesecake chill in the fridge for over 4 hours or overnight for the best texture.
Video
Nutrition
UPDATED JULY 9, 2020: This post was originally published on Jan 17, 2020. We added more details to help you make the best Sous Vide Cheesecake ever. Enjoy!
Blaine says
If you put jars in sou vide before it reaches cooking temperature, I’m assuming you then cook 1 1/2 hours at cooking temp?
izzycooking says
Hi Blaine, usually it’ll take less than 30 minutes to heat up your sous vide machine, but yes, the total time will be 1 hour + heating up time.
Amy M Wojnarwsky says
If adding pumpkin puree to make pumpkin cheesecake, how much do you add?
izzycooking says
Hi Amy, you’ll need to add about 10-oz pumpkin puree to the mixture. Also add 1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for extra flavor. Hope this helps.
Benita says
Can I use bigger mason jars? Unfortunately I do not have the mini kind, but wondering how it would affect cooking the cheesecake?
Thank you!
izzycooking says
Hi Benita, you should be able to make this recipe using large mason jars, but I haven’t tried it myself. Please let me know how your cheesecake turns out.
David says
hi
is this a heavy cheese cake if not pls advise where I could have gone wrong. it’s like a NY cheesecake. tks
Suzanne says
How many jars does this make? How many servings?
Gemma Judd says
Probably a bit of a dumb question, but will any jars with lids work? Or do they have to have the seal like your jars have?
Izzy says
Hi Gemma, this is a great question. Yes, you can use any jars as long as you can seal them with proper lids. Hope this helps. Izzy
Megan says
Can I make these in a bag and transfer to ramekins like your crème brûlée recipe?
Eric says
Can this be prepared in a bag and transferred to the jars like the creme brulee?
Izzy says
Hi Eric, I never tried to cook the cheesecake in a bag as the texture of the cheesecake is quite different than creme brulee.
Jan says
Do you have to use the canning lids on you jars or can you use the white lids that fit the canning jars?
Izzy says
Yes, you can