Pricing guide · Baked goods
How to price cheesecake: cost per slice and what to charge
Cheesecake is ingredient-heavy — almost a kilo of cream cheese in one cake — so it has a higher food cost than most bakes. Price it carefully.
Example batch cost
$14.61
Cost per slice
$1.22
Price at 30% food cost
$4.06
Cheesecake cost calculator
New York cheesecake (9-inch)
Enter your price to see food cost % and profit.
The app keeps your ingredient prices. When butter goes up, every dish that uses it updates — no re-typing.
Worked example: New York cheesecake (9-inch)
This batch makes 12 slices. Here is where the money goes, most expensive first:
| Ingredient | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cream cheese | 900 g | $8.10 |
| Graham crackers | 200 g | $2.25 |
| Sour cream | 240 g | $1.87 |
| Eggs | 4 each | $1.20 |
| Butter | 85 g | $0.68 |
| Sugar | 200 g | $0.36 |
| Vanilla extract | 10 ml | $0.15 |
| Total for 12 slices | $14.61 | |
That is $1.22 per slice. At a 30% food cost the price should be at least $4.06. Across the usual 25–35% range for baked goods, that is $3.48 (at 35%) to $4.87 (at 25%) per slice — before your time and overheads.
What drives the cost of cheesecake
- •Cream cheese (the bulk of the cost)
- •Toppings like fruit compote or caramel
- •Cake boards and boxes
Tips for pricing cheesecake
- ✓Cream cheese prices vary a lot between brands and stores — compare per kg
- ✓Price toppings as extras or premium flavours
- ✓Slices carry more handling and packaging than whole cakes; price them higher per portion
Sell whole cheesecakes, slices, and mini cheesecakes for events.
Don’t forget your time and overheads
Ingredients are only part of the price. For baked goods, your time (mixing, proving, baking, decorating, packing) is often the biggest cost — add an hourly rate on top, plus 10–20% for energy, equipment and fees.
Keep your cheesecake prices up to date
Save this recipe in the free CostMyDish app. Your ingredient prices live in one Library — when cream cheese goes up, every recipe that uses it recalculates, and you see which items need a new price.
Get the free appCommon questions about pricing cheesecake
How much does it cost to make one slice?+
In our example (New York cheesecake (9-inch), makes 12 slices), the ingredients cost $14.61 in total, or $1.22 per slice. Enter your own prices in the calculator for your exact cost.
What food cost % should I use for cheesecake?+
For baked goods most businesses aim for 25–35%. At 30%, the example works out to at least $4.06 per slice before labour and overheads.
How much should I charge for a whole cheesecake?+
Multiply the cost per slice by the number of slices, divide by your target food cost, then add the board, box and your time.
Why does cheesecake cost more to make than other cakes?+
It uses a lot of cream cheese and eggs, which are expensive per kg compared with flour and sugar.
More baked goods pricing guides
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