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Made in Chicago and family-owned since 1980

Why Choose Eli’s?

We’re Eli’s Cheesecake – a Chicago-born, family-owned business devoted to hand-crafting the best cheesecake in the world and making life sweeter for you and your family. We promise you: It’s the best cheesecake you’ll ever have. That’s because we only use the best ingredients, and the most important one is our people. From our pastry chefs to our cake decorators to our retail associates and buyers, we believe in “treating the other as if they were the other,” as Eli always liked to say. For us, it’s always been as much about creating meaningful opportunities for our associates and the community as it is about making delicious desserts.
A slice of Eli's Cheesecake with strawberries

What is Chicago-style cheesecake anyway?

A hot, fast bake and no water bath, results in a golden brown exterior with a rich and creamy interior. Richer and creamier than its New York counterpart, Eli’s has a unique taste and texture and is baked on a real all-butter shortbread cookie crust, instead of a graham one.

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All-Butter Shortbread Cookie Crust

Did you know that our cheesecake is baked on top of a giant cookie! Our cookie bakers work through the night, baking off the most delicious, buttery shortbread, which becomes the crust of our cheesecake.

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Slow-Cultured Dairy

We use cultured fresh cream cheese and cultured sour cream with no fillers, stabilizers, or artificial ingredients.

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Hand-Decorated

From frosting layer cakes to swirling cheesecakes and enrobing our Cuties and Dippers, our team of decorators are true artists.

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Locally Sourced Ingredients

Whether it’s cherries, apples, or silken tofu…we don’t compromise on quality.

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Dry, Hot Bake!

A key technique to baking an Eli’s cheesecake is to start at a very high temperature and then reduce the temperature as the baking process continues.

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Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla

We use only pure Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract and vanilla beans from Nielsen-Massey, a family-owned business headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois.

About Us

Our Sweet History

It all started in 1940 when Eli Schulman — our founder, father, and grandfather — saw a foreclosure sign on his favorite neighborhood coffee shop. Armed with charisma and his mother’s recipes, he bought the place and started spreading joy through food. Forty years and several restaurants later, Eli invented Chicago-style cheesecake, known for its creamy texture, beautiful caramelization, and all-butter shortbread cookie crust. It debuted at the first Taste of Chicago in 1980 and was so popular that his namesake restaurant kitchen couldn’t satisfy the demand — so we built an entire 104,000-square foot bakery that could. And we haven’t stopped working since.
Learn More: The Story of Eli's
Eli Schulman, Founder of Eli's Cheesecake