- Bring cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream to room temperature at least 2 hours before baking.
- Fold homemade salted caramel into batter and swirl on top for deep, uniform flavor.
- Bake in a water bath, wrap pan in foil, then cool in oven with door cracked for one hour.
- Avoid overmixing after adding eggs to prevent air pockets that cause cracks.
I still vividly remember the first time I nailed this balance of sugar and salt. It was for a holiday party, and the room went silent after the first bite. This salted caramel cheesecake recipe is the culmination of my obsession with that perfect, velvety texture. It is not just a cake; it is an experience that dances between the tang of cream cheese and the deep, burnt sugar notes of homemade caramel.
This dish fits perfectly into any celebratory menu, whether it is Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a special birthday. While it looks impressive, it is actually a wonderful make-ahead option. In fact, it tastes better after resting for 24 hours. It is the ultimate festive dish that removes stress from the day of the party.
Table of contents
Salted Caramel Cheesecake Recipe Card
Salted Caramel Cheesecake Recipe
12
servings40
minutes1
hour15
minutes580
kcalKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- The Crust
1.5 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
0.25 cup Granulated Sugar
6.0 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
- The Salted Caramel Sauce
1.0 cup Granulated Sugar
6.0 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, cubed
0.5 cup Heavy Cream
1.0 teaspoon Sea Salt
- The Cheesecake Filling
32.0 oz Cream Cheese, full fat, room temperature
1.0 cup Granulated Sugar
0.5 cup Sour Cream, room temperature
1.0 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
4.0 large Eggs, room temperature
0.5 cup Salted Caramel Sauce (from above)
Directions
- First, make the caramel sauce. Heat 1.0 cup sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it melts into an amber liquid. Carefully whisk in the butter until melted. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the heavy cream (it will bubble violently). Stir in the salt. Let it cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10.0 minutes. Remove and let cool. Reduce oven heat to 325°F (160°C).
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and 1.0 cup sugar until smooth. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and 0.5 cup of the cooled caramel sauce. Mix well. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed just until blended. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter over the crust. Wrap the bottom of the pan in foil and place it in a large roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
- Bake for 60.0 to 70.0 minutes. The center should still be jiggly like Jell-O. Turn off the oven and crack the door open. Let the cake cool in the oven for 1.0 hour.
- Remove from the water bath and chill in the refrigerator for at least 6.0 hours or overnight. Before serving, pour the remaining caramel sauce over the top and sprinkle with extra sea salt.
Notes
- Water Leaks: Use 18-inch heavy-duty foil to wrap the pan. Regular foil is too narrow and often lets water seep in, creating a soggy crust.
- Slicing: Dip a sharp knife in hot water and wipe it dry between every single cut for clean, professional-looking slices.
- Storage: This cheesecake freezes beautifully. Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and foil for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Facts
- Fat: 38g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Protein: 8g
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Getting Ready
Cheesecake requires patience and temperature control. Here is how to prep for this salted caramel cheesecake recipe so you are not rushing later.
- Room Temperature is Law: Take your cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream out of the fridge at least 2.0 hours before you start. Cold ingredients lead to lumps.
- Make the Sauce Early: You can make the salted caramel sauce up to a week in advance. Store it in a jar in the fridge. Just reheat it slightly to make it pourable.
- Pre-Bake the Crust: Baking the crust alone for 10 minutes ensures it stays crisp under the wet batter.
- The Water Bath Setup: Find a roasting pan large enough to hold your springform pan now, so you aren’t scrambling for one while the oven is on.
Why This Salted Caramel Cheesecake Recipe Rules
The magic of this salted caramel cheesecake recipe lies in the incorporation of the sauce. Many recipes simply drizzle caramel on top of a plain vanilla base. My version folds the homemade salted caramel directly into the batter and pours it over the top. This creates a depth of flavor that permeates every single bite.
Furthermore, we use sour cream alongside the cream cheese. This breaks up the density. It provides a slight acidity that cuts through the intense sweetness of the caramel. You can easily customize this recipe for gluten-free diets by swapping the graham crackers for gluten-free biscuits. For those interested in the chemistry of why caramelization creates such complex flavors, you can read about the science of caramelization.
Chef Secrets for a Flawless Top
I have baked hundreds of cakes, and these are my non-negotiable rules for this salted caramel cheesecake recipe:
- Don’t Overmix: Once you add the eggs, mix on the lowest speed just until combined. Incorporating too much air causes the cake to puff up in the oven and then collapse and crack as it cools.
- The Water Bath (Bain-Marie): This acts as a buffer for the heat. It ensures the custard cooks gently and evenly. Wrap your pan in heavy-duty foil to prevent leaks.
- The Cool Down: This is the most critical step. Do not take the cake out of the oven immediately. Turn the oven off, crack the door, and let it sit for an hour.
- Grease the Sides: Grease the entire springform pan. As the cake shrinks slightly during cooling, it needs to pull away from the sides easily to avoid tearing the center.
Cheesecake Variations
The Salted Pretzel Crust Variant
If you want to amplify the salty-sweet factor, replace the graham crackers with an equal weight of salted pretzels. Pulse them in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. The extra salt in the crust pairs magnificently with the creamy filling. You may need slightly more butter to bind the pretzels as they are drier than graham crackers.
The Turtle Cheesecake Twist
Transform this salted caramel cheesecake recipe into a “Turtle” delight. Toast 1.0 cup of pecans and chop them roughly. Sprinkle half of the pecans over the crust before adding the batter. Once the cheesecake is baked and cooled, top it with the remaining pecans and drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate alongside the caramel sauce.
If you love rich desserts, you might also want to try my Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies which use a similar caramel drizzle.
Salted Caramel Cheesecake Troubleshooting
Cracks usually happen due to overmixing the batter (adding too much air) or cooling the cake too quickly (drastic temperature change). Using a water bath and letting it cool in the oven helps prevent this.
Yes, you can use a high-quality jarred salted caramel sauce to save time. However, the flavor of the salted caramel cheesecake recipe is superior with homemade sauce.
The edges should be set and slightly puffy, but the center 2 inches should still wobble like gelatin when you gently shake the pan. If it is firm, it is overbaked.
Technically no, but I highly recommend it. Without it, the texture will be more like a dense pie, and the edges may overcook before the center is done.
A Slice of Heaven Awaits
I hope this salted caramel cheesecake recipe becomes a staple in your baking repertoire. The effort required to make the caramel and prepare the water bath is paid back tenfold in flavor. It is a dessert that demands attention and satisfies the soul.
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