I don’t just throw around the word “best” just because. When I say this is one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever had, I mean it! This salted caramel cheesecake has the silkiest and creamiest texture that is perfectly balanced with the salted caramel. It’s both inside AND on top of this cheesecake. Oh, did I mention it has a gingersnap cookie crust?? Trust me, you definitely need to make this ASAP.
The BEST salted caramel cheesecake
Yes, that’s right. I’m not afraid to say that this is the best cheesecake recipe! I made the final version of this recipe for our Friendsgivingmas and I’ve never seen so many of my friends LOVE a dessert like they did this one.
How could they not? The texture is super creamy and the salted caramel on top makes sure the flavor isn’t too sweet. And the secret to getting that creamy texture is the salted caramel baked into the cheesecake!
How to make this easy salted caramel sauce
We’re already baking an entire cheesecake from scratch so I wanted to make this caramel sauce recipe as simple and as quick as possible. I’ve made this recipe over and over again for SO many desserts. It’s perfect as a drizzle, filling, topping, or an ingredient all on it’s own.
Start by melting the sugar in a medium saucepan. Make sure you’re continually whisking it, even if it looks like nothing is happening. As it starts to melt, small clumps of sugar will start to form. This is why we keep whisking, so that those clumps don’t get too big. If they do, they’ll take longer to melt down which could lead to burnt caramel.
Once the sugar is melted, quickly whisk in the butter. Make sure it’s at room temperature because if it’s cold, the sugar will seize up, ruining your caramel.
When that’s almost combined, pour in the heavy cream and whisk until smooth. It’s also important to warm the cream before adding it to the caramel for the same reason as the butter.
Finish it off by mixing in the salt. The caramel will be very thin when it’s piping hot but as it cools down, you get that perfect caramel sauce consistency.
How to make the creamiest salted caramel cheesecake
Room temperature ingredients. Room temperature ingredients. Room. Temperature. Ingredients. Get it? Got it? Good.
This is the KEY to making any cheesecake super smooth. At the very least, make sure your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature. If you’re in a pinch, place your eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. You can also secure your cream cheese in a ziplock bag and place in a separate bowl of warm water for about 5-10 minutes.
I also like to use both my whisk and paddle attachments when mixing the batter. I use the whisk just for the cream cheese to get it super smooth. Whisk it on medium speed until the cream cheese is no longer lumpy.
Then, take the bowl off of the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to “punch out” any air. I do this by vigorously spreading and flattening out the cream cheese. After this step, switch to the paddle attachment.
You also want to give your ingredients a head start. For example, whisk together all of the dry ingredients before adding them to the cream cheese. This is less work your mixer has to do, which means there’s less opportunity for you to whip air into the batter.
Baking your salted caramel cheesecake
In order to prevent cracking, place a roast pan filled with boiled water on the rack below your cheesecake. The steam will stop your cheesecake from drying out, ensuring zero cracks.
You also want to make sure you thoroughly grease your springform pan so that nothing sticks and your cheesecake can rise evenly.
When it’s done, the edges will puff up (don’t worry, they’ll settle when it cools). Gently shake the pan and if the center giggles just a little, it’s done. The best way to describe a giggle is like when you shake jello. It’s a tighter motion than if you shake a glass of water. That’s more of a wobble. If you see a wobble, it’s not done!
Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in there for another hour with the door cracked open. This also prevents cracks that can happen when the cheesecake is exposed to a drastic change in temperature.
Since the edges puff up during baking, it creates a perfect wall for the caramel to sit in. Pour it on top of the cooled cheesecake and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours before devouring.
For more cheesecake recipes, check out my:
- New York Style Cheesecake
- Cookie Dough Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Chocolate Cheesecake
- The BEST Classic Cheesecake
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake Bars
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram if you make this salted caramel cheesecake. I love seeing my recipes come to life in YOUR kitchen! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
PrintSalted Caramel Cheesecake
- Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 slices
Description
This salted caramel cheesecake is seriously the best cheesecake recipe ever. It’s silky smooth, extra creamy, and covered in a delicious homemade salted caramel.Ā
Ingredients
Homemade Salted Caramel Recipe (click here)
Gingersnap Cookie Crust
- 2 cups (250g) ground gingersnap cookies, regular or gluten free
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
- 2 lbs full fat Philadelphia cream cheese, room temp
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour or gluten free flour
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup (120g) full fat sour cream, room temp
- 1/3 cup (82g) of our salted caramel sauce, cooledĀ
- Flaky sea salt (for topping)
Instructions
Salted Caramel Sauce
- Pour the caramel into a heat proof container and place it in the fridge while we make the cheesecake.
Gingersnap Cookie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease the bottom and sides of a 9″ springform pan. Optional – line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper.
- In a bowl, combine the ground cookies, sugar, and melted butter. Mix until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes then leave it out to cool while we make the filling.
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325F and place a large roast pan on the bottom rack.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix together the room temperature cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Mix on low speed just until smooth. Scrape down the bowl.
- At this point, move to the stove top and start a medium pot of boiling water (this will be for our water bath).Ā
- Back to the batter – mix in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl halfway through.
- Scrape down the bowl again once all the eggs have been mixed in.
- Then mix in the vanilla, sour cream, and caramel.
- Use a rubber spatula to give the batter one last good mix by hand just to ensure everything is well combined.
- Pour the batter into the crust and drop the pan against the counter a couple times to let out any air bubbles.
- Once your water is boiling, carefully pour it into the roast pan and then place the cheesecake on the middle rack directly above.Ā
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. It’s done when the edges have puffed up and the center gives a tight jiggle when you nudge the pan.
- Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door cracked open for 45 minutes.Ā
- Then pour the remaining caramel sauce over the cheesecake before refrigerating. If the caramel is too thick to pour, place it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to thin it out.Ā
- Store the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 4 hours to set, but preferably overnight.
- Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt before serving. I recommend serving it slightly chilled so that the caramel holds its shape.
- Store in an air tight container in the fridge. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cooling Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cheesecake, salted caramel cheesecake, homemade caramel sauce, salted caramel cheesecake recipe
Gillian says
This looks so good! Was wondering where you got the petal plate from in your pictures? They are so cute and perfect for desserts!
Christina says
If youāre considering making this cheesecake, please go ahead and make it! The texture was perfect, it was perfectly balanced with the caramel and cheesecake flavors, and it even looked amazing. I will be making it again!
★★★★★
Jenna says
Aw thank you!!
AnnMarie says
My brother just requested caramel cheesecake for Christmas. When I said I never heard of that combination, he told me to do a Pinterest search. Well here I am, drooling over this recipe, I canāt wait to make it. I have the same question as above – can this bake in the roasting pan?
Jenna says
Haha it’s life changing! Yes it can bake in the roast pan, just make sure to wrap the outside of cheesecake pan in foil to prevent the water from seeping in.
Dianne says
My caramel sauce came too thick is there any way I can thin it or do I have to start again.. Tastes great.
Jenna says
Is it thickened because it was chilled? If so, just heat it back up to thin out.
Kelly says
Canāt wait to try this! I couldnāt find vanilla bean paste anywhere today, is it ok to substitute for regular vanilla extract?
Jenna says
Yep that’s totally ok!
Micka says
Hey, I’m so excited to try this recipe but I have a question. Is it okay if I use regular vanilla extract ?
Thank you in advance !
Micka says
and also can I make a regular graham cracker crust instead of the gingersnap one ?
Jen says
Hi, I can’t wait to make this. My question is, if I’m mixing the sour cream AND the 1\3 C caramel onto cheesecake, where does the caramel that you’ve topped cheesecake with come from? Am I to make a double batch of caramel sauce? Thank you
Jenna says
You only use a portion of it in the cheesecake, and the rest goes on top š
Cassandra says
The recipe says 2lbs of cream cheese how many blocks is that?
Jenna says
4 blocks that are 8 oz each
Jane says
My son requested a caramel cheesecake for his birthday – on less than 24 hours notice mind you – but luckily I had all the ingredients in the house (I stock up on cream cheese when it goes on sale and freeze it) Despite the time crunch this cake turned out amazing. Even my grandson ate 2 slices and he’s not normally a cheesecake fan! I drizzled the top with the leftover caramel and some fudge sauce. Though they were full, they were still eyeing the leftovers as if they were wondering if they had room for another slice lol. Thanks for a very yummy recipe!
★★★★★
Jenna says
Oh yay! Sounds like a big hit! Thanks for sharing š
Paula says
Iāve been cooking and baking for years but cheesecake and homemade caramel are not among my regulars. I made this cheesecake for Christmas day dinner with the family and it was absolutely fabulous! Itās the first time I made a cheesecake that didnāt have huge crevices in the top. The steaming pan underneath as opposed to cooking the cheesecake in a bath (which I rarely attempted anyway lol) was perfect. I will make this again and again. Thank you so much! Next time Iāll take a pic š
★★★★★
Jenna says
Yay! Thanks for sharing!!
Addie says
Is it essential to cool the cheesecake for an hour in the oven or can I do it at room temperature instead?
Jenna says
It must be in the oven š
Lily says
Made this for my sonās 16th birthday and it was declared the best cheesecake ever by all. Thanks for a great recipe and clear instructions. It was perfect!
★★★★★
Doug says
Can you sub graham crackers for the ginger snaps? Equal amount? Making it this weekend!
Jenna says
Yes in equal amount!
Claudia says
I wanted to make this for my boyfriendās birthday because itās his favourite dessert. I had never made cheesecake prior to trying this recipe and it was a huge hit! My oven did run hot so I think it was maybe a touch over baked resulting in a crack but the taste and texture were still perfect. I did substitute the ginger snap for graham crackers and it worked great.
Jenn Justice says
What size springform pan should I use? I canāt wait to try this!
Jenna says
A standard 9″ š
Julie says
My son requested a salted caramel cheesecake for his birthday and I found this recipe during an online search. It was amazing. The gingersnap crust is an added bonus to the fluffy, sweet cheesecake. I brought a piece to a colleague and she declared it “the best cheesecake she’d ever eaten”. I’d make it again and have already shared the recipe with others. Kudos to Jenna!
★★★★★
Sandra says
Almost perfectā¦. The salted caramel is exquisite, perfect recipe Iāve found. The filling was also looking perfectā¦ until the end of the bake time. At one hour I checked it and it looked underdone (centre too jiggly) so I decided to leave it in for the remaining 20min and it was overdone š Iām nervous to serve it but hope the caramel sauce saves it. Monitor closely after the one hour mark is my advice.
Jenna says
It should look underdone in the oven! Once it sits for that additional time in the turned-off oven and chills overnight, it will set like a cheesecake should.
Lorie says
Help! I am making this tomorrow. I do not see the measurements for the caramel sauce. I see the ginger crust, and the actual cheesecake, but not the sauce. Help please.
Jenna says
It’s a link! Just click and it will take you to the caramel recipe.
Diane says
Hi Jenna, I love this recipe and I am making it for a second time. My only question is can I freeze it, maybe before putting the caramel topping on it? I really need to make this ahead of time. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
★★★★★
Jenna says
Yes you can freeze it before or after the caramel! Then bring up to room temp before serving.