Salted Caramel Cheesecake
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 jiggles just a little, it’s done. The best way to describe a jiggle 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
- Peach Cobbler Cheesecake
- Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake
- Raspberry Lemon 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!
Watch how to make this salted caramel cheesecake:
Salted 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.
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, cooled
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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Meet Jenna
I’m the creator, baker, and photographer behind Butternut Bakery. Here I share desserts for every diet because I believe everyone should have a chance to indulge!
Tastes outstanding – but – followed recipe exactly but ended with massive crack/crevasse right through the middle. Never had that happen before. No idea why. Did the water bath, 45 min with oven off. Would’ve been perfect otherwise – filled it with caramel so maybe that’ll make up for the appearance.
This was soooo yummy! First cheesecake I’ve ever made, I followed the recipe to a T and it was perfect!
This was SO amazing. Safe to say that it just might be the perfect cheesecake! I followed the baking instructions exactly and when I put the cheesecake in the fridge, it was beautiful. But when I checked it out after a few hours it had a huge crack in the center. It was purely cosmetic because it still tasted so good. Any tips on preventing a crack after putting it in the fridge? I hadn’t taken the sides of the pan off yet, so maybe that was it?
I just wondered if you’d made the gluten free version? Does it taste just as good as the regular?
This was one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever eaten! I made it for my mom’s 71st birthday and none of us could believe how creamy and delicious it was. We were so happy to have leftovers since there were only four of us. This is only the 2nd time I’ve made a cheesecake in my life and it all almost went off without a hitch, until I forgot to add the 4th egg!! It still turned out amazing, but the sides didn’t puff up and then go down to create the nice center area for the caramel as in your picture. Maybe the egg? And the caramel took it to the next level, like we had bought it from a bakery. It turned out perfect the first go around, and I expected to have to do it more than once. Again, your instructions and tips were so helpful! My only question is…what’s the best way to cut a cheesecake? I struggled with that finally resorting to cleaning the knife off with water and wiping it down to get a clean cut. I will try more of your recipes for sure!
My husband loves salted caramel (and all of your cheesecakes), but doesn’t love ginger snaps. Could I make the crust using graham crackers instead?
Delicious!
Also can you freeze this recipe?
I also have also used this recipe to make these in in miniature. Just put a Tablespoon of the crust mixture in the bottom of avoutb 15-18 lined muffin copa. I use the flat bottom half of 1/3 cup measuring cup, works perfectly to flatten the twist bottom of the liner. Then just make the recipe as usual it makes about 26 to 36 depending on how much you fill the muffin cups . I use 1/4 of a cup and cut the baking time in your crust to about 6 minutes and total time to bake the filling30 minutes. I turn the oven off and leave it closed. I vent it just a little bit and let them cool to room temperature before I put them in the refrigerator.
This recipe gave me the kick I neeeded to try my hand at making homemade caramel. I had a few failed attempts but I didn’t give up.,I invested in a special copper pot and it made all the difference in the world. And don’t be afraid to turn that stove up. Cheesecake has become something of a specialty of mine. I make all kinds but I have people request this particular recipe most often. Even more than your peanut butter cheesecake. I just put the ingredients together the real talent lies with the person who came up with the recipe and I don’t mind telling people that a baker is only as good as the ingredients and their ability to follow a recipe written by a better baker
Hello. I made the cheesecake for my husbands birthday. Havent tried it yet but cant wait!
Just wondering. Should the caramel ontop harden up? Im just noticing as i move it from fridge to countertop the caramel goes with it.
Thanks!