This incredibly creamy and decadent salted caramel cheesecake is absolutely delicious. The balance between the sweet and salty caramel sauce perfectly complements the creamy texture of the cheesecake making for a seriously scrumptious treat. For added texture, the cheesecake is topped with caramel popcorn – so yum!
Why is this the Best Salted Caramel Cheesecake Recipe?
- Creamy, smooth cheesecake texture that melts in your mouth
- Perfectly baked buttery graham cracker crust
- You get the sweet and savory flavor of salted caramel in and dripped on top of the cheesecake
- The addition of the caramel popcorn adds a lovely crunch to the cheesecake as well as extra caramel flavor
How to Make Salted Caramel Cheesecake
For the best caramel flavor throughout the cheesecake, I added caramel sauce in the cheesecake batter in addition to dripping the finished bake in caramel sauce. The outcome was pure deliciousness! With each bite of this cheesecake, you are getting a beautiful balance of the sweet and savory flavor of salted caramel. To make recipe, you will need:
Key Ingredients
- Full-Fat Cream Cheese
- Whole Milk Sour Cream or Yogurt
- Granulated Sugar
- Salted Caramel Sauce – Homemade or Store-Bought
- Cornstarch
- Vanilla Extract
- Graham Cracker Crumbs
- Dark or Light Brown Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- Caramel Popcorn (optional) – I used this brand.
Tips for Making the Best Cheesecake
- Double Wrap – double wrap the baking pan up to the rim with heavy duty aluminum foil. This will help prevent the crust from becoming soggy as cheesecake bakes in a water bath.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients – room temperature ingredients will mix more easily and reduce the chance of over mixing or ending up with lumps in the batter.
- Reduce Speed – before mixing in the eggs into the batter, the mixer speed should be reduced from medium to low. I learned that at this point, mixing too much air into batter will cause the surface of the cheesecake to crack as it bakes.
- Bake the Cheesecake Batter in a Water Bath – baking cheesecakes in a water bath helps to ensure an even and consistent bake. It is best to first place the baking pan with cheesecake batter into a larger baking/roasting pan before transferring to the oven. Pour hot water into the larger pan about 1-2 inches (halfway) up the side of the pan with cheesecake batter.
- Bake the Cheesecake Batter at a Low Oven Temperature – baking cheesecakes at a low oven temperature over a long period of time will help to prevent the formation of cracks. My go-to temperature and bake time is 300F(150C) for 60-75 minutes. Bake the cheesecake just until the rim of the cake appears puffed but there is a slight jiggle in the center of the cake.
- Rest the Baked Cheesecake in the Oven – once the cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door ajar (slightly open). Allow the cheesecake to rest in the oven for 1 hour before cooling to room temperature outside the oven. The purpose behind this is to avoid a sudden change in temperature which may shock cheesecake and cause surface cracks.
- Release the Cheesecake from the Pan – as the cheesecake cools, it will naturally pull away from the sides of the pan, running a knife around the edge of cheesecake will help prevent cracks from forming.
How to Store
Cheesecake stored in an airtight container will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, cheesecake stored in an freezer-safe airtight container will last 1-2 months in the freezer. Prior to storing cheesecake, caramel popcorn should be removed to prevent it from becoming soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What baking pan should I use to make this cheesecake recipe?
Springform baking pans are the best type of pans to use when making cheesecake due to its easy release function. For this recipe, I would recommend using an 8 or 9 inch springform pan. I used an 8 inch pan which gave my cheesecake a slightly higher height but a 9 inch pan would work great as well.
Why did my cheesecake have cracks in it?
Most likely, the batter was overmixed or the cheesecake was either over baked or baked at too high of an oven temperature. To minimize the chance of having cracks in a cheesecake, use room temperature ingredients to help avoid over mixing the batter. Additionally, the cheesecake batter should be baked low and slow at a lower oven (300F) temperature over a longer timeframe (60-75 minutes).
How do I avoid ending up with a soggy cheesecake crust?
The best way to avoid having a soggy cheesecake crust is to tightly wrap the outer surface of the springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil. I recommend double wrapping the pan with aluminum foil. Additionally, I would recommend only pouring enough water to reach about 1-2 inches up the side of the pan for the water bath.
How Can I Make Graham Cracker Crumbs from Scratch?
The easiest way to make graham cracker crumbs is to pulse whole graham crackers in a food processor into fine crumbs. Alternatively, whole graham crackers may be placed in a large Ziplock bag. Seal the bag close and use a rolling pin ground the cracker into fine crumbs by rolling the pin over the crackers in a back and forth motion.
Looking for More Cheesecake Recipes, Checkout the Links Below:
If you make this recipe, please make sure to let me know by tagging me @nourishedendeavors on Instagram or by leaving a comment in the comment section down below so I can find out how this recipe turned out for you! If you have any questions, ask away! I would love to answer your questions! Happy baking!
PrintSalted Caramel Cheesecake
This incredibly creamy and decadent salted caramel cheesecake is absolutely delicious. The balance between the sweet and salty caramel sauce perfectly complements the creamy texture of the cheesecake making for a seriously scrumptious treat. For added texture, the cheesecake is topped with caramel popcorn – so yum!
- Prep Time: 1 Hour (Not Including Cooling and Refrigeration Time)
- Cook Time: 60 Minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8–10 Slices 1x
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 1/2 Cups (162g) Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) Unsalted Butter, Melted and Cooled
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons (24g) Dark or Light Brown Sugar, Packed
- Pinch of Salt (about 1/8 Teaspoons)
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
- 24 Ounces (678g) Full-Fat Cream Cheese, Softened
- 2/3 Cup (134g) Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup (113g) Whole Milk Sour Cream or Yogurt
- 1/4 Cup (57g) Salted Caramel Sauce, Homemade or Store-Bought
- 3 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
- 1/2 Tablespoon (5g) Cornstarch (May Substitute with 1 TBSP Flour)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 3–4 Cups of Hot Water, for Water Bath
Assembly
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) Salted Caramel Sauce, Homemade or Store-Bought (See Notes)
- Flaky or Regular Sea Salt
- Caramel Popcorn (Optional)
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325F(165C). Double wrap an 8 or 9 inch springform pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Lightly grease the sides and base of the pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt. Use a fork to mix ingredients together to combine.Pour melted, cooled butter over graham cracker mixture and mix until mixture appears completely moisten.
- Transfer graham cracker mixture to prepared springform pan. Use the back of a measuring cup or hands to evenly press mixture into the base of the pan.
- Bake graham cracker crust for 10-12 minutes or until the crust becomes fragrant and takes on a rich golden brown color.Set aside the crust to cool as the cheesecake batter is prepared. Reduce the oven temperature to 300F (150C).
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, add the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and cornstarch. Cream ingredients together at medium speed until batter appears smooth without any lumps, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and base of the mixing bowl. Mix in the vanilla extract and caramel sauce into the batter at medium speed, about 1 minute.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the eggs into the batter one at a time. Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and base of the mixing bowl. Mix batter for an additional minute at low speed.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the cooled graham cracker crust. Use the back of a rubber or offset spatula to smooth out the batter into an even layer.
- Transfer the cheesecake filled springform pan into a larger baking/roasting pan and place in the oven. Carefully pour hot water into the larger pan about 1-2 inches (halfway) up the sides of the springform pan.
- Bake cheesecake batter for 60-75 minutes. Cheesecake is ready when the edges appear slightly puffed and the center jiggles a little when the springform pan is gently shaken.
- Cool the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar (slightly open) for one hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run an offset spatula along the sides to help separate the cheesecake from the sides of the pan.
- Cool the cheesecake at room temperature, about 2-3 hours before refrigerating to set for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.
Assembly
- Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and transfer to a serving platter.
- Pour the salted caramel sauce into the center of the cheesecake and use an offset spatula to spread sauce into an even layer slightly dripping down the sides of the cheesecake.
- Sprinkle the top of the caramel sauce with flaky or regular sea salt before topping with caramel popcorn (if using) and serving.
Notes
- Cheesecake stored in an airtight container will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, cheesecake stored in an freezer-safe airtight container will last 1-2 months in the freezer. Prior to storing cheesecake, caramel popcorn should be removed to prevent it from becoming soggy.
- Refrigerating the caramel sauce for 1-2 hours prior to using will give it a thicker consistency which will help keep it from running off the cheesecake too quickly.
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