Salted caramel cheesecake is a tall, creamy baked cheesecake on a graham cracker crust, with a ribbon of homemade salted caramel running through the middle and more caramel poured over the top. It is a rich, sweet-and-salty dessert for a birthday, a holiday or a dinner party, and it is made the day before.
How to make salted caramel cheesecake: Bake a graham cracker crust in a 7-inch springform pan. Cook sugar and water to a deep amber, then whisk in butter, cream and salt to make caramel. Layer cheesecake filling, caramel and more filling in the crust and bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes over a pan of water. Cool slowly, chill at least 5 hours and top with the reserved caramel.
Why You’ll Love It
- Caramel inside and on top. Half is baked into the cheesecake and half is saved for serving.
- Homemade caramel. Sugar, water, butter, cream and salt, made in one saucepan.
- Tall slices. A 7-inch pan gives a deep cheesecake that cuts into 8.
- A make-ahead dessert. It has to chill for hours, so it is finished before the party starts.
Ingredient Notes
Graham cracker crumbs. Two cups, mixed with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, a pinch of salt and 1/2 cup of melted butter.
Sugar and water for the caramel. One and a half cups of granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of water.
Butter and heavy cream for the caramel. Six tablespoons of unsalted butter and 1/2 cup of heavy cream, both at room temperature.
Salt. Three-quarters of a teaspoon in the caramel.
Cream cheese. Twenty-four ounces of full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature.
Eggs. Three large eggs, at room temperature, mixed in one at a time.
Sour cream and cornstarch. Three-quarters of a cup of sour cream and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 pinch salt
For the salted caramel
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
For the filling
- 24 ounces full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
How to Make Salted Caramel Cheesecake
1. Prepare the crust. Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray and line a 7-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, brown sugar and pinch of salt. Mix in the melted 1/2 cup butter. Press across the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
2. Bake the crust. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove it and let the crust cool.
3. Make the salted caramel. In a saucepan, lightly stir the 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup water together, then heat over medium-high without stirring. Swirl the pan occasionally if needed. When the syrup turns deep amber, remove it from the heat. Whisk in the room-temperature 6 tablespoons butter, then the heavy cream and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Let the caramel cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Mix the filling. Reduce the oven to 325°F. Put a rimmed pan on the bottom rack and set water to boil. Beat the cream cheese, then mix in the 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch just until combined. Mix in the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla. Stir in the sour cream with a spatula.
5. Layer and bake. Spread half the filling in the cooled crust, add about half the salted caramel, then cover with the remaining filling. Reserve the rest of the caramel for serving. Pour the boiling water into the rimmed pan and set the cheesecake, on its baking sheet, on the rack directly above it. Bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the center is slightly wobbly and the top is barely browned. Check the egg-containing filling with a food thermometer for 160°F.
6. Cool and chill. Turn off the oven and leave its door slightly open with the cheesecake inside for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake and let it cool toward room temperature for up to another hour. Refrigerate it within 2 hours of finishing baking. Cover and chill for at least 5 hours.
7. Finish. Top the chilled cheesecake with the reserved caramel. If you like, add a sprinkling of salt before serving.
When Is Salted Caramel Cheesecake Ready to Slice?
There are two different “done” points with a cheesecake, and they are hours apart. One is when it is done baking. The other is when it is ready to cut.
| Stage | What it looks like | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Done baking | Center slightly wobbly, top barely browned, filling at 160°F | 45 to 50 minutes at 325°F |
| Cooling in the oven | Oven off, door slightly open | 1 hour |
| Cooling on the counter | Coming down toward room temperature | Up to 1 hour more |
| Chilling | Covered, in the refrigerator | At least 5 hours |
| Ready to slice | Cold and firm, topped with the reserved caramel | After the chill |
A wobbly center is not a raw center. Take the cheesecake’s temperature if you are unsure. The filling firms up through the slow cooling and the long chill.
For neat slices, warm the knife, dry it, and wipe it clean between cuts.
Tips for Success
How do I know the caramel is ready?
The sugar syrup turns a deep amber color. Take it off the heat at that point, then whisk in the butter, cream and salt.
Should I stir the sugar while it cooks?
Stir the sugar and water together lightly at the start, then stop. Swirl the pan now and then if you need to.
Why do the ingredients need to be at room temperature?
Room-temperature cream cheese, eggs, sour cream, butter and cream blend smoothly. Mix the eggs in gently, one at a time.
Does the cheesecake sit in the water?
No. A rimmed pan of boiling water goes on the bottom rack, and the cheesecake bakes on its baking sheet on the rack directly above it.
When does the rest of the caramel go on?
After the cheesecake has chilled. Pour the reserved caramel over the top before serving.
How Long Does It Take?
Plan on about 515 minutes from start to finish: 35 minutes of prep, about 60 minutes of baking, and then the waiting, which is 1 hour in the oven, up to 1 hour on the counter and at least 5 hours in the refrigerator. You may see this style of cheesecake listed at 6 hours 35 minutes, but that leaves out part of the cooling. Make it the day before.
What Does Salted Caramel Cheesecake Taste Like?
Creamy and a little tangy from the cream cheese and sour cream, with deep, buttery caramel and a clear note of salt that keeps it from being too sweet. The graham cracker crust adds a toasty crunch underneath.
Storage & Reheating
This cheesecake is served cold and never reheated. Keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container, at 40°F or below. USDA FSIS gives 3 to 4 days for refrigerated leftovers. Do not leave it out for more than 2 hours.
What to Serve With It
For more cheesecake, try the caramel brownie cheesecake, the carrot cake cheesecake or pecan cheesecake bars. If salted caramel is your favorite flavor, bake the salted caramel Kentucky butter cake or salted caramel banana bread. And for a layer cake, there is the homemade caramel cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the baked center done, and when can the cheesecake be sliced?
The center is done when it is slightly wobbly and the filling reads 160°F. The cheesecake can be sliced after it has cooled and chilled for at least 5 hours.
How do you make a salted caramel cheesecake?
Bake a graham cracker crust, make a salted caramel, layer half of it between two layers of cheesecake filling, bake, chill, and pour the rest of the caramel on top.
Is this a restaurant copycat?
No. It is a homemade baked cheesecake, not a copy of any restaurant’s recipe.
How many slices does it make?
Eight.
Final Notes
I make the caramel first so it has its 10 to 15 minutes to cool while I mix the filling. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
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Ingredients
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs for the crust
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for the crust
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar for the crust
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted, for the crust
- 1 pinch salt for the crust
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar for the caramel
- 1/4 cup water for the caramel
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, for the caramel
- 1/2 cup heavy cream at room temperature, for the caramel
- 3/4 teaspoon salt for the caramel
- 24 ounces full-fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar for the filling
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch for the filling
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sour cream at room temperature
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray and line a 7-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, brown sugar and pinch of salt. Mix in the melted 1/2 cup butter. Press across the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
- Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove it and let the crust cool.
- In a saucepan, lightly stir the 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup water together, then heat over medium-high without stirring. Swirl the pan occasionally if needed. When the syrup turns deep amber, remove it from the heat. Whisk in the room-temperature 6 tablespoons butter, then the heavy cream and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Let the caramel cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Reduce the oven to 325°F. Put a rimmed pan on the bottom rack and set water to boil. Beat the cream cheese, then mix in the 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch just until combined. Mix in the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla. Stir in the sour cream with a spatula.
- Spread half the filling in the cooled crust, add about half the salted caramel, then cover with the remaining filling. Reserve the rest of the caramel for serving. Pour the boiling water into the rimmed pan and set the cheesecake, on its baking sheet, on the rack directly above it. Bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the center is slightly wobbly and the top is barely browned. Check the egg-containing filling with a food thermometer for 160°F.
- Turn off the oven and leave its door slightly open with the cheesecake inside for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake and let it cool toward room temperature for up to another hour. Refrigerate it within 2 hours of finishing baking. Cover and chill for at least 5 hours.
- Top the chilled cheesecake with the reserved caramel. If you like, add a sprinkling of salt before serving.
