Indulge in the perfect blend of creamy cheesecake and crispy caramelized sugar with this amazing crème brûlée cheesecake recipe. Impress your friends and family with this irresistible dessert treat.

a slice of creme brulee cheesecake on a stack of white plates on a light grey surface.

When someone asks me what my favorite thing to bake is I always list a few things; cheesecake, chocolate anything, and creme brûlée. So combining two of my favorite things into this creme brûlée cheesecake recipe was bound to be a winner.

The recipe is based on my vanilla bean cheesecake with a couple of tweaks to create a more soft, custardy-like cheesecake filling. My fiance and I just about dropped to the floor each time we at a bite of this, it is truly delicious.

slice of cheesecake removed from the whole cake on top of a orange and white linen on a light grey surface.

Let's get to the recipe

Ingredients Needed

For this stunning cheesecake, you will need to make a crust first, you'll need Graham Cracker Crumbs (You can buy pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs or take sheets of graham crackers and crush them), granulated sugar, and melted butter.

For the cheesecake filling:

Full-Fat Cream Cheese. You need to ensure that your cream cheese is softened to room temperature so that you don't have a lumpy cheesecake. You can do this quickly by placing the blocks of foil-wrapped cream cheese in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes to soften it, be careful you don't want to melt the cream cheese.
Granulated Sugar. The sugar is used to sweeten the cheesecake and loosen the cream cheese as you are preparing the cheesecake. You'll also need a few tablespoons to put on top of the cheesecake when you are ready to torch it!
Heavy Whipping Cream. The cream helps create a soft, moist cheesecake. This is a slightly looser cheesecake texture, emulating a creme brûlée more than a thicker New York Style Cheesecake that is made with sour cream.
Vanilla Bean Pod. You can use one whole vanilla bean cut in half then scrape all of the seeds out for the cheesecake batter. You can also use vanilla bean paste if you don't have any real vanilla beans.
Eggs. You will need four whole eggs and two additional egg yolks, this helps create a rich, creamy cheesecake base. The eggs should be at room temperature, you can also place them in a bowl of warm water for five minutes or so to warm them up.
Fresh Berries. Creme brûlée is often served with some berries so I love to serve this cheesecake with berries too.

Adding some Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe wouldn't be a bad idea! And don't forget your kitchen torch.

ingredients for creme brûlée cheesecake on a sheet pan.

For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

How to Make Creme Brûlée Cheesecake (A Visual Guide)

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9-inch springform pan then set aside.

In a small bowl combine crushed graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar. Once evenly combined add melted butter to crumbs.

graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter mixed together in a glass bowl on a light grey surface with an orange linen.

Mix until a wet sand texture is formed. Press into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 5-8 minutes to set the crust. Let cool on a wire rack and reduce oven temperature to 325F/163C.

graham cracker crust pressed into springform pan before and after baking on a light grey surface with an orange linen.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer beat the cream cheese for 2 minutes at low speed. It should be smooth with no lumps. Add the granulated sugar and beat for another 2 minutes on low speed.

cream cheese and sugar mixed together in a glass bowl on a light grey surface with an orange linen.

On a cutting board with a small knife slice the vanilla bean in half then use the back of the knife to scrape the vanilla beans out of the pod. Add the heavy cream and vanilla beans to the cream cheese mixture, mixing until fully combined. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined.

heavy cream and vanilla beans added to cream cheese mixture then eggs added one at a time in a glass bowl on a light grey surface with an orange linen.

Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. You should have a creamy batter with no lumps.

eggs mixed into cheesecake batter until smooth on a light grey surface with an orange linen.

Pour into prepared pan. Now to create the water bath, place the 9-inch springform pan in a 10-inch cake pan- place the cake pan in a roasting pan and fill the roasting pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the cake pan. This prevents ANY water from getting in the cheesecake and you don't have to wrap everything with foil.

creme brulee cheesecake before baking on a light grey surface with an orange linen.

Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, the middle 2 inches of the cheesecake should jiggle just a little bit. I like to use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature is 140-145F. If you make a small hole that is fine since we are covering the top of the cheesecake with the torched sugar.

Turn the oven off and open the door so it is cracked open, let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour then take it out of the roasting pan and cool on a wire rack for another hour. Then wrap cheesecake with plastic wrap. Let chill in the fridge overnight or at least 6 hours.

spatula loosening cheesecake from the pan on a light grey surface.

Once you are ready to serve the cheesecake you can make the caramelized sugar topping, sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of sugar on top of the cheesecake in an even layer. Use a kitchen torch to torch/burn the sugar on top, keep the torch 2-3 inches away from the sugar and watch it melt until golden brown, be careful you don't want to fully burn it. Once all the sugar is browned put the cheesecake back in the refrigerator to chill up for five minutes.

sugar sprinkled on top of cheesecake then a torch bruleeing the top on a light grey surface with an orange linen.

Serve with berries immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

creme brulee cheesecake on a white plate on top of an orange linen on a light grey surface.

To achieve clean slices when you cut the cheesecake use a large, sharp knife and wipe it clean with a hot water towel each time you make a slice.

slice of creme brûlée cheesecake with berries on a stack of white plates on a light grey surface.

Check out all my cheesecake baking tips here.

More Cheesecake Recipes

half eaten slice of creme brulee cheesecake on white plates on a light grey surface.

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Recipe Card

Creme Brûlée Cheesecake

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Print Recipe

Total Time: 9 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 10-12 Slices 1x

Instructions

Crust

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9-inch springform pan then set aside.
In a small bowl combine crushed graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar. Once evenly combined add melted butter to crumbs. Mix until a wet sand texture is formed. Press into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 5-8 minutes to set the crust. Let cool on a wire rack and reduce oven temperature to 325F/163C.

Cheesecake

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer beat the cream cheese for 2 minutes at low speed. It should be smooth with no lumps. Add the granulated sugar and beat for another 2 minutes on low speed.
On a cutting board with a small knife slice the vanilla bean in half then use the back of the knife to scrape the vanilla beans out of the pod. Add the heavy cream and vanilla beans to the cream cheese mixture, mixing until fully combined. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly combined.
Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. You should have a creamy batter with no lumps. Pour into prepared pan. Place the 9-inch springform pan in a 10-inch cake pan- place the cake pan in a roasting pan and fill the roasting pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the cake pan. This prevents ANY water from getting in the cheesecake and you don't have to wrap everything with foil.
Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes, the middle 2 inches of the cheesecake should jiggle just a little bit. I like to use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature is 140-145F. If you make a small hole that is fine since we are covering the top of the cheesecake with the torched sugar.
Turn the oven off and open the door so it is cracked open, let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour then take it out of the roasting pan and cool on a wire rack for another hour. Then wrap cheesecake with plastic wrap. Let chill in the fridge overnight or at least 6 hours.
Once you are ready to serve the cheesecake sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of sugar on top of the cheesecake in an even layer. Use a kitchen torch to torch/burn the sugar on top, keep the torch 2-3 inches away from the sugar and watch it melt until golden brown, be careful you don't want to fully burn it. Once all the sugar is browned put the cheesecake back in the refrigerator to chill up for five minutes. Serve with berries immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.