Creamy, decadent, and absolutely delicious. My salted caramel cheesecake
recipe is baked on a graham cracker crust, and topped with more homemade
salted caramel. It's one of my all-time favorite desserts, tested and perfected with
love in my kitchen, and a must-make for any cheesecake lover.
Can we please have a moment for that salted caramel drip. Here we are with yet another cheesecake recipe. Whether its Nutella, Chocolate Chip, Dulce de Leche, Gingerbread, or countless other cheesecake recipes are probably my favorite to bake.
I love that you can make the recipe the day before you want to serve it so the day of your party, or special dinner, you don't have to worry about dessert.
So beautiful.
Crust, Filling & Caramel in Three Simple Steps
- For the crust, I like to use a graham cracker crust, but an Oreo crust would be great too. The key to no cracks on the cheesecake is not over mixing the cheesecake batter, using a water bath while cooking, and getting rid of the air bubbles are your first steps in preventing cracks.
- For the cheesecake filling using room-temperature cream cheese, eggs, sugar, sour cream, and heavy cream gives the smooth texture that defines this cheesecake. Proper mixing and gentle baking are essential for a silky result.
- Salted Caramel store-bought or check out my easy recipe for Homemade Salted Caramel. The salted caramel drizzle adds complex flavor-sweet and buttery with a subtle salt finish. Poured over the chilled cheesecake, it creates glossy effectiveness and indulgent balance. Salt really highlights the dairy sweetness.
Featured Review
"Made this one for thanksgiving!! Was such a hit with the family! So creamy and perfect amount of sweet!"
Karla Navarro
The key to no cracks on the cheesecake is not over mixing the cheesecake batter, using a water bath while cooking, and getting rid of the air bubbles are your first steps in preventing cracks.
Check out all my cheesecake baking tips here.
Crust, Filling, Caramel-Let's Do This
Bake Slow, Chill Longer
This slow cooling process will help the cheesecake reduce its internal temperature slowly, helping to prevent any cracks.
Place the 6-inch springform pan in a 9-inch cake pan, then place that 9-inch cake pan in 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.
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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PrintRecipe Card
Homemade Salted Caramel Cheesecake Recipe
Creamy, decadent, and absolutely delicious. My salted caramel cheesecake recipe is baked on a graham cracker crust, and topped with more homemade salted caramel. It's one of my all-time favorite desserts, tested and perfected with love in my kitchen, and a must-make for any cheesecake lover.
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 Slices 1x
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 2 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
Cheesecake
- 16oz Cream Cheese, very soft at room temp.
- 150 grams (¾ cup) Granulated Sugar
- 1 oz (2Tablespoons) Heavy Cream
- 2 oz (4 Tablespoons) Sour Cream
- 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 4oz (½ Cup) Homemade Salted Caramel or Store-bought
- 3 Large Eggs, at room temp.
- 1 Large Egg Yolk, at room temp.
Topping
- 1 cup Whipped Cream Homemade or Store-bought
- 2oz (¼ Cup) Homemade Salted Caramel or Store-bought
Instructions
Crust
- Grease a 6-inch springform pan set aside. Preheat oven to 325F/162C. In a food processor, crush the graham crackers till they become a fine crumb. In a large bowl add the graham crackers and granulated sugar mixing to combine then add the melted butter and press into bottom and slightly up upsides of prepared pan. Place in the oven to bake for 5 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Let cool while you make the filling.
Cheesecake
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat cream cheese for 2 minutes on medium to high speed. Add granulated sugar and beat for another 2 minutes. Add heavy cream, sour cream, and salted caramel mixing until fully combined. Add in vanilla extract and eggs one at a time and mix until just combined, do not over mix. You should have a creamy batter with no lumps.
- Pour into prepared pan. Create a water bath by placing the 6-inch pan in a 9-inch cake pan- place the cake pan in 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 60 to 75 minutes, the middle of the cheesecake should jiggle just a little bit, if you use an internal thermometer the internal temperature should be 145F/63C. Turn the oven off and let cool in the oven for 1 hour then take out of the roasting pan and let cool on the counter for 45 minutes to an hour. Finally, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Topping
- Take the cheesecake out of the fridge and use an offset spatula to gently loosen the crust from the side of the pan, then release the springform pan.
- Top with salted caramel then fresh whipped cream, I used my homemade recipe and piped with a Wilton 1M tip. Store the cheesecake in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- *You can double the recipe for a 9-inch cheesecake, just add on 30 ish more minutes baking time, you want the cheesecake to still jiggle in the center but be set on the edge*
- Cheesecake actually freezes really well. Let the cheesecake cool completely if you want to freeze it on the bottom of the springform pan you're good to go if you want to remove it using a spatula to help you transfer the cheesecake to a foil-lined cake board or piece of cardboard. When the cheesecake has cooled place it in the freezer uncovered. Once the cheesecake has begun to freeze most of the way 3hours later or so wrap the cheesecake in two layers of plastic wrap then a layer of foil.
- Do not freeze a cheesecake with any toppings, thaw and then add toppings.
- Place the frozen cheesecake in the fridge overnight to thaw. I remove all but 1 layer of plastic wrap while the cheesecake is thawing.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 65
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nellie says
Your salted caramel is my favorite plus your cheesecakes! This is my new birthday tradition!
Megan S Stebar says
I'm dying to make this, but just realized my smallest springform is an 8-inch. Any recommendations on adjusting the time and temperature?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Megan! Thanks for reaching out! For an 8-inch I would up the recipe as well so that you end up with a thicker cheesecake- see ingredients below, the time would be relatively the same. You could also use the ingredients listed in the recipe card and bake a thinner cheesecake for that I would start checking the cheesecake at around 35 minutes. The key to baking any cheesecake is to make sure that the outside is set but the inner two- three inches or so is wobbly and jiggly still, but not sloshy. Let me know if you have any other questions! XX Liz
Crust
1 1/2 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
3 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
4.5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
Cheesecake
24oz Cream Cheese
150 Grams (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 Tablespoons) Granulated Sugar
2 oz Heavy Cream
3.5oz (1/3 cup) Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
6oz (3/4 Cup) Salted Caramel
4 Large Whole Eggs, at room temp.
1 Large Egg Yolk, at room temp.
Megan S Stebar says
Hi, Liz! Sorry it took me so long to reply! Thank you so much for the adjusted recipe. I made it last week and have a couple notes for you, in case you or anyone else decides to try an 8 inch cheesecake.
#1 - This made way more batter than I needed. I loved how thick the crust was, but I filled my springform to the brim and still had enough to make 4 "cupcakes," which I overcooked, but still tasted yummy. 🙂
#2 - It took forever to bake! After 90 minutes, it was browning on top so I covered it with foil, turned the temp down to 300, and then honestly lost track of how many times I added 10 more minutes but would still come back to a sloshy cake. I eventually just called it, turned the oven off and proceeded with the cool down. It was delicious, creamy, and seemingly fully cooked when we cut into it the next day!
All in all, a very yummy cheesecake that I will definitely make again!
Hayley says
I don’t have a 9” cake tin to sit the 6” cake tin in. What are my alternatives to ensure it cooks correctly please? I haven’t baked a cheesecake using this method before! Thank you!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Hayley- instead of placing the springform pan into a larger cake pan you could set it into just a large pan in general, maybe a large casserole dish and place that casserole dish in the water bath with the hot water. The whole idea is to prevent the water seeping into the springform pan, if you don't have any larger pans then I would use heavy-duty foil to wrap around and up the sides of the springform pan, maybe even double wrap it being very careful not to tear it. Please let me know if you have any further questions or if you make the recipe, I would love to know what you think! XX Liz
Beth B. says
The cheesecake was soooo delicious, but it turned dark brown on top. How do I prevent this in the future?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Beth, so pleased you enjoyed the cheesecake. My cheesecakes do have a darker top when I bake this cheesecake too. If it was too dark I would think that maybe it was positioned in a hot spot of the oven. Have you ever tried baking a tray of white bread all lined out on a baking tray to see what areas of the oven are hotter based on the darkness of the toast? My other thought on it being too brown would be it cooking too long, when you let it rest in the oven you could prop the door open to let some of the hot air escape quicker, do not take it out of the oven right away though because the drastic temperature change would cause the cheesecake to crack. Please let me know if I can help with anything else. May I ask a favor please, next time if you make this again and enjoy it would you please leave a star rating with the review- it helps other readers quickly see if the recipe has been a success. Thanks!! Liz
Terrie says
Hi! didn't have 6'' springforms, I used 4 x 4'' and reduced the time to 45 minutes
Tasty! Thanks.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Terries, so pleased you enjoyed the recipe, thank you so much for coming back to review the recipe!! Take care. XX Liz
Pete says
Hi,
Can the cheesecake be stored in the fridge with the caramel sauce on? I don’t want the sauce to go hard, but I read so many recipes require the sauce to added just before serving. Will it be ok if I decorate it then put it in the fridge for a few hours rather than adding the sauce before serving?
Thanks,
Pete
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Pete, thanks for reaching out. My salted caramel recipe, that I suggest using in the Cheesecake recipe, doesn't harden when in the fridge, it definitely sets up a bit more but not totally hard. When serving cheesecake I think it's ideal to let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving anyways which will help warm the caramel sauce up a bit too. Please let me know if you have any further questions or if you try the recipe I would love to know what you think? XX Liz
Karla Navarro says
Made this one for thanksgiving!! Was such a hit with the family! So creamy and perfect amount of sweet!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Seriously the perfect sweetness! Thank you so much for coming back to rate and review the recipe Karla.! XX Liz
Rachel Mina says
Hello! Wondering if I can do the double recipe in a 10 inch springform pan? My 6 inch isn’t arriving in time when I need to make it and I only have the 10 inch right now. Thank you!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Rachel, thanks for reaching out. You totally can double the recipe. I have actually never baked a 10-inch cheesecake but I would suggest baking for 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes, the middle of the cheesecake should jiggle just a little bit. You can use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 150F-155F or 65C-68C. Turn the oven off and let cool in the oven for 1 hour then take out of roasting pan and let finish cooling on the counter for an hour. Finally, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight or at least 6 hours. Please let me know if you have any further questions or if you try the recipe. XX Liz
Rachel Mina says
Hi Liz! Thanks so much for such a quick reply!! I am excited to try this! I am making for my boyfriends birthday! Wondering alternatively if I use the 10-inch pan with the 6-inch measurements..do you think that would be too thin? Maybe I can double the crust only?
Thank you so much,
Rachel xx
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Rachel, you can always message me on Instagram for an even quicker reply. You could do the same ingredients but it will be quite thin more like a bar like this recipe is for a 9-inch pan so they would be even thinner if you don't mind that then go for it! Let me know if I can help with anything else XX Liz
Rachel Mina says
Thanks again Liz for all of your help! This recipe was amazing. I ended up doing the amounts you suggested above for an 8inch pan and poured into my 10 inch and it worked out!! I added a little more crust so it would go up the sides and it was delicious!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for coming back to rate and review the recipe Rachel, I am so grateful!! I am so happy we were able to find the right ingredients for your needs! Can't wait for you to try another cheesecake!! Happy New Year! XX Liz
Atticus Lincoln says
WOW!!! 50 STARS from me, I made this for my wife who recently just gave birth and she was so happy with this!!! The stomach really is the heart of the body!! only figuratively speaking 😉
Marjorie says
Hi just one question with your salted caramel l made 3 days earlier than starting to make the cake.My question is how do you soften the caramel after it has been in the fridge? Thanks.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Marjorie, I am so sorry for the delayed response, I have been moving this week so I have been a bit MIA! I would soften the caramel by letting it sit at room temperature for a while or microwave it in very short increments as it will go full liquidy fast! Please let me know if you have any other questions and how you like the cheesecake, one of my favorites! Can't wait to hear what you think! XX Liz
Leslie says
Oh my goodness, this cheesecake was the BOMB!!! I used Dulce de leche in place of caramel and the flavor was out of this world! The texture and sweetness were perfect.
Thank you! Will be trying other flavors soon.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for coming back to rate and review the recipe Leslie, so pleased you enjoyed it! Excited for you to try more cheesecake flavors!! Take care. XX Liz
Ashley says
Was considering making this recipe but am so confused by the amount of CC. I make a lot of cheesecakes and 16 to 24 oz is usually used in 8/9 inch pans. The most I have ever put in my 6 inch pan with 3 inch sides is 12 oz and that was pushing up to the very top of the pan. Am I missing something?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Ashley thanks for reaching out. I do use the full 16oz for my 6-inch springform pan, it is full to the top though. So you get a very tall cheesecake slice. I also use a 6" X 3" pan from Fat Daddios. Please feel free to ask any other questions and if you try the recipe please do let me know how you get on! Thanks. Merry Christmas. XX Liz