This creme brulee cheesecake is creamy, thick, and custardy, made with a graham cracker crust, and topped with a burnt caramel shell on top, just like creme brulee!
Creme Brulee Cheesecake is a delectable dessert that combines the creamy richness of cheesecake with the caramelized sweetness of creme brulee.
This indulgent treat features a buttery graham cracker crust, a velvety smooth cream cheese filling, and a caramelized sugar topping that crackles under the touch of a spoon.
The contrasting textures and flavors create a harmonious balance that is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. This cheesecake is similar in flavor and texture to my creme brulee and vanilla cheesecake combined.
Whether enjoyed on its own or paired with fresh berries or a drizzle of chocolate sauce, this cheesecake is an irresistible dessert that will leave you craving for more.
For more delicious cheesecake recipes, check out my lemon meringue cheesecake, 3 ingredient no bake cheesecake, creamy vanilla cheesecake, pistachio cheesecake, cinnamon roll cheesecake.
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Why this recipe works
- Flavor- this cheesecake is filled with a rich flavor of cheesecake, vanilla, and burnt sugar on top. It is made with extra egg yolks which gives this cheesecake a richer flavor and texture.
- Texture- the texture of this cheesecake is creamy and silky with a crunchy burnt sugar topping.
- Crunchy burned sugar topping- just like creme brulee, this cheesecake has a burnt sugar topping that crackles in your mouth along with the creamy goodness of the cheesecake.
- No water bath cheesecake- this recipe is made without a water bath. It is baked at a low temperature for a long time which gives you the most perfect cheesecake.
What is creme brulee?
Creme brulee is also known as "burnt cream", and is a classic French dessert, is a dessert made with a rich vanilla custard base and topped with a crispy layer of burnt sugar, or caramelized sugar.
Creme brulee comes in many flavors like espresso, pumpkin, cinnamon, honey, strawberry, matcha, chocolate, salted caramel, and much more.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
For the crust
Graham crackers- you will need about 1 ½ cups of graham crackers. If you don’t have graham crackers, you can use tea biscuits, vanilla wafers, and digestive biscuits.
Granulated sugar- the sugar will add sweetness to the crust.
Melted butter- melt the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds pulses, to make sure that the butter doesn’t boil up and explode in the microwave (been there done that), or melt it on the stovetop.
For the filling
Cream cheese- the most important ingredient in this recipe, is cream cheese. Make sure that you are using full-fat cream cheese, for a cheesecake with no cracks, it's important that you use full-fat cream cheese and make sure that it’s at room temperature.
Granulated sugar- you will need one cup of granulated sugar for this recipe. The cheesecake will be sweet, but not too sweet. One cup of sugar is the perfect balance of sweetness for this recipe.
Eggs- you will need 3 large eggs and 2 egg yolks for this recipe. To get a perfect classic cheesecake, make sure that the eggs are at room temperature.
Cornstarch- we used cornstarch, you can use flour instead.
Vanilla extract- vanilla extract adds extra flavor. For extra vanilla flavor, use vanilla bean extract or an actual vanilla bean!
Sour cream- we suggest using full-fat sour cream for this recipe. The sour cream makes the cheesecake batter creamier and lighter.
Instructions
Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and preheat an oven to 180c (350f).
Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. If you don’t have a food processor on hand, place the crackers in a Ziplock bag and smash the crackers with a cup until fine crumbs form.
Into a small to medium mixing bowl, add the graham crackers crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the crumbs are coated with butter.
Transfer the crumbs into a prepared 9-inch cake pan, pressing evenly and firmly into the pan.
Bake the crust in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 7-8 minutes. Keep an eye on the crust and make sure it doesn’t burn. Take the crust out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature.
Lower the temperature to 140c (280f). In a large mixing bowl, add the room-temperature cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla bean extract, and mix with an electric hand mixer until is creamy.
Add the sour cream, eggs, and egg yolks and mix until well combined.
Sift the cornstarch into the mixture and mix until combined and there are no lumps of cornstarch showing.
Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust, and release air bubbles by gently tapping the pan onto a flat surface.
Bake it in a 140c (280f) preheated oven for about an hour or until the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly.
Open the oven door halfway, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature for 1-2 hours.
After the cheesecake is cooled, wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap tightly, and place the cheesecake in the fridge to cool completely for at least 5 hours.
Top the chilled cheesecake with granulated sugar or caster sugar. Broil with a torch moving the torch in secular motions.
Expert Tips
- Make sure that you are using room-temperature cream cheese in this recipe, this step makes it easier to mix the cream cheese with no unnecessary lumps, we don’t want that.
- Use a springform tin. We use springform tins for all of our cheesecake recipes. This makes sure that your cake will be easy to release from the pan.
- Carmelize the sugar top only when ready to serve! This cheesecake keeps great for up to 3 days stored in the fridge and is a perfect, make-ahead recipe. When you are ready to serve it, top the cheesecake with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar and spread it around so it would cover the entire cheesecake. Then torch and burn the sugar and create a caramelized crunchy topping. If you will caramelize these ahead, the topping will become soggy and won't be crispy at all.
- Use high-fat cream cheese or the well-known Philadelphia cream cheese. Using full-fat cream cheese ensures that your cheesecake will be stable and will not crack.
- Let your cheesecake chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours. We know it’s very hard to resist eating this delicious cheesecake right away, but you have to let the cheesecake cool and set it in the pan. We like to let the cheesecake sit in the fridge overnight.
- For a smooth and creamy cheesecake, make sure that you are using room-temperature ingredients. Before you begin to make this cheesecake, make sure that your cream cheese is completely soft, and that your eggs are at room temperature.
- Don’t overbeat the mixture! It's really easy to overbeat the mixture, and that is one of the most common mistakes. To avoid overbeating your mixture, make sure that you lower the speed of the hand mixer and add each egg at a time.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no cream cheese lumps.
- Don't open the oven door before the cake is fully baked or about to be baked! Drastic changes in the temperature of the cake while baking can cause the cake to collapse or crack.
Faq's
Overbaked, overmixed, or stuck to the sides of the pan, there are a lot of reasons for the cheesecake to crack. To prevent the cheesecake from cracking, follow out tips written in the notes.
Overbaking cheesecake is a common mistake that causes the cheesecake to crack or even burn.
You will know that your cheesecake is done baking when you see that the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly. The middle of the cake will be set in the cooling process.
To prevent the cheesecake from cracking, it is important to release it carefully from the pan. Use a butter knife or a thin knife and run it around the edges of the cake to release it from the pan.
Then release the spring from the edges.
Storing
Store this cheesecake in the fridge (because it contains dairy) covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
Freezing
To freeze this cheesecake, bake it according to the instructions, then cool it according to the instructions in the fridge.
When the cheesecake is completely cooled, you can freeze it covered in a few layers of plastic wrap or foil. This cheesecake will freeze for up to 3 months.
I recommend freezing this cheesecake without the burned sugar topping since it's getting soggy after a few hours.
Substitutions
Gluten-free- This recipe is really easy to turn gluten-free, simply replace the graham crackers with gluten-free graham crackers, or with gluten-free digestive biscuits.
Digestive biscuits- People outside of America usually don’t have graham crackers. You can use tea biscuits, vanilla wafers, and digestive biscuits.
Variations
Vanilla bean- add the inside of the vanilla bean and add it to the cheesecake mixture instead of the vanilla extract. Or use a vanilla bean extract.
Citrus- you can add a delicious citrus touch to this cheesecake by adding the zest of lemon or orange or any of your favorite citrus.
Crust- you can make this crust into a chocolate crust by swapping the graham crackers with Oreo cookies. You can use the same recipe from my Baileys cheesecake recipe.
Equipment
- You will need a 9-inch springform pan for this cheesecake. I love this set from Amazon.
- You will also need a food processor to make the crust (if you are not using a store-bought crust).
- Kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar and make burnt sugar topping.
- I also recommend using an electric hand mixer to make sure your cheesecake mixture is smooth and perfect. You can also use a stand mixer for this with a balloon attachment.
More cheesecake recipes
Oreo cheesecake- This oreo cheesecake is made without a water bath, made with a creamy oreo filling, and oreo crust, and topped with oreo whipped cream!
Triple Chocolate cheesecake- This triple chocolate cake is made with an oreo crust, baked with a delicious and creamy chocolate cheesecake filling, topped with chocolate ganache, topped with chocolate whipped cream, and topped with chocolate sprinkles!
Strawberry Cheesecake W/ Strawberry Sauce- This strawberry cheesecake with strawberry sauce is made without a water bath, with a creamy and light cheesecake that is topped with homemade strawberry sauce.
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Creme Brulee Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups Graham crackers
- ½ cup Butter melted
- 1 tablespoon Granulated sugar
Filling
- 24 oz Cream cheese softened
- ½ cup Sour cream full fat
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoon Vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, or vanilla bean extract
- 3 Eggs
- 2 Egg yolks
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
Topping
- 1 tablespoon Granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, and preheat an oven to 180c (350f).
- Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. If you don’t have a food processor on hand, place the crackers in a Ziplock bag and smash the crackers with a cup until fine crumbs form.
- Into a small to medium mixing bowl, add the graham crackers crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the crumbs are coated with butter.
- Transfer the crumbs into a prepared 9-inch cake pan, pressing evenly and firmly into the pan.
- Bake the crust in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 7-8 minutes. Keep an eye on the crust and make sure it doesn’t burn. Take the crust out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature.
- Lower the temperature to 140c (280f). In a large mixing bowl, add the room-temperature cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla bean extract, and mix with an electric hand mixer until is creamy.
- Add the sour cream, eggs, and egg yolks and mix until well combined.
- Sift the cornstarch into the mixture and mix until combined and there are no lumps of cornstarch showing.
- Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust, and release air bubbles by gently tapping the pan onto a flat surface.
- Bake it in a 140c (280f) preheated oven for about an hour or until the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly.
- Open the oven door halfway, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature for 1-2 hours.
- After the cheesecake is cooled, wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap tightly, and place the cheesecake in the fridge to cool completely for at least 5 hours.
Notes
- Make sure that you are using room-temperature cream cheese in this recipe, this step makes it easier to mix the cream cheese with no unnecessary lumps, we don’t want that.
- Use a springform tin. We use springform tins for all of our cheesecake recipes. This makes sure that your cake will be easy to release from the pan.
- Carmelize the sugar top only when ready to serve! This cheesecake keeps great for up to 3 days stored in the fridge and is a perfect, make-ahead recipe. When you are ready to serve it, top the cheesecake with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar and spread it around so it would cover the entire cheesecake. Then torch and burn the sugar and create a caramelized crunchy topping. If you will caramelize these ahead, the topping will become soggy and won't be crispy at all.
- Use high-fat cream cheese or the well-known Philadelphia cream cheese. Using full-fat cream cheese ensures that your cheesecake will be stable and will not crack.
- Let your cheesecake chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours. We know it’s very hard to resist eating this delicious cheesecake right away, but you have to let the cheesecake cool and set it in the pan. We like to let the cheesecake sit in the fridge overnight.
- For a smooth and creamy cheesecake, make sure that you are using room-temperature ingredients. Before you begin to make this cheesecake, make sure that your cream cheese is completely soft, and that your eggs are at room temperature.
- Don’t overbeat the mixture! It's really easy to overbeat the mixture, and that is one of the most common mistakes. To avoid overbeating your mixture, make sure that you lower the speed of the hand mixer and add each egg at a time.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no cream cheese lumps.
- Don't open the oven door before the cake is fully baked or about to be baked! Drastic changes in the temperature of the cake while baking can cause the cake to collapse or crack.
Mary Ayala
I’ve made this a few times now and it’s a huge hit everytime! I don’t however add the cornstarch, don’t know why, just keep forgetting to… comes out amazing without though. I haven’t been able to do the carmelized sugar topping either… no torch dang it! However, as much as I’d love to try it that way, it’s not needed. This cheesecake has many fans in this house just the way it is!!!
Ann McCarthy
Made this for Christmas - it was excellent. I served it with a caramel sauce on the side. It would be excellent with fresh whipped cream and raspberries, as well.