This salted caramel cheesecake is rich and velvety smooth and is topped with homemade caramel sauce and flakey salt.
This indulgent treat features a buttery graham cracker crust, a velvety smooth cream cheese filling that is made with salted caramel sauce, and a luscious layer of caramel sauce drizzled on top.
The combination of sweet and salty flavors creates a perfect balance that will satisfy any sweet tooth.
Whether enjoyed on its own or paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this cheesecake is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for any dessert lover.
For more delicious cheesecake recipes, check out my lemon meringue cheesecake, 3 ingredient no bake cheesecake, creamy vanilla cheesecake, and creme brulee cheesecake.
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Why this recipe works
- Caramel flavor- this cheesecake is perfect for caramel lovers. It is made with caramel sauce in the cheesecake and topped with caramel sauce!
- Texture- this cheesecake has a velvety smooth texture that has a gooey and sticky topping of the caramel sauce for a delicious creamy bite.
- Ease- this recipe is made with simple ingredients and is easy to make! It comes together in one bowl and can be made with store-bought caramel sauce if you don't want to make a homemade one.
- 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.
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 2 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 4 large eggs 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!
Cinnamon and nutmeg- use your favorite brand of ground cinnamon and nutmeg for an extra flavor that compliments the caramel flavor perfectly.
Sour cream- we suggest using full-fat sour cream for this recipe. The sour cream makes the cheesecake batter creamier and lighter.
For the caramel sauce
Heavy cream- you will need room-temperature heavy cream for this recipe. It is important that your heavy cream is at room temperature so the caramel sauce won't bubble up too much and make a mess.
Corn syrup- is also known as glucose syrup. This ingredient is super important, it stops the caramel from crystallizing and makes it super smooth and, well, caramelly!
Butter- You will need unsalted butter. Leave your butter at room temperature so it will not be too cold while mixed into the caramel sauce.
Instructions
Start by making the caramel sauce from this recipe.
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, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract, and mix with an electric hand mixer until is creamy.
Add the sour cream and caramel sauce, and mix until well combined.
Whisk the eggs in a small bowl add them to the cheesecake mixture and mix until the mixture is smooth.
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.
Pour caramel sauce on top of the cheesecake and spread an even layer with a spatula. Top with flakey salt if desired and serve!
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.
- 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
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.
Yes! To make this recipe easier, you can use your favorite store-bought caramel sauce instead of making homemade caramel sauce.
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.
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 4 days.
Freezing
To freeze this cheesecake, bake it according to the instructions, then allow it to set to room temperature and chill in the fridge according to the instructions.
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 caramel sauce on top.
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.
Pecan graham cracker crust- swap ⅓ cup of graham crackers with finely chopped pecans for a delicious crust twist.
Biscoff cookie crust- caramel goes perfectly with biscoff lotus flavor, use my swap the graham crackers with biscoff cookie crumbs and skip adding the sugar.
Dulce de leche- instead of caramel, you can use dulce de leche in the cheesecake and topping!
Serving tips
- Whipped cream- top every slice of cheesecake with a dollop of freshly made whipped cream.
- Vanilla ice cream- this cake tastes amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
- Flakey salt- if you like salted caramel flavor, add as much flakey salt on top of the caramel topping for a delicious balance of sweet and salty.
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).
- I 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 caramel desserts
Chocolate Caramel Cake- This chocolate caramel cake is made with a moist one bowl chocolate cake, filled with caramel sauce, and frosted with chocolate caramel frosting.
Caramel Pecan Cheesecake- This caramel pecan cheesecake is made with a cinnamon crust, creamy cinnamon cheesecake filling, and a caramel pecan topping.
Mini Cheesecake Bites (W/ Caramel Sauce)- These mini cheesecake bites are made with an oreo crust, creamy and easy cheesecake filling, topped with caramel sauce and whipped cream.
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If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups Graham crackers crumbs
- ½ cup Butter melted, unsalted
- 1 tablespoon Granulated sugar
Filling
- 24 oz Cream cheese room temp
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ cup Sour cream
- ⅓ cup Caramel sauce room temp, use my salted caramel sauce recipe
- 4 Eggs
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
Assembly
- ⅓ cup Caramel sauce room temp, use my salted caramel sauce recipe
- ½ teaspoon Flakey salt add as much as you like
Instructions
- Start by making the caramel sauce from this recipe.
- 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, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract, and mix with an electric hand mixer until is creamy.
- Add the sour cream and caramel sauce, and mix until well combined.
- Whisk the eggs in a small bowl add them to the cheesecake mixture and mix until the mixture is smooth.
- 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.
- Pour caramel sauce on top of the cheesecake and spread an even layer with a spatula. Top with flakey salt if desired and serve!
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.
- 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.
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