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Introducing my delectable Caramel Cheesecake recipe, where creamy cheesecake meets luscious caramel swirls in a match made in dessert heaven. This has a buttery graham cracker crust, smooth caramel cream cheese filling and more caramel drizzled on top. This cheesecake makes for a showstopping holiday dessert!
Every time I have a cheesecake recipe, I love to bring up my cherry cheesecake story. I avoided cheesecake at all costs after that. Come to realize, it wasn’t the actual cheesecake- it was the cherries! I love cheesecake now and I love making new, delicious twists on a blank slate sort of dessert. This time I’ve added gooey, creamy caramel sauce to the mix! (If you want to read about the specifics of my childhood run-in with cheesecake, check out my Key Lime Pie Cheesecake Recipe).
Imagine a caramel cheesecake that’s pure eye candy—smooth and creamy cheesecake, with a drizzle of luscious caramel sauce that’s practically begging to be devoured. Trust me, it’s the kind of treat that’ll make you weak in the knees.
Once you’ve experienced the indulgence of caramel cheesecake servings, you’ll become everyone’s favorite baker. Your friends and family will flock to your kitchen, eagerly waiting for you to reveal the secrets of this mouthwatering masterpiece. But hey, let them wonder a little longer—they’ll be even more impressed when you finally share the incredible caramel cheesecake recipe behind your culinary sorcery.
See Also:
- This triple chocolate cheesecake is a chocolate lover’s dream! Made with an Oreo cookie crust and topped with ganache!
- Looking for an easy, creamy cheesecake recipe? Try this San Sebastian cheesecake, or burnt Basque cheesecake, made with simple ingredients and no crust!
- If you love chocolate and cherries together, then try this Black forest cheesecake! Top with whipped cream for an outstanding dessert.
- Calling all lemon lovers with this lemon cheesecake recipe! Topped with easy stovetop lemon curd for even more lemon taste.
- Biscoff cookie spread and Biscoff cookies get swirled into this dreamy Biscoff cheesecake recipe. Your whole family is sure to love it!
Why You Will Love This Caramel Cheesecake
- Two desserts in one– If you love caramel then you are going to love this caramel cheesecake recipe!
- Easy to make – If you’re new to making cheesecake, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is!
- Great make-ahead dessert – Caramel cheesecake needs time to cool and set up making it a perfect dessert to make ahead of time.
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Ingredients Needed for Caramel Cheesecake
- Graham Crackers – Can substitute with Nilla wafers, Oreo cookies, or digestive biscuits.
- Unsalted Butter – You can also use salted butter. You will use melted butter for the graham cracker crust.
- Granulated Sugar – To sweeten graham cracker crust and cheesecake filling.
- Cream Cheese – Use softened cream cheese so you get a smooth cheesecake filling. You want to use brick-style cream cheese, not the tub variety. And use full-fat cream cheese for the best flavor and richness. Low-fat cream cheese can be used but the filling won’t be as rich and creamy as when you use full-fat cream cheese.
- Cornstarch – To help thicken the cheesecake filling.
- Sour Cream – Use room temperature sour cream. Or you can also use Greek yogurt. Full fat is best to make a rich filling.
- Eggs – You want to use large room-temperature eggs so your cheesecake filling isn’t lumpy.
- Vanilla Extract – For flavor. I like to use pure vanilla extract, but imitation vanilla extract also works.
- Caramel sauce– Can make homemade caramel sauce or use quality store-bought caramel sauce.
How to Make Caramel Cheesecake
Preheat Oven.
Preheat the oven to 350° F (177oC) and add a roasting pan or other large pan in the lower section of the oven to make a hot water bath. Place enough hot water in the pan that it will rise to 1-2 inches around the cheesecake springform pan.
Make Graham Cracker Crust.
Pulse the Graham Crackers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. Place in a bowl and pour in the Sugar and melted butter, pour blend until combined.
Assemble.
Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared springform pan and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Be careful to get an even layer of crust. It’s best to use a glass or measuring cup to get an even, hard-packed crust, and keep buildup out of the corner.
Bake Crust.
Bake crust for 10 minutes. Allow crust to cool completely.
Wrap Springform Pan and Prepare for Water Bath.
Using 18-inch heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap the outside of your 9 inch springform pan with 4 layers of foil, to ensure no water leaks into the cheesecake as it bakes in the water bath.
Combine Cream Cheese and Sugar.
Blend a third of the softened Cream Cheese, Sugar and Cornstarch together on low speed until creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Repeat in stages until all the Cream Cheese and Sugar are well blended.
Add Vanilla.
Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the Vanilla.
Add Eggs, Sour Cream (or Greek Yogurt), and Caramel Sauce.
Add in the Eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the room temperature sour cream, just until blended. The filling will look light and creamy, almost like fluffy clouds. Fold in the 3/4 cup of the Caramel Sauce. Be careful not to over-mix.
Add Remaining Caramel Sauce.
Gently scrape out the batter into the crust.
Pour out the remaining 1/4 cup of the Caramel Sauce on the top of the cheesecake batter, and carefully swirl it into the surface.
Cover Completely and Place in Water Bath.
Place aluminum foil over the top of the springform pan, and seal it around the edges. Place the sealed cake pan in the large shallow hot water bath pan, that comes halfway (about 1-2 inches) up the side of the springform pan. Add hot water if necessary.
Bake Cheesecake Filling.
Bake for 90 minutes. When there is about 15 minutes left, remove the aluminum foil from the top of the pan.
Transfer to Cooling Rack.
The cheesecake is done when the top is a very light golden brown and the center barely jiggles. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer it to a wire rack, remove the foil, and let cool for 2 hours.
Chill.
Chill the cheesecake for 5 hours, or overnight.
To serve, carefully remove the springform pan. Cut into slices, and serve with drizzled caramel sauce, and your favorite berries.
Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature cream cheese. Using softened cream cheese will ensure your cheesecake recipe comes out smooth and creamy! Read how to soften cream cheese quickly here.
- Do not overbake. Your cheesecake center will still be slightly jiggly when it’s done. It will continue to firm up as the cheesecake cools.
- Use a water bath. You can read here on how to make a water bath step by step. This will help your filling cook slowly and ensure it comes out creamy and not overbaked.
Recipe Variations
- Make a different crust – Swap the graham cracker crumbs and make a chocolate cookie crust with Oreo cookies or chocolate graham crackers instead of the graham cracker crust. Use Golden Oreos, Nilla wafers, or digestive biscuits instead of the graham cracker crumbs.
- Serve with whipped cream – I like to serve a slice of caramel cheesecake with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and top with fresh berries.
- Use a rolling pin – If you don’t have a food processor, you can crush up the graham cracker pieces for the crust in a plastic bag.
Recipe FAQs
Transfer any leftover caramel cheesecake into an airtight container. Place a paper towel over the surface before sealing. This prevents condensation. Place in the fridge. Store cheesecake in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes, you can freeze the whole cheesecake or individual slices. I prefer to freeze without the additional caramel sauce. Before freezing, ensure your cheesecake has completely cooled. Freeze for 1 hour, uncovered. This will harden your cheesecake making it easier to wrap and freeze. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in freezer bags, airtight container, or wrap again with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer the cheesecake to the fridge. Leave it there overnight.
Yes, you do need to bake the cheesecake in a water bath. I will show you how in this step-by-step article what is a water bath to help ensure there are no leaks!
More Recipes to Try
Caramel Cheesecake
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups (200 g) Graham Cracker crumbs approx. 13 full sheets
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 32 ounces (four 8-ounce blocks) Cream Cheese room temperature (use full-fat)
- 1 2/3 cups (267 g) Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 cup (28 g) Cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- 4 Large Eggs room temperature
- 5 ounces (1/2 cup + 2 Tbs.) Sour Cream room temperature
- 1 cup Caramel Sauce divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (177°C) and add a roasting pan or other large pan in the lower section of the oven to make a hot water bath. Place enough hot water in the pan that it will rise to 1-2 inches around the cheesecake springform pan.
Crust
- Pulse the Graham Crackers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. Place in a bowl and pour in the Sugar and melted Butter, and blend until combined.
- Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared springform pan and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Be careful to get an even layer of crust. It’s best to use a glass or measuring cup to get an even, hard-packed crust, and keep buildup out of the corner.
- Bake crust for 10 minutes. Allow crust to cool completely.
- Using 18-inch heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap the outside of your springform pan with 4 layers of foil, to ensure no water leaks into the cheesecake as it bakes in the water bath.
Filling
- Blend a third of the softened Cream Cheese, Sugar and Cornstarch together on low speed until creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Repeat in stages until all the Cream Cheese and Sugar are well blended.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the Vanilla.
- Add in the Eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in the sour cream, just until blended. The filling will look light and creamy, almost like fluffy clouds. Fold in the until blended. The filling will look light and creamy, almost like fluffy clouds. Fold in the 3/4 cup of the Caramel Sauce. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Gently scrape out the batter into the crust. Pour out the remaining 1/4 cup of the Caramel Sauce on the top of the cheesecake batter, and carefully swirl it into the surface.
- Place aluminum foil over the top of the springform pan, and seal it around the edges.
- Place the sealed cake pan in the large shallow hot water bath pan, that comes halfway (about 1-2 inches) up the side of the springform pan. Add hot water if necessary.
- Bake for 90 minutes (plus or minus 15 minutes). When there is about15 minutes left, remove the aluminum foil from the top of the pan.
- The cheesecake is done when the top is a very light golden brown and the center barely jiggles. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer it to a wire rack, remove the foil, and let cool for 2 hours.
Serve
- Chill the cheesecake for 5 hours, or overnight.
- To serve, carefully remove the springform pan. Cut into slices, and serve with drizzled caramel sauce, and your favorite berries
Notes
- Storage: Transfer any leftover caramel cheesecake into an airtight container. Place a paper towel over the surface before sealing. This prevents condensation. Place in the fridge. Store cheesecake in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze the whole cheesecake or individual slices. I prefer to freeze without the additional caramel sauce. Before freezing, ensure your cheesecake has completely cooled. Freeze for 1 hour, uncovered. This will harden your cheesecake making it easier to wrap and freeze. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in freezer bags, airtight container, or wrap again with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer the cheesecake to the fridge. Leave it there overnight.
Brandi says
Hi there can’t wait to make this. I bought everything, just going to do Oreos for the crust instead. How many Oreos should I use? Thanks so much.
Heather says
Hi Brandi, if I was going to make an Oreo crust I’d skip the sugar and then stir in about 33-35 Oreos. Let me know how you like it!