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Home » Desserts

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Published: Aug 26, 2021 · Last Modified: Nov 28, 2021 by Anecia

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This easy, traditional Salted Caramel Cheesecake is a perfect make-ahead dessert for holidays and special occasions!

With a few simple ingredients, you can have a silky smooth, restaurant-quality cheesecake to serve your guests! 

At first glance, it looks like this takes a long time to make, but it rests for 2 hours and then is refrigerated for 4 hours.

The actual process of making the crust, steam bath and filling is about 20-minutes.

Salted caramel cheesecake on white plate.

Jump to:
  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • Here's what you'll need
  • How to make it
  • Make the crust
  • Prepare the pan and steam bath
  • Make the cheesecake filling
  • How to prevent cracked cheesecake
  • No-cook caramel sauce
  • The difference between traditional and New York Style cheesecake
  • How to prevent the top from cracking
  • How to remove the cheesecake from the springform pan
  • How to slice it
  • How long to let it rest before serving
  • How to store it
  • Cheesecake Troubleshooting Tips
  • Related recipes
  • 📋 Recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

Pre-made graham cracker crust requires no pre-baking, so you only bake "once" and you'll love the "no-cook" caramel sauce

Great for a crowd - you'll get 16 slices of delicious salted caramel cheesecake from this recipe

Inexpensive - simple ingredients 

Homemade from scratch - all natural ingredients and better than The Cheesecake Factory's™ cheesecake!

Here's what you'll need

Use a high-quality caramel sauce like Torani's™ or Ghiradelli™ brand.

Ingredients labeled.

How to make it

Three steps for making this: 1) Prepare the crust 2) Prepare the pan and steambath 3) Make the filling

Make the crust

This caramel cheesecake recipes uses pre-made graham cracker pie shells so you don't have to bake the it first! 

Get two large pie crusts and crumble them up in a big bowl. Add 1 stick of melted butter; combine, then mold into prepared pan.

Steps showing how to make the crust.

Two large pie shells yields 4 cups of crumbled crackers, so if you use the smaller 8"inch shell, you'll need 4 premade 8"inch crusts. 

It will be grainy like this after you add the melted butter

Texture of crust in bowl.

Prepare the pan and steam bath

Three steps for pan preparation.

Lightly oil base and sides; cover base with parchment; replace ring and secure; spray oil on parchment

Bring 6-8 cups of water to a boil. Pour hot water into large roasting pan and place on the lowest oven rack.

Roasting pan next to pot of boiling water.

Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan; use your fingers or a spatula and move some of the crust up along the sides of the pan.

Graham cracker crust being pressed into pan with spatula.

Make the cheesecake filling

Cheesecake filling instructions.

Place the steam bath on the lowest oven rack and the cheesecake, uncovered above it. 

" "

Bake for about 50- 60 minutes @ 325ºF and until the center is slightly jiggly.

How to prevent cracked cheesecake

When it's done; turn off the oven and leave the pans in the oven for 1 hour. Do not open the oven door during this time.

This allows the cake to rise and fall gradually, preventing the top from cracking.

After one hour in the oven, let the cheesecake cool on the counter. Then refrigerate for 4 hours.

Gently remove from base, place on serving platter and drizzle sauce over top; finish with sprinkles of kosher salt and serve!

No-cook caramel sauce

This is a huge timesaver! Typically, a made-from-scratch sauce takes about 20-minutes. 

This recipe uses high-quality, prepared caramel sauce like Ghiradelli™ or Torani™ brands. You'll find these on the baking aisle in your grocer. 

Drizzle a little over the entire cheesecae, or serve it on the side with individual slices! 

The difference between traditional and New York Style cheesecake

New York style cheesecakes typically have heavy cream or sour cream, which help stabilize the cake upon freezing. Traditional cheesecake recipes do not include heavy cream or sour cream.

How to prevent the top from cracking

The reason cheesecakes crack on top is due to an extreme change in temperature. In order to prevent cracks, use a steam bath then, let the cake sit in the oven after it's done with the oven turned off.

This "in-oven" resting time allows the cake to cool slowly.

This gradual change in temperature prevents the center of the cake from rising and falling too quickly. 

How to remove the cheesecake from the springform pan

Once it's out of the oven, slide a knife around the pan and release the spring. Keep the cake on the base at room temperature for an hour.

Transfer the cake on the springform base to the refrigerator. Cover with plastic and allow to chill for 4 hours.

Once it's chilled in the fridge, use the tip of a sharp knife to gently loosen the cake from the pan. The cake will be firm at this point, so now is the time to place it on a serving platter.

How to slice it

Use a sharp, clean butcher knife and place the knife tip in the center of the cake. Gently press straight down, scoring the cake - do not saw back and forth.

If you have to repeat the score, clean the knife in between cuts. This results in a pretty slice of cheesecake.

Cut into quarters first then eighths, then sixteenths. Use the bottom of a butcher knife or a triangular pie spatula to remove individual slices.

How long to let it rest before serving

Generally speaking, you want to serve this salted caramel cheesecake relatively cool, so don't let it sit out more than 30 minutes or so.

How to store it

Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator, covered in plastic wrap for up to 7 days. Freeze for up to 2 months. Note: after freezing, allow cake to come to almost room temperature before garnishing with caramel sauce and serving.

Cheesecake Troubleshooting Tips

Bring eggs and cream cheese to room temperature

Combine cheesecake filling with spatula first

Add eggs one at a time, mix with a hand or stand mixer for a few seconds inbetween egg; mixer should be on low; 

Use a steam bath 

Let it rest in the oven with the oven turned off for 1 hour; then cool on the counter

Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours

Slice of cheesecake on cake server.

If you want to take this salted caramel cheesecake to another level, add homemade whipped cream and chopped pecans!

Related recipes

  • Classic Southern Pecan Pie
  • Original Texas Sheet Cake
  • No Bake No Egg Lemon Icebox Pie
  • Puff Pastry Hand Pie
  • Classic Buttermilk Pie
  • Texas Pecan Bars
  • Microwave Peanut Brittle
  • Eggnog Pound Cake

If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating. I love to hear from you!

📋 Recipe

Slice of cheesecake on cake server.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Silky traditional cheesecake topped with no-cook caramel sauce and kosher salt!
5 from 3 votes
Print Text Recipe Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, International
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Chill & Resting time: 6 hours
Total Time: 7 hours 10 minutes
Total Yield: 16 slices
Author: Anecia Hero
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Equipment

  • Hand or Stand Mixer
  • Spatula
  • Springform Pan
  • Spray Oil
  • Roasting pan (for water; to create steam)
  • Parchment paper (cut into a round to cover the springform pan bottom)

Ingredients 

  • 4 packages cream cheese (8 ounce packages; softened)
  • 4 whole eggs , room temperature
  • water , boiling (for steam bath)
  • 1 cup sugar , granulated
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • caramel sauce , drizzle over top of cheesecake; Torani or Ghiradelli brand
  • kosher salt , to sprinkle on top
  • ½ cup pecans , chopped (optional)

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 2 large graham cracker pie crusts , pre-made; or four 8"inch premade crusts; (you'll need 4 cups of crushed graham cracker premade crust) See Notes
  • 1 stick butter , unsalted and melted

Instructions 

Prep

  • Bring eggs and cream cheese to room temperature
    4 packages cream cheese, 4 whole eggs
  • Boil 6 - 8 cups water
    water
  • Preheat oven to 325ºF
  • Cut parchment paper to cover bottom of springform pan
  • Lightly spray bottom and sides of springform pan
  • Place parchment round in pan; add the springform pan ring; secure tightly
  • Spray parchment paper lightly with oil; set aside
  • Melt one stick of butter

Graham Cracker Crust

  • In a large mixing bowl, add 2 large (or 4 small) pre-made graham cracker crusts
  • Use a meat mallet to crumble until fine
  • Add melted butter to crumbled crusts and combine well; it will be grainy
  • Pour this mixture into prepared springform pan; press the buttery crumbs onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan

Make the Cheesecake Filling

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla using a spatula
    4 packages cream cheese
  • Once combined, add eggs, one at a time, and use a hand mixer on LOW to combine in between each egg
    4 whole eggs
  • Pour silky cheesecake batter into springform pan
  • Turn oven to bake; add boiling water to large roasting pan and put it on the bottom rack in the oven
    water
  • Place cheesecake on middle rack uncovered; bake 55 - 60 minutes
  • When the center is relatively "jiggly" turn off oven and leave cheesecake in oven for 1 hour
  • After one hour, remove cheesecake and allow to cool
  • Then, place in refrigerator, covered with platic for 4 hours
  • After 4 hours, remove cheesecake, slide a sharp knife under the cake and lift it onto a serving platter
  • Drizzle with caramel sauce and kosher salt; slice and serve; garnish with chopped pecans (optional)

Notes

Graham cracker crust:
You need 4 cups of crumbled graham cracker pre-made pie crust and 1 stick of butter.
The large premade crust yields 2 cups; the smaller 8"inch pie crust yields 1 cup.
You can make your own graham cracker crust from scratch using crumbled graham crackers and 1 stick of butter. If you do this, you'll need to bake it about 15 minutes @ 325ºF and let it cool before adding the cheesecake filling.
 
To prevent cracking, be sure to add boiling water to a large roasting pan before cooking cheesecake (to create a steam bath)
Allow cheesecake to sit in the oven for 1 hour after it's done
After it's sat in the oven for 1 hour, allow it to cool on the counter for 1 hour; then place it in the fridge lightly covered with plastic wrap for 4 hours.

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 421kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 5gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 283mgPotassium: 117mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 939IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 1mg
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Anecia Hero, Food Blogger

About SmartyPantsKitchen

I'm Anecia, a native Texan, author, cook and photographer for SmartyPantsKitchen where I'm sharing Traditional and Contemporary Southern recipes for cooks of all levels. There's nothing fancy or gourmet about my recipes-just easy, simple, delicious and memorable! Take a tour and check out delicious recipes! 

Learn more about me →

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