Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Salted Caramel Sauce Swirled Inside Cheesecake Filling and Drizzled on Top

Have you ever made a classic cheesecake? If not, there’s no better place to start than with my Salted Caramel Cheesecake—a recipe that's been thoroughly tested to ensure it’s both delicious and foolproof. We’re making this custard dessert the traditional way, carefully baking it in a water bath to avoid cracking and achieve that silky, creamy texture. I’ll guide you through every step with plenty of tips on making the best caramel sauce and cheesecake filling. The salted caramel is homemade and used both in the cheesecake and as a topping for that perfect sweet-and-salty finish. Looking for more creative and unique cheesecake recipes? Check these out:

• Raspberry Cheesecake
• Carrot Cake Cheesecake
• No-Bake Ricotta Cheesecake with Berries

How to Make Salted Caramel Cheesecake - Step-by-Step Photos

Making this cheesecake is no quick task—it takes about 6 hours and 50 minutes total, including 30 minutes of prep, 80 minutes of cooking, and at least 5 hours of resting and chilling. But don’t worry! I’ll walk you through every step, complete with photos to guide you along the way.

Keep in mind, this is a recipe overview, with step-by-step photos. For the full recipe, the ingredients amounts, & instructions please scroll down to the recipe card. But, do not skip this part - it's such a helpful overview:

• First, gather all your ingredients. The list is actually fairly short - at least something is easy about this recipe, right? Feel free to take a quick screenshot of the ingredient list below to use as your shopping list.

• Start by making a quick salted caramel sauce: melt granulated sugar over medium heat, whisk in butter and cream (careful, it bubbles), then stir in vanilla and sea salt.
• Let it cool while you move on to the crust.

• For the Biscoff crust, pulse the cookies into crumbs, mix with melted butter, and press into a parchment-lined 9-inch springform pan.
• Bake for 8 minutes at 350ºF, then lower the oven to 325ºF.

• The cheesecake filling comes together in a stand mixer: beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
• Then mix in flour, sour cream, vanilla, and some of the caramel sauce.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing gently.

• Prepare a water bath: Wrap the pan in foil, pour in the batter, and prepare a water bath by placing the pan on a dish towel inside a large baking dish filled halfway with boiling water.

• Bake for 70 minutes, then let the cheesecake rest in the turned-off oven (door ajar) for 1 hour.
• Cool on the counter for 2 hours, then chill in the fridge for at least 2 more—overnight is best.
• Once set, top with the remaining caramel sauce and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt just before serving.

The Most Important Tip

I can’t emphasize this enough: It’s important all the ingredients you would usually keep in the fridge are at room temperature for this recipe. When it comes to the caramel, if the butter and cream are too cold your caramel will fail due to the rapid change in temperature. Likewise, it’s important that your cheesecake filling ingredients are at room temperature as this will prevent lumps and ensure everything is evenly mixed for the best texture. Trust me, if I could shout this from the top of the fridge, I totally would!

Tips for Best Salted Caramel Sauce

• Use a large pan to eliminate the chances of you being splashed. Although your ingredients will be at room temperature they will still be colder than the boiling hot sugar. The difference in temperature will cause the butter and cream to bubble up and splatter when added to the hot pan. Be cautious when adding these ingredients and be prepared for potential splashing, stand back from the pan. Do not lean directly over the pan.
• Melting the sugar and waiting for it to become an amber color (caramelized) takes around 8 minutes on my stove. This might take shorter or longer depending on your heat sauce.
• When you add the butter to the caramel sauce and if it splits - remove it from the heat and vigorously whisk. It will eventually come together but may take several minutes to do so.
• If the sugar clumps at any point, place the pan over a low heat and vigorously whisk until the sugar melts. I usually avoid clumps by whisking the sauce almost continuously as it cooks—this keeps the sugar smooth and fully dissolved.
• Once you add the cream towards the end of caramel sauce making, the caramel should reach around 220ºF on a digital thermometer.
• The salted caramel sauce will thicken significantly as it cools. If it is too stiff to add to the cheesecake filling, warm it up just until it’s loosened up. I do this by heating it up for just a few seconds in the microwave. Do not add warm salted caramel sauce to the cheesecake filling.
• When it’s time to pour the caramel over the top of the set cheesecake you will need to heat it up to a pourable consistency in the microwave. You don’t want the sauce to be bubbling - just pourable, but it doesn’t matter if it’s a little warm when you pour it over the finished cheesecake.

Tips for Best Cheesecake

• Water bath: I bake this cheesecake in a water bath to help regulate the temperature and prevent the cheesecake from cracking. The steam from the water creates a gentle, even heat around the cheesecake which allows it to cook slowly and evenly without drying out. The water adds moisture to the oven, preventing the surface from overbaking and cracking.
• Prevent any water from seeping into the pan and spoiling the cheesecake! It’s so important! I do this by thoroughly wrapping my springform pan with heavy duty foil.
• I add a dish towel to the water bath to keep the cheesecake from touching the hot bottom of the larger pan. It also helps the heat distribute more evenly while baking.

How to Tell When Cheesecake is Done

• The cheesecake took 70 minutes to bake in our test oven. It may take a little longer in your oven so it’s important to asses the cheesecake at 70 minutes. A properly baked cheesecake will puff up on the sides and still have a slight jiggle in the middle when you tap the pan. The cheesecake will continue baking as it cools during the hour it’s left in the oven with the door ajar.
• A well-set cheesecake should jiggle like Jell-O in the center—not sloshy like a creamy soup, but with a gentle wobble similar to set custard or pudding. Think of tapping a bowl of gelatin dessert—it moves but holds its shape. If the center ripples like liquid, it needs more time; if it barely moves, it may be overbaked.