This white chocolate salted caramel cheesecake is silky smooth, and the perfect balance of salty-sweet. It has melted white chocolate added to the batter for extra sweetness and creaminess, and a graham cracker pretzel crust. It's topped with homemade salted caramel sauce for the ultimate treat!
This is also a great dessert idea for Thanksgiving or Christmas!
If you're looking for other salted caramel recipes check out my salted caramel almond cupcakes, salted caramel spice cake or salted caramel apple pie cheesecake.
Why You'll Love White Chocolate Salted Caramel Cheesecake:
It has an incredible silky smooth texture. Cream cheese and sour cream work together to make a perfectly smooth cheesecake, while white chocolate adds an extra level of creaminess.
It has the perfect salty sweet combo. The crust is half graham crackers and half pretzels, and gives it the most incredible salty note that pairs with the sweet cheesecake and caramel sauce.
It has a perfect balance of sweetness. White chocolate adds sweetness to the cheesecake without making it overly sweet.
Ingredients for White Chocolate Salted Caramel Cheesecake:
- Graham crackers- makes up half of the crust
- Mini pretzels- used in the crust to give it a delicious salty note
- Butter- used in the crust and the salted caramel sauce
- Granulated sugar-used to sweeten the cheesecake batter and crust, and to make the salted caramel sauce
- Cream Cheese- full fat cream cheese will be the base of this cheesecake, make sure it is softened
- Cornstarch- absolutely essential for a perfect cheesecake. It adds a bit of structure, allows for clean slices and helps the top to never crack or sink
- White Chocolate- I recommend using the highest quality white chocolate you can, such as Lindt
- Vanilla- I recommend vanilla bean paste for the best taste but extract works too
- Sour Cream- compliments the cream cheese to make the creamiest cheesecake
- Eggs- whole eggs and yolks are used, make sure they're room temperature
- Heavy Cream- used to make the salted caramel sauce extra creamy
- Springform pan- essential for making a cheesecake
- Large roasting pan- used for the cheesecake's water bath
Step by Step Instructions
(See recipe below for complete measurements and baking times!)
STEP ONE: Make the salted caramel sauce. Add sugar to a sauce pan and heat over medium heat until the sugar has melted. Stir occasionally to ensure it gets equally heated. It will take a little while for it to melt down so be patient. Make sure to regulate the heat and watch the sugar so it does not burn.
Once the sugar has melted, turn the heat down and add in the butter right away.
Once the butter has melted in, add in the heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and salt.
Stir until everything is combined together and let the caramel simmer on the stove for a few minutes to allow it to thicken a little more. Once it has become thicker, it should coat the back of a spoon thickly, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
STEP TWO: Make the crust. In a food processor pulse graham crackers and pretzels until finely ground. Then mix in melted butter and sugar.
Prepare your 9 inch springform pan for it's later water bath by wrapping the bottom and sides of it with a decent amount of tinfoil. You want to make sure the tinfoil goes up about two inches on the sides of the pan so no water seeps into the pan as it bakes. I always use too much foil, 6-8 sheets, just so I know it'll be okay.
When your pan is prepared, press the crust onto the bottom and about an inch up the sides. Bake the crust and let it cool completely.
STEP THREE: Make the cheesecake batter. In a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese, corn starch and sugar together with a paddle attachment for two minutes until everything is smooth and there are no lumps. (You can alternatively use a hand mixer). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything has been mixed well.
Add in the vanilla bean paste, sour cream and melted and cooled white chocolate and mix for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl again.
Next add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time to the cheesecake batter, ensuring that each is fully mixed in before adding the next. As soon as the last one is fully mixed in turn off the mixer. Do not over mix the batter.
STEP FOUR: Bake the cheesecake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan with the crust. Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan in the oven. Slowly pour boiling water in to the pan around the cheesecake being careful not to splash the cheesecake.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. When an hour is up, turn off the oven and crack the door open. It helps to use a wooden utensil to keep the oven door slightly open. Let the cheesecake stay in the oven for another hour. The cheesecake will continue to bake as it is cooling. This is the best method I've used when making cheesecake and results in a perfectly golden brown top with no cracks or sinking every time.
STEP FIVE: Chill the cheesecake. Once the 2 hours are up, remove the cheesecake from the oven and go around the edges of the pan with a butter knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan. Let the cheesecake cool completely on the counter, and then refrigerate until completely cold, at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
When the cheesecake is completely cold, top with homemade salted caramel sauce, serve and enjoy! Store the left overs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
(See recipe below for complete measurements and baking times!)
FAQs
Do I really have to use a water bath to bake the cheesecake? Yes, it's absolutely essential. The water bath adds moisture to the oven while the cheesecake bakes and helps to regulate the heat. Without it, the cheesecake won't bake like it should.
Can I use store bought salted caramel sauce? Sure, I just think homemade tastes much better.
Do I have to use pretzels in the crust? No you can replace the pretzels with more graham crackers. Use a total of 8 oz. of graham crackers, about 16 whole crackers.
Pro Tips
Make sure your wet ingredients are room temperature. This will give you the best textured cheesecake. If your cream cheese is too cold you can end up with lumps in your cheesecake.
I recommend using a stand mixer to make the cheesecake if you have one. Mix the cheesecake on a low/medium speed to ensure you're not overmixing.
Be super, super careful not to overmix the cheesecake batter. If you mix too much the cheesecake texture can turn out very runny with a whipped cream consistency.
Make sure your cheesecake has completely chilled before attempting to decorate/cut into it. I recommend making it the day before you're panning on serving it and allowing it to chill overnight.
If you make this cheesecake plese leave a star review, it would help me out so much and allow me to more easily keep making recipes for you all! Also, tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see your creation! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Other desserts to try:
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Biscoff Crust
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake
📖 Recipe
White Chocolate Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Salted Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoon softened butter
- ½ cup room temperature heavy cream
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the Crust
- 4 oz graham crackers (about 8 whole crackers)
- 4 oz mini pretzels (about 2 ½ cups)
- ¾ cup melted butter
- 2 tablespoon sugar
For the Cheesecake
- 32 oz cream cheese (4 packages)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- 8 oz melted and cooled white chocolate
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 3 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
Instructions
For the Salted Caramel Sauce
- Add 1 cup of granulated sugar to a sauce pan and heat over medium heat until the sugar has melted. Stir occasionally to ensure it gets equally heated. It will take a little while for it to melt down so be patient. Make sure to regulate the heat and watch the sugar so it does not burn.
- Once the sugar has melted, turn the heat down to low and add in 5 tablespoons of butter right away. If you wait too long once the sugar has melted it can easily burn and have a weird taste.
- Once the butter has melted in, add in ½ cup of heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and ½ teaspoon of salt. (Add more salt if you want it to be extra salty).
- Stir until everything is combined together and let the caramel simmer on the stove for 2-3 minutes to allow it to thicken a little more. Once it has become thicker, it should coat the back of a spoon thickly, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
For the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Wrap at least 4 sheets of tinfoil around the bottom and edges of a 9 inch springform pan.
- Pulse graham crackers and pretzels together in a food processor until finely ground.
- Mix in sugar and melted butter.
- Press onto the bottom, and about an inch up the sides, of the springform pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes and then let cool completely.
For the Cheesecake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees if not still preheated.
- In a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese, corn starch and sugar together with a paddle attachment for two minutes until everything is smooth and there are no lumps. (You can alternatively use a hand mixer). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything has been mixed well.
- Add in the vanilla bean paste, sour cream and melted and cooled white chocolate and mix for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl again.
- At this point, stop and put a pot of water on the stove to start boiling. You will want enough water to go about 1 ½ inches up the sides of the springform pan.
- Next add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time to the cheesecake batter, ensuring that each is fully mixed in before adding the next. As soon as the last one is fully mixed in, turn off the mixer. Do not over mix the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan with the crust.
- Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan in the oven. Slowly pour the boiling water into the pan around the cheesecake being careful not to splash the cheesecake.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. When an hour is up, turn off the oven and crack the door open. It helps to use a wooden utensil to keep the oven door slightly open. Let the cheesecake stay in the oven for another hour. The cheesecake will continue to bake as it is cooling.
- Once the 2 hours are up, remove from the oven and go around the edges of the pan with a butter knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan. Let the cheesecake cool completely on the counter, and then refrigerate until completely cold, 8 hours or overnight.
Serving the Cheesecake
- Once the cheesecake has been sufficiently chilled, carefully remove it from the springform pan and transfer to a serving plate.
- Top it with the salted caramel sauce and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
I loved this cheesecake! 3 people asked me for the recipe, which I sent a link to. Will definitely be making again.
Hi! I’ve made the cheesecake and the caramel, which is now more solidified. Do I need to heat up the caramel before pouring it on top? Thanks!
Hi Katie! Yes, if it's too solid heat it in the microwave in 10 second intervals, or on the stovetop over low heat until it's easy to work with again!
Hi! I have a 7 inch spring pan - any idea how I would change the recipe? 😅 there’s just 2 of us, I didn’t want a whole cake! Thank you!
Absolutely amazing! The cheesecake had such a beautifully smooth texture & I loved the combo of graham crackers and pretzels in the crust. Yum!