Creme Brulee Cheesecake | The Recipe Critic

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Creme Brulee Cheesecake is the perfect merging of two beloved desserts! It has the rich, creamy texture of cheesecake with the caramelized sugar topping of classic crème brûlée. This irresistible treat is the best of both worlds!

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

Twist on the Classic: Crème brûlée is one of my favorite desserts! And making it into cheesecake will be a guaranteed hit with family and friends.
Amazing Texture: With a velvety smooth filling, a buttery graham cracker crust, and a crisp, golden caramelized layer on top, each bite is heavenly.
Perfect for Special Occasions: Whether it’s a holiday, birthday or special gathering, this dessert is a showstopper! It would be perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Perfect Pairing

I absolutely love cheesecake as well as creme brulee! I don’t know why it has taken me this long to put them together into one fabulous dessert! There is just something about the rich, creamy texture of cheesecake combined with the crunch of the creme brulee topping and fresh berries! It’s seriously to die for! If you want to impress your loved ones, whip this up for a special Valentine’s Day dessert!

How to Make Creme Brûlée Cheesecake

If you’re feeling unsure about making creme brulee cheesecake at home, don’t be! While it may seem intimidating at first, once you try it, you’ll never look back. This recipe is not only absolutely delicious but also easier to make than you might think. Don’t let the detailed instructions overwhelm you. I’ll guide you through each step to ensure success. You’ve got this!

Crust

Make the Crust: Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Prepare a 9 or 10-inch springform pan by spraying it with pan spray and set it aside. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter, and salt in a medium bowl until it resembles damp sand.
Bake Crust: Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared springform pan. Press it evenly into the bottom of the pan. You can use the bottom of a flat glass or a flat measuring cup to press it down evenly. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Creme Brulee Cheesecake Filling

Beat: Add cream cheese to a large bowl. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer and beat for about 1 minute at medium-high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat for about 15 seconds longer.
Mix: Add the sugar and mix on medium speed until just combined. Scrape the bowl again and mix for 10 seconds.
Beat: Add the sour cream and vanilla paste. Beat until just combined.
Beat in Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time. Beat on medium-low speed until combined, about 30 seconds per egg. Scrape the bowl well again. At this point, the batter should be smooth and fairly runny.
Add the Batter to the Pan: Wrap the outside of the springform pan with 3–4 sheets of heavy-duty 18-inch aluminum foil, covering the sides and crumpling it over the top rim. Regular foil may require extra layers to prevent water from seeping in. Place the wrapped pan inside a deep roasting pan. You may alternatively use a baking sheet, as long as the sides are about 2 inches deep. Add the cheesecake batter to the springform pan and smooth over the top.
Bake: Add hot water to the roasting pan until it is about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Carefully place the pan on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Bake at 325ºF for 1-1 ½ hours. After about an hour of baking, check the cheesecake’s consistency. A slight jiggle of the pan (while still in the oven) should tell you if it’s ready or needs more time. The cheesecake should have a wobble to it, but it should not be liquid. If it still seems very liquid, give it 15 more minutes and recheck it.

How to Cool Creme Brulee Cheesecake

Once the creme brulee cheesecake is done, leave it in the oven! Turn the oven off. Leave the cheesecake in for another hour or until the oven has cooled down.
Resist the temptation to open the oven during this time! Doing this will prevent the cheesecake from cracking, which happens with drastic temperature changes, such as going from the hot oven into the much cooler kitchen. Keeping the oven door closed will allow the cheesecake to cool down slowly as the oven cools down, also continuing the baking process.
Once it cools, let it chill! Once the oven and the cheesecake have cooled, remove the roasting pan from the oven, remove the springform pan from the water, and carefully remove the foil lining it. Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

Crème Brûlée Topping

Add Sugar Topping: Before serving, run a knife around the edge of the pan to ensure an easy release when the springform is removed. Add the sugar to the top of the cheesecake and carefully spread it evenly over the entire top.
Brûlée the Sugar and Chill: Use a small kitchen torch to brulee the sugar until it has become a deep caramel color across the whole top of the cheesecake. Let the cheesecake chill in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife and serving.

Angle shot of someone pouring sugar on top of the cooled cheesecake.

Brûlée Tips

Brûlée Tip: To brulee the topping for this cheesecake, you really only want to have a light layer of sugar on top so you can still cut through it with a knife.
Use a Torch: I don’t suggest using the broiler to brulee the topping; you really need a kitchen torch. If you use the broiler, you will run the risk of overbaking the top layer of the Creme Brulee Cheesecake, which will result in a dry, grainy texture.

Creme Brulee Cheesecake Tips and Variations

With all of my top tips and variation ideas, you’re sure to have great success making this incredible cheesecake recipe!

Crust Variations: Change up the crust by using Biscoff cookies, butter cookies, or vanilla wafers in place of the graham cracker crumbs.
Room Temp Ingredients: For the smoothest batter, you want your ingredients (cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, etc) at room temperature.
Avoid Lumps! Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl frequently. You want all the ingredients to be evenly incorporated. If you aren’t scraping off the thicker, chunkier cream cheese bits from the bowl, the filling will become too runny to be smoothly incorporated further into the process.
Add More Vanilla: If you want the cheesecake to have an extra punch of vanilla flavor, you may add more bean paste, vanilla extract, or caviar from vanilla pods.
Alternative to a Water Bath: If you do not want to place the cheesecake in the water bath, you can achieve the same results by putting the pan of water on the rack directly beneath the cheesecake.
How do you know when it’s done? You will know your creme brulee cheesecake is done when there is a slight wobble to the center, but the edges of the batter are set and don’t move much at all. Do not stick a knife or a thermometer inside! If you do, the cheesecake will crack.

Overhead shot of creme brûlée cheesecake with berries on top.

How to Store Leftovers

In the Refrigerator: Store leftover Creme Brulee Cheesecake in the fridge in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for up to 7 days. Remember that once the brulee topping is added, it will continue to soften the longer it sits in the fridge. I suggest leaving the topping off until serving if you plan to make the cheesecake in advance.
In the Freezer: To freeze this cheesecake, chill the cheesecake in the fridge until completely chilled. Don’t add the creme brulee topping yet! Place the cheesecake on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 4-6 hours or until frozen solid. Double or triple-wrap the whole cheesecake with plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months and then thaw overnight in the fridge when you’re ready to enjoy it. Leave the brulee topping off until you are ready to serve it.

More Cheesecake Recipes to Try

There are endless possibilities when it comes to making cheesecake. Keep it simple with cheesecake dip, or go all out with German chocolate cheesecake! And be sure to check out my full collection of cheesecake recipes!

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kitchen torch
9 or 10-inch springform pan
deep roasting pan or baking sheet
18-inch heavy-duty aluminum foil