Creme Brulee Cheesecake

This silky, homemade creme brulee cheesecake with fruity raspberry sauce combines two classic favorites into one show-stopping dessert! The creamy, velvety cheesecake layer is topped with a crispy, caramelized sugar topping that is perfect for impressing your guests.

Want to save this recipe?

We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

Table of Contents

• Why I Love This Cheesecake
• Key Ingredients
• How To Make Creme Brulee Cheesecake
• Test Kitchen Review
• Get the Recipe
• More Cheesecake Recipes To Try

Why I Love This Cheesecake

This creme brulee cheesecake recipe was shared with us from our friend Kerri. The rich, creamy cheesecake paired with the crisp sugar topping is seriously irresistible. After taking my first bite, I told her she simply had to share the recipe with us *and* all of you too. Thankfully she agreed! Here’s why I think you are going to love this cheesecake:

• Impressive: Whip out your kitchen torch to toast the caramelized sugar topping. It adds a delightful crunch that contrasts beautifully with the creamy cheesecake!
• So Creamy: Loaded with cream cheese, heavy cream, and 10 egg yolks, this cheesecake is incredibly rich, smooth and velvety.
• Crowd-pleaser: Cheesecake is best prepared in advance and is always a crowd favorite that disappears quickly!

Looking for more cheesecake flavors? Try my chocolate-orange cannoli cheesecake, refreshing lemon cheesecake or this southern-style banana pudding cheesecake!

Key Ingredients

Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this creme brulee cheesecake. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!

• Graham Crackers: If you aren’t a graham cracker fan, you can use any dry wafer style cookie, such as Biscoff cookies or golden Oreo cookies with the cream filling removed.
• Cream Cheese: I always use full-fat cream cheese, as it gives your cheesecake the best creamy texture. Make sure your cream cheese is fully softened to room temperature, otherwise it will make your batter lumpy!
• Extracts: I like to use a combination of caramel extract and vanilla extract. The caramel extract really helps to boost the creme brulee flavor in the cheesecake filling. If you prefer, you can also scrape a vanilla bean and add it to the batter for a more intense vanilla flavor.
• Heavy Cream: I highly recommend using real heavy cream for the best creamy texture, however half-and-half will also work.
• Egg Yolks: You will need TEN egg yolks. I know that sounds like a lot, but they are needed to create the creme brulee flavor in the cheesecake. Use your leftover egg whites to make these gorgeous lemon meringues!

How To Make Creme Brulee Cheesecake

Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for a smooth batter. While there are quite a few steps, the hardest part of actually making this cheesecake is waiting for it to chill after baking! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.

• Make the crust: Wrap a 9-inch springform pan tightly on the outside with foil. Process the crust ingredients until fine and crumbly. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then set it aside to cool.
• Beat the cream cheese: Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract and caramel extract until smooth. Set aside.
• Temper the eggs: Add the heavy cream to a pot and let it heat, but do not boil. Whisk the yolks in a bowl until pale, then slowly pour the warm cream into the eggs while whisking constantly. Fold the egg mixture into the cream cheese mixture until smooth. The batter will be runny.
• Bake it: Pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust. Fill the roasting pan with hot water until it’s halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake until the center barely jiggles.

• Cool it: Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Leave the cheesecake in the water bath until completely cooled. Then remove it and dry the outside of the pan. Cover it tightly and refrigerate overnight.
• Make the sauce: Process the raspberry sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any seeds and set it aside.
• Caramelize the sugar: When ready to serve, remove the chilled cheesecake from the pan. Sprinkle the top of the whole cheesecake, or just a slice, with granulated sugar. Use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar until toasty. Serve cheesecake immediately with raspberry sauce on top and enjoy!

Test Kitchen Review

See what our test kitchen had to say!

Haley

This was only my 3rd time making homemade cheesecake and it came out insanely good and super creamy! The crispy sugar topping and the fresh raspberry sauce really take it to the next level. I lined my springform pan with parchment paper and then double wrapped the outside with foil. I had no issues with leaking or serving my cheesecake!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Recipe

Yield: 10 slices

Creme Brulee Cheesecake

This ultra-rich and creamy, homemade creme brulee cheesecake with fruity raspberry sauce combines two classic favorites into one show-stopping dessert! Topped with a caramelized sugar topping and 3-ingredient fresh raspberry sauce, it's a creamy make-ahead dessert that's perfect for impressing your friends and family.

Prep Time15 minutes minutes

Cook Time1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Chill Time12 hours hours

Total Time14 hours hours

Ingredients

For the Graham Cracker Crust

• 14 graham crackers
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Creme Brulee Cheesecake

• 3 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons caramel extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 10 large egg yolks
• granulated sugar, for the topping

For the Raspberry Sauce

• 10 oz fresh raspberries, frozen will work too
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Want to save this recipe?

We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

Instructions 

Make the Crust:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by wrapping two layers of foil tightly around the outside bottom of the pan. Set aside. The foil will help prevent water from leaking into the springform pan during the water bath process.
• Using a food processor, crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add sugar, salt, and melted butter. Mix to combine. Transfer crust mixture into the bottom of the springform pan and press into an even layer.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. Once crust is removed from oven, lower the temperature to 325°F.

Make the Cheesecake:

• In a large bowl or stand mixer, add the cream cheese and beat for several minutes until smooth and no lumps remain, scraping sides and bottom of bowl several times. Add sugar, caramel extract, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix for another 2 to 3 minutes, until fully incorporated.
• Next, add the heavy cream to a small pot. Heat over medium-low heat until cream is steaming, making sure not to let it boil. Meanwhile, add egg yolks into separate mixing bowl. Whisk yolks for about 2 minutes or until pale in color.
• Strain the heated cream through a fine mesh sieve to remove impurities. Slowly add 1/4 cup of the heated cream to your yolk mixture at a time, whisking constantly. Whisk until completely incorporated. This step is extremely important to help ensure that the eggs are properly tempered. If your cream accidentally boiled, let it cool for 5 minutes before whisking into the eggs.
• Slowly drizzle the egg/cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture, and stir by hand, to prevent mixture from overflowing the bowl. Stir this mixture until smooth and well-combined.
• Place the springform pan into a deep roasting pan. Then carefully pour the batter into the prepared crust. Add hot water to the roasting pan, until it reaches about half way up the outside of the springform pan. Be careful while transferring the roasting pan to the oven to not splash water into the cheesecake.
• Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes — until the center just barely jiggles. The cheesecake will continue to set as it cools. If the cheesecake begins to brown at the end, turn off the oven.
• Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the water bath until it cools completely to room temperature. Once the cheesecake has cooled, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Allowing your cheesecake to slowly cool will help to prevent cracks!

Make the Sauce:

• Add the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice into food processor or blender. Puree until well combined and mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. The mixture will be slightly thick, to help it strain quicker, I place the strainer over a medium bowl and use a spoon to help push it through. If you prefer the sauce thinner, you can add water to thin it out until you reach your desired consistency. No more than 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time.

Assemble and Serve:

• When ready to serve, carefully unlock the springform pan and remove the cheesecake from the pan. Sprinkle sugar all over the top of the whole cheesecake or over individual slices.
• Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. Serve immediately with raspberry sauce. I personally like to torch individual slices instead of the entire cheesecake. If you torch the whole cheesecake, cutting slices will not look pretty since the sugar topping will crack once cut.

Video

Notes

Store: Cheesecakes are always best a day after they’re made. Store cooled cheesecake in an airtight container, or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 7 days. Keep it away from strong-smelling foods like onions. 

Freeze: Wrap the cheesecake, whole or sliced, in plastic wrap. Transfer it to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice, Calories: 695kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 50g, Saturated Fat: 28g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 311mg, Sodium: 478mg, Potassium: 224mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 41g, Vitamin A: 1903IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 137mg, Iron: 2mg

© Jessica – The Novice Chef

Cuisine: American

Category: Desserts

More Cheesecake Recipes To Try

Easy Instant Pot Cheesecake

Triple Coconut Cheesecake

The Best Pumpkin Cheesecake

Tiramisu Cheesecake Recipe

Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.