Salted Caramel No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

slice of salted caramel cheesecake on plate

4.57 from 74 votes

Salted Caramel No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

This Salted Caramel No Bake Cheesecake is rich and decadent with that perfect mix of salt and sweety flavors. The creamy cheesecake is topped with caramel sauce for a truly indulgent and delicious dessert.

Prep Time1

Cook Time1 30

Chilling time8 30

Total Time11

Servings: slices

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

Kitchen Scale
9x13 Baking Pan
9-inch Springform Pan
Stand Mixer

Ingredients

For the Caramel Layer

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 396 grams (1 can)
½ teaspoon Flake sea salt Maldon or Fleur de sel

For the Crust

2¼ cups graham cracker crumbs 320 grams (about 20 cracker sheets)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar 25 grams
2 tablespoons light brown sugar 27 grams
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter 141 grams, melted (1¼ sticks)

For the No-Bake Cheesecake layer

1⅛ cups heavy whipping cream 255 grams, COLD (18 tablespoons)
24 ounces full-fat cream cheese 681 grams, room temperature (3 bricks)
6 tablespoons granulated sugar 75 grams
2 tablespoons powdered sugar 14 grams
¼ cup sour cream 57 grams, room temperature
½ lemon juiced
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams

For the Topping (optional)

Homemade Caramel Sauce homemade or storebought
English Toffee Bits Heath recommended

Instructions

For the Caramel Layer

Heat oven to 425°F and pour the sweetened condensed milk into a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle the flake sea salt evenly over the milk.
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, ½ teaspoon Flake sea salt
Cover the dish with foil, being careful the foil doesn’t hang over the sides too much (about 1 inch is best). Place the baking dish in a larger roasting pan, and add enough hot water to reach about ⅓ of the way up the sides of the glass baking dish.
Bake 1½-2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the condensed milk is dark golden brown and thickened. Check the water level when stirring the milk and if it looks very low, add additional boiling water to the roasting pan. Be sure the water doesn’t come up too high. The caramel will probably be a little lumpy, but no worries – it will smooth as it chills.
When the caramel is ready, very carefully leave both pans together and remove it from the oven. After removing the pans from the oven, carefully lift the glass dish up and away from the roasting pan with the water. The glass dish will be very hot. Set the caramel aside to cool about 5 minutes, then dry the outside of the glass dish and pour the caramel into a heat-resistant glass bowl. Set the caramel aside to cool to room temperature.

For The Crust

While the caramel develops, prepare the crust.
Combine graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and mix well to blend.
2¼ cups graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Drizzle the butter over the crumb mixture and mix until all crumbs have been coated with the butter.
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pour the crust mixture into the springform pan and spread in an even layer. Use a flat-bottom measuring cup to press the crust firmly in the pan and almost all the way up the sides of the pan.
Freeze the crust until the caramel is ready.

For the No-Bake Cheesecake layer

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the heavy cream on medium-high until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream should be stiff, but don’t whisk too long or it will turn to butter. Carefully transfer the whipped cream to a separate bowl and set aside.
1⅛ cups heavy whipping cream
Remove the whisk attachment on the mixer and replace it with the paddle attachment. In the same bowl, place the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar and beat on medium speed until creamy and completely incorporated, about 3 minutes.
24 ounces full-fat cream cheese, 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat an additional 2 minutes until the mixture is very smooth.
¼ cup sour cream, ½ lemon, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Set the mixer on the lowest speed and add the whipped cream. Mix 10 seconds then use a rubber spatula to finish folding-in the whipped cream by hand.

To Assemble the Pie

Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the caramel over the crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth it out evenly. Cover and refrigerate the pie 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, cover the caramel layer with the cheesecake mixture. Add enough cheesecake to come within ¼ inch from the top edge of the crust.
Cover, being careful NOT to let the covering touch the cheesecake, and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 48 hours in advance. (Alternately, the cheesecake can be frozen up to 3 months)

To serve

Remove the cheesecake from the pan, drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with English Toffee Bits
Homemade Caramel Sauce, English Toffee Bits

Notes

This is a recipe that takes about 4 hours to make with an additional refrigeration time of (at least) 8 hours. BUT…it is worth the time and effort. The crust can be made up to 2 days ahead if covered and kept refrigerated.

When making the caramel, be sure to stir the cream every thirty minutes to help it bake evenly.
If you don't have a stand mixer, you can whip the cream and mix the ingredients together by hand. It will take longer to whip the cream and ensure that everything is well combined.
Allow enough time to make this recipe, the cheesecake will need about 8 hours to set in the fridge.
Nutritional information does not include optional toppings.

Storage: Store salted caramel no bake cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition