Crème brûlée cheesecake is decadent silky cheesecake with a layer of bruleed sugar, topped with more cheesecake batter, then covered in vanilla pastry cream and of course another layer of bruleed sugar! It’s honestly even better than it sounds!
Creme brulee is known for its characteristic crackle top, and its silky notes of vanilla custard. Combining that delicious classic with cheesecake to make creme brulee cheesecake is just good sense. Follow the tips below to make this delicious creme brulee cheesecake that your family and friends are bound to devour!
For the Graham Cracker Crust
This is a traditional graham cracker crust in that it uses crushed graham crackers, a little added sugar and melted butter. You are welcome to get creative and use a different kind of cookie base but I believe graham cracker is the best option!
For the Cheesecake Batter
Cheesecake always used to intimidate me, probably because people have such strong opinions on good cheesecake! I would argue that this is the most simple part of the process as long as your ingredients are at room temperature!
Tip #1–DO NOT OVERMIX the cheesecake batter! In order to create a cheesecake that is rich and creamy it is important to mix the ingredients until they are combined and not much longer. If you beat too much air into the batter you’ll risk it cracking when baked and cooled. Cracked cheesecake still obviously tastes amazing, but if you’re looking for flawless cheesecake, pay attention to this step.
Tip #2–Be sure to use ROOM TEMPERATURE ingredients! I can’t emphasize this enough, in every dessert recipe that calls for room temperature ingredients, listen to it! We don’t call for ingredients to be at room temperature to make your life more complicated. There are many reasons ingredients must truly be at room temperature and one of those reasons is because the ingredients will combine much easier when they’re all at room temp!
Tip #3–Use a CHEAT WATER BATH! Listen folks, I don’t have the time, energy or patience to be fooling with a traditional water bath. Unless it is absolutely necessary for the dessert like maybe a crème brûlée…I’m using my cheat water bath method every time! Simply place a rimmed dish on the bottom rack of the oven and fill it with boiling water. Then bake the cheesecake on the top rack of the oven and you’ll get a lot of the same effects as a water bath.
If you LOVE cheesecake, be sure to check out my
For the Pastry Cream + Brûléed Top
The final layer of this cheesecake is the part that makes it creme brulee, the pastry cream and crackle top! Knowing how to make pastry cream is important as a baker. It’s the first thing I tried to make after watching my first ever season of The Great British Bake Off because it seemed like a pretty important basic. If you follow a few simple science rules, you’ll find success every time!
Tip #1–Warm the vanilla with the milk on a very low heat so that you don’t scorch the milk! You want it to slightly bubble up and then remove it from the heat.
Tip #2–Temper the eggs by pouring a small amount of the warm milk into the whisked egg yolks. This brings the eggs up to temperature so that they don’t curdle (cook) when you return everything to the heat
Tip #3–Pass the finished pastry cream through a sieve to remove any lumps!
Tip #4–When bruleeing the sugar you’ll want to add more than you think you’ll need. The torch responds best when there’s a slightly thicker layer of sugar on top!
You will need a small hand torch to toast the sugar. I used to think they were a kitchen luxury until I finally broke down and bought myself one. To my surprise there are actually lots of affordable handheld torches out there. You can easily spend under $20 on this kitchen tool, and it will pay you back in all of the fun and deliciousness it provides.
Happy Baking!
Crème Brûlée Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups (240g) graham cracker crumbs
- 2 Tbsp (24g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp (10g) brown sugar
- 6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter melted
- pinch of salt
For the Cheesecake Batter
- 16 oz (452g) (2 blocks) full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 3/4 cup (160g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp (20g) brown sugar
- 2 (100-110g) large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1/2 cup (130g) sour cream room temperature
For the Pastry Cream
- 1 cup (236ml) whole milk
- 1/2 vanilla bean pod scraped, or 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp (15g) cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large (35g) egg yolks
- 1 Tbsp (15g) unsalted butter cold
Instructions
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (roughly 180°C) and spray and line a 6" or a 7" springform pan with parchment paper and cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl stir together 2 cups (240g) of graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tbsp (24g) granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp (10g) of brown sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Melt 6 Tbsp (85g) of unsalted butter and mix it in with the graham cracker mixture.
- Add the mixture to the lined springform pan and press it down in an even layer on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. The crust won't reach the top of the 7" springform which is fine. I sometimes use a measuring cup to press everything really flat.
- Place the filled springform pan onto a baking sheet (to trap any leakage) and bake for 8-10 minutes. Then remove and allow to cool.
For the Cheesecake Batter
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (roughly 160°C). To a medium bowl, add 16oz (452g) (2 blocks) of full fat cream cheese at room temperature. Use a hand mixer to break down the cream cheese slightly.
- Add 3/4 cup (160g) of granulated sugar and 2 Tbsp (20g) of brown sugar and cream until combined. Do your best to not add too much air into the cheesecake batter, just mix until well combined.
- Add in 2 large room temperature eggs (100-110g), one at a time, and mix until combined. Then add 2 tsp of vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract) and mix until incorporated.
- Switch to a spatula and stir in 1/2 cup (130g) of room temperature sour cream until everything is evenly mixed in.
- Pour half of the cheesecake batter into the cooled graham cracker crust and then add an even layer of sugar on top of the batter.
- Using a handheld torch toast the sugar until golden brown. Then add the second half of the cheesecake batter on top and bake for 40-45 minutes or until there is a slight wobble in the middle of the cheesecake.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool completely.
For the Pastry Cream
- While the cheesecake is cooling, add 1 cup (236ml) of whole milk to a saucepan over medium/low heat.
- Scrape the seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean pod and add them to the milk (or add 1/2 tsp of vanilla bean paste). Optionally you can add the vanilla bean pod after being scraped to the milk, just remember to to remove it later on!
- Heat the milk until it is simmering, making sure not to scorch the milk on the bottom of the saucepan.
- In a separate heatproof bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup (50g) of granulated sugar, 1 1/2 Tbsp (15g) of cornstarch, 1/4 tsp of salt and 2 large egg yolks (about 35g). Whisk until smooth and lighter in color, about a minute or so.
- Scoop about 1/4 cup of the warm milk mixture and slowly pour it into the egg mixture whisking continuously until everything is mixed together.
- Pour the egg mixture that has been brought up to temperature by the warm milk back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk.
- Stir continuously over low heat until the mixture thickens. Then remove it from the heat.
- Stir in 1 Tbsp (15g) of cold unsalted butter until it melts into the pastry cream.
- Pass the pastry cream through a sieve to remove any lumps and then cover it with plastic wrap so that the plastic wrap is touching the pastry cream. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
For the Assembly
- Remove the completely chilled cheesecake and pastry cream from the fridge.
- Add the pastry cream on top of the cheesecake and spread it in an even layer.
- Add an even layer of sugar overtop of the cheesecake and use your handheld torch to toast it until it is golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy! Best when eaten 1 or 2 days after making!