This Crème Brûlée Cheesecake is these cheesecake of your dreams. The creamy, luscious and delicately flavored crème patisserie cheesecake filling contrasts beautifully with the thin, crispy caramelized sugar topping, making this cheesecake an incredible combination of flavors and textures. And more importantly, this is a no-fuss, simple recipe that anyone can conquer!
Read the full blog post below for detailed notes, tips, tricks, photos and videos.
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WHAT IS CREME BRULEE?
Crème Brûlée is a popular French dessert, and translates to "burnt cream". At the core, it is a velvety smooth custard made from egg yolks, cream, and sugar, subtly infused with vanilla. What makes it different is its signature crispy caramelized sugar topping, achieved by torching or broiling a thin layer of sugar until it forms a delicate crust.
WHY YOU SHOULD TRY THIS RECIPE
If the name alone isn't enough to convince you, here are a few reasons you NEED to try this recipe:
- I make the best cheesecakes. Seriously! I don't gloat easily, but I do gloat about my cheesecakes. My New York Cheesecake recipe has been tried and loved by hundreds, if not thousands, of people, with rave reviews. And this cheesecake is in the same league
- Crème Brûlée and Cheesecake are a match made in heaven. I am usually a purist when it comes to cheesecake, and like it plain. But this Crème Brûlée version blew me away. The crispy caramel coating works beautifully with the silky cheesecake, and adds an unmatched depth of flavor
- This is a simple, no fuss recipe. Just like my Vanilla Crème Brûlée, this recipe doesn't have any fluff or frills, and can be made easily by anyone
VIDEO TUTORIAL
Here is a quick video tutorial for this Crème Brûlée Cheesecake:
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="4CaFq50V" upload-date="2024-01-27T03:04:42.000Z" name="Creme Brulee Cheesecake" description="How to make creme brulee cheesecake" player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
PROCESS WITH PHOTOS
You can find the detailed recipe in the recipe card at the end of this post, but let's quickly go over the process with photos which will help you visualize each step.
First, make a simple Crème Patisserie base by whisking eggs, sugar and vanilla, and stirring in hot cream:
While that cools, make the crust. Crumb the Nilla wafers with butter, and press down tightly in the cheesecake pan. Bake for a few minutes:
Now, it's time to make the cheesecake filling. Whip the cream cheese with sugar and salt until creamy:
Then slowly stir in the cooled down Crème Patisserie base, along with the cornstarch and lemon juice:
Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan with the baked crust, and bake in a water bath:
Cool the cheesecake overnight, then sprinkle over sugar in thin layers and brulee using a blow torch:
And with that, you're ready to slice up and enjoy!!
TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST CHEESECAKE
I strongly recommend reading my blog post on the BEST Cheesecake Recipe, as I've shared detailed tips on how to perfect cheesecake in that. Here is a summary:
- Use high quality, full-fat ingredients - especially heavy cream and cream cheese
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature. This will allow mixing everything without lumps
- Scrape the cheesecake bowl while mixing to ensure there aren't any cream cheese lumps in it. You can also strain the batter!
- Pack the crust tightly - this will ensure it remains crispy
- Wrap 2-3 large sheets of foil tightly outside the springform pan to ensure water does not leak in from the water bath (I use this pan)
- Keep the cheesecake slightly underdone! I find that most cheesecakes are overbaked, making their texture more eggy than creamy. The secret to an ultra creamy cheesecake is to take it out of the oven when it's still quite jiggly (but set around the edges)
- Cool down thoroughly. Don't rush the cooling process, as the cheesecake will not set fully otherwise
- Blowtorch the sugar in thin layers. This is quicker than trying to do it all at once, and will also give you a uniform color
WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BLOWTORCH
I highly recommend getting an inexpensive blowtorch for best results - this is the one I use. However, if you can't get your hands on one, don't worry; there are a few alternatives:
- Use the broiler. Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on the cheesecake, and place in the top rack of your oven with the broiler on (using a heat-safe pan). You will need to watch closely, and potentially rotate the cheesecake slowly so the sugar gets torched evenly. However, with this method you do risk the cheesecake getting warm
- Use a hot spoon. For this method, sprinkle the sugar on the cheesecake in a thin layer. Then heat the back of a spoon on your stove, directly on the flame, and gently press onto the sugar. The heat from the spoon will melt and caramelize the sugar, but this will take a while and you will have to go back and forth
- Make a caramel instead. This is a bit more involved, but you can also make a wet caramel (see the one I made in my Creme Brulee donuts) and carefully pour onto the cheesecake while it is still inside the pan. Spread into a thin layer by tilting the pan in different directions. This method works best when the cheesecake is very cold but the caramel is hot, and the thinner the caramel layer, the better!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
You can use any plain vanilla biscuits, or Graham Crackers.
Cheesecakes crack due to sudden temperature changes. To prevent this, make sure you don't open your oven door until 70 minutes, and let the cheesecake cool first at room temperature before transferring to the fridge.
The cheesecake will have a solid layer on top (i.e., not wet), and when you shake the pan lightly, it will jiggle in the middle but feel firm towards the edges. That's when you know it's done.
Yes, you can prepare the cheesecake 1-2 days in advance and keep covered in the fridge. However, do not add the caramelized sugar layer until you are ready to serve, as it loses its crispiness and becomes chewy over time.
Keep the cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. If you don't intent to serve the cheesecake in one go, it is best to brulee one slice at a time as the coating loses its crispiness in a few hours.
Read the blog post above for 3 different options if you don't have a blowtorch.
RELATED RECIPES
CREME BRULEE CHEESECAKE RECIPE
- Total Time: 1 day including chilling time
- Yield: 10-12 servings
Description
A creamy, luscious and delicately flavored crème patisserie flavored cheesecake with a thin and crispy caramelized sugar topping.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 200g Nilla Wafers or Graham Crackers
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (60g)
Crème patisserie:
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (360g)
- 4 large eggs
- ⅓ cup sugar (75g)
- 1 vanilla bean pod (or 1-2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste)
Cheesecake filling:
- 32 oz full-fat cream cheese (4 8oz blocks, 910g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (220g)
- ½ tsp salt
- Crème patisserie from above
- 1.5 tbsp cornstarch, sifted
- Lemon juice to taste (optional)
Top:
- 2-4 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
Creme Patisserie:
- Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla until the eggs are broken
- Heat the cream until it starts to simmer, then slowly pour over the egg mixture while continuously whisking
- Strain the mixture through a fine sieve mesh twice, and set aside to cool down
Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350F (conventional) and butter the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Wrap 2-3 sheets of aluminum foil on the outside of the pan tightly (along the bottom and outer edges) so water cannot get in
- Crush the Nilla Wafers and melted butter in a food processor until they form a fine crumb
- Transfer to the pan and press down as tightly as you can into a crust. I like to push some up the sides too
- Bake for 7-8 min. Once done, change the oven temperature to 325F (conventional)
Cheesecake filling:
- Add the cream cheese, sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk using the paddle attachment for 2-3 min until creamy. Scrape the edges and bottom of the bowl in the middle to ensure everything is well combined
- Add the cooled down creme patisserie in 3 additions, whisking slowly between each for just 15-20 seconds. In the last addition, also add the sifted cornstarch and lemon juice. Scrape the bowl and whisk for just 15-20 seconds or until the ingredients are just combined, taking care not to overmix
Baking:
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan with the baked crust. Shake gently and tap the pan on the counter 30-40 times to remove air bubbles. You can also run a skewer gently through the batter
- Place a large tray in the oven (middle rack) and place the cheesecake pan in the middle. Pour 1-2" of boiling water into the tray so the cheesecake pan is dipped in water on the outside (this is a water bath). Make sure no water gets into the cheesecake pan
- Close the oven door and bake for ~80-85 minutes. You can open the oven door around 75 min to check for doneness. The cheesecake should be jiggly in the middle but firm around the edges
- Remove the cheesecake pan from the oven once baked, and leave it uncovered at room temperature for 15 minutes. Then take a butter knife and gently run it around the edge of the cheesecake (between the pan and the cheesecake)
- Cool at room temp for 2-3 hours, then transfer to the fridge and chill overnight (uncovered)
Brulee top:
- The next day, carefully remove the cheesecake from the pan and place it onto your serving board
- Sprinkle the sugar onto the cheesecake in thin layers, and use your blowtorch to caramelize it (it should melt and reach a deep golden color). Doing this in thin layers will speed up the process and achieve even caramelization
- Serve & enjoy!
Video Tutorial:
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="4CaFq50V" upload-date="2024-01-27T03:04:42.000Z" name="Creme Brulee Cheesecake" description="How to make creme brulee cheesecake" player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
Notes
- The caramel topping becomes soggy in a few hours. So unless you're serving the cheesecake at once, I recommend bruleeing one slice at a time right before eating
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 80 min
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Zoe says
Omg Zoha!! This was the dessert of my dreams. I didn’t think anything could come close to your classic cheesecake but now it has serious competition. Yum
Lisa says
My family loved this. Every recipe I’ve tried of yours is delicious and not too difficult to make. thank you!
Zoha says
Thank you so very much Lisa!
Cindy says
Could I used Biscoff cookies for the crust?
Zoha says
Yeah feel free to!
Lisa Dragon says
First time making this cheesecake and put it to the test for Easter dinner. Followed the recipe and there wasn’t a piece left. I was sad we didn’t have a slice to bring home, BUT super glad it turned out and was delicious. For my own knowledge I would have pulled it out five minutes sooner, I think it would have been a tiny bit creamier even though everyone stated it was perfect!
Zoha says
Really really honored you tried my recipe, and glad everyone liked it!!
John says
How long can it be left un refrigerated after the brulee’ing
Thanks.
Zoha says
It's best not to leave the cheesecake out for longer than 30 minutes!
Mich says
Really great recipe , it’s so simple and easy , I’ve made this multiple times now , sometimes I add a bit more lemon juice and zest for a lemon Creme brûlée , it’s really just perfect !
Zoha says
Aww thanks so much, Mich!
Maya says
Can I use a metal mesh strainer instead of a mesh bag/cheese cloth??
Zoha says
That's what I used!
Molly M McGann says
Is it possible to do this in an instapot instead of the water bath? What would the time be for this and other cheese cakes to make the instapot swap?
Zoha says
Hi Molly, cheesecakes are really sensitive so i do not recommend making this in anything other than an oven with a water bath 🙂
Mary says
Hi! The recipe looks amazing and I’m super excited to make it. I did want to make 12 mini cheesecakes, so was wondering about ingredient/baking conversions to. Thanks!
Steph says
Oh my gosh. What an absolute stellar recipe for an incredible dessert. Thank you for the detailed steps. I will be making it again.
Renu says
Can this be baked & frozen? I want to pre-prep as much as possible before week of thanksgiving which is always chaotic.
Zoha says
You could bake and freeze the cheesecake, then defrost overnight in the fridge, but don't brulee until serving!
Saniya says
I can’t wait to make this cheesecake again! I made it for a family dawat and everyone raved about it. I couldn’t find my blow torch last minute and really appreciated the other Brule methods listed on the recipe, I used the broiler method. I would have preferred the blow torch method for a more even color but this also worked fine. Thank you for always coming up with no-fail recipes, they never disappoint!!
Devin says
I want to start off by saying that I'm a lifelong cheesecake FANATIC. And while I've always been a very good cook, I stayed away from making cheesecakes most of my life simply because....I was afraid I'd eat them all and weigh 500 lbs!
That said, this was my SECOND cheesecake that I've made (both since Thanksgiving) and I have one thing to say: THIS RECIPE IS OUTSTANDING!!!!
I'm not joking. Arguably one of, if not THE, best I've ever had. Friends who tried it said the same thing. I was bummed that I gave away too many leftovers because it only left me with two pieces.
B/c one of my guests is GF, I used GF graham crackers for the crust and you couldn't even tell!
This will forever be my go-to cheesecake recipe. THANK YOU!!!
Sana S. says
Ufff...this one was so creamy and delicious! I made it for an Eid get together last weekend and it got wiped out within 15 minutes! Definitely a keeper:)
Nzinga says
My mom likes creme brulee so I decided to make this for Mother's Day yesterday. It was absolutely delicious! I didn't refrigerate it overnight and it was still great. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Zoha says
Aww thank you SO much!