Whenever we want something so decadent, we indulge in the rich and creamy flavors of this decadent dulce de leche cheesecake. Follow our step by step guide to create this irresistible dessert for your next special occasion!
Sweet, buttery with deep notes of caramel, Dulce de Leche is a flavor of its own. I love incorporating it in baked goods like in this Dulce de Leche Bread Rolls.
Today, we use this indulgent and luxurious liquid to make a cheesecake. Dulce de leche cheesecake is creamy, deeply sweet and a bit earthy. You will love this decadent dessert!
Dulce de Leche
Traditional dulce de leche is made of milk and sugar that is cooked together until thick and deep in color. Another widely used method is using a can of sweetened condensed milk. It is either boiled in water, or steam baked in the oven until that rich, deep brown color is attained.
In this recipe, I chose the easiest route: buy a canned dulce de leche! I used Eagle Brand. It is thick but still pourable. If you want to use other brands or make your own, note that this is the consistency you are looking for.
Notes on other Ingredients
- Graham Crumbs. I used 1 ¼ cups of crumbs (another easy route!) If you like to use graham crackers instead, you will need about 8-10 of the rectangle cracker piece.
- Cream Cheese. Let the cream cheese rest at room temperature about an hour ahead. This will ensure it is softened enough for creaming. This recipe requires 2 blocks of cream cheese, for a total of 500 grams.
- Lemon Juice. A small amount of lemon juice cuts through the richness and sweetness of the batter, and makes the caramel flavor stands out. However, you can omit this if you like.
Let’s Make Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
Make the Graham Cracker Crust
- First, wrap the outer sides of your 8 inch spring form pan with double layer of aluminum foil. This keeps water out when we bake the cheesecake in a water bath later.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix until the crumbs are moistened. Pour this to your springform pan.
- Press the crumbs to the bottom of the pan using your fingers, letting some climb up the sides. Note that this will not cover the entire sides of your springform pan.
- Use the bottom of a glass or a measuring cup to pack the crumbs tight. Set this in the fridge while you make the cheesecake batter.
Make the Dulce de Leche Filling
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Set aside 3 tbsp. of the dulce de leche for glazing later. In a mixing bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy and creamy.
Beat in the remaining dulce de leche (this will be about 1 cup) until combined and smooth. Beat in the sugar, whipping cream, vanilla, salt and lemon juice.
Beat in the eggs until incorporated.
Set the springform pan inside a 9x 13 inch baking pan. Pour and scrape the cheesecake filling mixture to the spring form pan. Pour hot water to the 9×13 inch pan until it reaches less than half way of the height of the spring form pan.
Bake at 350 ℉ for 50-60 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center has a very slight jiggle to it. Remove from the water bath and let the cheesecake cool on a wire rack. Chill the cheesecake for at least 4 hours.
Before serving, pour the remaining dulce de leche over the top of the cheesecake. Spread it out using an offset spatula. Slice the cheesecake with a sharp knife and serve!
More Cheesecakes
- Blueberry Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Ube Basque Cheesecake
- Condensed Milk Cheesecake
- No Bake Coffee Swirl Cheesecake
Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
Equipment
- electric hand mixer
- Stand mixer optional
Ingredients
For the Graham Crust
- 1 ¼ cup honey graham crumbs
- ¼ cup melted unsalted butter
Dulce de Leche Filling
- 2 x 250 grams cream cheese softened (2 blocks)
- 1 300 ml can dulce de leche I used Eagle Brand (divided)
- 2 tbsp. whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 large eggs room temperature
Instructions
Prepare the Crust
- First, wrap the outside of an 8-inch springform pan with 2 layers of aluminum foil. This protects the pan from any seepage from the water bath during baking.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix melted butter and graham crumbs until the crumbs are moistened. Pour the mixture to an 8 inch spring form pan.
- Using your fingers, press the mixture against the bottom of the pan, letting some go up the sides. Note that the crumbs will not cover the entire height of the pan. Use the bottom of a glass or a measuring cup to gently pack the crumbs tight. Chill this while you make the dulce de leche filling.
Make the Filling
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Set aside 3 tbsp of the dulce de leche. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy and creamy. Beat in the remaining dulce de leche (this will be about 1 cup) until combined and smooth. Beat in the sugar, whipping cream, vanilla, salt and lemon juice.
- Beat in the eggs until incorporated.
- Set the springform pan inside a 9x 13 inch baking pan. Pour the cheesecake mixture to the spring form pan. Pour hot water to the 9×13 inch pan until it reaches less than half way of the height of the spring form pan.
- Bake at 350 ℉ for 50-60 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center has a very slight jiggle to it. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and let it cool on a wire rack. Chill the cheesecake for at least 4 hours.
- Before serving, pour the remaining dulce de leche over the top of the cheesecake. Spread it out using an offset spatula. Slice and serve!
Leave a Reply