SunButter Salted Caramel Cheesecake
I wanted to thank SunButter® for sponsoring this SunButter Salted Caramel Cheesecake post! As always, all opinions and ideas are 100% my own.
The ultimate sweet-salty combo is coming at you today in the form of this SunButter Salted Caramel Cheesecake! This seriously decadent cheesecake features a velvety smooth SunButter infused batter that is baked on top of a sweet & salty chocolate pretzel crust, and then topped with everyone’s favorite – salted caramel!
WHAT IS SUNBUTTER?
SunButter, for those who have never heard of it or had the pleasure of trying it, is a seed-butter spread that is made from sunflower seeds! SunButter is an excellent alternative to nut-butters for any one with allergies, sensitivities, or looking to incorporate a delicious, but healthier alternative to most nut-butters! It has 7g of protein per serving, is jam-packed with vitamins & minerals, and has absolutely no trans-fat and actually has less saturated fat than your typical almond butter! And guess what guys! This stuff is AMAZING! I’ve been a long-time fan of SunButter, as I have family members with nut allergies – meaning that I’ve long used it as a substitute for peanut butter in several recipes. Check out my SunButter Milk Chocolate Cream Puffs if you’re interested in more SunButter recipes!
HOW TO MAKE SALTED CARAMEL
Although making your own salted caramel may seem a bit daunting at first, it’s actually quite easy! Making it takes about 10 to 15 minutes of active cooking.
Start by throwing the sugar and water into a large-ish saucepan over medium heat. Allow the sugar to dissolve in the water, then increase the heat to medium-high and let the mixture turn amber. During this caramelization period, make sure you DO NOT stir it! Stirring the mixture can cause little sugar clumps/crystals to occur, leading to an unsmooth sauce. After the sugar mixture has turned amber in color, add the cubed butter in, whisking as you add it. The mixture will bubble up quite a bit, so using a big enough whisk is important. If the butter doesn’t seem to want to incorporate, just vigorously whisk it, off the heat, until it does! After the butter has been added and is well-incorporated, add the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt, then whisk until well-combined again. Now simply allow the caramel to cool to at least room-temperature before using!
The salted caramel can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 weeks, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
Making the SunButter Salted Caramel Cheesecake
1. Make the crust: Add the pretzels, cookie crumbs, and brown sugar to a food process and grind until pretzels become fine crumbs. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse the food processor until the butter is evenly dispersed.
2. Bake and cool the crust: Grease a spring form pan with baking spray, then press the crust into the spring form pan. I like to use a flat bottomed glass to really compact the crust down. Place the crust into the oven to bake for 10 minutes, then allow the crust to cool to room temperature before adding the filling.
3. Beat cream cheese: Add the cream cheese to the stand mixer or large bowl and beat until the cream cheese looks creamy and smooth – about 3 or so minutes
4. Add sugar, salt, and vanilla: Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla to the cream cheese, and beat until fluffy – this should take about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add eggs: Add the eggs in, one at a time, incorporating each one fully before adding the next one! This just ensures even mixing and no streaks of egg throughout the SunButter Cheesecake!
6. Add SunButter, cream, and sour cream: After all the eggs have been incorporated, add in the SunButter, heavy cream, and sour cream. Beat again until everything looks smooth, well-combined, and uniform.
7. Bake: Take 2 pieces of tin foil and wrap them around the base of the spring form pan. Pour the filling over the cooled crust. Place the cheesecake into a large roasting pan, then pour boiling water into the roasting pan, ensuring that the water comes about halfway up the cheesecake pan. Place into the oven to bake!
8. Cool SunButter cheesecake: After the cheesecake has baked, allow the cheesecake to cool in a cracked oven for about an hour. This reduces the amount of cracking. After an hour, let the cheesecake come down to room temperature on the counter, then cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge to cool and set overnight.
8. Top with salted caramel: After the SunButter cheesecake has fully cooled and set in the fridge, remove it from the spring form pan, and drizzle it with the salted caramel. Feel free to garnish with chocolate, pretzels, and caramel corn like I did.
Get the Recipe: SunButter Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Ingredients
Chocolate Pretzel Crust
- 4 oz (120g) Pretzels
- 3 oz (90g) Chocolate Cookie Crumbs,, such as Oreo
- 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter,, melted
SunButter Cheesecake
- 32 oz (1000g) Cream Cheese,, softened
- 1 ¼ cups Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Vanilla
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 4 Large Eggs,, at room temperature
- 1 cup Original SunButter
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- Pretzels,, plus more for garnish
- Chocolate,, for garnish as needed
- Caramel Corn,, for garnish as needed
Salted Caramel
- 1 cup White Sugar
- 1/4 cup Water
- 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature and cubed
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
Equipment
- Food Processor
Instructions
Chocolate Pretzel Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Add pretzels, cookie crumbs, and brown sugar to a food process and grind into fine crumbs. Pour melted butter into the food processor, and pulse until the butter is well dispersed.
- Grease a 9” or 10” springform pan, then add crust into pan and press it down evenly into the bottom of the pan. Use a flat bottom glass to really compact the crust down.
- Place the crust into the oven to bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the crust and allow to cool to room temperature.
SunButter Cheesecake
- Turn oven down to 325°F. Prepare the cooled springform pan (with crust) by wrapping the bottom of the pan with 2 sheets of tinfoil, then set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer, add cream cheese and beat on medium-high until it looks soft and creamy – about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat until soft and fluffy – another 4 minutes, scraping at the bowl as necessary.
- Add eggs, one at a time, ensuring that each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next, ensuring that you are also scraping at the bowl as necessary.
- Add SunButter, heavy cream, and sour cream, then beat on low until the cheesecake filling looks creamy, smooth, and uniform.
- Pour the filling over top of the cooled crust in the springform pan and lightly smooth it out, then place the cheesecake into a large roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan so that it reaches about halfway up the outside of the springform pan. Place into the oven to bake for 1 ½ hours (1 hour 30 minutes).
- When done, lightly crack the oven open to allow the cheesecake to slowly cool for about an hour. After an hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and water-bath, then place onto the counter to cool to room temperature. Once at room temperature, wrap with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
- When cooled and ready, remove from the springform pan, top with salted caramel (below), and garnish with pretzels, chocolate, and caramel corn.
Salted Caramel
- In a large saucepan over medium heat add sugar and water. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture begins to boil.
- Once the mixture begins to boil turn the heat up to medium-high and allow the mixture to boil, ensuring not to stir it, until it turns amber in color (stirring the mixture will cause crystallization, so refrain from stirring).
- Once the mixture has become amber in color (360°F on a candy thermometer), add the cubed butter and mix very vigorously to combine. (Be careful, however, because the mixture will bubble and rise up rapidly when you add the butter). If the butter seems to be separating from the caramel, remove it from the heat, then whisk vigorously until it comes together.
- Next, carefully add in the heavy cream (it will bubble rapidly again), vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and well-combined. Remove the caramel from the heat, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then cover tightly, and allow to cool to room temperature before using. (Makes 1 cup)
