Brûléed Cheesecake

So the other day I saw my 8-year-old nephew Landon, and we exchanged an epic high five. It hurt WAY more than a high five with an 8-year-old should, and I was feeling like a total wuss. But then I looked down and saw that my palm was BLEEDING.

Who high-fives while holding an EXTREMELY SHARP number 2 pencil?? Watch out for those nephews, guys. They have no mercy.

I have been double checking every high five since that day. No sharp pencil? Okay, we’re good, let’s high five.

This Crème Brûlée Cheesecake is what dreams are made of

Creamy, dreamy vanilla bean cheesecake. Buttery gingersnap crust. Crunchy, crackly caramelized sugar topping. “Am I dreaming??” is exactly what you’ll be asking yourself when you take your first bite.

Now look, I know cheesecake has a real reputation for being fussy. A prima donna, if you will. But all she needs is a little star treatment. I’m going to show you exactly how to pamper her so she can steal the show (and your heart).

The idea for this cheesecake has been floating around in my head for a few years now. The first hurdle was getting a kitchen torch, because this recipe is impossible to make without it. Someone gave me a torch for Christmas last year, but I had no fuel. Finally got some butane at Home Depot a few weeks ago, and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t do this sooner, because oh. my. gosh. This cheesecake. Guys.

After I made this cheesecake for the second time, I asked my cousin Lani to come over and try it. She is my official taste-tester because she is not afraid to tell me if a recipe sucks. (True friends are hard to come by. You’re the best Lani. Thanks for eating my food. I know it’s a rough job.)

She took one bite and said, Karen, I think this is the best thing you have ever made.

Then we got really excited with the torch and tried to caramelize the outer edges of the cheesecake. It sorta worked.

(If you want to try this, the best method is to wet your hands and moisten the side of the cheesecake, then use your other hand or a spoon to press sugar onto the wet part. Then torch. But probably none of you are as desperate for brûléed sugar as we are.)

After our fire-fun, Lani went home, but I got this text from her several hours later, “All I can think about is that cheesecake! Best dessert I think I have ever had.” I think she liked it.

The photos don’t do it justice. We need audio. If you could hear the crack of that caramelized topping when you tap your fork into it. Oh man. I’m telling you.

If you are stumped for what to get your special someone for Valentine’s Day this year, I say just make them this. No one is going to argue with this cheesecake. Skip dinner and eat the whole thing. I can’t think of anything more romantic.

Cheesecake Brûlée ingredients

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to make this cheesecake. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a complete list!

Cheesecake Brûlée variations

I love this cheesecake so much. Here are a few easy ways to make it your own!

• Substitute blueberries, blackberries, peaches, or any fruit you choose for the raspberries. The basic flavors of the cheesecake are caramelized sugar and cream – you basically can’t go wrong adding any fruit topping you want.
• Instead of vanilla bean paste, you can use a vanilla bean. Scrape the pod and add it to the cream cheese mixture. Throw the remaining bean in with the cream when you cook it, so that you soak up all the flavor.
• You don’t have to use gingersnaps for the crust! You can use 1 and 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs or Nilla Wafer crumbs instead. YUM. 

Tips for making Brûléed Cheesecake

Here are my favorite tips for making this cheesecake turn out just perfectly. You can do this!

• Wrap your cheesecake in foil. This is going to keep your cheesecake dry since it will be baked in a water bath. I know 3 layers of foil may seem excessive, but talk to me when you spend half a day making your precious cheesecake and you end up with a soggy crust. Trust me, the prep time is worth the cost of the foil!
• You don’t have to buy special sugar. You can just throw some regular sugar into the blender or food processor for 30 seconds or so. Smaller granules help the sugar melt faster when you are torching it. Regular sugar will still work fine though. I’ve tried both.
• Keep the beaters going while you’re adding cream to yolks. Add the warm cream sloooowly. If you are not mixing while you do this, the eggs will curdle. Enlist help if you can, this part is a little tricky.
• Don’t pull the cheesecake out of the oven…yet. When the cheesecake is finished baking, you can either crack the door of the oven and let the cheesecake come to room temperature inside the oven, or you can take it out but leave it in its water bath for a couple hours. The goal is to avoid a drastic change in temperature so the cheesecake doesn’t crack, a classic cheesecake problem! 
• Leave time to chill the cheesecake. You need to wait until the cheesecake is mostly cool, remove from the water bath, and remove the foil. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight. If you don’t it’s going to be an absolute mess. 
• Release the spring slowly. After all that work we are not going to let this cheesecake crack! When you are ready to serve it, remove the plastic wrap and carefully loosen the sides of the pan; you can use a butter knife or just make sure to release the spring gently.

How to serve Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

Crème brûlée is fancy pants stuff. It’s perfect for serving on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, your anniversary…shoot, you could serve it at a wedding. I like to serve it in small slices at the end of a nice meal. Here are some of my favorite elegant dinners to pair it with!

Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Asparagus << just such a gorgeous meal!

Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Creamy Wine Sauce << romance on a plate

Ratatouille << Oo la la, a French dinner to go with a French dessert!

Killer Homemade Lasagna << sure, it’s a million more calories. Go big or go home

Ribeye Steak << the king of dinners marries the queen of desserts

Beef Bourguinon << serve cheesecake after THIS and you’re getting proposed to

Storing Brûlée Cheesecake

If you know you’re going to have leftover crème brûlée cheesecake, I highly recommend that you only sprinkle with sugar and torch the slices you’re going to eat right away. The crunchy sugar topping will soften right up in the fridge, and that crisp crackle is non-negotiable. Whenever you’re ready to serve another slice, sprinkle it with superfine sugar and torch it right before the lucky recipient (maybe it’s you) takes the first bite.

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Recipe FAQs

More amazing cheesecakes!

No Bake Cheesecake Parfait Bar << this is great for parties! Self-serve. Love this stuff.

Oreo Cheesecake Bars << perfect cheesecake texture, ALL the oreos

Classic Cheesecake << New York style creamy dreamy goodness

Sensationally Smooth Chocolate Cheesecake << every chocolate lover’s dream!

No Bake Salted Caramel Cheesecake with Caramelized Bananas << need I say more?

No Bake Dulce de Leche Cheesecake with Caramelized Peaches << this one’s for you guys in Australia. I can only dream of fresh peaches right now.

Berry Cheesecake Baklava << love baklava and cheesecake? Here’s your mashup

Small Batch Cheesecake from Buttermilk by Sam

Basque Burnt Cheesecake from Spatula Desserts