Let me start by saying this: my husband and I are bonafide cheesecake snobs. We’ve eaten the best of the best in NYC (and no, it is not Junior’s), and tear down every which way that a cheesecake falls flat or doesn’t make the cut. So believe me when I claim this dulce de leche cheesecake to be damn near perfect. I mean it.
The crust is thick, as it should be. The cheesecake is dense, but luxuriously creamy (a must have). And the dulce de leche? It’s kind of the icing on the cake. Er, cheesecake.
Oh, and if you’re looking for a 7″ springform, I have this one – it’s great!
What’s In This Dulce De Leche Cheesecake?
This chocolate crust cheesecake requires surprisingly few ingredients. The cookie crust itself is made with just chocolate chip cookie crumbs (instead of more traditional graham crackers), butter, and a pinch of sugar. The texture and flavor of the crust can’t be beat!
And the homemade cheesecake filling uses cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. It gets topped with store-bought dulce de leche, and that’s it!
What Is Dulce De Leche?
Dulce de leche is thick sweet sauce similar to caramel made by slowly heating sweetened condensed milk on a stovetop (or baked in the oven) in a saucepan until it turns into rich, thick, creamy, caramel-like dulce de leche. You can absolutely make it yourself, but store bought is fine too.
How To Make Dulce De Leche Cheesecake
You’ll first need to prep the crust for this cookie crust cheesecake. Combine the melted butter, cookie crumbs, and sugar in a bowl and whisk until the mixture resembles sand. Press firmly into the bottom of a springform pan, then bake until golden. Can the crust be made in a food processor? Yes, absolutely! Just pulse until it comes together and resembles the texture of sand.
Meanwhile, you can start on the dulce de leche cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar in a the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment until creamy, then add in the eggs. Alternatively, you can use a hand held electric mixer and beat the filling in a large bowl on medium speed.
Pour the cheesecake batter over the cooled crust, then drizzle the dulce de leche over the cheesecake filling. Use a knife to swirl and stir in the dulce de leche.
Bake the cookie crust cheesecake until the edges are golden, then turn off the oven and crack the door to let it cool for an hour. Take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it finish cooling on your counter before refrigerating it.
Can You Freeze Cheesecake?
Yes, this dulce de leche baked cheesecake freezes really well. Let it cool completely, then wrap it in a few layers of plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil (you’ll likely need to freeze the cheesecake in the springform pan, or carefully transfer it to another container). When you’re ready to eat the frozen cheesecake, place it in the fridge overnight to thaw.
Do I Have To Use A Water Bath?
In the instructions below, you’ll see that I ask you to bake the dulce de leche cheesecake in a water bath. You absolutely must bake this homemade cheesecake in a water bath. The water bath ensures the cheesecakes bakes evenly throughout. Wrap your springform pan in multiple layers of foil to prevent the water from leaking into it.
Tips For Making The Best Homemade Cheesecake
- Make sure your cream cheese is room temperature to avoid lumps!
- Don’t be afraid to let the cheesecake mixture continue mixing for a few minutes.
- Resist the urge to open the oven door while baking or you increase the chance of cracks. This will effect the oven temperature, which can change the way the cheesecake cools down.
- You want the cake to have a little jiggle in the middle — this is normal! Do not over bake until the cake is firm in the middle! Just don’t do it! Baking time is 45-50 minutes, so use a timer!
- When cheesecake has finished, crack the door of the oven slightly and let it continue to cool for 1 hour inside the oven before removing. Do not skip this step!
If you make this Dulce de Leche Cheesecake recipe, please let me know by leaving a review below!
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More Dessert Recipes To Try:
- Chocolate raspberry rugelach
- Flourless chocolate cake
- Chocolate bourbon pecan pie
- Tiramisu cream puffs
- Milk Bar’s Crack pie
- Italian rainbow cookies
- Almond ricotta cake
Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chip cookie crumbs
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
For the filling
- 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
- ¼ cup dulce de leche (melted (canned is fine!))
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Combine 1 ½ cups cookie crumbs, 4 Tbsp butter, and 2 Tbsp sugar in a small bowl. Pour into a greased 7-inch springform pan, then press into an even layer along the bottom, reaching up maybe a ¼” on the sides. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan tightly in heavy duty aluminum foil (trust me on the ‘heavy duty’ part) and bake for ~10 minutes, or until the crust turns a deep golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool while you make the filling.
Make the filling
- Beat 16 oz cream cheese, ⅔ cup sugar, and 2 tsp vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides, then add 2 eggs and beat on medium-low until fully incorporated and mixture is well mixed and fluffy.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture over the cooled crust.
- Pour ¼ cup melted dulce de leche on top of cheesecake mixture, then use a knife to swirl into the batter.
- Place springform pan in a large baking pan, then fill about ~1” with hot water. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until edges of cheesecake turn golden brown and pull away from the sides. The middle of the cheesecake will be a little jiggly.
- Per my friend Sam over at @frostingandfettuccine ’s advice, turn the oven off and crack the door just slightly. Let cheesecake cool for an hour in the oven, then remove and continue at room temperature until fully cool. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight before serving.
Video
Notes
- Cheesecake can be frozen whole or cut into slices. Allow to cool completely (which you should be doing for all cheesecake recipes anyway!). To freeze individual pieces, slice individually and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. If you’re freezing the entire cheesecake, make sure there’s a sturdy base underneath it, such as a cardboard round, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Cheesecake will last up to 1 month.
Quick question: Can you use any kind of chocolate chip cookies for the crust? I assume that you put them in the food processor tp make the crumbs…
Thanks!
Hi Francine! YES! Any type of chocolate chip cookie for the crust is fine. Or honestly, you could any flavor cookie you’d like! Gingersnap, shortbread, etc. All good choices! The thing to note is that they shouldn’t be freshly baked that day. I used store-bought chocolate chip cookies that were a bit stale (a great way to repurpose them!); they absorb the melted butter better. A freshly baked cookie, while totally useable, would need less melted butter to form the crust. Reach out with any additional questions!
Hi, can I substitute cookie crumbs with graham instead? I only have graham crackers right now and I wanna make this asap. Thank you 🙂
Yes, absolutely!!! Report back! xo, Ari
What type of chocolate cookie did you use?
Omg i cant wait to make this!!
Hey hey, Margaret! I literally use stale store-bought chocolate chip cookies, but you can use anything that is not super fresh. So if you’ve got Chips Ahoy or Famous Amos on hand, great! If you bake some chocolate chip cookies today, leave them out on the counter (covered) for a couple days and they’ll be perfect. You just don’t want to make the crust with a gooey, soft chewy cookie. It will turn into mush in the food processor! Hope this helps, follow up if you have any other questions! xo, Ari
This is a really good recipe! Turned out delicious, we love the chocolate chip cookie crust. Thank you, well seasoned studio for this great recipe.
The chocolate chip cookie crust is our favorite too! Been playing around with different varieties, but chocolate chip will forever be my favorite. Thanks, Natasha! xo, Ari
Can this be made in a 9” springform pan? Do you suggest doubling up on the ingredients?
Hi Keial! This post has great insight into adapting recipes to fit larger size pans. I have only ever made this in the smaller size, but there should be no issue to double it. The cook time will be significantly longer, though. To test whether the cheesecake is done, give it a gentle shake while in the oven. Look to see whether it is nearly set. If just a tiny circle in the center jiggles, it’s done! If it is much more loose than that, it is not fully cooked. Hope this helps! xo, Ari
Best and first ever baked cheesecake. I mixed chocolate cookie crust with oreos, though. Everybody wanted the recipe:-)) I even suceeded with the tin foil bath!!
omg YES! Isn’t it ridiculously good?! So creamy, so indulgent! Our favorite cheesecake recipe for sure!! xo, Ari
Can I make this in a 6” pan?
Hi Natalia! If you make this recipe in a 6″ pan, it will likely overflow as it bakes. You could follow the recipe and just not pour in all the batter, but here is a great article about converting recipes to adapt to different size pans if you’d rather go that route. Let me know what you think! xo, Ari
If I use a 9″ springform pan, would i be ok to double the recipe?
Hi Karen! I haven’t tested this in a 9″ pan, but as long as the batter fits in there, it should be fine. You just want to keep an eye on the cheesecake as far as cook time to check for doneness. Here’s how to tell when a cheesecake is fully cooked: gently shake the cheesecake and see if it jiggles slightly. If the cheesecake is nearly set there will be only a small circle in the center that jiggles slightly. At this point, it is DONE! xo, Ari
Hi!! I am so excited to try this recipe. Here is my spanner in the works 😂 I want to make these in the 250ml wide mouth Mason jars. Do you have a suggestion as to what the bake time would be for that? I know I will have to play around until I get the right time but maybe an indication would be great. Thanks!
Hi Toni! That is such a great idea!! I have never tested this specific recipe in tiny mason jars, however, I have made mini cheesecakes many times in the past! They usually go for 16-20 minutes at 325F, after the crust has pre-baked and the filling is added. Please report back if you give this a try! And honestly, just keep an eye on them in the oven, you’ll know they’re done when the center is the only part of the cheesecake that jiggles just a little bit. xo, Ari
If it want to make this in a 10” spring pan, do I need to double the recipe?
I’m wondering If I can make this in an instantpot?
Hi Olena! I’ve never tested this in an InstantPot, and since the cook time is so drastically different, I would suggest searching for a cheesecake recipe specifically develoepd for that cooking method. Best, Ari
I am planning an engagement party for my daughter. I would love to make this cheesecake but I have a question. I wanted to make it into a two tiered cake. Would I be able to do this with this recipe? I know that some cheesecakes are denser than others. I know I would have to alter the recipe to fit the pans used.
Thank you.
Hi Rita! Congrats to your daughter, that’s so exciting! Do you mean you want to place two full cheesecakes on top of each other? Or that you want to add a layer of cake on top? First of all, that sounds amazing. But I have never even thought to test this recipe with cake on top of it, so I’m really not sure. Feel free to clarify your question and I’ll try to help if I can. Thanks! Ari
Thank you! We are excited and happy for her.
After I asked the question I saw a video on you tube. I would have to use the tiered cake plates with dowels cut and inserted into the cheesecake and stack them that way. 🤞 I can do this. I’m going to do a trial run first. Thank you for taking the time to answer. So excited to make this. I will def come back and let you know.
Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!!
Thanks for sharing, it was delicious!
I doubled the recipe and made it in a 9” spring foam pan and baked for an hour and 15mins, followed all other instructions.
Thanks for providing cook times for when you doubled the recipe, I’m sure this will be helpful to many! xo, Ari
We’re truly amazed at your decoration skills. This cake looks great!