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 and the cheesecake is dense, but luxuriously creamy, just as it should be. And the swirls of dulce de leche? It’s kind of the icing on the cake. Er, cheesecake. You’d be hard pressed to find a more showstopping dessert to make at home.
If you’re looking for a 7″ springform, this is my favorite. Though, yes, you can absolutely double this and make it in a large 10-inch springform pan.
What Is Dulce De Leche?
Dulce de leche is a rich, creamy sauce made by slowly heating sweetened condensed milk until it thickens (you can do this on a stovetop or in an oven). It’ll turn golden, with a deep, caramel-like flavor. You can make it from scratch or use a good-quality store-bought version—both work perfectly in this recipe. If you prefer, you can substitute with salted caramel, which makes an equally dreamy cheesecake.
Jump to RecipeThe Best Use For Leftover Cookies: Cheesecake Crust!
The cheesecake crust is made with finely ground chocolate chip cookie crumbs. Just like with more traditional graham cracker crusts, the cookies are mixed with melted butter and a pinch of sugar. The texture and flavor of the crust can’t be beat!
Bonus: the crust can be made in a food processor! Just pulse until it comes together and resembles the texture of sand.
Whether To Use A Water Bath Or Not
Yes, a water bath is essential for this cheesecake. It helps the cake bake evenly and prevents cracks. Just be sure to wrap your springform pan in multiple layers of foil to keep water from seeping in.
There are some cheesecake recipes—like a burnt basque cheesecake—that don’t require steam from a water bath. Just depends on the recipe!
Chef-Tested Tips 👩🏻🍳
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. This ensures a smooth, lump-free batter. Don’t rush the mixing—letting it beat for a few extra minutes helps create an ultra-creamy texture.
- While baking, keep the oven door closed to prevent temperature fluctuations that can cause cracks. The center should still have a slight jiggle when done—don’t over bake!
- Once baked, crack the oven door and let the cheesecake cool inside for 1 hour before removing. Gradual cooling helps prevent cracks and keeps the texture silky smooth.
Freezing Instructions
Cheesecake freezes beautifully. Let it cool completely, then wrap it well in a few layers of plastic wrap and foil—either in the springform pan or transferred carefully to another container. To serve, thaw overnight in the fridge.
Another one of my favorites for making—and freezing!—are these creamy pumpkin cheesecake bars. Instead of a chocolate chip cooke crust, I use graham crackers or ginger snaps.
This cheesecake has been a reader favorite for years, and for good reason. Really excited for you to give this a try — and as always, please leave your feedback below!
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Impossibly Creamy Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1½ cups (180g) chocolate chip cookie crumbs
- 3 Tbsp (42g) unsalted butter melted, see note below
- 2 Tbsp (24g) granulated sugar
For the Filling
- 2 (8oz; 454g) packages cream cheese, softened
- ⅔ cup (130g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 large (100g) eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup (80g) dulce de leche, melted (canned is fine!)
Instructions
- Make the crust. Preheat oven to 325°F/165°C. Combine 1½ cups cookie crumbs, 3 Tbsp melted butter, and 2 Tbsp sugar in a small bowl, then mix well. Pour into a greased 7-inch springform pan, then press into an even layer along the bottom, reaching up to ¼-inch 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.
- Add dulce de leche swirl. Pour ¼ cup melted dulce de leche on top of cheesecake mixture, then use a knife to swirl into the batter.
- Bake the cheesecake. Place the springform pan in a large baking pan, then pour hot water to surround it so that it comes up about 1 inch. 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.
- Cool in the oven. 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.
Notes
- Crust tip: This recipe originally used 4 Tbsp melted butter, but after re-testing I’ve found 3 Tbsp is usually enough—especially on humid days. Start with 3 Tbsp and add more only if the crust seems too dry.
- Freezing: Cheesecake can be frozen whole or in individual slices. Make sure it’s completely cooled first. Wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap, or place the whole cake on a sturdy base and wrap well in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze 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!
I just made this but doubled the recipe for a huge pan, all fine except wasn’t sure what oven temp for cheesecake same as for crust I assume, it’s in now at 325 hopefully it turns out. It is for our Easter dinner. Wish me luck!
Hi Isabella! Yes, the temperature stays the same both for the crust and while the entire cheesecake is baking. I’m sure as long as you wrapped the dish tightly in foil so there are no leaks that it will be perfect. Enjoy and happy Easter! xo, Ari
Thank you so much for prompt response, it looks fine just turned off and opened door.
Thanks a bunch!
It turned out fabulously, great recipe, will do again!
I’m so thrilled to hear this!! Thanks for coming back to provide feedback! xo, Ari
This cheesecake is an absolute hit. I’ve made this several times and have nothing but good things to say. My only question is, if I want to make this with premade tart shells, how would I adjust the cooking?
Hi Susan! We love this one too, it’s truly so decadent! I haven’t tested this with premade tart shells (though I love the idea of a mini version). There are two ways to tell if a cheesecake is done: It should be mostly set but still jiggly in the center, than it should be good. You can also check the internal temperature with a thermometer. Stick the probe halfway into the center. The baked cheesecake should read 150ºF. Hope this helps! xo, Ari
Can’t wait to make it! Just curious if you use any kind of particular chocolate chip cookies?
Thanks!
Hi Cynthia! Honestly, Tate’s cookies work great for this because they’re already hard and crunchy, but truly any leftover stale cookies will work. Even a box of Famous Amos is A-ok! You just don’t want soft, freshly baked as they won’t stay as crisp. Enjoy and please report back! xo, Ari
Can’t wait to try these for my work dinners! I just have a question, would it be possible to do this recipe in mini cupcake silicone mats?
Hi! Yes, you can definitely make these mini, but since I haven’t tested them that way I don’t know the exact cook times. You could search for a similar recipe and gauge based on that. Enjoy and report back if you give this a try! xo, Ari
Hi! If I want to make these in a cupcake pan, how many will it make and how would I go about making the swirl in each one, cook time maybe 10 mins? Please advise and thank you!
Hi Nancy! I haven’t tested this in a cupcake pan, so I’m sure of the timing or how many mini cheesecakes it would yield. You could search for a similar recipe geared towards that if that’s preferred. However, if you choose to test it while following my recipe, I’d add just a teaspoon of the dulce de leche batter on top of each mini cheese, then swirl it as instructed above. My guess is the cook time will be closer to 15-20 minutes, but again, I haven’t tested it that way. Best, Ari
Made this Cheese cake it is amazing!!!!
Can you double this to make a larger size?
Amazing, love to hear this! And YES, absolutely! You can follow the instructions on my Pecan Pie Cheesecake (it’s the same base cheesecake recipe, but has additional ingredients in it) — it can be baked in a 9-inch or 10-inch round springform pan and yields a very filling 12 servings. Perfect for large meals at the holidays! Let me know if you have any questions. xo, Ari