Impress your friends and family with this simple yet decadent brown butter cheesecake recipe. Follow these step-by-step instructions with pictures to create the perfect dessert.
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Cheesecake is always a crowd-pleaser. This recipe is extra special thanks to the combination of brown butter and brown sugar in the filling. It’s rich, nutty and reminds me of caramel and butterscotch!
This is the kind of decadent cheesecake that will have everyone coming back for seconds.
I adapted this recipe from my caramel pecan cheesecake. It has brown butter in the crust so I added some to the filling too! Brown butter adds rich, toasty flavor like in my browned butter cake.
Cheesecake fans-make sure to add this recipe for lemon meringue cheesecake to your must-bake list!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Brown butter gives the crust and filling a rich, toasty flavor. Brown butter has a rich, toasty flavor. It adds a depth of flavor to everything from my browned butter cupcakes to these chocolate chip and pumpkin cookies.
- This cheesecake filling is creamy, smooth, and delicious just like my pumpkin cheesecake dessert bars.
- You can make this dessert in advance. Just take it out of the fridge when it’s time for dessert!
- My simple caramel sauce makes the perfect sweet, gooey topping.
- It’s the perfect holiday dessert, just like this apple crumb cheesecake.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some useful notes on some of the ingredients.
- Unsalted butter: We’re using butter in the crust, filling, and optional caramel sauce. I like to use unsalted butter so we can control the salt level. Browning the butter in the crust and filling adds a rich, nutty flavor.
- Cream cheese: Use full fat, room temperature cream cheese. Use the blocks, not tubs of cream cheese. Take cream cheese out of the refrigerator at least least two hours before using. I leave mine out on the counter the night before making cheesecake.
- Sour cream: Use full fat, room temperature sour cream. If you have leftover sour cream, be sure to try my popular chocolate chip cookies with sour cream.
- Brown sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar. I recommend dark brown sugar for more fall flavor. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh and free of lumps.
- Eggs: Use 3 large, room temperature eggs.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon adds warm flavor to the crust and filling. I like to add a little nutmeg in the crust too but that’s optional.
- Graham crackers: Crush the graham crackers in a food processor, or make it easy by using the pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs sold at most grocery stores. It saves you a step.
- Heavy cream (optional, for the caramel sauce): If you’re making caramel sauce recipe, you’ll need room temperature heavy cream.
- Flaky sea salt: Sprinkle a little flaky sea salt over the caramel sauce just before serving. It balances out the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- This cheesecake is delicious as is without a topping.
- Swap in store bought caramel sauce instead of homemade.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: (See photo 1 above). Melt the butter for the crust in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir while it foams and bubbles. When the butter smells nutty and the bits on the bottom are medium brown, remove from the heat and pour into a small heat safe bowl. Scrape in all the browned bits.
Step 2: (See photo 2 above). Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor. Pour crumbs into a mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and spices then stir in the brown butter. Spread on the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 Fahrenheit.
Step 3: (See photo 3 above). In the same saucepan, brown the 7 tbsp (100 g) of butter for the filling butter over medium heat, 5–7 minutes. Pour into a glass measuring cup or bowl. Let sit 3–5 minutes for solids to settle. Pour some of the yellow liquid into another bowl til only mostly brown bits remain in the bowl. Reserve those brown bits to add to the cheesecake filling. (We aren’t using the leftover golden butter. Save it to bake or cook with later).
Step 4: (See photo 4 above). Beat cream cheese and sugars with an electric mixer til creamy and smooth. Mix in the brown butter bits then the sour cream, vanilla, and cinnamon until combined. Add 3 eggs one at a time, mixing only until just blended.
Step 5: (See photo 5 above). Pour filling over the crust. Place roasting pan on the lower rack in the oven. Pour an inch of hot water in the roasting pan. Place the cheesecake on the middle rack. Bake 60-75 minutes. Jiggle the pan. The sides should be set. The middle might still jiggle a little. Turn off the oven. Crack the oven door open slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour.
Step 6: (See photo 6 above). After 1 hour, take it out of the oven. Cool completely in the pan on a rack uncovered at room temperature. Once cooled to room temperature, refrigerate uncovered at least 4 hours.
Step 7: (See photo 7 above). Optional. Make homemade caramel sauce. You can also use store bought caramel sauce, a different topping or enjoy it plain.
Step 8: (See photo 8 above). Pour caramel sauce over the cheesecake. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt just before serving! Use a long, sharp knife to cut the cheesecake.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to plan and allow time for both preparation and refrigeration of the cheesecake.
- It’s important that your cream cheese, sour cream and eggs are room- temperature. This prevents lumps and will help the cheesecake have a smooth texture.
- Be careful not to over-beat your eggs. Over-beating can cause cracks. Mix each egg in with your mixer on low speed til just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after adding each egg to make sure everything’s mixed.
- Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl as you make the filling. This will make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Try not to open the oven door while the cheesecake is baking. Wait til it’s finished baking or close to being done.
Recipe FAQs
Use a 9 inch springform pan. A springform pan lets you remove the sides instead of flipping the cake out. Since cheesecake is soft and delicate, this helps keep it intact with smooth edges and makes slicing and serving much easier.
Run a sharp knife under hot water for a few seconds, then dry it off. Clean the blade between slices and reheat as needed.
Store leftover cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze individual slices in an airtight container for up to 30 days. Thaw at room temperature 1-2 hours.
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Brown Butter Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups (168 g) graham cracker crumbs about 16 full sheets
- ⅓ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter browned or melted
Brown Butter Cheesecake Filling
- 7 tablespoons (98 g) unsalted butter browned, brown bits added to filling
- 32 ounces (907.19 g) cream cheese full fat, brick style, room temperature
- ¾ cup (165 g) brown sugar light or dark, packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (230 g) sour cream full fat, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Salted Caramel Sauce (optional)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) heavy cream room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon salt add up to 1 teaspoon
- flaky sea salt for decorating, optional
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Set one oven rack in the center position and place one rack below it for the roasting pan (for the hot water bath to be used while baking the cheesecake). Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
- Lightly spray the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with baking non stick spray. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the parchment paper.
- Brown the butter for the crust. Melt the butter in a medium, light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir constantly while it foams and bubbles and deepens in color. Once the butter smells nutty and the bits on the bottom are medium brown, remove from the heat. Immediately pour into a large heatproof mixing bowl. Scrape in all the browned bits, Don’t clean the pan yet—you can reuse it later for browning butter for the filling.
- Use store-bought graham cracker crumbs or pulse graham cracker sheets. For graham cracker crumbs, pulse the graham crackers in a food processor to finely ground crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg (if using). Stir in the melted or browned butter til combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Use your hands to spread it evenly on the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Pat mixture down with medium pressure with your hands or using a small flat bottom measuring cup. Press crumbs into place until compact and not loose or crumbly but avoid pressing too hard.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and place on a wire rack while you prepare the filling. Reduce oven temperature to 325 Fahrenheit.
Brown Butter Cheesecake Filling
- Fill a kettle with water and heat the water to boil. You'll need enough water to add about an inch of water to your roasting pan, so you'll probably need a full kettle. Take out a 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan or a roasting pan. Set aside. This will be for the hot water bath.
- Brown the butter for the filling. In the same saucepan you used before, melt 7 tbsp (100 g) butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir constantly until it smells nutty and the bits on the bottom turn medium brown. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into a small heatproof glass or measuring cup. Scrape in all the browned bits.
- Let the hot butter sit for about 5 minutes to settle. Yellow butterfat will float to the top and the brown bits will sink to the bottom of the bowl.
- Scoop out the brown bits. Carefully pour off most of the yellow butterfat into a separate small bowl. Leave mostly the brown bits behind. Scoop out the brown bits. Transfer them into a small bowl. (It’s okay if a little golden butterfat comes with them, but avoid too much. It can change the consistency of the filling). The browned bits are what we want to mix into the batter. Let the brown bits cool slightly (warm but not hot) before adding them to the filling. (Save the poured-off butterfat for another use—you can bake or cook with it later).
- Make the filling. Next, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand held mixer, beat the room temperature cream cheese and sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes until creamy and smooth. Mix in brown butter bits. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Beat til just fully combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat only to combine. Stop mixing as soon as the last egg has been mixed into the batter. DO NOT OVERMIX.
- Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust. Smooth the top of the cheesecake with an offset spatula or regular spatula. Place your empty roasting pan or 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan on the bottom/lower rack in the oven. Pour about an inch or a little more than an inch of hot water in the roasting pan. Next, set the cheesecake on the middle rack (above the rack with the roasting pan). Quickly close the oven door to keep the steam from the hot water in the oven.
- Bake for 60 to 75 minutes until the center is almost set. The center of the cheesecake should jiggle slightly when you gently shake the pan but the sides should be set. Turn off the oven. Crack the oven door open slightly and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, take the cheesecake out of the oven. Set the pan on a rack and allow cheesecake to cool uncovered til it's room temperature. Next, use an offset spatula or a small flexible rubber spatula and run it around the edges of the cheesecake. Press the spatula against the pan as you do this. This will mak sure the cheesecake isn't sticking to the pan. Refrigerate the cheesecake uncovered for a minimum of 5 hours or overnight.
- Once the cheesecake has cooled and set, prepare the caramel topping, if making.
Salted Caramel Sauce (optional)
- Measure out the butter, heavy cream and salt. Allow to come to room temperature. Place them next to the stove. Take out a wooden spoon, high heat resistant silicone spatula and a whisk.
- Add the sugar to a medium heavy bottomed stainless steel saucpan with high sides. Stir sugar constantly over medium heat with a wooden spoon or heat resistant silicone spatula. Not much will happen for the first few minutes, but keep stirring.
- After a few minutes, the sugar will start to clump up and then will melt into a coppery, amber colored liquid. Continue stirring until sugar has completely melted.
- Once the sugar has melted completely, lower heat slightly and immediately whisk or stir in the butter until it's completely melted. If the butter seperates from the sugar, remove pan from heat and whisk for a minute or two until the butter and sugar are combined.
- With the pan off the heat, slowly whisk in the heavy cream. The caramel will bubble up when you add the cream, this is normal. After all the heavy cream has been added, stop stirring. Place the pan back on the heat and allow caramel to boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the salt, to taste. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before using. Caramel will thicken as it cools.
- Pour the caramel over the cooled cheesecake in advance or just before serving. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using, immediately before serving. Use a long, sharp knife to cut the cheesecake. Wipe the knife clean and run it under hot water in between slicing for extra neat slices.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
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