Salted Caramel Cheesecake for National Cheesecake Day! #NationalCheesecakeDay

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Happy National Cheesecake Day! As many of you know, my family is HUGE on cheesecake. We don't do traditional birthday cake here. It always has to be a homemade cheesecake. Mariah's birthday was in early June, and while she went with a chocolatey variety last year (you can find last year's chocolate chip cookie dough recipe here), this year she wanted to combine salty and sweet. So, this mama whipped up a Salted Caramel Cheesecake for her big 20th birthday.

I can't get enough of a sweet & salty combo, but here's my tip. Go light on the sea salt. I wasn't sure if the salt granules would photograph and went a bit too heavy sprinkling them on top. I was able to scrape most of them off though once I was done, so no harm, no foul. Just remember a little salt goes a long way.

I'm usually a fan of making my own caramel sauce, but I was short on time and opted for store bought. You can buy any caramel ice cream topping or sauce from the baking aisle that would work well here, but my favorite, and what I used on this cake, was Sander's Caramel Sauce. It costs a bit more than other toppings, but for me it's so worth the few extra dollars spent.

Author: Original Recipe Adapted from Cheesecake Love

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust

• 1 package Keebler Sandies Cookies (11.2oz), crushed to fine crumbs (use a food processor or the old pop the cookies in a zip top bag and beat them with a rolling pin method)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake

• 3 8oz packages full fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup caramel topping (homemade or store bought)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• additional caramel sauce
• course sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place a large rimmed cookie sheet on the bottom oven rack and fill it with water. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9 inch spring form pan with foil and spray it with cooking spray.
2. Make the crust: Mix together the cookie crumbs and melted butter, then press into the bottom of the prepared spring form pan. Set aside.
3. Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the brown sugar, sour cream, and caramel sauce, beating until smooth. Stir in the flour until incorporated.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Do not over beat, but do be sure that the eggs are well incorporated into the batter. Pour the batter into the spring form pan over the the cookie crust.
5. Place to spring form pan on the rack above the water-filled pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until center isn't jiggly.
6. Remove cheesecake from oven and allow to cool for 1 hour on a cooling rack. Place in the refrigerator for an additional 2 to 3 hours until completely chilled before serving. 
7. Before serving, pour desired amount of additional caramel sauce over the top of the cheesecake, then lightly sprinkle with course sea salt.

What better way to celebrate National Cheesecake Day than with this amazingly delicious Salted Caramel Cheesecake!?

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Will you be eating cheesecake today?