This no-bake caramel cheesecake comes together quickly and will impress all your guests. Plus, it’s packed full of delicious salted caramel flavor overtop a crushed pretzel crust.
Dessert is not only my weakness; it’s my favorite part of any meal!
And one of my favorite things to have at the end of a meal is cheesecake! Especially if that cheesecake is no bake caramel cheesecake!
Oh, and it’s not just any normal caramel; it’s salted caramel!
I made the crust from crushed pretzels because it brings the perfect little salty bite to this sweet caramel cheesecake.
The cheesecake filling is creamy, filled with salted caramel flavor, and lightly sweetened with powdered sugar.
Because it’s a no-bake cheesecake, you’ll need to let it set in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but that is a lot easier and quicker than making a baked cheesecake!
Table of Contents
NO BAKE CARAMEL CHEESECAKE INGREDIENTS
FOR CRUST:
- Crushed pretzels
- Melted butter
FOR CARAMEL SAUCE:
- Caramel candies
- Milk
- Kosher salt
FOR CHEESECAKE FILLING:
- Cream cheese
- Salted caramel sauce
- Powdered sugar
FOR TOPPING:
- Whipped topping
- Salted caramel sauce
- Crushed pretzels
HOW TO MAKE CARAMEL CHEESECAKE
I love making no-bake cheesecake because it’s easy to throw together and sure to impress anyone with a sweet tooth!
- Mix your pretzels and butter and press into the bottom of 4 small 2-ounce jars.
- Melt your caramels with milk; when smooth and creamy, add kosher salt. Let cool slightly.
- Mix cream cheese, salted caramel sauce, and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl.
- Layer your cheesecake filling with caramel sauce in your prepared jars.
- Let chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Before serving, top with whipped cream, additional salted caramel sauce, and crushed pretzels.
BEST CARAMELS TO USE
I used bagged Kraft caramels gently melted on the stovetop with milk for this recipe.
Another great option is Kraft caramel bits, which taste like bagged caramels but don’t require unwrapping the candies.
If you cannot find either of those candies, you can use whatever soft caramel candies you can find.
USING CARAMEL SUNDAE SAUCE
You can easily use caramel sundae sauce if you don’t feel like melting your salted caramel sauce!
To turn it into a salted caramel sauce, stir in kosher salt!
You can find jarred caramel sauce near the ice cream aisle of the grocery store or near where they sell candy and ice cream cones.
MAKING HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE
Don’t you feel like using store-bought caramel sauce? Or maybe you don’t want to melt down caramels?
Well, you’re in luck! Try making and using my Salted Caramel Sauce!
MORE CRUST OPTIONS
I love the pretzel crust on a no-bake caramel cheesecake because it adds a salty bite to this sweet dessert.
You could use graham crackers, gingersnap cookies, or shortbread crust if you’re not in the mood for a pretzel crust.
If you’re a chocolate fan, try using crushed-up chocolate graham crackers!
DOUBLING THIS RECIPE
This recipe makes 4 (2-ounce) servings of individual cheesecakes, but you can easily double this recipe and make it in an eight or nine-inch pie crust.
STORAGE AND LEFTOVERS
Store any leftover or uneaten caramel cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
MORE NO BAKE CHEESECAKE RECIPES
- Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
- No Bake Raspberry Lemon Mini Cheesecakes
- Cherry Cheesecake Dip
- No Bake White Chocolate Cheesecake Bites
Salted Caramel No Bake Cheesecake
Ingredients
For pretzel crust:
- 1 cup finely crushed pretzels
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
For salted caramel sauce:
- 11 ounce bag soft caramels unwrapped, caramel bites work well here too
- 3 tablespoons milk I used whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For cheesecake:
- 1 (8 ounce) block regular cream cheese room temperature
- 1/3 cup salted caramel sauce slightly cooled
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
For pretzel crust:
- Mix together pretzel crumbs and unsalted butter.
- Press into the bottom of small short mason jar containers.
- Note: Depending on size of your jars you get an average of 4 cheesecakes per recipe.
For salted caramel sauce:
- Over low heat add caramels, milk, and sea salt. Stir until just melted.
- Remove from heat.
For cheesecake:
- In a bowl of an electric mixer add cream cheese, salted caramel sauce and powdered sugar. Mix until fluffy and combined.
- Take small cheesecake containers (with crust inside) and add a little extra caramel sauce around the inside of the containers.
- Fill with cheesecake filling add to the refrigerator and let sit for 2 hours or until set and cold.
- Before serving, top with whipped cream and sprinkle with extra pretzel crumbs. You can also top with extra salted caramel or crushed toffee candy.
Ahmed Elbaz
Tuesday 19th of April 2016
How many calories are there per serving? Lets say per 100g? Looks tasty but want to keep in shape :)
nutmegnanny
Monday 25th of April 2016
Hi Ahmed! I'm really not sure. I do not do nutritional information for my dishes but you can easily do it yourself by using a nutritional calculator online. Hope you enjoy the cheesecake!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Monday 18th of April 2016
What rock have I been living under? I didn't know they made SOFT caramels. I just wrote them on the shopping list!
Joanne
Sunday 10th of April 2016
This is SO DANGEROUS given how easy it is to make and how much I've been craving cheesecake lately...every pergnant woman's dream/nightmare!
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles
Wednesday 6th of April 2016
I'd be tempted to just eat that salted caramel sauce and skip the rest. I LOVE Werther's!! Great (fun!) recipe.
Carrie @ Bakeaholic Mama
Tuesday 5th of April 2016
Give it all to me! This looks amazing, sweet and salty is my weakness.