Rich, creamy caramel cheesecake with a nutty graham cracker crust, chocolate topping, and gooey caramel drizzle—perfect for dessert lovers.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup peanuts, finely chopped
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake filling:
- ½ pound cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ pounds chocolate nut caramel candy bars, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup whole peanuts
For the topping:
- ¾ cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ cup sour cream
For serving:
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 ounces soft caramels
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, half of the chopped peanuts, and melted butter. Mix thoroughly and press evenly into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and cornstarch, beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing gently after each addition. Stir in 1/3 cup sour cream and vanilla extract. Fold in the chopped candy bars and whole peanuts. Pour the filling over the prepared crust. Bake for 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 300°F and bake for an additional 50–55 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, turn the oven off, and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, melt the milk chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in ¼ cup sour cream and brown sugar until smooth and sugar dissolves. Spread over the cooled cheesecake and sprinkle the remaining chopped peanuts on top. Cover and chill.
For serving, melt the soft caramels in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons sour cream. Drizzle over cheesecake slices before serving.
