Christmas Crack Cheesecake with Toffee Sauce
This Christmas crack cheesecake is for my salty-sweet dessert lovers, who like a slice that goes the extra mile. From here on out, I’ll take every cheesecake drowning in homemade toffee sauce.
I first had traditional Christmas crack when my aunt brought a bag of it to the beach. Once I got past the nuts she added (yuck), I realised how absolutely delicious it is in every layer.
After testing and sharing this recipe, I was told by many people that this may be the best cheesecake they’ve ever had. *hair flippppp*
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CHRISTMAS CRACK CHEESECAKE
Inspired by the traditional treat, this cheesecake features a salty, crunchy Club cracker crust, topped with a creamy vanilla cheesecake. Once baked and cooled, it’s finished with a semi-sweet chocolate ganache for that final decadent layer.
Oh, we don’t stop there. To get the full Christmas crack effect, we’re serving each slice with a healthy pour of homemade toffee sauce (only four ingredients!). Rounding out the holy grail of dessert deliciousness: salty, crunchy, creamy, chocolately, buttery, oh mah goodness!
How do you line the bottom of a springform pan? After you’ve greased the inside of your pan, remove the sides by releasing the spring. Tear off a sheet of parchment paper wider than the width of the bottom, lay it over the base of your pan, press the ring over the paper, and re-clasp!
INGREDIENTS
- Club crackers: form the crunchy, salty base for the crust
- Brown sugar: adds sweetness and helps bind the crust and toffee sauce
- Salt: balances sweetness and enhances all flavors
- Unsalted butter: provides richness and helps the crust, toffee sauce, and ganache emulsify
- Cream cheese: creates the creamy, tangy cheesecake filling
- Sour cream: adds tanginess and smooths the cheesecake texture
- Heavy cream: contributes creaminess in the cheesecake, toffee sauce, and ganache
- Vanilla extract: for flavoring the cheesecake
- Granulated Sugar: sweetens the cheesecake filling
- Flour: stabilizes the cheesecake and helps it set
- Eggs: provide structure and a smooth, custardy texture to the cheesecake
- Semi-sweet chocolate: forms the rich, glossy ganache topping
Why does the cheesecake need to cool in the oven? Cooling slowly allows the top and sides to set gradually, which helps prevent cracking as the cheesecake contracts.
HOW TO MAKE CHRISTMAS CRACK CHEESECAKE
Form the crust
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch springform pan, lining the bottom with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine crushed Club crackers, brown sugar, and salt, then stir in melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Press the crust firmly into the bottom of the pan and gently press with a flat-bottomed glass to pack it in. Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden, then allow it to cool while preparing the cheesecake filling.
Make the cheesecake filling
Preheat the oven to 325°F and beat cream cheese in a standing mixer on medium-high until smooth. Add sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla, mixing until fully combined.
Whisk sugar and flour together in a small bowl to prevent clumps, then add to the cheesecake batter and mix until just incorporated. Crack in the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each, and pour the batter evenly over the cooled crust.
Bake the cheesecake
Bring 4–6 cups of water to a boil and place a large casserole dish on the rack below your cheesecake. Carefully pour the boiling water into the dish until it reaches halfway up, then immediately close the oven door to trap the steam.
Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until the edges are set, but the center still wobbles slightly. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let it sit for another hour before removing to cool completely at room temperature.
Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Prepare the toffee sauce
Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat, then stir in brown sugar and bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly for 2–3 minutes. Slowly pour in cream while whisking continuously for an additional 4 minutes, then remove from heat and whisk in salt.
Allow the sauce to cool in the pot until it reaches a pourable, warm caramel consistency.
Make the ganache…
Place chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl in an even layer. Heat cream in a medium pot over medium heat until simmering, then pour over the chocolate, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes before stirring until smooth.
Add butter and stir until glossy and fully combined, microwaving in 5-second bursts if necessary. Allow the ganache to cool, then remove the cheesecake from the pan.
Finish and serve the cheesecake…
Spread the ganache evenly over the top of the chilled cheesecake and sprinkle extra crushed crackers along the edge if desired. Return the Christmas crack cheesecake to the fridge for 30 minutes to set, then cut into slices and serve with a generous drizzle of homemade toffee sauce.
3 reasons you’ll love this Christmas crack cheesecake
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- Line the bottom of your cheesecake pan with parchment paper for an easy release once chilled.
- Gently pack your cracker crust into the base of your springform pan with the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup before baking. This ensures it stays together once baked, filled, chilled, and sliced!
- Mix your cheesecake batter until just mixed at every stage. This prevents you from adding too much air to the mixture, which can cause the cheesecake to crack while baking.
- Don’t rush the cooling process! A gradual cool at the start prevents the cheesecake from cracking as it shrinks. The long chill in the fridge helps to set the final cheesecake texture, before adding the ganache for that fudgy, chocolatey finish.
- Only use real butter for the toffee sauce (not margarine or lower-fat substitutes), so it properly emulsifies. Also, continuously stir the sauce as the sugar melts to prevent crystalization and burning.
- Make sure your toffee sauce has cooled to a warm temperature before serving with your cheesecake to prevent melting.
- To reheat chilled toffee sauce, place it in a microwave-safe bowl, then microwave for 10 seconds, stir, and repeat until it’s just warm and runny. You can also place it in a pot on the stove over low heat, stirring until pourable (don’t let it boil!). If your toffee seems too thick after chilling, whisk in a splash of cream to get that desired consistency.
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
Once made, your toffee sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to three months, in an airtight container.
Your cheesecake should also be kept in a covered container, in the fridge, where it will keep for up to a week. Additionally, you can slice and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
MORE HOLIDAY RECIPES
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Black Forest Tiramisu
- Cinnamon Roll Brioche Danishes
- Rosemary Cranberry Mocktail
- Chocolate Salted Toffee Tart
EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
Equipment
- 9" Springform Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Mixer
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Spatulas
- Whisk
- Medium Pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups crushed Club crackers about 55–60 crackers
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 24 oz cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter cubed
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped bar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
CRUST
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper
- In a bowl, combine crushed Club crackers, brown sugar, and salt
- Stir in melted butter until the texture resembles wet sand
- Press mixture firmly into the bottom of your lined springform pan, then gently press with a flat-bottomed glass to pack it in
- Bake 10 minutes, until lightly golden
- Cool while you prepare the cheesecake filling
FILLING
- Preheat oven to 325°F
- Add your cream cheese to the bowl of a standing mixer and beat on medium-high until smooth. Add in your sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla, and mix to combine
- In a small bowl, combine your sugar and flour with a whisk. This will help ensure there are no clumps of flour in your mixture. Pour over cheesecake batter and mix until just incorporated
- Crack your eggs into your batter, one at a time, mixing between each egg until combined
- Pour your cheesecake batter over your cooled crust; spread evenly in the pan with a spatula
- Bring 4-6 cups of water to a boil. Place your cheesecake on the center rack of your oven. Put a large casserole dish on the rack below where your cheesecake will be and immediately (but carefully!) pour your boiling water into it until it reaches about halfway up your dish. Shut the oven as soon as possible once you pour in your water. You want to trap all of that steam inside the oven!
- Bake your cheesecake for an hour and 15 minutes. When it’s done, there will be a slight wobble in the center of the cheesecake, but the edges will look set. Turn the oven off, but crack the door slightly, leaving the cheesecake in the oven for another hour
- After an hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool completely at room temperature before covering it with foil and refrigerating it for 8 hours or overnight
TOFFEE SAUCE
- Add butter to a medium pot and place it on the stove over medium heat
- Once melted, stir in brown sugar and bring to a gentle boil. Whisking constantly for 2–3 minutes
- Slowly pour in the cream, whisking continuously for an additional 4 minutes. It will start to get bubbly, so whisk carefully
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt
- Leave to cool in the pot until pourable but not runny (like a warm caramel consistency). If you need to chill it faster, leave it at room temperature for 15 minutes and then place it in the fridge, whisking every 15 minutes until thickened
GANACHE
- Place the chopped chocolate in an even layer along the bottom of a heat-proof bowl
- Separately, add the cream to a medium-sized pot and place it on the stove over medium heat until simmering
- Pour your hot cream over the chocolate, making sure it’s mostly covered. Cover your bowl and leave it to sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth
- Add butter and stir until glossy and no chunks remain. If you still see bits of chocolate or butter, pop the bowl in the microwave, stirring every 5 seconds, until smooth
- Leave the ganache to cool, and remove your cheesecake from the pan
- Spread your ganache evenly over the top of the chilled cheesecake, sprinkle more crushed crackers along the edge if desired, and return to the fridge for 30 minutes
- Once set, cut into slices and serve with a generous pour of your homemade toffee sauce!
This cheesecake recipe is a brilliant twist on the classic, combining sweet and salty in a way that sounds irresistible. I’m curious how the salty crackers hold up in texture after baking.