Salted Caramel Pretzel Cheesecake 🍰✨

Today, we’re breaking the rules and having dessert before dinner because this treat is just too good to wait for. When I stumbled upon this recipe, I knew I had to try it immediately. We're making a Salted Caramel Pretzel Cheesecake! Whoever thought of adding pretzels to cheesecake deserves a round of applause from all of us.
I have to admit, cheesecake wasn’t always my go-to dessert, probably because it wasn’t something we had often. But that all changed when I tried this recipe. This cheesecake is everything you could want: luscious, creamy, and absolutely heavenly.
I could go on and on about how amazing this dessert is, but I’ll let the cheesecake speak for itself. So, let’s get started and dive right into making this delicious treat! 🍰✨
Ingredients
For the Crust
1 1/4 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
For the Caramel
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For the Cheesecake
2 (8 ounce) packages 1/3 of the fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let's start with the crust: Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, crushed pretzels, sugar, salt, and melted butter. Press this mixture into the bottom of a 9 or 10-inch pie plate.
Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Once done, take it out of the oven and let it cool.
While the crust is cooling, let's make some caramel magic! In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and half and half. Bring this delightful concoction to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium and cook for 7-8 minutes until it thickens up. Add the sea salt one minute before it's done. Remember to give it a good stir occasionally to keep it from sticking. Once done, take it off the heat and let it cool a bit.
Now, let's dive into the cheesecake! In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until it's oh-so-creamy. Then add in the eggs and vanilla extract, and keep on beating until everything is smooth and heavenly.
Pour all but a tantalizing 1/4 cup of that luscious caramel over the cooled crust. Then spread the cream cheese mixture over the top like a delicious blanket.
Bake this beauty for about 30 minutes or until the center is set. Once done, transfer it to a wire rack to cool down to room temperature. Then, pop it into the fridge and let it chill for at least 4 hours before diving in.
Right before serving, drizzle the remaining caramel over the top. And, there you have it! Your Salted Caramel Pretzel Cheesecake is ready to enjoy! 🍰✨