GF Salted Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake

Valentine's day is around the corner and this time of year, I'm all about getting in a whole lot of chocolate desserts. This year is no exception and I opted to make a gluten free dessert full of chocolate. This Gluten Free Salted Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake will win over the heart of any chocoholic for Valentine's Day...

Gluten free desserts are now easier to come across at the grocery store and are even easier to make at home by substituting gluten laden ingredients with gluten free versions! Using GF chocolate cookie wafers, I processed them into crumbs and use that as my base for the cheesecake crust. And taking inspiration from Cooking Light, I made a chocolate cheesecake which I swirled a salted caramel sauce into and also served with more salted caramel sauce as a finishing touch.
GF Salted Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake recipe adapted from Cooking Light
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon stick margarine
1 tablespoon egg white
1 1/3 cups GF graham cracker crumbs or GF chocolate cookie wafers (processed)
Vegetable cooking spray
3 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup salted caramel sauce (recipe follows)
2 (8-ounce) blocks Neufchâtel cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
Salted Caramel Sauce (recipe follows)
Whipped Cream


Preheat oven to 350°.
Place first sugar, margarine and egg white in a bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until blended. Add crumbs or processed cookie wafers; stir well. Firmly press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; let cool on a wire rack.
Place chocolate squares in the top of a double boiler. Cook over simmering water 2 minutes or until chocolate melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; add caramel syrup, stirring until smooth.
Preheat oven to 300°. Place cheeses in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Add 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth. Add chocolate caramel mixture; beat at low speed until well-blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan; bake at 300° for 40 minutes or until almost set.

Combine sour cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons cocoa; stir well. Turn oven off, and spread sour cream mixture over cheesecake.

Let cheesecake stand for 45 minutes in oven with door closed. Remove cheesecake from oven, and let cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
Slice and garnish with more salted caramel sauce, if desired.


Salted Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces Coarse sea salt

• Combine sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves completely.
• Increase heat to medium-high and cook without stirring, occasionally swirling pan, until sugar is a deep amber color, roughly 5-8 minutes; then take off saucepan from heat.
• Add cream and butter (mixture will bubble - be careful!) and whisk to combine. Set aside and cool slightly. Caramel will firm up to a nice sauce as it cools.
• Add caramel sauce in above recipe as directed and drizzle caramel sauce over cheesecake with a sprinkle of sea salt for garnish.

If your sweetheart is not a classic chocolate fan but loves Red Velvet Cake, then another alternative is a Red Velvet Cheesecake from Eli's Cheesecake! Eli's redefines this southern classic deliciously and makes a perfect treat to celebrate with for Valentine's Day. A moist and subtle cocoa-flavored red velvet cake, a layer of rich and creamy red velvet cheesecake and a fluffy vanilla mousse with a dusting of red velvet cake crumbs makes this beauty a triple threat! You can order your Red Velvet Cheesecake from Eli's Cheesecake right online too!