You need to try this Smoked Cheesecake for a delicious dessert straight from the grill! A bit of sea salt and caramel pair perfectly with the sweet treat and the light smoke takes it over the top!
🍽️ Why This Works
Unique | Both the crust and the filling are smoked, creating an earthy aftertaste.
Simple | There are really just two steps to the this. Making the crust and then cooking the filling on the smoker.
You’ll Love This | This recipe will be the star of the show. It is a low and slow cook, so plan your time accordingly. It is best served after letting it chill for six hours or so, which makes it perfect to make the day before the next BBQ.
🍮 Ingredients
Crust: The crust is a simple mix of graham crackers, butter and sugar. You’re going to smoke this to add a fun flavoring as well.
Cream Cheese Filling: This is a traditional cheesecake filling. It will set up nicely and will have that light and fluffy texture. If you have an Instant Pot, consider making Instant Pot Cream Cheese.
Sea Salt and Caramel: This combination is one of my favorites. Sweet and Salty wins every time. Don’t worry about it being too salty. You can adjust as you like, but there is just a slight hint.
🔥 Instructions
This is a two-step process. We’re going to make the crust first and then fill it with the cream cheese filling. It’s really easy!
Crust
Step One: Preheat the smoker to 275 degrees. If you are using a Kamado grill, set it up with indirect heat by adding the ceramic plate setter. A traditional gas grill can also be used by turning on the outside burners.
Step Two: Crush the graham crackers. I love to get the kids involved with this. Is there anything more fun and reducing these to crumbs? Combine the crushed graham crackers with the melted butter and the two tablespoons of sugar.
Step Three: Line a springform pan with parchment paper and add the graham cracker mix. Press it down firmly so it sets up nicely. Place this on the grill and add your favorite wood chips. Let it smoke for about 15 minutes while you prepare the filling.
A fruit wood, like apple or peach will leave a mild taste. If your family isn’t used to eating smoked food, then stick to the mild side of the spectrum. If you are daring, go for the hickory or mesquite. Confused by all the wood choices? Try my wood pairing cheat sheet for free!
Filling
Step One: Add room temperature cream cheese to a bowl and beat it until it is light and fluffy. Add in the cup of sugar and then rest of your ingredients. Mix until it is well combined. Add in the eggs, one at a time, last.
Step Two: Remove the crust from the grill and pour in the filling. Scoop six to eight tablespoons of caramel into the filling and use a butter knife to swirl it into the cheesecake.
Smoking
Step One: Place a pan of water under the grill grate. I use a disposable aluminum pan. This will further help to regulate the temperature and minimize the chance of burning. Place the cheesecake on top of the grate and let it smoke for about 90 minutes.
Step Two: Pour a little more caramel on top and sprinkle some coarse ground sea salt. Place it back on the grill and let it smoke for another 30 minutes.
Step Three: Remove it from the grill and run a butter knife to release sides of the cheesecake from the springform pan. This will allow the filling to contract without splitting as it cools.
Step Four: After it has cooled to room temperature, cover, and place in the refrigerator for at least six hours. Serve!
❗ Expert Tips
A little goes a long way! You do not need large billowing smoke to impart the smoky flavor. A light trickle of smoke is much preferred. I learned this the hard way as I had too much of a rolling smoke and my food tasted like an ash tray! 😦
Let this chill overnight before serving. The cream cheese filling needs time to harden up and set properly. It will be easy to cut and serve the next day.
Be creative! Instead of graham crackers, form the crust with golden oreos. It is a bit sweeter, but just as fun!
Recipe FAQ
Over-mixing will add too much air into the filling. As it cooks, it will lead to a crumbly mess that will easily fall apart. To minimize the risk, make sure all of your ingredients are room temperature and stop beating when the ingredients are combined.
Cracking occurs when the top of the cheesecake cools at a different rate than the center, and it does not have room to expand or contract. Release the edge of the cheesecake from the pan by running a knife along the inside and let it cool slowly to room temperature. Helpful hint: It still tastes the same with a crack, so don’t sweat it! If it really bothers you, consider making a chocolate ganache for the topping to hide all the cracks like we did here.
Start checking in on the cheesecake after 1 hour. It should take about 90 minutes if you smoke at 275. When the cheesecake is soft and the center jiggles it is ready to go. Look for an internal thermometer and check to see if your cheesecake reads 145 degrees F.
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Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
Sea Salt and Caramel Smoked Cheesecake
Equipment
- Springform Pan
- Grill/Smoker
Ingredients
Crust
- 1½ cups Graham Crackers crushed
- 6 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Sugar divided
Filling
- 24 oz Cream Cheese 3 8oz packages
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 1 cup Sugar divided
- ½ tbsp Vanilla
- 1 tbsp Sea Salt
- 2 tbsp Flour
- 3 Eggs
- Caramel Dessert Topping
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees.
- In a medium bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 2 tbsp sugar and mix until well incorporated.
- Line a springform pan with parchment paper.
- Pour graham cracker crumb mixture into pan and press down and around edges of pan.
- Place the crust in the smoker and let smoke as you prepare the filling. (about 15-20 minutes)
Filling
- In a large mixing bowl beat room temperature cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add in one cup of sugar and continue to beat.
- Add in the sour cream, vanilla, sea salt, and flour and beat a little longer until mixture is smooth and ingredients are well combined. Add in eggs one at a time and beat a little longer being sure not to over mix.
- Carefully remove the crust from the smoker and pour batter into the pan. Drop 6-8 tablespoons of the caramel dessert topping onto batter and use a butter knife to swirl into the mixture.
- Place the pan into the smoker with a heat proof pan or aluminum pan of water underneath. Close the lid and let the cheesecake smoke at 275 degrees for an hour and a half.
- Once the cheesecake is firm but slightly jiggly in the center, remove. Pour more caramel topping on top of cheesecake to cover the top of the cheesecake and sprinkle a little sea salt on top. Place the cheesecake back in the smoker for another 30 minutes.
- Remove and run a butter knife along edges of cheesecake to help prevent cracking as the cheesecake sets. Let come to room temperature on the counter before placing it in the refrigerator.
- Chill at least 6 hours or over night before slicing and serving. serve with more caramel sauce if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
