Caramel — sweet, sticky, irresistible caramel. There isn’t much to say except that I love it. Well, most of the time. My affair with caramel goes all the way back to junior high, when I first learned how to make it. That discovery felt revolutionary. I brought a bag of homemade caramel to a football game and, unsurprisingly, was begged to bring it to every game after that. Who needed nachos, popcorn, or pizza when a bag of sticky caramel was available? Certainly not us fourteen-year-olds. Our parents probably didn’t appreciate the rising dental bills, but hey—you only live once, right?
After high school, however, my caramel skills abandoned me. For the longest time I could not make a batch that didn’t set up like a rock. I blamed the candy thermometer, though that might be an excuse. My confidence took a hit and I didn’t try again for almost four years. When I finally attempted caramel again, three batches burned in one day. I was determined to make caramel apples for a small Halloween party we were throwing in Italy, so I kept at it. By the third burned batch, I conceded defeat and we ended up with a bowl of plain apples to kick the party off.
Fast-forward to these mini caramel cheesecake bites: this time I left the caramel to the experts at Fat Toad Farm. I’d reached out to the family-run farm to see if they’d be interested in me developing a recipe using their Goat’s Milk Caramel. Why goat’s milk? For one, I’d never tried it and was curious. For two, the caramel looked like heaven in a jar. Those two reasons were enough to convince this usually unadventurous taster to try something new.
The verdict: pure heaven. I was hesitant at first—“goat milk” can sound a bit intimidating if you’re not used to it. I’m not a big fan of regular milk, so anything labeled “milk” gives me pause unless it’s milk chocolate. This goat’s milk caramel added a pleasantly tangy note to the cheesecake bites compared with the caramel I’d tried to make at home. That slight tang made a refreshing change, and the bites were a hit. Honestly, can you go wrong with mini cheesecakes drizzled in thick, creamy caramel? I don’t think so.
Mini Caramel Cheesecake Bites
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Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Caramel topping
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ butter, melted, i.e. 1 stick
- ¼ cup Caramel topping
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Instructions
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In a small bowl, combine 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, and ½ stick melted butter. Stir until combined and divide the mixture evenly between 12 lined muffin cups. Press down firmly to form the crust.
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In a large bowl, beat together 8 oz softened cream cheese, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds. Fold in ¼ cup caramel topping.
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Spoon or pipe the cheesecake mixture into each muffin cup so they are about ½ to ¾ full.
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Bake at 375°F for 13–15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bites to cool. I prefer to refrigerate these before serving, so you can wait to drizzle additional caramel on top after they’ve chilled.
Nutrition
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Have you ever tried making homemade caramel? Was it a delightful success or a kitchen disaster you’d rather forget?