Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Pecan pie cheesecake is deliciously spiced brown sugar cheesecake baked to perfection, then topped with a glorious caramel pecan topping. Reminiscent of pecan pie this dessert is the perfect autumn treat! Step-by-step photos help you bake this recipe!

Growing up in a British household in America meant that for Thanksgiving we'd celebrate but indulge in things like Yorkshire Pudding and Sticky Toffee Pudding instead of things like green bean casserole and pecan pie. So, naturally I always shied away from pecan pie, it never had an appeal to me. And growing up things full of nuts never sounded great. Fast-forward to now and I love everything to do with nuts, especially roasted nuts, brings all the flavor out.

While pecan pie is great, I have a love affair with cheesecake so it felt like a pecan pie cheesecake was right up my alley. And boy was I right.

The cheesecake is made with brown sugar and a bit of cinnamon to resemble the flavors of pecan pie. For the topping, I made a simple caramel sauce, actually very similar to the one I use in this mini sticky toffee pudding recipe. Once the caramel sauce is made add the roasted pecans. You could use pecan pieces but whole pecans I think shine in this recipe.

The only caveat with this recipe is that the pecan topping needs to be made fresh and poured on just before serving otherwise the topping will harden in the fridge. While it still tastes excellent, the slices will not slice nicely.

You could try making the caramel sauce the day before, storing it in the fridge then gently warming it and add the pecans then. But I have not tried this method. The caramel sauce takes less than 10 minutes so I don't think its that big of a pain.

Let's get to the recipe.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• How do you make a pecan pie topping
• How do you serve clean slices of cheesecake
• Tips & Tricks for Baking a Perfect Cheesecake
• More cheesecake recipes
• Recipe Card
• Recipe Ratings & Comments

Ingredients

For the crust, you'll need

• Graham Crackers, finely crushed- you can crush them yourself or buy store-bought crushed graham crackers.
• Pecans, unsalted and roasted. We are blitzing them into a fine crumb so pecan pieces or whole work.
• Granulated/ Caster Sugar- just a tad to sweeten it up.
• Butter, melted- this small amount of butter binds the crust together.

For the cheesecake filling you'll need:

• Cream Cheese softened to room temperature. We need brick-style cream cheese here not the whipped cream cheese in a tub.
• Granulated/ Caster Sugar and Brown Sugar using both sugars help create the perfect texture and flavor.
• Ground Cinnamon 
• Sour Cream/ Greek Yogurt
• Heavy Cream
• Pure Vanilla Extract
• Large Eggs + Large Egg Yolk, at room temperature, using the extra yolk helps create a luscious and creamy filling.

For the pecan topping:

• You don't have to top the cheesecake with whipped cream but I always do. I used ½ Recipe Stabilized Whipped Cream 
• Unsalted Butter
• Brown Sugar
• Salt
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• Pure Vanilla Extract
• Ground Cinnamon 
• Whole Unsalted Roasted Pecans 

I know the ingredient list seems long but a lot of them are used in two parts of the recipe, so I wouldn't let it overwhelm you.

Instructions

First, things first lets start by preheating the oven. An improperly heated oven could destroy your bakes, I recommend having your oven calibrated every couple of years!

For this recipe set the oven temperature to 325F/163C. Lightly grease a 6-inch springform pan.

You can make this recipe in an 8 or 9-inch springform pan and it will produce a shorter cheesecake, reduce the baking time to 50-60 minutes. You could also double this recipe for a larger taller cheesecake, in that case, increase the baking time to closer to 1 hour 30 minutes.

To ensure your cheesecake is properly cooked I will use an instant-read thermometer to check it is at 145°F/63°C, the center of the cheesecake will still be jiggly. I like to use my Thermapen MK4.

To make the crust :

In a food processor, crush the roasted Pecans until they are a finer crumb, I still like it to be a little chunky so you can taste the pecans in the crust. If you love pecans you have to try my recipe for Mexican Wedding Cookies.

In a large bowl mix together the pecan crumbs, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar., until thoroughly combined. Add the melted butter, stirring until fully combined, the texture will be like wet sand.

Press the crust into the bottom and up the upsides of prepared pan. Bake in the oven to bake for 5-8 minutes until just set. Let cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.

For the cheesecake filling star in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or large bowl with a handheld electric mixer. Beat the cream cheese, both sugars, and ground cinnamon for 3 minutes on medium to high speed.

Add sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything is combined.

Add in eggs and egg yolk, mix until just combined.

You should have a creamy batter with no lumps.  Pour into prepared pan.

Place the 6-inch springform pan in a 9-inch cake pan- place cake pan in roasting pan (affiliate link) and fill roasting pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the cake pan. This prevents ANY water from getting in the cheesecake and you don’t have to wrap everything with foil.

Bake for 70 to 80 minutes, the middle of the cheesecake should jiggle just a little bit. Turn oven off and let cool in the oven for 1 hour then take out of roasting pan and wrap with plastic wrap. Let sit in the fridge overnight or at least 6 hours to chill.

You can prepare whipped cream up to 1 day before piping on the cheesecake.

How do you make a pecan pie topping

In a large heavy-bottomed pot over low medium heat add the butter, salt, and brown sugar. Mixing until all melted and evenly combined.

Slowly add the heavy cream, one teaspoon at a time, whisking to evenly combine. You must take your time with this so the cream can blend with the caramel.

Once combined add the ground cinnamon and vanilla extract.

Add in roasted pecans and gently stir to evenly coat.

Don't you just want to eat this with a spoon? I tested it a few times straight out of the pot!

Pour the pecan sauce on top of the chilled cheesecake and add whipped cream.

Please keep in mind that the caramel sauce will harden if left in the fridge so ideally pour this on just before serving the cheesecake.

The pecan caramel sauce can be made up to 1 hour ahead of time and kept at room temperature.

How do you serve clean slices of cheesecake

Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing. When cutting the cheesecake always have a hot cloth nearby to wipe the knife clean after each cut,

Tips & Tricks for Baking a Perfect Cheesecake

• Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature when in doubt let it sit to warm up longer.
• Bake the cheesecake in a water bath.
• Let the cheesecake rest in the turned-off oven before letting it cool on the counter.
• Ensure the cheesecake has enough time to chill by letting it sit overnight.
• Bake the crust for a few minutes on its own so it sets up properly.
• Don't overmix the cheesecake batter, too much air will create air bubbles that can cause cracking.

More cheesecake recipes

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are a delicious addition to any fall dessert table.

This peanut butter cheesecake has as chocolate ganache topping, honestly cream cheese and peanut butter are a delicious combination! I know you will love this one!!!

For a classic simple cheesecake check out my Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Recipe.

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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