Pecan Pie Cheesecake

This Pecan Pie Cheesecake takes two of my favorite desserts and combines them into the only thing that’s better than a classic pecan pie. This incredible pecan pie cheesecake is everything a cheesecake should be, decadent, luscious and simply delicious!  

I’ve said this many times before but cheesecake really is my all time favorite dessert, right there next to pecan pie. Whenever I’m at a restaurant these are usually my first two choices if they are on the menu. As you can imagine when I combine the two in this spectacular cheesecake, well that makes me really really happy.

If you’re scared of making cheesecake, don’t be. There’s nothing to worry about, it really is easy to make. The only thing is that because there are 3 layers to this cheesecake, it’s a bit more time consuming. But labors of love make the sweetest results – poetic huh?

We’ve got a pecan, graham cracker crust followed by a sinfully rich and creamy cheesecake layer. All of this is topped off with a pecan pie layer lovingly spooned over top. Pecan pie, meet your new soulmate, cheesecake – I can hear the wedding bells already!

Ingredients

Crust

• Graham crackers – These will be the binding ingredient in our crust and offer a great molasses flavor.
• Butter – Unsalted as always to control the sodium content of our dessert.
• Sugar – We want a nice clean flavor for our crust, white granulated sugar is your best bet.
• Pecans – Whole pecan halves, we’ll get them a nice consistency later.
• Salt – We want a little bit of seasoning to ensure our crust has a good flavor.

Cheesecake

• Cream cheese – I used 3 packages of whole fat Philadelphia cream cheese. Reduced fat can also be used to cut calories.
• Sugar – Granulated and brown sugar are going to give us some sweetness and some caramel notes.
• Eggs – Our key binding agent for this cake, eggs will allow it to bake properly.
• Vanilla extract – Without this, your dessert may taste a little flat.
• Salt – To season our cake, an important component.

Pecan pie topping

• Sugar – We want brown sugar for this component of our dessert to give a bit of dimension and complexity.
• Corn syrup – Light corn syrup is best to form a cohesive layer that sticks together and is sinfully sweet.
• Cream – Heavy cream is what I used today to make this layer completely drool worthy and rich.
• Eggs – We want 3 large eggs today, feel free to use 4 if your eggs are on the smaller size.
• Vanilla extract – Without this your dessert may taste a little flat.
• Salt – To season our cake, an important component.
• Pecans – The star ingredient! Chopped up to be combined in this perfect little layer.

How To Make Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Crust

1. Preheat your oven to 300 F. Spray the inside of a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine the crust: In a food processor, pulse together the graham crackers, pecans, sugar and salt until coarse crumbs form. Add the melted butter. Pulse until combined. Press onto the bottom of the prepared pan and set aside.

Cheesecake

1. Cream the cheesecake: Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugars, eggs, vanilla, and salt to the bowl of your mixer. Mix on medium speed until completely combined and smooth. About 5 minutes.
2. Bake the cake: Pour the mixture over the graham cracker crust. Smooth out as much as possible with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes.

Pecan pie topping

1. Combine the pecan pie: To the bowl of your mixer add all the pecan pie ingredients except the pecans and mix until well combined. Add the pecans and mix with a spatula.
2. Assemble: Pour the mixture over the partially cooked cheesecake, and cook for another 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely, and then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Best Cream Cheese To Use

I prefer using Philadelphia cream cheese because it always makes a super silky cheesecake. However, if you can’t find the Philadelphia brand, use a cream cheese that is full fat for best results.

Got A Crack In Your Cake?

The best way to prevent the cheesecake from cracking is by using a water bath. Plus make sure you don’t open the oven door while the cake is baking. As you can see, mine cracked around the edges, but who cares. Even better because that pecan pie topping filled in those cracks, flavoring my cheesecake.

How Do I Know When My Cheesecake Is Done Baking

To check if your cheesecake is done baking, gently shake the pan. If the cheesecake looks nearly set, but the center is still a bit jiggly, it is done.The center will firm out as the cake comes to room temperature and chills.

Serving A Crowd?

Sometimes a cake that needs to be sliced up just doesn’t cut it when feeding the hungry hordes. Try my Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars for an easier serving crowd pleaser, or try it for some portable cheesecake on the go – sounds like my kind of business venture.

Amp Up The Flavor

To bring out the flavor of the pecans even more, toast them in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350 F degrees or until you start to smell them. You can even brown the butter before incorporating it into your filling. I know I’m crazy, but aren’t we all a little?

Storage

This sweet treat will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just store in an airtight container or wrap it up tightly before popping them in.

Cooked cheesecake also freezes really well, just place the cake fully cooled and wrapped fully in plastic wrap and aluminum foil till ready to eat. This method should ensure the cheesecake bars lasts 3 months.

Craving More Rich Desserts? Try These Delicious Treats:

• Hawaiian Cheesecake Bites
• Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Figs
• Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Creme Brûlée Cheesecake Bars
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pops
• Tiramisu
• Chocolate Fudge
• Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake

Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

4.65 from 68 votes

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 1 hr 20 mins

Total: 1 hr 50 mins

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Serves: 16

Print Pin Rate

This Pecan Pie Cheesecake takes two of my favorite desserts and combines them into the only thing that's better than a classic pecan pie. This incredible pecan pie cheesecake is everything a cheesecake should be, decadent, luscious and simply delicious! 

Equipment

• 9-inch Springform Pan
  9-inch Springform Pan
• 9 Cup Food Processor
  9 Cup Food Processor
• KitchenAid Classic 4.5 Quart Stand Mixer
  KitchenAid Classic 4.5 Quart Stand Mixer
• Keep Calm And Bake On Spatula
  Keep Calm And Bake On Spatula

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup graham crackers1 cup graham crackers
• 1 cup pecans1 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 pinch salt1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup butter unsalted, melted1/2 cup butter unsalted, melted

Cheesecake

• 24 oz cream cheese at room temperature24 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs3 large eggs
• 1 pinch salt1 pinch salt

Pecan Pie Topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup heavy cream1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups pecans roughly chopped1 1/2 cups pecans roughly chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 300 F. Spray the inside of a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray.

Crust

• In a food processor, pulse together the graham crackers, pecans, sugar and salt until coarse crumbs form. Add the melted butter. Pulse until combined.
• Press onto the bottom of the prepared pan and set aside.

Cheesecake

• Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugars, eggs, vanilla, and salt to the bowl of your mixer. Mix on medium speed until completely combined and smooth. About 5 minutes. 
• Pour the mixture over the graham cracker crust. Smooth out as much as possible with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes.

Pecan Pie Topping

• To the bowl of your mixer add all the pecan pie ingredients except the pecans and mix until well combined. Add the pecans and mix with a spatula.
• Pour the mixture over the partially cooked cheesecake, and cook for another 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown.  
• Cool completely, and then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Video

Recipe Notes

1. For this recipe you’ll need a 9xinch springform pan.
2. The best way to prevent the cheesecake from cracking is by using a waterbath. However, I did not find this to be necessary since I covered the top of the cheesecake with the pecan pie topping. 
3. Make sure you wait until the cheesecake has cooled before running a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake. 
4. Drizzle the cheesecake with caramel sauce if desired.
5. This cheesecake will keep about 1 week in the fridge covered loosely with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.  You can also freeze it, just make sure you wrap it tightly with plastic freezer wrap, or place it in freezer bags.
6. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 471kcal (24%)Carbohydrates: 35g (12%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 35g (54%)Saturated Fat: 14g (88%)Cholesterol: 136mg (45%)Sodium: 337mg (15%)Potassium: 179mg (5%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 30g (33%)Vitamin A: 915IU (18%)Vitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 84mg (8%)Iron: 1.2mg (7%)

Course:cake, Dessert, Pie

Cuisine:American

Keyword:cheesecake, pecan pie, pecan pie cheesecake

Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!