Who says you can’t have the best of both worlds? This pecan cheesecake combines my love of pecan pie and cheesecake into one delicious dessert that everyone will love. All you need are a few simple ingredients, a mixer, and you’ll have this pecan pie cheesecake ready in no time. Since it has to be set in the fridge overnight, it’s perfect for holiday dinners like Thanksgiving, as you can prepare the dessert the day before and not worry about it while juggling cooking a bunch of things at once.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Graham cracker crumbs — you can buy pre-made crumbs, or you can blitz graham crackers in a food processor at home. Just be sure there aren’t any large pieces in the crumbs.
Cream cheese — be sure to use full-fat cream cheese and not the spreadable type from a tub. Cream cheese that is too firm won’t mix well, so make sure it’s at room temperature, or you’ll end up with a lumpy batter.
Sour cream — this makes the filling even softer, moist, and tender. Sour cream also adds a nice tang to the cheesecake. If you forgot to pick some up, you could make homemade sour cream with only three ingredients.
Flour — it might not seem like a lot, but you cannot skip the flour. The flour helps keep the protein from the egg from thickening too much, leading to the filling being creamier in texture and lowering the chances of cracks forming.
Pecans — don’t forget the star ingredient! You’ll want to buy pecan halves and not chopped pecans as they look much more beautiful on top of the cheesecake. If you purchased them in bulk, try making my super simple candied pecans!
How to Make Pecan Pie Cheesecake
1. In a skillet over medium heat, toast the pecans until browned and fragrant, around 5 minutes. Set it aside for later.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter, and salt until well combined.
3. Press the mixture into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of a springform pan using the bottom of a glass to create an even layer. Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool while making the filling.
4. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the sugar, salt, sour cream, and vanilla and beat just until combined. Then, add the eggs, one at a time.
5. Sift in the flour and beat until combined, and then pour it into the cooled crust. Place a casserole dish filled with boiled water in the bottom rack of the oven and bake the cheesecake for 40 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the oven door a few inches open. Let cool for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature. Chill for 6 hours or overnight.
6. Make the pecan pie topping by melting the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar. Stir until dissolved and bubbling. Then stir in the heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until fully incorporated and bubbling again before stirring in the pecans and coat well. Remove from the heat and let it cool, frequently stirring, before pouring the topping over the cheesecake.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Do not be tempted to open the oven to peek at your pecan pie cheesecake. The hot air will escape, and the cold air from the kitchen can go into the oven, causing the cheesecake to fall or crack.
- For beautiful, clean slices, run your knife under hot water between cuts.
- To bring your cream cheese to room temperature, leave it out the night before or heat it in the microwave for 20 seconds at 50% power.
- If you do not have graham crackers, you can use Biscoff, Oreos, digestives cookies, Nilla wafers, or shortbread cookies instead.
- To tell if your pecan pie cheesecake has finished baking, gently shake the pan. If the cheesecake’s center is a bit jiggly, it’s done. You do not want to bake until the center is firm as it continues to set as it cools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I put water in the oven?
A water bath, or bain-marie, helps create a humid environment while the cheesecake is cooking, adding extra insurance against cracking or a curdled texture. Typically, you place the dessert inside the water bath. Since cheesecake has a crust and isn’t as delicate of custard, like a creme brulee or flan, I prefer not to insert the springform pan into the water as it can potentially leak into the seams of the pan. By placing the water bath on the oven rack below, you get the benefits of the moisture while cooking without the risk of a soggy bottom.
How do I prevent it from cracking?
To prevent cracks on your pecan cheesecake, avoid over mixing the batter or mixing it at too high a speed. Doing so will add more air to the filling, leading to air bubbles cracking on the surface, or the cheesecake will rise too much and crack as it deflates. Again, this can be prevented by bringing your ingredients to room temperature, so they mix seamlessly.
Does this it need to be refrigerated?
I recommend keeping this pecan cheesecake refrigerated. You can bring the cheesecake out to room temperature before serving if you prefer the cheesecake to be less firm and cold.
Can I freeze this?
You can! Once the pecan cheesecake has cooled, you can freeze it whole or in slices. Wrap the cheesecake up in multiple layers of plastic wrap before transferring it to a freezer-safe bag if possible. If you plan on freezing the whole cheese, I recommend holding off on the pecan pie topping and making it fresh instead. When ready to eat, simply thaw overnight in the fridge.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Pecan Pie Cheesecake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Pecan Pie Cheesecake
Equipment
- Mixer
- 9 inch springform pan
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs about 12 sheets finely crushed, (180g)
- ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar (55g)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted (57g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 3 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, room temperature (678g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup sour cream room temperature (80g)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
For the Pecan Pie Topping:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113g)
- ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar (165g)
- ⅔ cup heavy cream (80mL)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups toasted pecan halves
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter, and salt until well combined. Press the mixture into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to create and even layer. Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool while making the filling.
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325F.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until fully incorporated, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat just until combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each until fully incorporated before adding the next. Stop to scrape down the bowl between the eggs. Sift in the flour and beat just until combined. Pour into the cooled crust.
- Boil 4 cups of water. Place a casserole dish on the bottom rack of the oven and pour in the boiling water. Place the cheesecake on the baking sheet on the middle rack above it.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the center wobbles when gently shaken and the edges are slightly puffed. Turn the oven off and leave the oven door a few inches open. Let cool for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature. Chill for 6 hours or overnight.
For the Pecan Pie Topping:
- About 45 minutes before you want to serve, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar. Stir until dissolved and bubbling.
- Stir in the heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until fully incorporated and bubbling again. Stir in the pecans and coat well. Cook for 1 minute. (Caramel will still be runny but thickens as it cools.) Remove from the heat and let cool, stirring frequently, until barely warm to the touch, about 40 minutes. (Transfer the caramel mixture to a bowl for faster cooling.)
- Run a thin knife around the edge of the cake pan. Release the spring and remove the sides of the pan. Pour the cooled pecan topping over the top of the cake before serving.
Notes
- To toast the pecans: In a skillet over medium heat, toast the pecans until browned and fragrant, around 5 minutes.
- Do not be tempted to open the oven to peek at the cheesecake. The hot air will escape, and the cold air from the kitchen can go into the oven, causing the cheesecake to fall or crack.
- For beautiful, clean slices of cheesecake, run your knife under hot water between cuts.
- To bring your cream cheese to room temperature, leave it out the night before or heat it in the microwave for 20 seconds at 50% power.
- If you do not have graham crackers, you can use Biscoff, Oreos, digestives cookies, Nilla wafers, or shortbread cookies instead.
- To tell if your pecan pie cheesecake has finished baking, gently shake the pan. If the cheesecake’s center is a bit jiggly, it’s done. You do not want to bake until the center is firm as it continues to set as it cools.
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