The Best Pecan Pie Cheesecake Recipe
Bite into a slice of comfort with this pecan pie cheesecake! In this recipe, you have the best of both worlds: a buttery crust topped with your favorite pecan pie filling blended into a layer of rich cheesecake for the perfect dessert.
If ever there was a fall comfort food, pecan pie cheesecake would be it!
This recipe blends your favorite fall flavor of pecan pie into the rich and indulgent texture of a classic cheesecake.
Though there is some work involved through the layers, the best desserts are always worth it. And this cheesecake recipe is just that.
Before you know it, this will become your signature dish for everything gathering.
If you are looking for other cheesecake recipes to try, here are a few of our favorite desserts.
- The Best Butter Pecan Cheesecake Recipe
- Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe With Pecan Crust
- Instant Pot Caramel Apple Cheesecake
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
- Pumpkin Fluff No Bake Keto Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients You Need For This Delicious Dessert:
Crushed Graham Cracker Crumbs: though technically you can use graham crackers and crush or pulse them into fine crumbs yourself, it’s easier to just buy the crumbs. This way the base comes out even with every bite.
Butter: make sure to melt the butter for the crust so that it blends easily. You’ll also want to ensure you’re opting for unsalted butter so as not to alter the traditional flavor.
Brown Sugar: make sure to press out any clumps in your sugar before mixing it into the graham cracker crust.
Egg: any eggs will work for the recipe, but egg replacements haven’t been tested. Aim to have the egg at room temperature before using.
Light Corn Syrup: this is where the classic flavor of pecan pie comes from so make sure not to sub it out for another sweetener.
Sugar: granulated sugar works best for this cheesecake as it blends well into everything.
Vanilla Extract: you’ll get more vanilla flavor if you use a purer extract.
Pecans: buy chopped nuts if possible and save yourself the prep time.
Sour Cream: this is what helps lighten up the cream cheese filling to make it rich and not dense.
All Purpose Flour: though you don’t need much it does help maintain the texture of the cheesecake so don’t skip it.
Cream Cheese: let the cream cheese soften before trying to blend it into the filling.
Cornstarch: once baked, this helps hold it all together. Arrowroot powder would work as well.
Heavy Cream: used in the topping to help create a caramel like glaze. You want to make sure it’s heavy and not light so that it gives that indulgent feel to it.
Light Brown Sugar: you only need an extra hint of sweetness on the top.
How To Make Pecan Pie Cheesecake:
- Make the crust first by mixing the Graham crackers, brown sugar, and melted butter until fully blended.
- Grease a cheesecake pan and press in the crust firmly. Bake for 10 minutes at 350F.
- To make the pie layer, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and chopped pecans in a saucepan.
- Heat over medium heat until the sugar melts and darkens. Stir frequently.
- Add in the corn syrup and beaten egg and reduce to low heat.
- Mix well and remove from the heat once mixed.
- Pour the pie filling onto the crust and smooth it out evenly.
- In a large bowl make the cheesecake batter by adding everything but the eggs.
- Mix with a hand mixer until blended and then add the eggs and mix again.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the pan over top of the pecan pie layer. Smooth out the creamy cheesecake layer as smooth as you can to make an even layer.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees F in the center of the oven then remove and let cheesecake cool to room temp. Then pop it into the fridge overnight.
- Finally, melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
- When it darkens, pour in the cream ad mix continuously.
- Mix in the pecans until coated. Cool slightly.
- Pour the pecan pie topping over the top of the cheesecake and return it to the fridge for another 1-2 hours.
Important Teaching Tips:
When making the pecan pie layer, you want the mixture to begin to caramelize in the saucepan. That’s how you know it’s done.
Like any traditional cheesecake, make sure not to overbeat the eggs into the filling. If too much air gets in, that layer will drop slightly once cooled.
Make sure the pecan pie cheesecake is fully cooled before placing it in the fridge overnight. Otherwise, the texture will alter.
When making the pecan topping, mix the pecans really well into the melted butter and sugar mixture.
This helps to caramelize them slightly. Likewise, if you want to add a pinch of salt here, you’ll get a delicious, salted caramel sauce taste.
How To Serve It:
This pecan cheesecake recipe is best served chilled.
Because you want the caramelized pecan topping to firm up slightly before serving, make sure to pour that on and chill it first. Otherwise, you have a bit of a sticky mess.
You can top with a few more crushed pecans once it’s out of the fridge. However, this pecan pie cheesecake is so indulgent it’s not needed.
Likewise, if you didn’t salt your topping, you could add a few sprinkles on top to both add texture and flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pecan Cheesecake:
Q. How come my cheesecake fell in the middle once chilled?
A. This is normally due to two things. The first is that the eggs were over-beaten in the cheesecake filling. In doing this, too much air gets in and the cheesecake flops a bit. The second is that the cheesecake wasn’t cool enough before placing it in the fridge.
Q. How long does cheesecake last in the fridge?
A. Once made, the pecan cheesecake will last about three days in the fridge. Make sure to store it in an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap to prevent moisture from getting in or it absorbing any flavors from other meals stored.
Q. Can this be made as pecan pie cheesecake bars?
A. Yes!
Q. Could you use a pie crust in place of graham cracker crumbs?
A. For best results follow the recipe as we are not sure how a pie crust would turn out.
The Best Pecan Pie Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Crust Layer:
- 1 1/2 Cups of Crushed Graham Crackers
- ⅓ Cup Butter
- ⅓ Cup Brown Sugar
Pie Layer:
- ¼ Cup Butter
- 1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1 Egg beten
- 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Cup Pecans
Cheesecake Layer:
- 1/2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Eggs
- ⅓ Cup Sour Cream
- 1 Tbsp All-purpose Flour
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
Topping Layer:
- ¼ Cup Butter
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Cup Pecans
- ⅓ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Grind the crackers, mix in brown sugar and melted butter. Mix until fully blended.
- Grease a 7-inch cheesecake pan, press the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, prepare the pie layer. Add butter, add sugar, vanilla, and chopped nuts to a medium saucepan. Heat the mixture on medium heat until the sugar begins to melt. Be sure to stir. The mixture will darken a little, and caramelize.
- Add the corn syrup and the beaten egg. Mix well and cook on over low heat, stir. When fully blended and darken slightly remove from heat.
- Pour the pie filling onto the crust and spread in an even layer.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, sour cream, all-purpose flour, and starch. Mix until well blended. Then add the eggs and mix again until well blended but do not overbeat.
- Pour the cheesecake filling onto the pie layer. Smooth out the top.
- Bake in preheated oven at 300F for about 50-60 minutes. Then cool, and put in the refrigerator overnight.
- To mix the topping you will melt the butter with sugar in a medium saucepan. When the mixture darkens slightly and begins to thicken, slowly pour in the cream and mix continuously. Add a little salt if desired, and you will get the taste of salted caramel.
- Mix pecans into the caramel mixture. Mix well to caramelize the nuts. Allow to cool but still pourable.
- Pour the cooled topping over the cooled cheesecake. Return to fridge and allow to chill for another 1-2 hours.
These Are Estimated Nutrition Facts
Know that estimated nutrition facts are just a guideline and will vary depending on any variation you make or brand you use from what we have listed.
