The BEST Caramel Pecan Cheesecake
This rich, velvety cinnamon cheesecake with caramel pecan topping is what dreams are made of! This delectable cheesecake is perfectly soft and cream in texture with a perfectly sweet and mildly tart flavor. The best part though? The thick, rich, and deeply sweet caramel pecan topping!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Rich and creamy: This cheesecake has a velvety and rich texture.
Caramel pecan topping: The caramel pecan topping is warm, nutty, and creamy. Served warm over the cheesecake.
Pecan pie lovers: This is truly a pecan pie in cheesecake form!
Graham cracker crust: This recipe features a buttery, crumbly, sweet graham cracker crust that is easy to make.
Perfect make-ahead dessert: Cheesecake needs to be made hours ahead, or even the night before, making it the perfect make-ahead dessert.
Ingredients of note
Cream Cheese: Full-fat cream cheese at room temperature is essential!
Sour Cream: Full-fat variety is best!
Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is used both in the cheesecake, and the caramel topping.
Graham Cracker Crumbs: Use good quality graham cracker crumbs, as some cheaper brands produce an oily crust.
Eggs: Eggs add structure, and egg yolks add richness.
Corn Starch: The cornstarch helps the cheesecake firm up.
Pecans: Toast these bad boys for the ultimate pecan pie like cheesecake
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar makes up the base for the caramel sauce.
How to make the cheesecake
1. Make the graham cracker crust: Add the graham cracker crumbs and sugar to a bowl, then whisk to combine. Pour in the melted butter and toss with your hands until everything is well coated and resembles wet sand.
2. Bake and cool the crust: Grease a spring form pan with baking spray, then press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of a spring form pan. I like to use a flat bottomed glass or measuring cup to really compact the crust down. Place the crust into the oven to bake for 10 minutes, then allow the crust to cool to room temperature before adding the filling.
3. Beat cream cheese: Add the softened cream cheese to the stand mixer or large bowl and beat on low until the cream cheese looks creamy and smooth – about 3 or so minutes
4. Add sugar, salt, and vanilla: Add the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla to the cream cheese, and beat on low until everything is well-combined, smooth, and creamy looking.
5. Add eggs: Add the eggs and egg yolks in, one at a time, incorporating each one fully before adding the next one! This just ensures even mixing and no streaks of egg throughout!
6. Add cream, sour cream, and cornstarch: After all the eggs have been incorporated, add in the heavy cream and sour cream, and beat again on low until everything looks smooth, well-combined, and uniform. Add cornstarch, then beat on low until cornstarch is combined completely.
7. Bake: Take 2 pieces of tin foil and wrap them around the base of the spring form pan. Pour the filling over the cooled crust. Place the cheesecake into a large roasting pan, then pour boiling water into the roasting pan, ensuring that the water comes about halfway up the cheesecake pan. Place into the oven to bake!
8. Cool cheesecake: After the cheesecake has baked, allow the Caramel Pecan Cheesecake to cool in a cracked oven for about an hour. This reduces the amount of cracking. After an hour,let the cheesecake come down to room temperature on the counter, then cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge to cool and set overnight.
9. At serving time, top warm caramel pecan sauce: After the cheesecake has fully cooled and set in the fridge, remove it from the spring form pan, and pour the prepared warm caramel pecan sauce on top. Serve immediately!
How to make the caramel pecan topping for the cheesecake
Start by toasting the pecans in the pan for 3 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. After, remove the pecans from the pan, and set aside for later.
Next, melt the butter and brown sugar in a skillet. Cook the sauce, while whisking lightly, until everything is combined nicely and bubbling. As a note, it’ll appear as if the butter and the brown sugar do not want to mix together at the beginning, but once everything begins to melt, they’ll come together!
Next, while whisking, drizzle in the heavy cream, then whisk until fully combined. Lastly, throw in the toasted pecans, salt, and vanilla then mix it all together. Allow the caramel pecan sauce to cool for about 20-30 minutes before you pour it over the cheesecake and serve.
Tips & tricks for making cheesecake
Use softened cream cheese. The cream cheese should be nice and soft, and at room temperature to ensure that it incorporates well into the batter.
Cook in a water bath. A waterbath ensures even, gentle cooking, it is essential for a smooth cheesecake.
Turn the oven off when the cheesecake is still slightly jiggly. The cheesecake will continue to cook even once the baking period is over. You want to make sure it’s still jiggly when you turn the oven off, or else it will overcook and crack.
Allow the cheesecake to cool in a cracked oven. Cheesecake’s worst enemy is a drastic, sudden change in temperature. It will contract quickly, causing it to crack. Letting it cool for an hour and a half in the cracked oven, lets the cheesecake come down in temperature slowly.
Make sure the cheesecake is at room temperature before placing into the fridge. Same reasoning as above, the cheesecake is more likely to crack if its placed in a cold fridge will warm.
Use the caramel pecan sauce while still warm. The butter in caramel causes the caramel pecan sauce to turn cloudy when cold. Plus it tastes amazing while warm!
Use a hot knife to slice the cheesecake. This will get you that perfect cheesecake slice.
Use full-fat ingredients. Cheesecakes are meant to be rich – it is important to use full fat ingredients for the proper texture.
Use a good nonstick spring form pan. If the cheesecake is sticking too much to the sides of your pan, the more likely it is to crack when it contracts during the cooling process.
Wrap the pan in foil. Wrapping the bottom of your cheesecake pan helps ensure that no water seeps in.
Don’t beat the batter too much. This incorporates too much air into the cheesecake, making it more likely to crack.
Equipment required
Cheesecake pan: This is my absolute favorite cheesecake pan, and has been a game-changer for me. It is leakproof, meaning the water bath can’t seep inside it. It also is really nonstick, meaning your cheesecake is less likely to crack.
Roasting pan: Any roasting pan that is big enough to fit a 9” pan.
Stand mixer or hand mixer: Either of these is needed for mixing up the cheesecake batter.
How to store the caramel pecan cheesecake
Fridge: The cheesecake can be kept in the fridge, covered, for 4 days. I recommend you store the caramel pecan sauce separate from the cheesecake, as the sauce is best when warmed.
Freezer: The cheesecake (without topping) can be frozen for 1-2 months. Ensure the cheesecake is well wrapped in plastic and then placed in a freezer bag, airtight container, or wrapped in foil.
FAQ
A water bath is basically where you place the cheesecake pan into a large roasting pan, then you pour hot water into the roasting pan, so it reaches halfway up the outside of the cheesecake pan.
Yes. A water bath ensures even cooking, a smooth top, and a softer texture to the cheesecake.
If you’ve forgotten to pull the cream cheese out on time, cut the blocks up into cubes then place them into the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the cream cheese is very soft and creamy (but not hot).
Your cheesecake cracked either because it was overcooked, or because it was cooled too quickly.
Check above in the ‘How to store the caramel pecan cheesecake’.
No. I recommend you use full-fat cream cheese, like original Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
Related recipes
SunButter Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Raspberry Pistachio Cheesecake
Get the Recipe: Caramel Pecan Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ¾ cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 1/4 cup White Sugar
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter,, melted
Caramel Pecan Cheesecake
- 32 oz (1000g) Cream Cheese, well softened, (4 blocks of cream cheese)
- 1 ½ cups White Sugar
- 1 tbsp Vanilla
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 3 Large Eggs,, at room temperature
- 2 Large Egg Yolks,, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 3/4 cup Sour Cream
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
Caramel Pecan Sauce
- 3/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 9 tbsp Unsalted Butter,, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 cups Pecans
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Equipment
- Stand mixer
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the graham cracker crumbs and sugar to a bowl and whisk until well combined. Pour the melted butter into the bowl, then mix with a fork, or your hands, until the butter is well dispersed and the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Grease a 9” or 10” springform pan, then add the crust into pan and press it down evenly into the bottom. Use a flat bottom measuring cup to really compact the crust down. Place the crust into the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
Caramel Pecan Cheesecake
- Turn the oven down to 325°F. Prepare the cooled springform pan (with the crust) by wrapping the bottom of the pan with 2 sheets of tinfoil, then set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer, add the soft cream cheese and beat on low until it looks soft and creamy – about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt, and beat on low until very creamy – 3-4 minutes. While still beating on low, add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, ensuring that each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next, ensuring that you are also scraping at the bowl as necessary.
- Add the heavy cream and sour cream, then beat on low until the cheesecake filling looks creamy, smooth, and uniform. Finally, add in cornstarch then beat on low one last time on low until the corn starch is well-combined.
- Pour the filling over top of the cooled crust in the springform pan, then place the cheesecake into a large roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan so that it reaches about halfway up the outside of the springform pan. Place into the oven to bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. When the cheesecake is done it should still be a little jiggly in the centre.
- When done, lightly crack the oven open to allow the cheesecake to slowly cool for about an hour and a half. After an hour and a half, remove the cheesecake from the oven and water-bath and place onto the counter to cool to room temperature. Once at room temperature, wrap with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
Caramel Pecan Sauce
- In a skillet over medium heat, begin toasting the pecans in the pan for 3 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. After, remove the pecans from the pan, and set aside for later.
- Add the brown sugar and butter to the skillet. Heat while whisking, until the sauce comes together nicely and begins to boil.
- Next, while whisking, slowly drizzle in the heavy cream. After all of the cream has been added and is well-combined, remove from the heat, then add in the toasted pecans, vanilla, and salt. Fold everything together, then allow the sauce to cool for 20 – 30 minutes.
- After 20 – 30 minutes, pour the warm caramel pecan sauce over the cheesecake and serve immediately.
Will you make a video for this recipe? I felt good about it until step 4. I’m thinking of making for my cheesecake loving husband for Valentine’s Day
Hi there! There probably won’t be a video any time soon. As for step 4, it’s basically just putting the cheesecake in a water bath so it cooks evenly! Check out this picture to see what I’m talking about.
When would I add topping if I’m sending this as a gift to someone inside of a cake box?
You can add it on whenever – the topping will just harden slightly when it cools and will have a more opaque look due to the butter. Alternatively you could see the topping in a separate container, and have them lightly warm it separately before serving.