This pecan pie cheesecake has a brown butter graham cracker crust, brown sugar cheesecake filling, and warm caramel pecan topping. It is the perfect showstopping recipe for the holiday dessert table!
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I always want both cheesecake and pecan pie at the holidays. This caramel pecan cheesecake combines them! It was such a hit it’s been my go-to ever since — creamy, nutty, caramel-topped perfection.
It’s an excellent make-ahead dessert. Bonus-the toasted caramel pecans double as the topping and decoration! It will be a huge hit just like my browned butter cheesecake.
For more delicious cheesecakes, try my Toblerone cheesecake recipe, mini chocolate mini cheesecakes.
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Why This Recipe Works
- This pecan cheesecake pie recipe is basically pecan pie and cheesecake combined!
- This cheesecake filling is creamy, smooth, and delicious just like my apple crumble baked cheesecake.
- Brown butter adds a nutty, rich flavor to the crust. If you love brown butter, be sure to try my brown butter cinnamon rolls, blueberry cornmeal cake recipe and apricot filo pastry recipe!
- Each part is simple to make. The cheesecake needs time to set up. This makes it a great low-stress, make ahead dessert just like this blueberry and lemon cheesecake recipe.
- This showstopping pecan caramel cheesecake will be the star of any holiday gathering just like these yummy apple oat bars!
Ingredients
Below is some useful information about some of the ingredients for this pecan cheesecake pie.
- Unsalted butter: I prefer unsalted butter because it allows us to control the amount of salt. Brown the butter for extra flavor. You can also just use melted butter.
- Cream cheese: Use full fat, room temperature cream cheese. Use the blocks, not tubs of cream cheese. Take cream cheese out of the refrigerator at least least two hours before using. It makes the cheesecake ultra creamy like my orange cheesecake recipe.
- Sour cream: Use full fat, room temperature sour cream. If you have leftover sour cream, be sure to try my chocolate blueberry cake.
- Brown sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar. I recommend dark brown sugar for more fall flavor. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh and free of lumps.
- Eggs: Use 3 large, room temperature eggs.
- Graham crackers: Crush the graham crackers in a food processor. You can also use the precrushed graham cracker crumbs they sell in most grocery stores.
- Pecans: Pecans give this cheesecake a crunchy texture and nutty flavor like in my cinnamon pecan chocolate chip cookies and pecan pie brownies recipe. I recommend toasting the pecans. Toasting pecans makes them crispier and enhances their flavor. I use 2 cups in the topping. Add them whole or chopped.
Please see the recipe card for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Keep pecans whole or chop them. If you chop them, it’s best to toast them first before chopping them.
- Add a tablespoon of bourbon to the pecan caramel sauce! Add it when you add the vanilla.
Instructions
Step 1 (Picture 1 above)– Melt or brown the butter. To brown the butter, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally until it begins to bubble then stir it constantly. It will foam then turn an amber color and develop a nutty smell in about five minutes. Pour the brown butter into a heat safe bowl. Set aside to cool slightly.
Step 2 (Picture 2 above)– Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor. Pour crumbs into a mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in the melted or browned butter. Spread mixture on the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 Fahrenheit.
Step 3 (Picture 3 above)– Beat the cream cheese and sugars with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
Step 4 (Picture 4 above)– Min in the sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Add the eggs one at a time.
Step 5 (Picture 5 above)– Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust. Place roasting pan on the lower rack in the oven. Pour an inch of hot water in the roasting pan. Place the cheesecake on the middle rack. Bake 60-75 minutes. Jiggle the pan. The sides should be set and the middle might still jiggle a little. Turn off the oven. Crack the oven door open slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, take it out of the oven. Allow cheesecake to cool completely in the pan on a rack uncovered at room temperature. Next, run an offset spatula or a small flexible rubber spatula around the edges of the cheesecake. This will make sure it’s not sticking to the sides. Once cooled to room temperature, refrigerate uncovered at least 4 hours.
Step 6 (Picture 6 above)– Preheat oven to 325 F. Spread pecans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the oven for 9-11 minutes, until nuts are fragrant.
Step 7 (Picture 7 above)– Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk until sugar has melted and the mixture starts to bubble, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream cinnamon and salt. Fold in the pecans with a spatula. Coat them completely with the sauce. Remove pan from heat and stir in the vanilla. Set a timer for 10 minutes.
Step 8 (Picture 8 above)– After 10 minutes, pour/spread the pecan mixture over the cheesecake and enjoy! Use a long, sharp knife to cut the cheesecake. Wipe the knife clean and run it under hot water in between slicing for extra neat slices. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Use a 9 inch spring form pan to bake this pecan caramel cheesecake pie. Spray the bottom lightly with non stick baking spray and place a round of parchment paper on top. This will prevent the cheesecake from sticking to the pan.
Follow my suggestions for using room temperature ingredients and avoid over mixing. That said, if your cheesecake does crack, it’s okay because the caramel pecans will cover up the cracks!
Yes! I recommend chopping them after toasting them.
Store leftover caramel pecan pie cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze individual slices in an airtight container for up to 30 days. Thaw at room temperature 1-2 hours.
Expert Tips
- Take the ingredients for the filling out of the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Room temperature ingredients make it possible to for ingredients to get fully incorporated. I leave my cream cheese out on the counter the night before I want to make cheesecake.
- Make sure to plan and allow time for both preparation and refrigeration of the cheesecake.
- Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl as you make the filling. This will make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Avoid overbeating. Beat the cheesecake mixture til the ingredients are just incorporated. Over beating creates air bubbles which can result in cracks in the baked cheesecake.
- Press the graham cracker crumbs into the pan just enough to give the crust shape. The crust should be compact but not packed too tight. This could make the crust hard when it bakes.
- To avoid cracks, let the cheesecake cool in a turned-off oven before you take it out. If your cheesecake does crack, it’s ok because it’ll get covered up the caramel pecan sauce!
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Pecan Pie Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups (240 g) graham cracker crumbs about 16 full sheets
- ⅓ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter browned or melted*
Cheesecake
- 32 ounces (907.19 g) cream cheese full fat, room temperature
- ¾ cup (165 g) brown sugar packed, light or dark
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 3 (3) large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (230 g) sour cream full fat, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) cinnamon
Caramel Pecans
- 5 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar light or dark
- ⅓ cup (118.29 ml) heavy cream room temperature
- ½ teaspoon (⅛ teaspoon) cinnamon optional
- ¼ teaspoon (⅛ teaspoon) salt
- 2 cups (198 g) pecans toasted then chopped or kept whole
- ¾ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon bourbon optional
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Set one oven rack in the center position and place one rack below it for the roasting pan (for the hot water bath to be used while baking the cheesecake). Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
- Lightly spray the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with baking non stick spray. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the parchment paper.
- Melt or brown the butter. To brown the butter, start by melting the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally at first. Once it begins to bubble, stir it constantly. It will start to foam. Continue stirring as you watch for it to turn a light, amber color and develop a nutty smell which should happen in about five minutes. Pour the brown butter into a heat safe bowl, making sure the scrape the bottom of the pan for all the bits.
- Use store-bought graham cracker crumbs or pulse graham cracker sheets. To make graham cracker crumbs, pulse the graham crackers in a food processor to finely ground crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg (if using). Pour in the melted or browned butter and stir til combined.
- Pour the graham cracker mixture into the prepared pan. Use your hands to spread it evenly on the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Pat mixture down with medium pressure with your hands or using a small flat bottom measuring cup. Be sure to press crumbs into place until compact and not loose or crumbly but avoid pressing too hard.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and place on a wire rack while you prepare the filling. Reduce oven temperature to 325 Fahrenheit.
Cheesecake Filling
- Fill a kettle with water and heat the water to boil. You'll need enough water to add about an inch of water to your roasting pan, so you'll probably need a full kettle. Take out a 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan or a roasting pan. Set aside. This will be for the hot water bath.
- Next, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand held mixer, beat the room temperature cream cheese and sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Beat til just fully combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat only to combine. Stop mixing as soon as the last egg has been mixed into the batter. DO NOT OVERMIX.
- Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust. Smooth the top of the cheesecake with an offset spatula or regular spatula. Place your empty roasting pan or 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan on the bottom/lower rack in the oven. Pour about an inch or a little more than an inch of hot water in the roasting pan. Set the cheesecake on the middle rack and quickly close the oven door to keep the steam from the hot water in the oven.
- Bake for 60 to 75 minutes until the center is almost set. The center of the cheesecake should jiggle slightly when you gently shake the pan but the sides should be set. Turn off the oven. Crack the oven door open slightly and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, take the cheesecake out of the oven. Set the pan on a rack and allow cheesecake to cool uncovered til it's room temperature. Next, use an offset spatula or a small flexible rubber spatula and run it around the edges of the cheesecake. Press the spatula against the pan as you do this. This will mak sure the cheesecake isn't sticking to the pan. Refrigerate the cheesecake uncovered for a minimum of 5 hours or overnight.
- Once cheesecake has cooled and set, prepare the pecan caramel topping.
Pecan Caramel Topping
- Preheat oven to 300 F. Spread pecans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the oven for 9-11 minutes, until nuts are fragrant. Alternatively, you can toast them in a dry medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Stir as you toast them until they are fragrant. about 3-4 minutes. Remove the pecans from pan and set aside.
- Add the butter to a large skillet over low heat and stir til melted. Add the brown sugar and whisk until all sugar has melted and the mixture starts to bubble, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the room temperature heavy cream, cinnamon and salt til combined. Fold in the pecans with a spatula. Coat them completely with the sauce then remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and bourbon (if using). Set a timer for 10 minutes.
Assembly
- After 10 minutes, pour the pecan mixture over the cooled cheesecake and enjoy! Use a long, sharp knife to cut the cheesecake. Wipe the knife clean and run it under hot water in between slicing for extra neat slices. Enjoy!
- Cover or place leftover cheesecake in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Norma Alba
It was delicious. A big hit with my family!
Natalie
Hi Norma! I am soooo happy you enjoyed and that it was a big hit with your family! Thank you so much xxx
Kris
10/10 recipe. Cheesecake (for me) is a labor of love but this one is 100% worth it!
Natalie
So happy to hear that Kris! 🙂 Thank you!
Brittany Woodard
My family devoured this cheesecake within one sitting! It was absolutely perfect! My first time making a cheesecake and I don’t think any other kind will top this one. It was a phenomenal dessert to showcase my cooking skills for my in-laws! Do you have instructions to make this in a 8”?
Natalie
Hi Brittany, Amazing! Thank you so much for making this recipe for your family! I’m so glad it was a hit!! Hmm I haven’t made it in any other sizes yet unfortunately, so I can’t say how it’d work out. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Maria Zavala
I’m making this today for Thanksgiving and soo excited to try it. it smelled so good while preparing it..
Elaine Tiland
I’m going to make this for Thanksgiving. it looks and sounds yummy. I didn’t understand the instructions regarding the roasting pan is the cheesecake supposed to set inside the roasting pan that has water?
Natalie
Hi Elaine, I’m excited for you to make this! Thanks for your question. I know this part sounds a little confusing, but it’s actually simple. Position one rack in the center of the oven and one oven rack in the lower part of the oven. When you’re ready to bake the cheesecake, place the cheesecake on the center rack and place a roasting pan or 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan on the lower rack. Carefully fill it with around 1 inch or a little more than 1 inch of boiling water in the roasting pan then close the oven door. If you’re used to using a traditional hot water bath, you can do it that way as well. I sometimes get water leaking through my aluminium foil, so I find this way a little easier 🙂 If you do the traditional water bath, I’d go with a few layers of heavy duty aluminum foil just to be on the safe side. Hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Nero
Can I make the topping and the cake the day before? Will it taste as good? The recipe says to make the topping just before serving but I’m unsure I’ll have the time.
Natalie
Hi! Thanks for this good question. Yes you can definitely make the cake and topping the day before. The topping kind of solidifies soon after making it, so it’s hard to spread over the cheesecake. I’d suggest making everything including spreading the topping over the cheesecake the day before. It won’t quite have the same shine to it as it does the same day, but it will taste just as good! Please let me know if you have any other questions 🙂 -Natalie
Judy
Excellent cake and a great recipe! Came out purley delicious
Natalie
Thanks so much for making this Judy! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂