pecan pie cheesecake

This Pecan Pie Cheesecake has a crisp graham cracker crust, a perfect layer of creamy cheesecake, and a buttery, caramely, pecan topping! It’s everything you love about both pecan pie and classic cheesecake rolled up into one show stopping thanksgiving dessert!

this recipe

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Thanksgiving is right around the corner (which feels SO crazy!) and I know exactly what dessert you should have on your table – Pecan Pie Cheesecake! It’s so simple to make – the batter only requires 6 ingredients:

• Cream cheese
• Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs
• Granulated Sugar
• Sour Cream

That’s it! Simple ingredients that will produce a perfectly creamy cheesecake each and every time. And, the addition of sweetened condensed milk helps keep the cheesecake perfectly creamy and light, without being too sweet!

But I’m getting ahead of myself – let’s make the crust first! All you need are graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and a little bit of sugar. Mix that up and press it into a springform pan so we can pre-bake it for a few minutes. 

While that’s baking, get started on your cheesecake batter! Cream the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk together first. 

Then, add the vanilla, sugar, eggs, and sour cream, making sure not to over mix! That’s one of the most important things to know with making a cheesecake – if you over-mix the batter the cheesecake won’t turn out looking quite as nice. But never fear, it’ll still taste wonderful!

Wrap foil around the pan with the crust, and pour your batter in! It should be pretty smooth – but a few tiny lumps here and there never hurt anybody. The reason we use foil here is to give added insurance against any leakage, since we’re going to bake the cheesecake in a water bath. But again, never fear, I’ve NEVER had any water leak into the cheesecake! 

What’s a Water Bath?

Excuse the poor kitchen lighting – but here’s the cheesecake sitting in the water bath! A water bath is simply a way to ensure your cheesecake doesn’t crack, and that it has that perfect creamy texture that we all love. Once you’ve wrapped foil around your pan of batter, set it in a roasting pan, and pour boiling water into the pan, until it’s about 1 inch deep. Bake as directed, and voila! A perfect cheesecake every time. 

Here’s what the cheesecake looks like once it’s cooled and set in the fridge overnight – but before it’s been topped with our dreamy Pecan Pie topping! This topping is not a make-ahead thing – it’s best made right before you plan to serve & eat the cheesecake. It only takes a few minutes to whip up – we’re simply melting butter and brown sugar together, then stirring in some heavy cream, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, and of course – our pecans. 

Spoon this over the top of the cheesecake and you are in business! Your family will think you’re another Martha when you set this beauty down on your Thanksgiving table and slice into it. 

I hope you bring this Pecan Pie Cheesecake to your Thanksgiving table this year, and I hope you have a wonderful, safe, holiday season! Happy Thanksgiving!

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

This Pecan Pie Cheesecake has a crisp graham cracker crust, a perfect layer of creamy cheesecake, and a buttery, caramely, pecan topping! It's everything you love about both pecan pie and classic cheesecake rolled up into one show stopping thanksgiving dessert.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Dessert

Keyword: Thanksgiving Desserts

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Cheesecake Cooling: 8 hours

Servings: 8 slices

Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 5 tbsp salted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

For the Cheesecake:

• 16 ounces full fat cream cheese, at room temp use the kind that comes in blocks
• One 14 ounce can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp granulated or cane sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temp
• 1 cup sour cream, at room temp

For the Pecan Pie Topping:

• 1/2 cup salted butter 8 tbsp, 1 stick, or 113 grams
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon or a pinch more, to taste
• 1/8 tsp salt or more, to taste
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 and 1/2 cups pecans

Instructions

• Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick spray and make sure the bottom is securely fastened. Stir together crust ingredients and press into prepared pan and up the sides a bit (see photos above). Bake this for 8 minutes.Set aside.
• Make the Cheesecake: In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened cream cheese until nice and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix until just combined. Add the sugar and mix until just incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each until just incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream, and mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared crust.
• Prepare the Water Bath: Get out a roasting pan and set the rack aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water is boiling, wrap a piece or two of foil around the bottom of the springform pan, as added insurance against leak-age. Set the springform pan with the cheesecake inside the roasting pan. Pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it's 1 inch deep. Don't pour any water into or onto the cheesecake.
• Bake the Cheesecake: Bake for 1 hour. When done, the cheesecake will have only a slight wobble in the center, and a toothpick inserted into the edge will come out clean, and will have a bit of thick batter when inserted into the center.

  Turn off the oven and crack the door open. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour before removing it. Once the hour is up, remove the pan from the oven and take the cheesecake out of the water. Remove the foil and set the pan on a cooling rack to let cool completely. Once it’s cool, cover with foil and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 1 day before serving.
• Make the Pecan Pie Topping: Make this just before you’re ready to serve the cheesecake! Do not make it ahead. Melt the butter and brown sugar in a pan over medium heat. Let it start bubbling, then reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream, and the remaining topping ingredients. Stir the pecans around to get them all coated in the mixture, and remove the pan from the heat. Let it set for a few minutes to thicken up a bit.
• Serve + Store: Pour the topping over the cheesecake, slice, and serve! Store leftovers, in an airtight container, in the fridge for 4-6 days.

Notes

Note: Use gf graham crackers to make this whole dessert gluten-free!

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