Pecan Pie Cheesecake

If you love pecan pie or cheesecake, get ready because this pecan pie cheesecake is going to blow your mind! Combining a cheesecake filling with a real pecan pie topping, this cake is creamy, flavorful, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

No dessert is quite as showstopping as this pecan pie cheesecake. It’s such a fun dessert, as it takes the best of two well-loved desserts to make one epic creation. You’ve got a homemade graham cracker crust, a creamy brown sugar cheesecake filling, and a decadent pecan pie topping. Featuring brown sugar, butter, cream, and chopped pecans, the caramel pecan topping is to die for!

With the pecan flavoring, I love making this pecan pie cheesecake over the holidays. Rich, creamy, and nutty, it’s definitely a crowd-pleaser! While it’s quite easy to make, the cheesecake does take up to an hour to bake. But fortunately, you can make the cheesecake in advance and serve the slices cool, which is why I always gravitate towards it over the holidays.

If you’re looking for alternative pecan pie recipes, here are more of my favorite pecan pie-inspired desserts: faux pecan pie, pecan pie cake, perfect pecan pie, pecan pie muffins, and chocolate pecan pie. You will find some cheesecake options at the end of this post, if that’s your preferred dessert (it’s cool, we won’t tell).

Recipe Ingredients

Crust

• 1 sleeve graham crackers or 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)

Cheesecake

• 2 blocks of cream cheese (8 oz each). Check out our recipe for homemade cream cheese too.
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup crushed/chopped pecans

First, lightly grease your 9 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray or vegetable oil.

Smash a package (sleeve) of the graham crackers into crushed crackers, and combine it with the melted butter. 

Spread the this out to make a solid crust that covers the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pan.

Place in oven and bake the graham cracker crust for 10 mins at 325 degrees.

When finished and out of the oven make sure there are no holes or cracks in the crust. If you see them pack the area tightly with the back of a spoon.

Combine all of the cream cheese, brown sugar, flour, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla together and mix using an electric mixer to make nice and fluffy until combined really well.

Fill this cheesecake mixture in the cooled pie crust about 3/4 of the way up the crust. Bake this 325 for 50 to 60 minutes or until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly. 

Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the pecan topping

Melt the brown sugar and butter in a small pan over medium heat until it bubbles just a touch. Keep stirring frequently.

Then add the heavy cream and pecans and stir some more until all combined well.

Remove from heat, let cool for a bit (usually 5-7 minutes) .

Then pour and spread over the cheesecake. 

Refrigerate and serve cool OR serve warm.

Storage

• Store pecan cheesecake leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• You can also store leftovers in a freezer-safe container (or tightly wrapped in cling wrap or aluminum foil) in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

Recipe Notes

• I recommend baking this cheesecake on your oven’s middle rack.
• If this is an adults-only dessert, you might enjoy adding a tablespoon of bourbon or dark rum to your pecan pie topping.
• You can keep your topping at room temperature for up to an hour in advance. Don’t refrigerate before pouring over the cheesecake, otherwise, it will solidify.
• You can use either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar in this recipe. Whatever you have at home is fine.
• I recommend using room temperature ingredients for the cheesecake for a nice smooth texture.
• If the topping is too thin, continue to cook it down until it thickens. If that doesn’t work, you might want to add a dash of light corn syrup.
• A handy tip when it comes to cutting your cheesecake is to run the knife under hot water between cuts for the cleanest slices.

Here are more delicious cheesecake recipes:

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

Caramel Apple Cheesecake (Unbelievably Blissful)

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars

An Easy Cheesecake Recipe With Cheesecake Topping Options

Magic Lemon Cherry Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars