Caramel Cheesecake With a Pecan Crust

Last updated on February 23, 2019 by Liza Hawkins

This caramel cheesecake with a pecan crust is creamy and sweet, with a rich caramel taste and a satisfying crunch from the pecans. It’s a show stopper!

April happens to be National Pecan Month, which like many food holidays, has lent itself to providing inspiration for trying a new recipe.

To help with that inspiration, I used a collaborative Pinterest board as a way for people to Pin all the recipes they love using pecans.

And suggest they did!

People Pinned everything from pecan pie to a pear salad, and one I ended up drooling over the most was Just One Donna’s salted caramel cheesecake.

It’s a family favorite in her house, and I totally understand why after making my own version this weekend.

Creamy, sweet, rich caramel taste with a the crunch of pecan in the crust (I decided not to finely grind mine)—it’s a show stopper.

Interestingly, I’ve made lots of cheesecakes over the past few years and none of them followed the cooking methods of this one.

No water bath, no foil around the springform pan, and lots of fuss around the baking temps and times.

PERFECT.

The taste is divine, despite the obvious crevices…

My cheesecake cooled too quickly because I didn’t let it rest in the oven for an hour after the third temperature reduction and baking time was complete.

I also didn’t let it sit at room temp for another hour after that.

Nope.

Ten minutes on my counter and that puppy was directly in the fridge for its overnight cooling.

I got impatient, not gonna lie.

Which is why mine has those large cracks in it.

Taste was not marred at all, and the large cheesecake crevices actually lent themselves to wonderful valleys for the caramel sauce to sink into.

So, it was a happy mistake as a result of my impatience.

Here are some of the kitchen tools I use:

• Springform Pan
• Baking Sheet
• Mixing Bowls
• KitchenAid Mixer
• Rubber Spatula

Continue to Content

Yield: 8-10

Caramel Cheesecake with a Pecan Crust

Prep Time: 10 hours 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 11 hours 30 minutes

This caramel cheesecake with a pecan crust is creamy and sweet, with a rich caramel taste and a satisfying crunch from the pecans. It's a show stopper!

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Ingredients

[i]For the crust:[/i]

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

[i]For the filling:[/i]

• 3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, room temp
• 1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 large eggs, room temp
• 1/2 cup jarred caramel sauce + the rest for garnish
• 1/2 cup whole milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 °F and lightly coat a 9″ springform pan with non-stick spray. Place the pan on a baking sheet and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, add all of the crust ingredients and use a mixer to incorporate them until they resemble a loose, crumbly dough. Press the crust into the evenly into the spring form pan, going up about 1-inch on the sides. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove the pan and let it cool while you make the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Place the cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and set on low-to-medium to fully combine them, stopping to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula as needed. A large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer works here, too!

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each egg completely into the cream cheese before adding the next.

Pour in the caramel and the milk, continue mixing for another 30 seconds, and then pour the cream cheese filling into the prepared crust in the springform pan.

Bake the cheesecake for 40 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until the cheesecake is nearly set—it will still appear jiggly in the middle.

Turn the oven heat off, crack the door of the oven and then let the cheesecake cool for one hour. Then, remove the cheesecake and let it cool for an additional hour on the counter at room temp. Lastly, refrigerate the cheesecake, covered, for at least 8 hours (but overnight is better).

Before serving, use the remaining jarred caramel sauce as a topper by pouring it on top prior to serving. Goes great with whipped cream and more chopped pecans!