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Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Pecan pie cheesecake with a graham cracker crust and a creamy, water-bath baked filling topped with thick sticky cinnamon-caramel pecan pie sauce. Slice-ready texture: just-set center, fully chilled, then topped right before serving.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
chilling 6 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For crust
  • 2 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 6 tbsp melted butter
For cheesecake
  • 24 oz cream cheese Use room temperature for a smooth batter.
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
For pecan pie topping
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.33 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp corn syrup
  • 2 cup whole pecans
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.25 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F, then press the graham cracker crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan to form an even crust layer.
  2. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove and cool while you prepare the cheesecake batter.
Make and bake the cheesecake
  1. Beat the cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth, then add the eggs one at a time and mix until fully blended.
  2. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla, and cinnamon until the batter looks silky and uniform, then pour it over the baked crust.
  3. Bake the cheesecake in a water bath for 60–65 minutes at 325°F until the center is just set.
  4. Cool the cheesecake completely, then refrigerate for 6 hours to fully chill before topping.
Cook the pecan pie topping
  1. Melt the butter with the packed brown sugar, heavy cream, and corn syrup over medium heat until smooth.
  2. Simmer for 3 minutes, then stir in the whole pecans, vanilla, and salt.
  3. Cool the pecan topping for 15 minutes until thickened but still pourable.
  4. Pour the cooled pecan topping over the chilled cheesecake just before serving, letting it settle over the surface.

Notes

For the smoothest cheesecake, start with room-temperature cream cheese and mix only until combined—overmixing can add air and cause cracks. Refrigerate covered up to 4 days; freeze the plain cheesecake (without topping) up to 1 month. For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat sour cream (texture will be slightly softer but still works).