I am SO excited to share this recipe with y’all. It is AMAZING and amazingly easy. Cheesecake recipes can often be fussy with water baths and the like, but this one doesn’t call for any of that. But first, let me take you on a little trip…
Last fall, I had the amazing opportunity to take a trip with the National Pecan Shellers Association to be a part of the pecan harvest in Albany, Georgia. Pecans are something I know. My grandparents have lived in a pecan orchard for my entire life. When I create recipes that involve nuts, I almost always use pecans. They’re easy, versatile, and delicious. And while I admittedly learned a lot about harvesting, processing, and packaging pecans on an enormous scale, the thing that I took away from that trip was a connection to a delightful family named the Willsons. They own Sunnyland Farms in Albany and have been providing the country with the highest quality pecans, candies, and baked goods since 1948. There’s plenty I could say about this amazing family-owned business, but this probably says it better than I can…
All that said, Sunnyland has become my source for the highest quality pecans. I used them in this cheesecake because despite it being easy, it’s something I wanted to best ingredients for. Now, I’ll admit pecans can be a premium ingredient, but nothing replaces the flavor of pecans. And like I always tell folks, when you’re on a budget, look for recipes that use pecan pieces rather than halves. They’re more affordable and work just the same in most cases. There’s no reason to buy the more expensive halves only to chop them up for your recipe. This recipe calls for halves on the top, because they’re prettier, but I promise you large pieces will work just as well.
Now, let’s get to this cheesecake. Y’all I can’t even being to tell you how amazing this is. There are pecans in the crust and on top. I mean… gracious!
First, let’s talk about how easy it is. Ok. Many cheesecake recipes call for a water bath and you’ve got to be all fussy about keeping it from cracking when baking. Well, guess what? It’s gonna crack. But you know what else? We’re gonna cover that sucker with the most delicious caramel and pecans; no one will ever know about that little ol’ crack.
I’ve made this a few times and no one could believe that I made this. They all thought I had bought it somewhere. I’d say that’s a pretty good indication that it was good. So, go try it and prove to your family and friends you can make a dessert that’s on-par with the best bakery around. Y’all are seriously gonna love this one!
Easy Caramel Pecan Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 9 full sheets of graham crackers crushed (about 1 1/2 cups crushed)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
For the topping:
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9-inch spring-form pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers, pecans, and butter. Stir well. Pour the mixture evenly into the bottom of the spring-form pan and press firmly to create a crust.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a bowl and hand mixer) combine the softened cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Add the eggs and mix well.
- Pour the batter onto the crust. Lightly tap the pan on the counter to get out any air bubbles.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the center in almost completely set. Cool and then refrigerate overnight to allow the cheesecake to firm up before serving (or at least 3 hours for those impatient folks).
- To make the topping, spread the pecans on a microwave safe plate and cook on high for about 1 to 3 minutes. (Different microwaves will cook differently, so watch them carefully. You want them to be toasty. You can also toast them in a 325°F oven for a few minutes.) In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream. Cook until bubbly, then stir in the toasted pecans. Cool to room temperature before pouring over the cooled cheesecake.
Have you ever substituted shortbread cookies for graham cracker crusts? Luscious and doesn’t overpower the cheesecake taste. I have been buying from Sunnyland Farms for several years and I’ve never had a bad product, ask my relatives at Christmas. This cheesecake will be our “special” dessert this year. Love your recipes, do you ever list any lo-carb? Thanks, D
Thanks, D! Yes, I love a shortbread crust! And yes, I’m working on some low carb things right now. 🙂
O my, this looks delicious. I can taste this now. Thank you for sharing and I love pecan. I put it in everything. Happy holidays
Happy Holidays!!
This looks awesome! Can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much for the recipe!
I sure hope you’ll enjoy!!!
Oh my! Does that ever look amazing! I love cheesecake and I love pecans so it’s a win- win for me. Pinned.
Thanks so much!!
Hi, can I use Dulce Le Leche in this somewhere? Ever since Christy (Southern Plate) introduced me to this wonderful stuff I’m like a maniac with a can opener! Best caramel I’ve ever tasted. Please please. I can stick to your recipe because it looks wonderful and since it’s Mardi Gras time here, this will be a welcome addition to the dessert table. Thank you.
Sure! I think it would be fine to substitute the caramel in this with a dulce de leche.
That is a gorgeous cheesecake. I love the flavors of caramel, pecans, and cheesecake. I am sure it tastes divine.
Thanks so much!!
DO NOT MICROWAVE YOUR NUTS FOR “ABOUT” 3MIN.. you will scorch them and they are expensive.. So glad I followed that rather than realize it was wrong.. luckily I caught it at 2 min before they all were lost. We now have chopped pecans as I couldn’t salvage much.. thanks a lot.
Also some of us have never made a caramel sauce which is why were following your stupid recipe from the beginning maybe it would be nice to put a setting for the stove like say oh I don’t know medium-low High what should we do should we scorched the caramel like we did the pecans with your recipe luckily I went to Food Network and found a temperature
I’ve done hundreds or maybe even thousands of pecans that way without scorching. Maybe you have a super charged microwave! 🙂 Sorry to hear you had trouble. In the future, I’m always happy to answer questions if something’s not clear. But keep in mind, manners will go a long way here. Having them will certainly get you a quicker response.
Yeah holy cow no need to be so rude. I’ve tried hundreds of recipes over the last 5 years, some work, some don’t. I don’t hold the recipe written responsible for that.
And what a waste of your time it must have been to have to google what temp to make caramel at. It’s seems you have absolutely no time to waste, even though you had enough spare time to bake a cheesecake and write a horribly rude review.
Thanks, Brandy! 🙂
Can I pour the sauce and pecans over cheesecake in advance before serving? I’m taking it to a birthday party so I will not be in my own kitchen before serving. Thanks
Sure!
Pros: Very easy to make, Absolutely delicious, Looks beautiful before its cut
Cons: Because of all the nuts on top its impossible to cut without squishing the whole thing down and therefore looks very messy once cut.
I am gonna try to make it again doing individual cheesecakes in ramekins to save the problem of cutting and ruining the look!
I totally agree. Sometimes I use chopped pecans which make it easier to cut, but the halves are so much prettier. Enjoy!
I’m new too cooking dessert. I tried this and it was delicious… but I could only eat the middle cz the edges were too hard.. I don’t know if I over cooked it or what. Do you remove the springform pan and put it on a cooling rack? Cool to room temp before putting in the fridge?
It sounds like it might have been a touch overcooked, but I’m not sure. Allow it to cool on the counter before removing the ring, then cover and refrigerate.
I don’t have one of those pans, can I just make in a regular pan?
You can, but might find it difficult to get the pieces out once sliced.
Which amount of brown sugar goes into cake
1 1/4 cups go in the batter, 1/2 cup goes in the topping
Can I bake it in a water bath??
Of course! Just wrap the pan well with aluminum foil to prevent the water getting in.
Can i use a premade graham pie crust?
I’m afraid the filling won’t fit in a crust that size.
Way too sweet! Use regular sugar in the batter. It was good though, whole family enjoyed but everyone agreed it was stupid sweet. Thanks!
Ha! It’s dessert! It’s supposed to be sweet, right?
Brought this to my in-laws for thanksgiving and it was an absolute hit! It was my first time making a cheesecake too and Im floored how well it came out and tasted, the recipe was very easy and I’ll for sure be making it again.🙂😁❤
Awesome, Taylor! So glad everyone enjoyed it!!
My sis in law made this but i dont know if this is where she got recipe from.But I’m gonna try yours. It looks so good.(?) How much brown sugar in batter and how much in toppin to use?. I read comments.said microwave 2 min. Not 3.mins. . well i’ll let u know how it comes out when i make this for Christmas 2018. Thank u Stacy so much..
The amounts are in the recipe card above. When it comes to toasting the nuts in the microwave, if you’ve got a super charged one, you might want to start with 2 minutes. You can always add more time.
Do i need to pre-bake the crust? and also will the cheesecake crack, since it’s being baked without a water bath?
No, there’s no need to pre-bake the crust. And yes, the cheesecake may crack, but since we’re covering it with the topping, no one will see it. That’s the beauty of this recipe. It’s super easy and not fussy.
Thank you for responding. and yes, it is super easy, most cheesecake recipes also require you to leave it in the oven for an hour after baking. This takes no time at all.
Hi Stacey,
I see you are a Southern cook like myself. Hope it is ok if I share your recipes to my Facebook page KooKie Kathy Cooking Southern Recipes. I think my friends will love to try your recipes. Thanks Kathy M
Thanks, Kathy! Feel free to share any links back here to SouthernBite.com that you’d like! 🙂
Hello this is our first time making in a spring form pan.the cooking time says 40 to 50 min, so we cooked 50 min
it taste good but it has cracks all in top. do you think we should’ve cooked it longer or you have tips on cooking in spring form pan? Thanks Christy
Hi Christy! Yes, cracks are VERY common with cheesecakes. This is why I almost always make toppings for mine that cover up any cracks. The best way to prevent them is cooking them in a water bath, but I find it fussy and a lot of extra work.
DO NOT put pecans in the microwave for 3 minutes! Mine caught fire, burnt my plate, burnt my countertops and broke my plate! 1 minute is fine.
Did you use whole halves or pieces? Burnt your counters???
Some half and whole, I had them in the freezer, because I live in Lousiana and we have pecan trees and keep stashes of them there. I let them get room temp, kinda broke them up and put them in the microwave like she said. And yes, burnt my counter tops because when I pulled the plate out the microwave it was hot and on fire and it burnt my counter in 2 spots, before breaking.
Hmmm… Pecan halves are going to take longer to cook than pieces. I would imagine that had something to do with it. The recipe was developed using halves and the pieces maybe cooked too long. Sorry you had trouble.
I wanted to try and double the recipe for a bigger one but leaving the crust recipe the same. Also, I am using a 10 Inch springform Pan. Do you think it will turn out okay? And, how would I go about the cooking time?
I’ve not tried that, so I just can’t say for sure.