Every holiday dinner has that moment when everyone swears they're too full for dessert. Then somebody brings out the pecan pie cheesecake, the coffee starts brewing, and suddenly everyone finds room for another slice. Which proves my theory that the dessert stomach is an entirely separate organ.
This is the dessert I make when I want Thanksgiving or Christmas to feel a little extra special. It's rich, unapologetically extravagant, and absolutely worth washing the springform pan.
Table of Contents
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🥰 Is this pecan pie cheesecake recipe for you?
- You want a holiday showstopper. Pecan pie, creamy eggnog cheesecake, and gooey praline topping all in one gloriously excessive dessert.
- You love getting things done ahead. Make it up to two days before Thanksgiving or Christmas and enjoy having one less thing to worry about on the big day.
- You believe dessert should be memorable. This is the one people will still be talking about when they're packing up leftovers.
🧾 Ingredients
There are three layers of holiday extravagance going on here, but don't let the ingredient list intimidate you. Most of it is everyday baking stuff, with a few special touches that make this pecan pie cheesecake worth the fuss.
- Pecan pie: You'll make and bake an actual pecan pie before adding the cheesecake layer. Or use a purchased pecan pie to skip that whole production. Just make sure it completely covers the bottom of your springform pan. I won't tell your grandmother.
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat blocks at room temperature for a smooth, creamy cheesecake. Low-fat cream cheese has no business at this particular holiday gathering.
- Eggnog: Adds a little holiday magic to the cheesecake. The original recipe used spiced rum or bourbon, and either can be substituted in the same amount.
- Browned butter: Gives the cheesecake a rich, nutty flavor. Watch it carefully because burnt butter is an entirely different recipe, and not a good one.
- Toffee bits: Add buttery crunch to the cheesecake layer.
- Praline topping: Butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and toasted pecans make the gooey finishing touch. A little coarse salt balances the sweetness.
📖 Recipe
Pecan Pie Cheesecake
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Pecan Pie Layer
- Pie dough, for a double crust pie - you'll need both crusts to cover the bottom and partway up sides of the springform.
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped
Cheesecake Layer
- 32 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 6 eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup egg nog, my original recipe called for spiced rum or bourbon in the same amount
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup butter, melted and browned (melt in pan over medium heat until deep golden brown, do not burn)
- 1 cup toffee bits
- 1 cup sour cream
Praline Topping
- ¼ cup butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 ¼ cups pecans, toasted and chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt crystals, optional
Instructions
Pecan Pie Layer
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Roll out the dough and fit it into the bottom of a high sided 9 inch springform pan (or a 10.5-inch springform if sides aren't very high) and up the sides.
- Melt the butter until it is golden and then whisk in brown sugar until it is smooth
- Remove from heat and add the corn syrup, vanilla and salt.
- Whisk beaten eggs into corn syrup mixture.
- Sprinkle pecans on the bottom of the springform and then carefully pour the filling mixture over them.
- Bake for 50 minutes.
Cheesecake Layer
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Beat the cream cheese on low speed with the paddle attachment.
- Add the sugar and continue beating until the sugar is well mixed in and no longer grainy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition (keep it on low speed)
- Add the egg nog (or rum), vanilla, browned butter, toffee, and sour cream.
- Mix well.
- Pour over the pecan pie layer.
- Wrap the springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil that goes all the way up the sides.
- Place springform in a large roasting pan and add hot water until it is halfway up the sides.
- Bake for 50 minutes.
- Turn oven off and leave door closed for one hour.
- Remove cheesecake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.
- Place paper towels over the top, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight.
Praline Topping
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the brown sugar until smooth.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, or until the sugar crystals are mostly gone, whisking constantly.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and heavy cream.
- Stir in the pecans and spoon the warm praline mixture over the top of the chilled cheesecake. Sprinkle with coarse salt crystals if desired.
Notes
- Make sure that you seal the bottom of your springform pan with foil because any leaks will really ruin this. The crust gets really soggy if water gets into the pan. just wrap the aluminum foil over the bottom and up the sides nearly to the top.
- Don't whip the cheesecake filling. You want the least amount of air in it possible. Use the paddle attachment on low.
- Lay a sheet or two of paper towel over the top before covering and refrigerating. The towel will absorb any condensation that forms.
- Don't overcook the praline topping or it will set up too hard after it's cool.
- Let the praline mixture cool a little before adding it to the top of the chilled cheesecake but it still has to be warm enough to spread easily.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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🔪 How to make pecan pie cheesecake
Is this cheesecake worth the extra time? Only if you want your guests bowing at your feet, openly acknowledging your culinary superiority, and admitting you're obviously a cheesecake mastermind. Some desserts are worth being a diva about. This is one of them.
Pecan pie layer
- Press the pie dough into the bottom and up the sides of a deep springform pan.
- Melt the butter until golden, then whisk in the brown sugar until smooth. Remove from the heat.
- Whisk in the corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Add the beaten eggs last.
- Sprinkle the toasted pecans over the crust, pour the filling over them, and bake at 350°F for 50 minutes.
Cheesecake layer
- Beat the softened cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each.
- Mix in the eggnog, vanilla, browned butter, toffee bits, and sour cream. Keep the mixer on low. We're making cheesecake, not whipped cream.
- Carefully pour the cheesecake batter over the baked pecan pie. Wrap the springform pan tightly in foil and place it in a roasting pan with hot water halfway up the sides. This is the springform pan I use but I've had it for 20 years and I'm not sure if the dimensions are the same.
- Bake at 375°F for 50 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for an hour. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
Topping layer
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the brown sugar until smooth.
- Simmer for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and heavy cream.
- Stir in the toasted pecans until they're coated in that glorious praline goodness.
- Spoon the warm topping over the chilled cheesecake. Finish with a sprinkle of coarse salt, if desired.
😱 What can go wrong (and how to fix it)
❤️ The cheesecake overflows. This recipe makes a LOT of batter. Use a 10½-inch springform pan or a 9-inch pan with very high sides. Otherwise, you'll be cleaning cheesecake off the bottom of your oven, and nobody needs that kind of holiday entertainment.
❤️ The crust gets soggy. Water from the water bath has sneaked into your springform pan. Wrap the outside tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil, bringing it well up the sides, before setting it in the water.
❤️ The cheesecake cracks. You probably beat too much air into the batter. Keep the mixer on low and let the cheesecake cool gradually in the turned-off oven. If it cracks anyway, the praline topping covers a multitude of sins.
❤️ The top looks wet after chilling. That's usually condensation, not a baking disaster. Lay a paper towel gently over the cheesecake before covering and refrigerating to absorb excess moisture.
👩🍳 FAQs
I wouldn't. A water bath helps the cheesecake bake gently and evenly so it stays creamy instead of drying out around the edges. You've already committed to baking an entire pie underneath a cheesecake. This is hardly the time to start cutting corners.
Not sure how? My step-by-step guide to making a water bath (bain-marie) walks you through it.
Absolutely! You can make it up to two days ahead and keep it refrigerated. In fact, I recommend it. Nothing says holiday confidence quite like having your spectacular dessert finished while everyone else is still fighting over oven space.
📚 More holiday cheesecakes
🏡 This pecan pie cheesecake isn't the dessert you make when you're in a hurry. It's the one you make when you want everyone at the table to remember Thanksgiving or Christmas long after the leftovers are gone. Serve it with hot coffee, accept the compliments graciously, and try not to look too smug when someone asks if you really made it yourself. You absolutely earned those bragging rights.
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