The perfect holiday dessert!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Pecan lover's dream from top to bottom
- Rich, dense, and ultra-creamy cheesecake with gooey praline topping
- Delicious dessert during the fall, winter, and holiday seasons
Pecan praline cheesecake is one of those great recipes that makes everyone drop what they're doing to run and get a slice. Whether you crave the taste of Southern pralines, or it's your first time trying them, the rich flavor of this decadent cheesecake will make you go nuts!
🥫 Storage
Cheesecakes need to be refrigerated at all times, so store any leftovers in the fridge for three to five days.
Instead of just covering the cheesecake pan with a loose layer of aluminum foil, I prefer to use plastic wrap or put leftovers into an airtight container. This prevents the tender cheesecake from absorbing any weird refrigerator odors.
You can also get away with freezing the pecan praline cheesecake leftovers as long as they're covered tightly with plastic wrap. However, after about a month the texture can change, so don't forget about them hiding underneath a frozen pizza!
📖 Variations
- There are a lot of ways to vary the crumb crust ingredients: vanilla wafers, crushed graham cracker crumbs, a pre-made graham cracker crust, and so on, but the Pecan Sandy cookies give you the best pecan flavor! Only swap if you have to—trust me on this one.
- The pecan praline sauce is to die for, but you could always swap it with a store-bought caramel sauce to save a few minutes.
- For the glaze, a quarter-cup of brown sugar can be swapped 1:1 with a quarter-cup of regular white sugar if you're in a pinch.
- Use light or dark brown sugar in this recipe. Dark has more molasses so it tastes more caramelly.
- Swap your vanilla extract with vanilla bean paste or bourbon vanilla for an elevated flavor upgrade.
- Use a muffin tin to make mini cheesecakes! Reduce the bake time by 15-20 minutes, and use a high sided baking sheet as the bain-marie.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Mix on low speed—don't whip the cream cheese and sugar. Too much air in a cheesecake causes it to lose its dense, creamy, decadent texture.
- Pulse the cookies in a food processor to easily and quickly crush them.
- Or, put the cookies in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin—also a great way to release some pent-up holiday stress!
- I like to use the back of a measuring cup to make sure I've pressed the cheesecake crust crumbs nice and tight into the pan corner.
- Let all of your ingredients come to room temperature before getting started. This is an important step! I repeat: room! temperature!!
- Room temperature or "softened" cream cheese means it's easily dented when you gently press on it with your finger.
- Use the paddle attachment to cream your cheesecake mixture without adding extra air to the cheesecake batter.
- Make a bain marie (water bath) by placing the springform pan into a larger pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to come about halfway up the sides of the pan.
- Don't forget to line the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil. Cover the bottom and sides of the pan carefully to ensure no water can get in.
- Melt the glaze ingredients over medium heat in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally with a spatula to make sure nothing sticks or burns.
- Extra pecan praline topping? Pour it onto some parchment paper and sprinkle the pecans over top. Let it cool for a tasty little bonus snack!
👩🍳 FAQs
No, I don't recommend making such a big swap! The sour cream is an essential element, balancing the flavors of this pecan praline cheesecake perfectly.
Ooh, yes! Follow the recipe measurements for this pumpkin cheesecake batter, but use the pecan shortbread crust and praline topping recipes from below. It'll make a delicious pumpkin praline cheesecake that tastes like a cross between pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and cheesecake!
Sometimes, it's inevitable. However, you can usually prevent it by following the instructions below carefully. That includes bringing all your ingredients to room temperature, not whipping the batter, using a water bath, and keeping your oven door closed while the cheesecake is baking!
📚 Related recipes
- Creamy and fall-flavored, No-Bake Double Layer Pumpkin Pie is the perfect holiday treat when your oven is as you should be: stuffed full.
- Pineapple Upside Down Cheesecake is an elegant twist on everyone's favorite, classic cake. It's a show-stopping treat that you'll crave!
- When you want a cozy fall treat, this New York-style Pumpkin Cheesecake delivers—spicy gingersnap crust is a tasty, unique twist!
🍽️ Serve with...
- Crockpot Green Beans and Ham
- Apple Cheddar Cheese Ball
- Cinnamon Apple Cider Sangria or Spiked Mexican Hot Chocolate
📞 The last word
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pecan Praline Cheesecake
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups pecan shortbread cookies, about ¾ of a package, crushed
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
Cheesecake
- 32 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 6 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
- 16 oz sour cream, room temperature
Topping
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup chopped pecans
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Instructions
Crust
- Mix the cookie crumbs and butter and then press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" springform pan.
- Bake at 375F for about 10 minutes.
- Set aside.
- When cool cover the outside of the pan with heavy duty aluminum foil, making sure it is at least ¾ of the way up the pan
Cheesecake
- Beat cream cheese and sugar at slowest speed until it is mixed well. Do not whip it - air will get in the batter and it will lose its dense texture.
- Add eggs one at a time.
- Fold in vanilla, pecans, and sour cream by hand.
- Pour into a prepared crumb crust in the 9? springform pan.
- Make sure the foil is still securely around the pan.
- Place in a bain marie at 375 for 45 minutes.
- Turn off oven and let set for one hour. Do not open the door!
- Remove cake from oven, take off foil, and let come to room temperature.
- Refrigerate covered. Placing paper towel on top of cake will soak up any condensation
- Refrigerate overnight.
Glaze.
- Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a small pan, stirring until butter and sugar are melted together and sauce is bubbling.
- Pour over top of cooled cheesecake and sprinkle more chopped pecans (or arrange pecan halves) on top.
- Just before serving run a knife around cake and remove from pan.
Notes
- Always mix at the lowest speed.
- No food processor? Put the cookies in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin—also a great way to release some pent-up holiday stress!
- I like to use the back of a measuring cup to make sure I've pressed the cheesecake crust crumbs nice and tight into the pan corner.
- Let all of your ingredients come to room temperature before getting started. This is an important step! I repeat: room! temperature!!
- Room temperature or "softened" cream cheese means it's easily dented when you gently press on it with your finger.
- Use the paddle attachment to cream your cheesecake mixture without adding extra air to the cheesecake batter.
- Don't forget to line the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil. Cover the bottom and sides of the pan carefully to ensure no water can get in.
- Melt the glaze ingredients over medium heat in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally with a spatula to make sure nothing sticks or burns.
- Extra pecan praline topping? Pour it onto some parchment paper and sprinkle the pecans over top. Let it cool for a tasty little bonus snack!
- A bain marie can be created by putting the springform pan into a larger pan and pouring hot water in the outer pan until it comes half way up the outside of the springform.
Nutrition Facts
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published June 26, 2012. Last updated on September 30, 2022 for editorial content.
Linda C
Just ate my first bite of this delicious cheesecake...however, it seems a tad undercooked, though I followed directions to a "T" (come to think of it, the photos shown with the recipe look exactly like mine) ...Is it supposed to be soft and a little runny inside?
Marye
I like mine soft and creamy - you could leave it in the oven maybe 5 minutes longer.
Erin
This cheesecake is delicious, but I found the measurements to be just a touch off. The “little bit more” butter in the crust was a little too much. In your defense, I should have done a trial run before making this to take somewhere. Again, it’s so delicious and will become my favorite go-to dessert from now on. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!
Laura @MotherWouldKnow
I love this cheesecake but even more, your memories of your parents entertaining. My memories from the same period are a bit different, but definitely along the same, Mad Men lines 🙂
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass
Oh to be a fly on the wall at those card games. And now I would like a slice of that divine praline cheesecake!
Christie
Loved your tip about low and slow with the mixer. Makes a lot of sense. I think I always do mine too hgih.