As I told you earlier in the week, one of our Thanksgiving desserts was this cheesecake recipe I’ve been waiting rather impatiently to make. It takes two of my very favorite things – pecan pie and cheesecake – and makes one fantastic dessert.
First, a bit about the preparation. This is one of the simplest cheesecakes I’ve ever made. The crust was a breeze – only three ingredients. I decided to sacrifice full crust coverage for a bit thicker crust. So, it didn’t go all the way up the sides, but each bite provided more crust. The cheesecake filling did cause me a few fretting moments, as I worried that it was too thin. It was indeed much thinner than any other cheesecake I’d made previously. My worries were for nothing, though, as it baked up perfectly. And without a crack in site, I might add.
We had several desserts to choose from, but I don’t hesitate to say that this one was by far the most popular. Some of the comments heard around the table: “That’s the best cheesecake I’ve ever had.” “Don’t ever make any other cheesecake.” “Can we have this again for Christmas?” “That’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten.” A couple of folks even secretly wrapped up and hid pieces to ensure that seconds would be enjoyed later. I don’t say these things to imply praise of my own baking. I say them to encourage you to make this cheesecake!
So, it seems this one may make another appearance for Christmas. As for me and Quinn, well, we happened to be lucky enough to make it home with a couple of pieces ourselves.
Ingredients
- 1 & 3/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
- 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup dark corn syrup
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 & 1/2 cups chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 & 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the crust:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine wafer crumbs and brown sugar. Stir in melted butter. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9″ springform pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.
To make the pecan filling:
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into crust and set aside.
To make the cheesecake:
Reduce oven to 325°.
With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Add brown sugar and flour and beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in cream and vanilla.
Pour over pecan filling. Bake for 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in oven with the door closed for 1 hour.
Remove from oven and run a knife along the outside edges to loosen cheesecake from sides of pan. Let cool. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Taste of the South.
November 24th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
A crunchy base with crip pecans is going to make me yearn for this dessert so much more!
November 24th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Absolutely mouth watering, and it combines 2 of my favorites dessert also! I bet that was popular at the dinner table!
November 24th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
I’m sure this disappeared in no time! Gorgeous!
November 25th, 2007 at 8:12 am
One of those piecesthat was secretly wrapped up made it to my house but did I get any of it? NO !! I think it was secretly eaten by someone hiding in the pantry. It really was delicious and at Christmas I’ll get own piece to bring home!!
November 25th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
This seems to be one of my favorite deserts as a kid and even now, years later. It’s a traditional romanian desert we bake for Easter. It’s called “Pască”. Just that we use raisins or nuts as we don’t have pecan
My mother makes a chocolate version, too. Great!
November 25th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
This is the BEST cheesecake ever. It tastes like pecan pie filling, which we all know is the best part of a pecan pie.
I think I’ll be sneaking home a piece at Christmas. In fact, I think I’ll get my dessert before the main course…that way I’ll ensure that I get a piece of this cheesecake at all!
Great job on the cheesecake and all the other things you did to make Thanksgiving so special!
Love,
Your Sis
November 27th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
I just found your site & I love it.
I’ll be back.
And, I’ll be making this cheesecake!
Thanks!
November 27th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Thanks, everyone, for the lovely compliments!
Picsel, thanks for the info on the similar Romanian dessert. I’m not a big fan of raisins, but most any kind of nuts are fine by me!
Jan & Nan – Good luck claiming a piece at Christmas.
Jane, welcome! I hope you enjoy the cheesecake. Be sure to let me know what you think!
November 28th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Wow, does that look wonderful! I don’t like pecan pie — I like the crust and the pecans, but I don’t like the texture of that corn syrupy layer. This looks much better to me.
December 1st, 2007 at 4:58 pm
I made this cheesecake to take to a Christmas party last night. Everyone enjoyed it very much. Fortunately there was enough left over for my family to have small pieces tonight.
My husband’s favorite desserts are pecan pie and cheesecake. He is nuts for this dessert!
Thanks for sharing.
Anne
December 1st, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Tracy, this still has the flavor of pecan pie but without as much of the filling you don’t like. It might be just the thing for you.
Anne, I’m so glad the cheesecake was a hit! It sounds like your husband has great taste in desserts – those are two of my favorites, too.
December 26th, 2007 at 8:09 am
I made this for Christmas Eve. It was my first cheesecake ever! Unfortunately, it was a little underdone in the middle. But live and learn!
December 26th, 2007 at 10:40 am
Congratulations, Lauren, on your first cheesecake! I’m sorry it was underdone. Maybe it just needed a little more baking time.
December 26th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
This cheesecake was amazing Jennifer!!! Thank you so much for posting it! I made it for Christmas Dinner and it was a hit. I did find the pecan pie part got super hard, so I think I must have overcooked it on the stove. Still incredible, though!
December 26th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
Amy, I’m so glad you liked it! I made it again for Christmas. My cousin Jenna met me at the door asking, “Where is it?” It really is extremely good.
December 31st, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Well, I did claim TWO pieces at Christmas even after our cousin, Jenna, stalked the kitchen to claim her share when the desserts were served. I can’t say enough about how good this cheesecake really is. This may be my all-time favorite pecan pie/ cheesecake ever!
January 5th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I had my own oven issues getting this thing baked, but it was YUMMY!!!
http://lattesandlife.blogspot.com/2008/01/let-us-eat-christmas-cakes.html
March 7th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Jennifer, I was lucky enough to get one of the
pieces that got wrapped up at Christmas! It was
very good! Jenna brought it to me. By the way,
I can’t stay away from this website!!
March 8th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Cindy, I’m actually shocked to hear that Jenna gave up any of “her” cheesecake, but I’m glad you got to sample it. Thanks for stopping by!
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:50 pm
I made this one last week, and it was a HUGE hit! I didn’t realize how many people like pecan pie. And combining pecan pie AND cheesecake just put everyone over the edge in a good, good way (myself included)!
Anyway, I’m wondering if you’ve tried baking this one using the Crownover method you talk about in the PB cup cheesecake recipe, as my lone complaint about this cheesecake is that it looked like it was going to refrain from cracking … until sometime during the last 30 minutes in the turned-off oven, when it developed a Grand Canyon-sized crack in the center. I’m wondering if the Crownover method might help keep this cheesecake from cracking (and if you’ve tried it or have any thoughts/speculations).
May 24th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Lindsay, I’m glad it was a hit! I’ve not tried it using the Crownover method, although I was tempted. The directions for this cheesecake are actually very similar. I’ve made this cheesecake three times, and I only got a little crack once. I am quite a perfectionist, but I don’t get that upset if my cheesecakes crack. They just do sometimes, no matter what you do. That’s what glazes and other toppings are for.
September 30th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
I made this pie shortly before I graduated from high school back in May and it was amazing!
The only thing that was odd was when I stored it in the fridge over night, it tasted different the next day…but then the day after that it tasted awesome again haha.
So I wonder, when you all make this, is it eaten immediately afterward? I plan on making 2 more of these for a friend and one for family this Thanksgiving.
September 30th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Devin, I usually try to make my cheesecakes a day ahead. I keep it in an airtight container, which usually keeps other smells and flavors from attaching to it. Glad you liked it!
October 10th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
This recipe sounds so delicious it’s making my mouth water by looking at the picture! Quick question though….do I need to bake the cheesecake in a water bath or just let it bake on the rack by itself? Can’t wait to make this recipe!
October 11th, 2008 at 6:22 am
Jennifer, I don’t use a water bath for this cheesecake. I’ve made it several times, and it only cracked once. Enjoy!
November 16th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Have you ever tried to make this cheesecake ahead and then freeze it? Thanks!
November 16th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Pam, I did freeze it once and then shipped it to someone. It worked very well.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
I just happened to stumble upon your website when I googled pecan pie cheesecake. Your recipe looks amazing! I can’t wait to attempt it for Thanksgiving…I’m just hoping I don’t screw it up! And then I stumbled upon all of your fabulous photos of your incredible recipes. There’s about 100 I can’t wait to make!
November 26th, 2008 at 8:51 am
We had our Thanksgiving family get together this past Sunday, and I made this cheesecake. It is absolutely wonderful!!!! Didn’t last long either. I’m making another one today
Thanks so much for a great recipe!!
November 28th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was amazing. So simple to make and everyone loved it. Thanks for an incredible recipe!
March 28th, 2009 at 1:58 am
(Sorry if I make spelling mistakes, I’m Belgian. I’ve cooked many american sweet recipes for several years, this is my passion – muffins, pies, cheesecakes, cookies, brownies, scones, doughnuts, buns, and the others..)
I’d like to thank you for this amezing recipe. Two of my favorite foods, pecan pie and cheesecake, in the same pan, this is definitely a dream! The all preparation turned out perfect! But I was afraid when I put the cheesecake filling over de pecan filling, ’cause they both a bit mixed together. However, once the cheesecake was in the oven, I guess the pecan filling went back in the bottom, ’cause the final product was like your pictures: wonderful!
Here’s a fifth way to satisfy my cheesecake and pecan pie addiction (I’m already fan of Maple Pecan Pie, Chocolate Chunk Pecan Pie, Pecan Cheesecake Pie, Date & Pecan Pie – that I make usually in tartelets, this is even more beautiful and tasty).
Also, your website is really good, I’ll try some of your other recipes soon.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Hi,
I’ve been tinkering with the idea of a cheesecake like this for some time. I was glad to see that someone had already made it. I was curious, would it be possible to use a standard pecan pie filling recipe as well as any ol’ cheesecake recipe for this? I have an old family standby pecan pie recipe that is delicious and would love to incorporate it with my own cheesecake recipe. Has anyone tried using a “standard” pecan pie recipe with this? If so, how did it work?
Thanks in advance, I really do appreciate it!
Shawn
November 8th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I just posted a blog about your delicious cheesecake! I had trouble with the filling, but it was great nonetheless!
November 8th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
I meant to say that I just made a blog post about the cheesecake!! Oops!
November 26th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
What a waste! I made a pecan pie cheesecake years ago that was delicious and was looking for it again. Unfortunately this recipe doesn’t compare. This pie turned out horrible! The whole thing is going in the trash. What a waste of expensive ingredients. The crust came out very dark from baking so long, the pecan layer was very dense – not at all like pecan pie, and the cheesecake layer was very eggy! I consider myself an experienced baker and I’ll keep searching for that pie I made years ago!
December 1st, 2009 at 10:47 am
I followed this recipe for Thanksgiving this year and my family went bananas over it. My father-in-law, who rarely complements anything, said that this was the best cheesecake he’s had in his entire life! I will certainly make another one when we visit my side of the family this Christmas.
This was the first of your recipes that I’ve tried and I’m hooked! I was inspired to buy a new stand mixer so that I can crank out more desserts. Thanks for being so awesome by sharing your wonderful recipes!
December 16th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
I plan on making this awesome pecan pie cheesecake for Christmas!! It looks wonderful.
December 23rd, 2009 at 8:14 pm
My Manager made this cheesecake, oh boy this is the best cheesecake I ever taste. It tasted just like I want a cheesecake to taste. This cheesecake is off the chain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 27th, 2010 at 9:56 am
AMAZING! I made this for my grandma’s birthday which was Thanksgiving Day. We had it Wednesday and she said it was her favorite thing I have made, and she has had tons of my baked goods! I used pecan sandies instead of nilla wafers in the crust, reduced the sugar in the cheesecake mixture to 1 cup and after the hour cooking it was clearly done, so I left it in the oven but kept the door open so it cooled slowly. Thank you thank you thank you for this, it will be made again for sure!
December 4th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
Can’t wait to make this! I’ve been looking for a recipe combining these two
February 13th, 2011 at 10:04 am
Oh this is delicious! Thank you for the inspiration and the recipe. I linked you back on my blog!
November 2nd, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Made this yesterday and it was ridiculously awesome. When I took it out of my spring form pan, it was so ugly. So, I whipped up a batch of whipped cream, frosted it like a cake and added crushed pecans to the sides. Gorgeous and delicious. Every single person loved it and my hubby refused to let anyone take any home. Lol.
November 12th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
I’ve been looking for this recipe for years (ever since Edwards stopped selling them). Can’t thank you enough for making it available. It’s my favorite cheesecake!
November 23rd, 2012 at 3:11 pm
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was awesome! We forgot to get dark corn syrup at the grocery and had to run to the convenience store, where they only had light corn syrup. We ended up substituting dark brown sugar for all the sugar (even in the cheesecake layer) to give it an added richness. It was fabulous! The more delicate cheesecake (which was the perfect thickness) was an excellent complement to the super decadent pecan layer, and the crust was a great alternative to graham cracker (buttery and a tad crumbly/crunchy). The only issue we had was the crust became difficult to cut after chilling. Fantastic fall recipe!
December 28th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
This may be a stupid question but do you bake for an hour AND leave it in the oven with the doors closed for a second hour?
December 28th, 2012 at 10:25 pm
That’s right, Amanda.
December 30th, 2012 at 9:36 am
Ok just clarifying. Thanks Jennifer. I am so excited to make this for our family New Year’s Day dinner and I didn’t want to mess it up. So looking forward to hearing the ” Mmmmmms” from around the table!