This is the best pecan pie cheesecake! It’s a creamy brown butter cheesecake, over a brown butter graham cracker crust, topped with a gooey caramel pecan pie topping. It’s a super decadent dessert and it’s perfect for Thanksgiving!

Try some of my other favorite desserts for Thanksgiving: apple pie cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake bars, maple bourbon gooey pecan pie, mini apple pies, pecan sticky buns, Thanksgiving cracker toffee, apple pie bars, gooey butter pecan cake or pumpkin cheesecake cookies!

Why You’ll Love this Pecan Pie Cheesecake Recipe

It’s covered in a gooey caramel pecan topping. It’s just the best!

This is a super creamy cheesecake. This cheesecake literally melts in your mouth. It’s so creamy and smooth. It’s perfect texture is achieved with a careful mixing method. The cream cheese is complimented with brown butter and sour cream to achieve an unbelievable perfect cheesecake texture.

It’s full of pecan pie flavor. The cheesecake is flavored with brown sugar, vanilla and brown butter, and poured over a brown butter graham cracker crust. Then after it’s done baking It’s topped with homemade pecan pie filling. It’s a pecan pie lover’s dream!

Ingredients for Pecan Pie Cheesecake

  • Cream Cheese- full fat cream cheese will be the base of this cheesecake
  • Sour Cream- adds extra creaminess to this cheesecake
  • Eggs- make sure they’re room temperature
  • Vanilla Extract- adds a sweet note to the cheesecake
  • Sugar- brown sugar and granulated white sugar sweeten the cheesecake batter
  • Cornstarch- essential for a perfect cheesecake. It adds a bit of structure, allows for clean slices and helps the top to never crack or sink
  • Graham crackers- ground to make the crust
  • Butter- gets browned and used in the crust and cheesecake filling
  • Springform Pan- essential for making a cheesecake
  • Large Roasting Pan- for the water bath

Step by Step Instructions

Please see the recipe card below for complete measurements!

STEP ONE: Make both portions of brown butter.

STEP TWO: Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. Add the browned, melted butter and brown sugar to the graham cracker crumbs and pulse to combine together.

brown butter in a bowl
graham cracker crumbs mixed with melted brown butter and brown sugar

STEP THREE: Press the crumbs into the bottom of a greased spring form pan lined with parchment paper and wrapped with at least four sheets of aluminum foil. Bake then let cool.

STEP FOUR: In a large bowl of a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese, corn starch, brown sugar and granulated white sugar together with a paddle attachment on medium speed for two minutes until everything is smooth and there are no lumps. (You can alternatively use a hand mixer). Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure everything has been mixed well.

graham cracker crumbs pressed into a springform pan
cream cheese, corn starch, brown sugar and granulated white sugar mixed together in a stand mixer

STEP FIVE: Add the brown butter, vanilla, and sour cream to the cream cheese mixture and mix for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl again to ensure everything is mixed together.

STEP SIX: Next add in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time to the cheesecake batter. Mix on medium speed, ensuring that each is fully mixed in before adding the next. As soon as the last one is fully mixed in, turn off the mixer. Do not over mix the batter.

brown butter, sour cream and vanilla mixed into cream cheese
eggs mixed into cheesecake batter

STEP SEVEN: Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan with the crust. Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan in the oven. Slowly pour the warm water in to the pan around the cheesecake being careful not to splash the cheesecake.

STEP EIGHT: Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. When an hour is up, turn off the oven and crack the door open. It helps to use a wooden utensil to keep the oven door slightly open. Let the cheesecake stay in the oven for 1 more hour. The cheesecake will continue to bake as it is cooling. (This is the best method I’ve used when making cheesecake and it results in a perfectly baked top with no cracks or sinking every time.)

STEP NINE: Once the 2 hours are up, remove the cheesecake from the oven and go around the edges of the pan with a butter knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan. Let the cheesecake cool completely on a wire rack. Cover with tin foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours. (I bake it the night before and let it refrigerate overnight).

cheesecake batter poured into pan
cheesecake after baking

STEP TEN: Once ready to serve the cheesecake, make the pecan pie topping. Add the butter and brown sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, then let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and whisk in the cream. Let the mixture simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat, then mix in the vanilla and salt. Pour the hot caramel sauce into a bowl and let it cool on the counter to room temperature. Once the caramel sauce is completely cool, mix in the pecans.

STEP ELEVEN: Transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate, then pour the pecan pie sauce on top of the cheesecake, and smooth it out into an even layer with a mini offset spatula. Then serve!

FAQs

Does the cheesecake have to be baked in a water bath? Yes, a water bath is the only way to achieve a perfectly baked cheesecake without a giant crack!

How do I store the cheesecake? Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. (I like to use a cake carrier.)

Pro Tips

Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. This will yield the best cheesecake texture.

Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to tightly pack the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan. This will ensure that the crust really sticks together without falling apart when cutting into the cheesecake.

For best results let the cheesecake chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours. This will give it ample time to chill and set up properly.

Don’t over mix your batter. Mix just until the cream cheese isn’t lumpy, and just until the other ingredients are combined. This will give you the best textured cheesecake.

Other Desserts to Try

Gooey Butter Pecan Cake

Mini Pecan Pies

Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie (Without Corn Syrup)

Maple Pecan Sticky Buns

If you make this cheesecake please leave a star review! Also, tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see your creation! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!

5 from 15 ratings

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Yield: 14 slices
Prep: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook: 2 hours
Chill Time: 8 hours
Total: 11 hours 30 minutes
Author: Ginny Dyer
This is the best pecan pie cheesecake! It's a creamy brown butter cheesecake, over a brown butter graham cracker crust, topped with a gooey caramel pecan pie topping. It's a super decadent dessert and it's perfect for Thanksgiving!
*This recipe has been recently updated to be even better! 🙂
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Ingredients

For the Brown Butter

  • 1 1/4 cups (280 g) unsalted butter

For the Crust

  • 16 (240 g) graham crackers, full sheets
  • reserved brown butter from above
  • 2 tbsp (28 g) brown sugar, packed

For the Brown Butter Cheesecake

  • 32 oz (907 g) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (165 g) brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar
  • 2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) brown butter from above
  • 1/3 cup (82 g) sour cream, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 egg yolks, at room temperature

For the Pecan Pie Topping

  • 9 tbsp (126 g) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 cups (225 g) whole pecans

Instructions
 

For the Brown Butter

  • Add the butter to a large pot and heat it over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and come to a simmer. Simmer until the butter is foamy, giving off a nutty aroma and has turned a deep golden brown. The whole process should take about 10-12 minutes.
    1 1/4 cups (280 g) unsalted butter
  • Measure out 1/2 cup (120 ml) of brown butter to be used in the cheesecake batter. Use the remaining portion for the crust. Let both cool slightly before using.

For the Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ (175 ℃).
  • Prepare your 9 inch springform pan for its later water bath by wrapping the bottom and sides of it with a decent amount of tinfoil. You want to make sure the tinfoil goes up about two inches on the sides of the pan so no water seeps into the pan as it bakes. I always use too much (around 8 layers) just so I know it’ll be okay.
    Lightly grease the pan, and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper for easier removal later.
    (I have also tried a new method recently- If you have a 10-inch cake pan that your springform pan can fit inside of, you can use this instead of wrapping the bottom with tinfoil. The 10 inch pan will sit inside of the large roasting pan and the cheesecake pan will sit inside of the 10 inch pan. The hot water will go in the roasting pan around the 10 inch pan leaving the cheesecake pan untouched by water! I hope this makes sense, like a box within a box within a box.)
  • Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. A
    16 (240 g) graham crackers, full sheets
  • Add in the reserved portion of brown butter and the brown sugar. Pulse until combined.
    reserved brown butter from above, 2 tbsp (28 g) brown sugar, packed
  • Press the cookie crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, about 1 inch. (A ¼ measuring cup really helps with this step).
  • Bake the crust for 10 minutes then let it cool while working on the rest of the cheesecake.

For the Brown Butter Cheesecake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ (175 ℃) if not still preheated from the crust.
  • In a large bowl of a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese, corn starch, brown sugar and granulated white sugar together with a paddle attachment on medium speed for two minutes until everything is smooth and there are no lumps. (You can alternatively use a hand mixer). Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure everything has been mixed well.
    32 oz (907 g) cream cheese, softened at room temperature, 3/4 cup (165 g) brown sugar, packed, 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar, 2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch
  • Add in the reserved 1/2 cup (120 ml) of brown butter, vanilla, and sour cream to the cream cheese mixture and mix for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl again to ensure everything is mixed together.
    1/2 cup (120 ml) brown butter from above, 1/3 cup (82 g) sour cream, at room temperature, 2 tsp vanilla
  • At this point, stop and put a pot of water on the stove to start boiling for the water bath. You will want about 1 ½ inches of water in the roasting pan.
  • Next add in the eggs and egg yolks to the cheesecake batter. Mix on medium-low speed just until combined. Do not over mix the batter.
    3 eggs, at room temperature, 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan with the crust.
    Place the cheesecake in a large roasting pan in the oven. Slowly pour the boiling water into the roasting pan around the cheesecake being careful not to splash the cheesecake.
    (If you're using the 10-inch pan method, place the cheesecake in the 10-inch pan, then place the 10-inch pan in the large roasting pan. Pour water into the roasting pan around the 10-inch pan.)
  • Bake at 350 ℉ (175 ℃) for 1 hour. When 1 hour is up, turn off the oven and crack the oven door open using a wooden utensil. Let the cheesecake stay in the oven for 1 more hour. The cheesecake will continue to bake as it is cooling.
  • Once the 2 hours are up, remove the cheesecake from the oven and go around the edges of the pan with a butter knife to loosen the crust from the sides of the pan. Let the cheesecake cool completely on a wire rack. Cover with tin foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours.
    (I bake it the night before and let it refrigerate overnight).

For the Pecan Pie Topping

  • Add the butter and brown sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, then let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    9 tbsp (126 g) unsalted butter, 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and whisk in the cream. Let the mixture simmer for 3-4 minutes.
    1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
  • Remove from the heat, then mix in the vanilla and salt. Pour the hot caramel sauce into a bowl and let it cool on the counter to room temperature.
    1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt
  • Once the caramel sauce is completely cool, mix in the pecans.
    (If you choose to make the pecan pie topping the night before, wait to add the pecans. You will want to gently reheat the sauce to loosen it up a bit, then add in the pecans.)
    2 cups (225 g) whole pecans
  • Transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate, then pour the pecan pie sauce on top of the cheesecake. Smooth it out into an even layer with a mini offset spatula. Then serve!

Notes

After reading through the comments on the topping being tricky to make, I’ve updated the recipe to include a simple brown sugar caramel sauce instead. It’s easier to make, and keeps a better consistency. The original recipe included a splash of bourbon in the topping, and if you desire, you can still add in a bit of bourbon at the same time you add in the vanilla. 
Happy Thanksgiving baking! xx
Author: Ginny Dyer
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheesecake, cheesecake recipe, pecan cheesecake, pecan pie, pecan pie cheesecake, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dessert, Thanksgiving recipe
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