Pecan and Salt Caramel Cheesecake
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 1 hr 10 mins
Active: 30 mins
Makes: 12 servings
By Aida Mollenkamp
A classic cheesecake recipe gets dressed up with salted caramel and a bit of crunch.
Game plan: Start with all the ingredients (except the heavy cream) at room temperature.
For the crust:
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the cheesecake:
- 2 pounds (4 [8-ounce] packages) cream cheese
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 whole large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the caramel:
- Heat the oven to 325ºF and arrange the rack in the middle. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan; set aside. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Evenly press the mixture into the bottom of prepared springform pan; set aside.
For the cheesecake:
- Combine cream cheese and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle and mix over medium speed until light, airy, and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing completely after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix until blended.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean and the center of the cheesecake is just set, about 40 minutes. Turn off the oven, leave door slightly ajar, and let cheesecake cool completely.
For the caramel:
- Stir together sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Let boil until amber in color, about 3 minutes. Immediately add butter and stir to incorporate. Remove from heat, add cream, and mix well. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
Assembly:
- Pour the caramel over the cooled cheesecake, then scatter the pecan pieces and sea salt over the top.
Beverage pairing: Blandy’s 5 year old Bual Madeira. Bual is a fairly full-bodied style of Madeira, dark and deeply flavored of nuts, chocolate, and molasses, which pairs well with this dessert. The wine’s surprising acidity, though, will make for a nice counter to the cheesecake’s richness. Serve the wine slightly chilled.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
I'm so totally making this for Thanksgiving this year. What a great spin on both traditional cheesecake and traditional pecan pie. Sounds heavenly.
I made this last weekend, and it was amazing! Very easy, lots of compliments and no leftovers! A great fall dessert...
I made this for Thanksgiving in leiu of the traditional pecan pie. It was fabulous! I would mos def make it again and put even more salt on top this time. Yummy!
I admit I was skeptical of this recipe at the outset, because of the simplicity. no sour cream, no lemon zest, no vanilla beans. Well, it came out perfectly, the caramel topping was amazing, and everyone loved it. I have made many cheesecakes over the year, but I have to say this is the best one!