No Bake Pecan Pie Cheesecake
This pecan pie cheesecake has a salted cinnamon graham cracker crust, creamy no bake vanilla cheesecake, and sweet brown sugar caramel pecan pie topping.
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Equipment
- 8-inch Springform Pan with Removable Bottom
- Electric Mixer (Stand or Handheld)
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¾ cups finely crushed cinnamon graham crackers, approximately 1 1/2 "sleeves"
- ¼ cup pecans, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar, optional
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 1 lb cream cheese, softened for 30 minutes at room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
Topping
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups pecans, chopped
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Lightly spray the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with non-stick baking spray, or line it with parchment paper.
- Combine the crushed graham crackers with the chopped pecans, brown sugar and salt. Drizzle with the melted butter, and toss with a fork until moistened and crumbly. Dump the crumbs into the pan, and press the crumbs firmly against the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until fragrant and golden brown. Cool completely. You can speed up the cooling by letting it cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then in the refrigerator for another 10 minutes.
Filling
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes, until smooth.
- Scrape the bowl down and beat in the vanilla extract and 1/4 cup of the cream, until smooth.
- Pour in the rest of the cream, switch to the whisk attachment, and beat for several more minutes on medium speed until thick, fluffy peaks form that hold their shape.
- Spread the filling into the cooled crust. Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 2-3 hours to firm up before serving.
Topping
- In a saucepan, whisk together the cream, brown sugar, egg yolks and salt. Cook over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, whisking frequently, until the mixture gets thick and bubbly.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla, until smooth, then stir in the chopped pecans.
- The sauce is fantastic warm or cold, so if the cheesecake is ready, you can serve slices with warm pecan sauce on the side. To serve the sauce on top of the cheesecake, let it cool completely, then spread it on top of the cheesecake before serving. If you like, decorate the cheesecake with a few more pecan halves arranged on top of the sauce.
Serving
- To serve, run a sharp knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the crust from the pan, then carefully remove the sides of the pan.
- Set the cheesecake on a serving plate or cake pedestal and cut into slices.
Notes
Leftover no bake cheesecake should be covered and refrigerated, and is best eaten within 2-3 days.
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