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Kathy’s Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

Thanks for sharing!

Rich and creamy cheesecake, sweet and gooey caramel, and toasty pecan come together for a one of a kind dessert experience. Perfect for dinner parties, birthday parties or a great addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table!

slice of cheesecake with caramel and pecans on top and layer of gooey caramel and pecans under cheesecake layer.

Creamy cheesecake with caramel and pecans is a dessert lover’s dream come true.  The caramel is gooey. There are pecans in the crust and on top.  The cheesecake layer is smooth and delicious. 

Together the combination is amazing.  It is perfect any time of year, but especially good for fall events. Whip one up today to see for yourself!

Isn’t it a great day for a party?  Come on in and make yourself at home.

Grab yourself a drink and get ready to have a good time.  It is Angie from Big Bear’s Wife‘s virtual baby shower today and it’s a surprise so shhhhh! She’ll be here any minute.

I was so excited when she announced she was pregnant on her blog!  I’ve been reading along for almost as long as I’ve been immersed in this food filled corner of the internet.

Her delicious looking recipes draw me in every time. She has been very open with their want to have children and how it just wasn’t happening.

Then out of nowhere they got a happy surprise! So I couldn’t wait to be a part of the celebration!

If I had to make a list of things I really enjoy doing, throwing parties and making sweets would come near the top. Of course in my frosting filled world it’s not a party without sweets, so they go together anyway!

I did toss around the idea of making a snack mix or appetizer for the party, but after a few minutes of brainstorming on that idea my phone beeped.

whole cheesecake topped with caramel sauce and toasted pecan halves.

It was MiMi sharing a recipe her friend Kathy had shared with her a few years back. For whatever reason she had just thought of it and had to send it along.

Now what are the odds that she’d send it right as I was wracking my brain for inspiration? (Pretty good as it turns out!)

If you spend a minute or two perusing Angie’s site, you’ll see that Southern food is one of her specialties and decadence is not something she shies away from.

So a cheesecake with rich caramel baked into it and spread over it seemed like something she’d enjoy. Add that southern nod with the pecans and I instantly knew it was perfect.

Of course I made some minor adjustments as I went to fit the ingredients I had and because I can’t help but to tinker.  But largely this is the same recipe Kathy passed along 4 years ago that just so happened to reappear at just the right time.

I served it up as one of the options at our annual shrimp boil and it was a hit. The rich sweet caramel is the perfect cushion for the not overly sweet cheesecake.

The cheesecake itself is made basically the same way as our favorite cheesecake recipe from my Aunt Donna. It comes out great every time, so I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about cracks.

The pecans were the perfect garnish for the top.  My nut adverse husband quickly noticed them but was glad that it would be easy enough to pick off.

I neglected to mention there were pecans in the caramel layer by the crust as well. I had purposely chopped them really fine hoping he wouldn’t notice.

close up of caramel and pecan topped cheesecake.

I anxiously waited for the review. He takes his roll as food blogger’s husband and chief reviewer seriously.

I got back a clean plate, save the whole pecan. I also got two thumbs up.  He does it for you all 😉

So now that we’ve had a sneak peek at dessert, I can’t wait to see the other goodies.  What are you’re favorite recipes to whip up for a shower?

More great cheesecake recipes

If you like this cheesecake, you are also going to love pecan pie cheesecake. It has a swirl of pecan and brown sugar goodness in the creamy cheesecake base.

Apple butter cheesecake is creamy and delicious. It has just a hint of spice, a great apple flavor and beautiful texture.

Or make chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake. It was my favorite dessert growing up!

Love this recipe? Give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review in the recipe card below!

Yield: 16 Servings (a 9 inch cheesecake)

Kathy's Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

whole cheesecake topped with caramel sauce and toasted pecan halves.

Rich and creamy cheesecake, sweet and gooey caramel, and toasty pecan come together for a one of a kind dessert experience. Perfect for dinner parties, birthday parties or a great addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 sleeve graham crackers crushed (about 1-1 1/2 cups crumbs)
  • 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 11 oz bag caramels or caramel bits
  • 2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 24 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup of whole pecans, preferably lightly toasted

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 300°F.
  2. In the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan, mix together the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Stir in the butter and press down to form a crust.
  3. Melt about half of the caramels and half of a can of sweetened condensed milk until it is smooth and creamy. Pour caramel over graham cracker crust and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake for 15 minutes, then set aside.
  4. In your mixer, beat cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy. Add the second can of sweetened condensed milk and beat until incorporated.
  5. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until full combined after each. Don’t over mix at this point, you don’t want to whip too much air into the mix. Stir in the vanilla and pour cheesecake over prepared crust.
  6. Bake for about an hour or until the middle is just set. Cool at room temperature for about an hour and then chill completely.
  7. Before serving, melt together the remaining caramels and sweetened condensed milk until creamy. Pat the top of the cheesecake dry if there is any condensation, then spread melted caramel over the cheesecake. Garnish with whole pecans.
  8. Store cheesecake and any leftover in the refrigerator.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 334Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 234mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 6g

All nutritional information is estimated and will depend on the exact ingredients you use.

Did you make this recipe?

I'd love to see it! Share a picture on Instagram or Pinterest and tag me @carleecooks to let me know how it went!

baby shower graphic

Please take some time to check out all the amazing recipes we made for Angie’s virtual baby shower!

Beverages:

Baby Blue Punch from Or Whatever You Do.

Easy Fall Party Punch from Miss in the Kitchen.

Simple Southern Sweet Tea from Love and Confections.

Appetizers & Salads:

Creamy Grape Salad with Toasted Pecans from Unsophisticook.

Spicy Southern Deviled Eggs from This Gal Cooks.

Entrees:

American Pierogi Casserole from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen.

Pimento Cheese Tomato Ham Sliders from Honey and Birch.

Desserts:

Banana Pudding Layered Dessert from High Heels and Grills.

Brookies from Baked Bree.

Mickey Mouse Candy Pops from The Decorated Cookie.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownie Bars from The Bitter Side of Sweet.

Classic Yellow Butter Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Icing from That Skinny Chick Can Bake.

Rich and creamy cheesecake, sweet and gooey caramel, and toasty pecan come together for a one of a kind dessert experience. Perfect for dinner parties, birthday parties or a great addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table!

Thanks for sharing!

Shirley

Saturday 30th of September 2017

I will have my hubby making this soon! This scrumptious looking dessert is my Featured pick for the new Merry Monday party starting tomorrow night. Congrats to Angie!

Carlee

Wednesday 4th of October 2017

Thank you, thank you!

Tara

Thursday 28th of September 2017

Mmm, pecans are my fave... Looks fantastic!

Carlee

Saturday 30th of September 2017

Thank you so much!

Rachel @ Kitchen Cents

Thursday 28th of September 2017

I'm a sucker for cheesecake and this one looks so amazing! Pinned it!

Carlee

Saturday 30th of September 2017

I am too! This one is a must make if I do say so myself! Thank you!

Melissa @ Melclaire

Wednesday 27th of September 2017

What a delicious and beautiful cheesecake! I cannot wait to try this. I am pinning it and will be featuring it on Friday Frenzy next week! Thanks for sharing

Carlee

Wednesday 27th of September 2017

Hooray! Thank you so much!

Angie - Big Bears Wife

Wednesday 27th of September 2017

Ahhhh it's the perfect cheesecake! Thomas and I love cheesecake! Thank you so much for being a party of my virtual baby shower to celebrate Baby Jackson!!!

Carlee

Wednesday 27th of September 2017

Yay! I am so glad you like it. Congratulations to you and Thomas! Hopefully you are catching some sleep when you are able and loving on that cute little man!

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