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. Caramel pecan cheesecake is perfect for dinner parties, birthday parties, Thanksgiving and more!

Creamy caramel pecan cheesecake is layer after layer of rich goodness baked into one decadent dessert. It is a showstopper, but is relatively easy to make.

The combination of caramel, pecans and cream cheese makes for the perfect treat. But don’t take my word for it, make one to see for yourself.

I originally shared this recipe back in 2017. It was part of a virtual baby shower for my friend Angie, who runs the site Big Bears Wife.

It was my interpretation of a recipe my mom’s friend, Kathy, had shared with her. The recipe is so good, I had to make it again.

So I thought I would update the pictures and share them with you in case you didn’t see it the first time around. Hopefully these new pics will make you want to make it. It is worth it, that is for sure!

The Crust

Like most cheesecakes, this recipe starts with a graham cracker crust. However, instead of using granulated sugar you use brown sugar to help play up the caramel notes.

You could use other cookies if you want to. Vanilla wafers would be a good option, or pecan sandies.

Using a food processor makes quick work of making the cookies into fine crumbs. You could also just pick up a box of graham cracker crumbs at the grocery store if you don’t want to mess with it.

Add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter to the bottom of a springform pan. Mix them around until well combined and then press them into a crust across the bottom of the pan.

If you can, form a small lip of crust around the sides of the pan as well. Just 1/4-1/2 of an inch will do. That will help to keep the caramel layer from sticking to the sides of the pan.

Now we make a simple caramel sauce from chewy caramel candies and sweetened condensed milk. Pour that over the graham cracker crust.

Sprinkle chopped pecans over the caramel sauce. Bake it for about 10 minutes to set the crust and hold everything together.

Then set it aside to cool. You want the caramel to be all the way back to room temperature before you add the cheesecake layer to ensure distinct layers.

The Cheesecake Layer

Any time I am making a cheesecake, I reach for our favorite condensed milk cheesecake base. It is just so easy to put together and always makes a perfectly creamy cheesecake.

Beat the room temperature cream cheese really well before adding anything else. This is your only real chance to get all of the lumps out.

Once you start adding more liquid, it gets harder to beat out chunks of cream cheese.  So make sure it’s softened, beat it well and scrape the sides of the bowl a few 5imes before you move on.

Add the remaining ingredients a bit at a time to make sure they incorporate well. It’s worth taking a couple of minutes to do it right.

Once you start adding the eggs,  keep the mixer on low. You don’t want to incorporate air at this point.

Give the cheesecake a couple of good taps on the counter before you put it in the oven. That helps get any air bubbles out.

Rather than using a water bath, we just cook the cheesecake low and slow. Then allow it to cool slowly as well, this will help to avoid a crack in the baked cheesecake.

The Caramel Topping

Once the cheesecake has slowly cooled to room temperature, go ahead and stick it in the refrigerator to chill until closer to time to chill. When you are ready to top it, all you have to do is whip up a simple caramel sauce using the rest of the caramel and condensed milk.

Pour the warm caramel over the cheesecake and quickly spread it out to form an even layer. I like to garnish with pecan halves around the border.

You could also add more chopped pecans if you prefer. Or use even more pecans and make a design on top of the cheesecake.

The possibilities are endless, so do whatever you think will look great. For even more flavor, lightly toast the pecans a bit before using them.

If you want your caramel sauce to be gooey, go ahead and serve the cheesecake while the caramel is warm. For a more set caramel, refrigerate it for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

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!

If it is the caramel and pecans that drew you in, you make also like caramel pecan pie. It is a caramelly twist on the Thanksgiving classic.

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

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

Simple Southern Sweet Tea from Love and Confections.

Spicy Southern Deviled Eggs from This Gal Cooks.

American Pierogi Casserole from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen.

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.

Thanks for sharing!