Pecan Praline Cheesecake Recipe with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

This pecan praline cheesecake recipe is one of the best cheesecakes you’ll ever make. The nutty flavors of the candied toasted pecans swirled into the rich vanilla flavored cream cheese filling = heaven. Not to mention the caramel topping AND the cinnamon flavored whipped cream. It has a lot going on, but is worth every second of your effort.

Why You Will Love This Pecan Praline Cheesecake Recipe:

• Pecan Lover’s dream. The delightful crunch of pecan praline in the cheesecake layer adds such a fun delicious texture to the velvety smooth cheesecake layer. 
• Elegant. Caramel sauce drizzle and whipped cream swirls always adds a little fancy schmancy to any dessert. The earthy colors, the toasty pecans, the clean edges, and the distinct layers are all so pretty!
• Perfect make-ahead dessert: Cheesecake needs to be made a day or so ahead of time, making it the perfect make-ahead dessert.

What you will need:

Crust ingredients: 

• 2 cups graham crumbs (about 15 full crackers)
• 5 tbsp melted butter
• 3 tbsp brown sugar

Toasted Pecans:

• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 3 tbsp brown sugar

Browned butter:

• 6 tbsp butter

Cheesecake Filling

• 32 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup toasted pecans Recipe included

Caramel

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 tbsp butter

Cinnamon whipped cream

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp corn syrup (optional)
• 1 tsp cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS for Pecan Praline Cheesecake Recipe

Browned Butter

• Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk it occasionally so it cooks evenly. Let it cook until it’s a nice brown, it will foam up but after a bit that subsides and you have browned butter. I don’t think you can avoid the browned bits that separate, but I personally don’t want them in my cheesecake so I strain them. Set aside to cool.

Toasted pecans

• Process 1 cup of the pecans in a food processor (or crush in a Ziplock bag) and then mix in 2 tbsp melted butter and 2 tbsp brown sugar. Spread that onto a baking sheet or parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees F for 8-ish minutes. Do the same thing with the half cup of whole pecans if you’re doing that part for topping, with 1 tbls melted butter and 1 tbls brown sugar. Let cool.

Graham cracker crust

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray springform pan, and wrap it in aluminum foil to prepare it for a water bath. Process graham crackers, mix in 5 tbsp melted butter and brown sugar. Press into springform pan and bake for 7-8 minutes.
• To prepare the oven for a water bath, fill a roasting pan with an inch of water. Then set it into your oven and reduce the temperature to 300. 

Cheesecake Batter

• You want your cream cheese, eggs and sour cream to have been sitting out to come to room temperature. Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat that until it’s creamy and smooth. Scrape down sides of the bowl, and add sour cream, vanilla and browned butter. Mix on low speed. Add the eggs and mix only until those are fully combined with the mixture. Scrape down bowl as needed. Mix in 1 cup of chopped toasted pecans. Spread the filling over the baked crust and even it out, and then sit it into your larger pan of hot water. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, check and assess. If it’s still completely jiggly and looks raw, bake an additional 15 minutes. If it’s slightly jiggly but looks like it’s set, then turn the oven off and let it rest in there for one hour. After that, take it out and let it rest on the counter for 2 hours or more before placing in fridge to completely set up overnight.

Caramel

• Add sugar, heavy cream, and butter to a pot and heat over medium low heat until the sugars are melted. Let it simmer until it reaches 220 degrees, using a candy thermometer to watch the temp. Remove from heat, add salt and vanilla. Let cool completely.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

• Whip a cup of cold whipping cream, table spoon of corn syrup, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and cinnamon until stiff peaks form.

Assembly

• After the cheesecake has had a good night’s sleep in the fridge, take it out and run a knife around the edge. Release the pan. Spread the caramel on top of the cheesecake and let it run over the edge a little bit. Refrigerate for an hour to set the caramel. Pipe the whipped cream in swirls on the cheesecake, make marks with a toothpick if you need to because it’s tricky to stay even and come out perfectly. Finish off with pecans. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cheesecake Do’s and Don’ts:

• Do bring your ingredients to room temperature. This ensures that they will all mix easily, and not cause the cream cheese to solidify and make the batter lumpy. Even if your cream cheese is room temp but your eggs are cold, this can still happen. 
• Don’t skip the resting periods. If you don’t want your cheesecake to crack, or sink in the center, it’s very necessary. Cheesecakes set after they’re finished baking, they are not set when the bake time is over. And any sudden movements or change of temperature will cause it to crack or fall back. 
• Don’t skip the water bath. Water baths ensure that the batter is heated and cooked evenly from all sides. Because cheesecakes take so long to bake, the outside gets ready much sooner than the center. That results in brown edges and a curdled texture versus creamy. Another option would be these pans from Amazon, they have thick aluminum sides that dispense heat evenly, so the outside doesn’t get as well done.
• Do master slicing. When you are ready to serve your cheesecake on your special occasion, I have a tip for you. In order for your slices to come our perfectly smooth every time, run your knife under hot water before cutting, and wipe it dry. Not doing so will result in crumby looking slices. I eat with my eyes first, it’s my motto, so these things matter a great deal to me. 
• Don’t overbake. I know the uncertainty of “is this too jiggly” all too well. But if your ovens temperature is accurate, and hour and 15 minutes should be perfect for an 8 or 9 inch pan. The outer ring will look slightly puffy and firm, while the center should be a little wobbly, not raw. If it looks like that, trust the resting process.

For more cheesecake recipes, check out these out:

Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake

Oreo Cookies Cheesecake Recipe with Rich Ganache