Creamy Maple Cheesecake with Pecan Topping
A very creamy maple cheesecake with a buttery pecan crust, real maple syrup, and pecan topping. An excellent fall dessert perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas, that can be made several days ahead.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
Crumb nut crust:
- 1 ¼ cup fine graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cream cheese filling:
- 2 pounds regular cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy cream at room temperature
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
Maple pecan sauce:
- ¾ cup pecans chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar light or dark
- pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
For the pecan crumb crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a food processor or bowl, combine 1 ¼ cup fine graham cracker crumbs, ½ cup chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar and 6 tablespoons unsalted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch (24 cm) springform pan.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and reserve.
For the cheesecake filling:
- In a large bowl, beat 2 pounds regular cream cheese, softened, until smooth and lump-free.
- Add 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar and beat for about 1 minute, until the sugar starts to dissolve.
- Add 3 eggs first and stir by hand. Add the remaining 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and mix well without beating. Make sure the egg whites are well incorporated.
- Finally, add ¼ cup heavy cream and ¼ cup pure maple syrup and mix until the batter is fully combined.
- Pour the filling into the baked pecan crust.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 320°F (160°C) and bake for another 30 minutes. Then reduce to 285°F (140°C) and bake for an additional 20–30 minutes, depending on your oven.
- The cheesecake is done when it has a flan-like consistency, quite jiggly in the center, with puffed edges, and a softly golden surface. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake sit inside, door closed, for another 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool completely on a cooling rack. This is an essential step before refrigerating it.
- Wrap the whole pan in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator before serving. It can be frozen, well wrapped in plastic and then aluminum foil, for up to 1 month.
For the maple pecan topping:
- In a small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium heat.
- Add ¾ cup pecans, chopped, and toast for 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in ½ cup pure maple syrup, 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened, or more if you want a thicker consistency. Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and let cool slightly.
- Spoon over slices or the entire cheesecake before serving.
Notes
Cool down gradually. I can't stress this enough! They don't like sudden temperature changes. Let the baked cheesecake cool completely at room temperature, then cover and chill for several hours in the fridge. This ensures the best texture.
Make the different components in advance: the crust, baked cheesecake and topping can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days. The base and cheesecake can be frozen for a few weeks, always well covered in the pan.
Always remove the cheesecake cold, straight from the fridge. If softened, it will be too complicated to transport to the serving plate, and it will probably crack, or worse, break.
