Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Whipped Cream

Combining pecan pie, pumpkin pie and cheesecake all in one with this ultimate Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Whipped Cream!

It’s hereeee! I’ve been making different versions of this pumpkin cheesecake for the past five years. Finally, I settled on the perfect version, pecan pumpkin cheesecake with caramel whipped cream! If you know me, you know I can never chose between holiday desserts, especially Thanksgiving pies.

Last year I couldn’t choose between apple pie and pumpkin pie so I made an apple pumpkin pie with maple syrup whipped cream. This year I couldn’t choose between cheesecake, pecan pie and pumpkin pie so I made pecan pumpkin cheesecake with caramel topping.

How To Make Pumpkin Cheesecake

As I said before, I’ve been making this pumpkin cheesecake for the past five years. Each time I did something a little bit different with it but fear not, this is the best version yet! The first time I made it, I just added a can of pureed pumpkin and a tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice to my mother-in-law’s original cheesecake. It was mind blowing.

The original had a crust made of graham crackers and there’s only one thing better than a graham cracker crust, a graham cracker pecan crust. It takes it to a whole new level. The best part? It’s so easy to make, you just put the graham crackers, pecans and butter in a food processor and blend until it’s all crumbly. Then you press it on the bottom of a springform pan and bake it for a few minutes before adding the cheesecake filling.

The next thing I changed was the sugar. Instead of granulated sugar, I used brown sugar in the cheesecake. You can use either light or dark, it doesn’t make a difference. For the whipped topping, I replaced the powdered sugar with caramel. This idea was actually a last minute thought that ran through my head and it was the best decision! I don’t know how I never made a caramel whipped cream before, it’s like my favorite new thing now.

Tips to Prevent Cheesecake From Cracking:

Cheesecakes are prone to crack. It’s almost inevitable. I personally, always prefer a topping so I don’t really care it cracks or not because it will be covered. However, there are some steps you can take to prevent cracking.

• Make sure to scrape the bottom of your bowl often while making the cheesecake. This will ensure that there are no lumps of cream cheese throughout the batter that can aid in cracking.
• Hot water bath or bain marie. This is when you place the cheesecake inside another pan that is holding hot water. It helps bake the cheesecake at a more even temperature throughout and gives it more moisture to bake in the oven.
• When making your bain marie, make sure to use heavy duty aluminum foil to wrap the outside of the cheesecake. If not, at least use multiple layers of regular foil. No one wants a wet soggy crust!
• Once the cheesecake is done baking, turn the oven off and crack open the door. Let the cheesecake sit in the warm oven for at least another 15 minutes but not more than 30 minutes. It continues to bake slowly in there but leaving it too long will dry it out.

Storing and Serving Pumpkin Cheesecake

Once you remove the cheesecake from the oven, allow it to come to room temperature before refrigerating. The cheesecake is best if refrigerated overnight and removed from the fridge an hour before serving.

Make sure to only put the whipped cream on top of the cheesecake after it’s completely cooled. Whipped topping is always best served fresh but it will be fine if refrigerated with the cheesecake. Make sure to keep cheesecake covered in the fridge overnight.

So I thought I was pretty cool and unique with my twist on pumpkin cheesecake but I guess Cheesecake factory beat me to it with their pecan pumpkin cheesecake. I’m 99.99% sure mine taste better because #homemade but if you’ve tried it, let me know how it is.

& if you happen to make mine as well, make sure to tag me @baranbakery on instagram so we can all be jealous of you! As always, have a blessed day and happy baking !

Love, B

Recipes

Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Whipped Cream Recipe

4.77 from 13 votes

prep 20 minutes mins

cook 1 hour hr

Additional Time 4 hours hrs

total 5 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Serves 12 servings

Pumpkin cheesecake with a pecan crust and caramel whipped cream.

Author: Bernice Baran

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Servings 12 servings

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Equipment

• ▢
  Small Offset Spatula
• ▢
  9″ Springform Pan

Ingredients

Pecan Crust

• ▢ 1 sleeve honey graham crackers
• ▢ 1 cup pecans
• ▢ 2 Tbsp butter, melted

Pumpkin Cheesecake

• ▢ 24 oz 3 packages cream cheese
• ▢ 1 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• ▢ 6 large eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• ▢ 2 tsp cinnamon
• ▢ 1 tsp nutmeg
• ▢ 1 tsp ginger
• ▢ 1 tsp cloves

Caramel Whipped Cream

• ▢ 1 cup (8oz) heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 1/3 cup caramel

Method

Pecan Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 325F (163C) conventional (no fan) and grease a 9" or 10" springform pan.
2. Crush the graham crackers and pecans in a food processor, until they become fine crumbs. Add the butter to the food processor and blend until evenly distributed between the crumbs. 
   1 sleeve honey graham crackers, 1 cup pecans, 2 Tbsp butter melted
3. Press the crumbs into the prepared pan evenly, going up the sides just about halfway. Place the crust in the oven to bake for 10 minutes while you make the batter.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, use a flat beater to beat the cream cheese with sugar at medium-high speed for a few minutes, until it looks fluffy. 
   24 oz 3 packages cream cheese, 1 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
2. Add in only three eggs and beat another five minutes at a low-medium speed. Add in the next three eggs, one at a time, beating 1-2 minutes between each egg, at a low-medium speed, until the batter is thick and creamy. 
   6 large eggs room temperature
3. Add in the vanilla, pumpkin puree and spices and beat until they're fully combined.
   1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cloves
4. Remove the crust from the oven and pour the batter over the crust. Bake the cheesecake for about 60 minutes, until the edges are slightly browned and the center is only a little jiggly.
5. Turn the oven off and leave the door open, allowing the cheesecake to cool in the open oven for 15 minutes.
6. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before refrigerating for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Caramel Whipped Cream

1. Use a hand or stand mixer with a whisk attachment to beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Don't overbeat. Add in 1/4 cup caramel and beat just until it's combined.
   1 cup (8oz) heavy whipping cream, 1/3 cup caramel
2. Top the chilled cheesecake with the caramel whipped cream and use the rest of the caramel to make swirls on top.
3. Top with extra pecans.

Notes

• Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 526kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 18gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 176mgSodium: 465mgFiber: 1gSugar: 29g

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: best fall desserts, best thanksgiving dessert, cheesecake, fall desserts, holiday desserts, pumpkin, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin dessert, pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice