Caramel Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake
This is the best (and I mean absolute BEST) alternative to pumpkin pie on your holiday table.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups crushed graham crackers
- 1/3 cup melted butter
For the cheesecake filling:
- 4 – 8oz packages cream cheese at room temperature
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 2/3 cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
For the caramel sauce:
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- heaping ½ cup heavy cream warmed
- ½ teaspoon salt
Topping:
- 1 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
Make the crust
- In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter. Mix together until it resembles wet sand. Add the mixture to a 9 inch springform pan with the bottom flipped upside down (Watch the video to see – this allows the cheesecake to slide out much easier once baked). Press the graham cracker mixture to the bottom of the pan and up the sides pressing firmly to keep the crust in place. Bake the crust for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside whole you work on the filling.
Make the cheesecake filling
- In a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese (watch video to learn the importance of having you filling ingredients at room temperature). Beat the cream cheese until smooth and no lumps. Add in the eggs and mix well to combine. Add in the heavy cream, Greek yogurt and pumpkin puree one at a time, mixing in between. You should be left with a very smooth mixture.
- Add the entire mixture to the center of the cheesecake crust. Smooth out the top with a spatula. Place the cheesecake in the over for 1 hour or until edges are slightly golden brown and the center is still jiggly.
- Remove from oven, let cool on countertop for 1 hour and in the fridge for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Make the caramel
- In a small nonstick pot, add the sugar and the water and place over medium high heat. Swirl the pot periodically to mix together and to prevent the bottom from burning. The mixture will begin to bubble and darken in color. Once the syrup becomes a dark amber color, add in the heavy cream and immediately stir with a wooden spoon – it will bubble up quite a bit. Keep mixing for about 5 minutes until a smooth caramel develops.
- Remove from heat, add in the butter and salt and stir thoroughly to combine. Let the caramel cool about 2-3 minutes
Topping the cheesecake
- Pour the caramel over the top of the chilled cheesecake starting from the center. Use the same wooden spoon that you used to make the caramel and push the caramel over the edges of the cheesecake. Top with the chopped pecans in the center of the cheesecake and serve. Enjoy & Sahtein!