Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Instructions

For the Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. If you’re starting out with full graham crackers, use a food process or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. You can also place them in a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a little arm muscle and a rolling pin.
3. Stir the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl, and then stir in the melted butter. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks.
4. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 9-inch springform pan. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumby/crumbly.
5. Pre-bake for 10 minutes at 350°F (177°C).

For the Cheesecake

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl (using a hand mixer) add cream cheese and stir until smooth and creamy (don’t over-beat or you’ll incorporate too much air).
2. Add sugar and stir again until creamy.
3. Add sour cream, vanilla extract, salt and cornstarch, and stir until well-combined. If using a stand mixer, make sure you pause periodically to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula so that all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
4. With mixer on low speed, gradually add lightly beaten eggs, one at a time, stirring just until each egg is just incorporated. Once all eggs have been added, use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again and make sure all ingredients are well combined.
5. Pour cheesecake batter into prepared springform pan. To insure against leaks, place pan on a foil-lined cookie sheet.
6. Transfer to the center rack of your oven and bake on 325F for about 75 minutes. Edges will likely have slightly puffed and may have just begun to turn a light golden brown and the center should spring back to the touch but will still be Jello-jiggly.
7. Crack open oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Once 10 minutes has passed, remove from oven and allow to cool on top of the oven³ for 10 minutes.
8. Once 10 minutes has passed, use a knife to gently loosen the crust from the inside of the springform pan (this will help prevent cracks as your cheesecake cools and shrinks). Do not remove the ring of the springform pan.
9. Allow cheesecake to cool another 1-2 hours or until near room temperature before transferring to refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.

For the Pecan Pie Topping

1. While the cheesecake is cooling, make the topping. In a large skillet over low heat, melt the butter. Add in the brown sugar and cook, stirring with a whisk, until the sugar has melted and mixture is bubbling, about 2 minutes.
2. Add in the cinnamon and salt and whisk to combine. Add in the pecans and, using a rubber spatula, fold them into the liquid mixture until they’re completely coated.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and sour cream until combined. Cool for at least 10 minutes – topping can be made up to an hour ahead of time.
4. Remove the ring of the springform pan. Spread the mixture on top of the cheesecake. Slice and Serve!

Lactose-Free Cream Cheese Lactose-Free Sour Cream Lactose-Free Butter