Browned Butter Pecan Cheesecake

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This Browned Butter Pecan Cheesecake recipe is made with toasted buttered pecans and browned butter for a homemade cheesecake that’s full of flavor and perfect for fall! I’m totally in love!

There’s nothing better than homemade cheesecake with pecans. If you’re loving this fall combo, you’ll definitely want to make a Turtle Cheesecake and this yummy Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Cheesecake too!

Browned Butter Pecan Cheesecake Recipe

An Easy Butter Pecan Cheesecake Recipe

This post is sponsored by Challenge Dairy, but all opinions are my own.

Are you ready for fall? I know I am. We had a good taste of some fall weather this weekend and I was loving it. Cool evenings and mornings and warmer days, but not too hot – it was beautiful! I hope it sticks around because I’m ready to stick with jeans instead of shorts.

Speaking of jeans and shorts, they are more difficult to find in maternity wear than I would’ve thought. There’s not much in stores so it’s like you have to buy things online and while that’s fine, pants and shorts are kind of tough when you can’t try them on first. I bought one pair of maternity shorts and just don’t love them. Since colder weather should be coming and I’ll spend most of my pregnancy in warmer clothing, I’d rather just get some longer pants and stick with it. So I’m all for the cooler weather sticking around. 🙂 Twin bellies grow quickly and basically nothing fits at this point.

The other thing about fall is the flavors. I’m officially ready! I feel like today’s cheesecake is a great way to break into fall. Between the toasted pecans and browned butter, it just feels like the kind of dessert I can’t wait to cuddle up with in this cooler weather. And you guys, it’s SO good!

Easy Browned Butter Pecan Cheesecake Recipe Best Butter Pecan Cheesecake Recipe

How To Toast Pecans

First, there’s the pecans. They are tossed with some butter and brown sugar and toasted. Of course I use Challenge Butter, which I highly recommend. It’s a great, high quality butter that’s 100% real cream and farm to fridge in two days, so you know it’s fresh. Definitely be sure to toast the pecans, because they are SO much better that way. It improves their texture and brings out their flavor. Without toasting them, the flavor is just…off.

And then there’s the crust. It’s your typical graham cracker crust – with one exception. I included a bit of cinnamon. While I could’ve added cinnamon to the filling, I didn’t want it to overpower the browned butter and pecans. So instead, it’s in the crust and it’s perfect! You definitely get that hint of cinnamon (that I obsess over every fall), but it doesn’t take away from everything else. Love it!

How To Make Browned Butter

And who could forget that lovely cheesecake filling? Yet again, I’m using Challenge Cream Cheese, as close to homemade as it gets with nothing artificial and no added hormones, which I love! And there’s the browned butter. If you’ve never made it before, don’t be intimidated. It really is easy. You literally melt butter and wait for it to brown. You just need a little patience. There’s also the brown sugar to enhance the flavor of the pecans and browned butter. All in all – the filling is pure heaven. Full of flavor, smooth, creamy (with the crunch of pecans) and so darn tasty!

The final cheesecake is one you’ll definitely want to make over and over this fall. I drizzled mine with some caramel sauce, which I think is totally awesome, but feel free to go without too. I actually added a little browned butter to my homemade caramel sauce too, which was a fun touch. 🙂 Either way, you are sure to love it! You just might not want to share.

Homemade Butter Pecan Cheesecake Recipe Easy Butter Pecan Cheesecake Recipe

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”ZWWaJ7tM” upload-date=”Wed Sep 06 2017 01:51:37 GMT+0000 (UTC)” name=”Browned Butter Pecan Cheesecake” description=”This Browned Butter Pecan Cheesecake is made with toasted buttered pecans and browned butter for a cheesecake that is full of flavor and perfect for fall!”]
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Recipe

Browned Butter Pecan Cheesecake

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 Slices
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Browned Butter Pecan Cheesecake recipe is made with toasted buttered pecans and browned butter for a homemade cheesecake that’s full of flavor and perfect for fall! I’m totally in love!


Ingredients

BUTTER PECANS

  • 1 1/2 cups (247g) finely chopped pecans
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar, loosely packed
  • 2 tbsp (28gChallenge salted butter, melted

CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • 6 tbsp (84g) Challenge salted butter
  • 24 ounces (678gChallenge cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (104g) sugar
  • 3/4 cup (108g) light brown sugar. loosely packed
  • 3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (173g) sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup toasted pecans (above)

CRUST

  • 2 ¼ cups (302g) graham cracker crumbs
  • ½ cup (112gChallenge salted butter, melted
  • 3 tbsp (39g) sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM

  • 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 1/2 cup (58g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Caramel sauce


Instructions

TOAST THE PECANS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Combine the melted butter, pecans and brown sugar in a medium sized bowl and toss to coat.
3. Spread the pecans evenly onto the cookie sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes, or until toasted.
4. Set pecans aside to cool.

BROWN THE BUTTER

5. To make the browned butter for the cheesecake filling, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. It’s best to use a light colored pan so that you can see the butter browning. Whisk the butter occasionally so that it cooks evenly.
6. Cook the butter until it turns a nice toasty brown. It will foam up at first, but it will eventually subside and you’ll have browned butter. Some of the brown bits may separate, but that’s ok. Once the butter has browned, pour it into a heat-proof bowl and set it aside to cool.

CRUST

7. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
8. Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
9. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
10. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in (see how I prepare my pan for a water bath). Set prepared pan aside.

CHEESECAKE FILLING

11. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (148°C).
12. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugars and flour on low speed until well completely combined and smooth. Be sure to use low speed to reduce the amount of air added to the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
13. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract and browned butter and mix on low speed until well combined.
14. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly to combine after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
15. Stir in 1 cup of the toasted pecans.
16. Pour the cheesecake batter evenly into the crust.
17. Place the springform pan inside another larger pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
18. Bake for 1 hour 5 minutes. The center should be set, but still jiggly.
19. Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 30 minutes. The cheesecake will continue to cook, but slowly begin to cool as well.
20. Crack the door of the oven for 30 minutes to allow the cheesecake to continue to cool slowly. This process helps prevent cracking.
21. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath wrapping and refrigerate until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight.
22. To finish off the cheesecake, make the whipped cream. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon to a large mixer bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
23. Pipe swirls of whipped cream onto the cheesecake and finish off with the remaining toasted pecans. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 576
  • Sugar: 31.1 g
  • Sodium: 450.9 mg
  • Fat: 39.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 47.9 g
  • Protein: 9.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 137.8 mg

Filed Under:

Enjoy!

 

Butter Pecan Cheesecake Recipe

Browned Butter Pecan Cheesecake - full of flavor for fall and the holidays!



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121 Comments
  1. Stacey

    This is now our Christmas tradition dessert! I don’t change a single thing, it’s absolutely perfect the eay it is!






  2. Megan

    Has anyone made this recipe and used the weights versus cups? The ground graham crackers I weighed 302 grams and it was over 3 cups of crumbs. Same with the pecans.

    1. Lindsay

      I use the weights. I guess that’s part of the problem with measuring by cups is everyone can measure differently. If you have a food scale, I would measure by weight.

  3. Charles Franks

    What a cheesecake. Big hit at Church Potluck. I made this in muffin tin, lined with cupcake liners. Makes about 18 to 20 servings. For my crust, I used Pecan Sandies.
    Great Job. Thanks






  4. Jess

    Hands down my favorite cheesecake recipe to make. I make this for all of my office holiday parties, family parties, everything. My friends beg me to make this for them too!






  5. Kristin

    This recipe looks amazing! I want to try to make this, but I cannot find the challenge products in my local grocery store. What brand is a good to us in place of the challenge brand?

  6. Maria

    First time ever making a cheesecake that didn’t crack or fall! I was super excited. It looked gorgeous, After all was said and done, it was extremely sweet and too nutty. I would have totally removed the pecan mixture from the cheesecake mixture and just used it as a topping. It was a big hit with the rest of the family though!






  7. Adrienne

    I really am looking forward to trying this recipe! Is there a variation that could work to make the cake into bars?

  8. Kira Tomlinson

    I’ve made a lot of your cheesecakes and found that out of the ones I’ve made the bake time is 1.5 hours on average. What’s the reasoning for this cake to be baked at 1 hour 5 minutes? I did this cake today at 1.5 hours and it was perfect consistency. The last time I did a cake less than that the center was more of a thick custard which to me was not baked long enough.






    1. Lindsay

      It honestly depends on the cheesecake that you make. If you look at my plain vanilla cheesecake, it’s baked for one hour and is perfectly firm at that time. The ones that are baked for longer than that have additional things added in that make the cheesecake take longer to bake fully. If this one works for you with more time, then I’m really glad it worked out well! And I’m very glad to hear you’ve enjoyed the cheesecakes!

  9. Sabrina Coffman

    This was quite literally one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever made! The browned butter flavor is out of this world and I got so many compliments. This is a MUST MAKE!!!






    1. Stacey

      I have made this 3x now and it has become a Christmas tradition. Use the high end ingredients and take your time.






  10. JW

    I entered a contest that required a dessert. I used this recipe and it turned out great. I had to make it on my smoker and used a silicone mold to get the size I needed. Had to make a few adjustments for time. Many compliments from all that tried it before the competition. Great recipe. Thank You

  11. Jocelyn

    This cheesecake is absolutely perfect. It has become the base to all of my cheesecakes. It makes a perfect plain cheesecake if you remove the pecans. It’s perfect.






  12. Ms. MyMy

    Lindsay girl let me tell you about the blooper I made, and my advice to not start baking late at night when you’re tired. lol Well I made everything according to directions and put it in the oven for the specified time. The first 30 min were supposed to be with the oven off . I turned the oven off, and was going to take a quick shower while it was cooling. I set the microwave timer & also set the oven timer—which is where the problem occured. My oven has a Timer set & also a cook time. So when I came out of the bathroom I was suprised as heck to smell the aroma all over the house…I ran to the oven & alas, it was on because I’d set the cook time (sad emoji face) The top was brown & the middle was like a done cake! I was so mad at myself, IWent to bed at almost 5am, woke up 4 hrs later to put in fridge. Figured I’d have to give it away to the homeless so I started slicing it up, & after getting my Unc & 2 neighbors to be the guinea pigs, I tried it. You know what?… it wasn’t bad at all….maybe even a lil tasty, they all liked it. On a scale of 1-10 I’d giv it about a 7.5, so with that cheesecake nightmare coming to an end, the recipe was FABULOUS even though I failed it’s execution. Sorry to say the homeless won’t be getting any cheesecake, but perhaps I can make them cookies instead! Lol Thanks for the great recipe…browned butter was a new one for me and I plan a “do-over”. Merry Christmas & A Better New Year for us all!






  13. Joan

    Tried this recipe this weekend. After reading the reviews, I let it cook an additional 10 minutes, left in the oven with the door shut for the first 30 minutes and then opened the door wide for the last 30 minutes. it came out perfect. The taste and texture was perfect. Thanks for sharing this recipe. It’s a keeper!






  14. Shayla

    I’ve made this twice so far and it is AMAZING!! Everyone is in love with it. Right in time for fall. I did cook it a little because the first was a little runny but still AMAZING!






  15. amanda

    I’m making this tonight for my boyfriend’s birthday. (He’s a huge fan of butter pecan and also cheesecake, so why wouldn’t I make him this?!?!) Going to make the whole thing this time, but if I wanted to make this again but on a smaller scale, say 2 4.5 inch spring form pans, do you think it would work if I cut this recipe in half? And I’m not sure how to adjust that cooking time. I love to bake, and fairly good at following recipes, just thought I would ask in case your brain just knows the answer! Will let you know how this first one goes!

  16. Tammy

    Hello. I followed this recipe to a tee, but the filling did NOT top off my 9″ springform pan. What do you suspect I did wrong? BTW, the flavors that I taste-tested before adding the egg were subperb!!!! (Hence 5 stars)






    1. Lindsay

      I’m not sure what you mean. “Did not top off my pan” – what does that mean? Did you not have enough filling?

  17. Angie

    I made this yesterday. I followed the recipe except I didn’t add any cinnamon (found in the middle of making it that I didn’t have any) and I didn’t make the whipped cream (had to transport it in slices; will make the whipped cream next time). It is EXCELLENT! No cracks; PERFECT taste! Will definitely make again!






  18. Hope

    I was just wondering about the browned butter. How much butter do I use? I have looked and looked and cannot find out where the amount is. Ths looks amazing and cannot wait to try it.

  19. Tahri

    Hello Lindsay, I have another question “Place the springform pan inside another larger pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
    I have to bake my cheescake in a waterbath for 1 hour in the oven?






  20. Tahri

    Hello Lindsay, I love your recipes thank you very much! I would like to try the Browned Butter Pecan Cheesecake, but in Belgium there is no graham cracker crumbs. By what could I replace it? Thank you for your answer.

  21. Kate Conway

    I made this cheesecake (Browned Butter Pecan) for Christmas. Not knowing my guests were not big fans of cheesecake, they were polite enough to try it. It was so good they went back for seconds and took some home! Only baking cheesecake one other time (Snickers Cheesecake), Lindsay provides excellent instructions, I followed them to a T and both times my cheesecakes came out beautiful. Thank you Lindsay for your time it takes to post these as well as your recipes. I found a new hobby and will be trying more of your recipes!






  22. Laureen

    I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and it was a grand slam! I followed the recipe to the letter and couldn’t have more pleased! Thank you Lindsay for making me a cheesecake rockstar!
     Laureen






  23. Timothy Cook

    I just made this and it looks great but my waterproofing on the cake pan was subpar, allowing some water in. What effect will that have on the finished product?

    1. Lindsay

      It should make about 12-14 minis. I’d suggest checking out some of the other minis on the site. The instructions and baking times would be similar. Bake for roughly 15-20 minutes, closed door for roughly 10, then cracked door for maybe 15. And you don’t need a water bath. I hope that helps!

  24. John Neuburger

    This was a huge hit with my crew! More forgiving than I expected my first cheesecake to be. We had to start and stop in between calls and improvise some items we didn’t have at the firehouse. Aesthetically it’s nowhere near as pretty as yours, but finally put it out after breakfast and the 4 of us finished it off by dinner. 






  25. Jonathan

    Only question I have is, for the filling is it salted or unsalted butter? Crumb and pecans both say salted. Thank you.

  26. Debra

    Is there a substitute for the flour. I cant do gluten. I know what to do for the crustnbutneed a su sustitute for the flou4.maybe psyllium husk or xanthan gum? If so, how much?

  27. Helen

    Hi this looks superb. Can’t wait to make it. Could it also be made into mini cheesecakes? If so how much do I reduce baking time? Half an hour or so? Do I still use the water bath? Thanks.

    1. Lindsay

      Yes, minis would work. I’d suggest checking out some of the other minis on the site. The instructions and baking times would be similar. Bake for roughly 15-20 minutes, closed door for roughly 10, then cracked door for maybe 15. I hope that helps!

  28. Tracey Leschinsky

    I made this cheesecake this year for Rosh Hashanah.  It was absolutely fantastic!  My family loved it!  It is very rich and full of flavor!  Excellent way to start the new year.  Thank you for the recipe!

  29. Michellr

    Question – after I browned the burnt yet and sat it aside to cool all the brown settled to the bottom. Should I have put this in the cheesecake? I didn’t for the fear that it would have specks in the cake. The cheesecake was awesome! It was gone on Thanksgiving Day! I’m going to make another one but just wondering what I should have done with the butter.

    Thanks, Michelle 

    1. Lindsay

      The brown bits that settle to the bottom should be added to the cheesecake. It does add flecks, but it also adds lot of flavor. Glad you still enjoyed it though!

  30. Chelsea

    I am making this right now, but I do not have another pan large enough for a water bath. If I skip the water bath will that ruin it?

    1. Lindsay

      I don’t do a lot of freezing, but I would think it’d be fine. Just wrap it well and defrost in the fridge.

  31. Thomas

    Made this yesterday (including the caramel drizzle), absolutely amazing very rich and yum. No cracks at all! Perfect and will be added to our Thanksgiving menu next to the pumpkin pie.

  32. Alyssa

    I just made this, and it’s very tasty! I do have a small problem. I cooked the cheesecake for the 1hour and 5minutes at 300 like you said, but it was still not set in the middle. I cooked it for almost 30 more minutes and the center still was not set. Any recommendations to help fix my problem? 

    1. Lindsay

      The center is usually not set initially. If you continue to cook it, you’ll actually over bake it. It continues to bake during the cooling steps that come next and the center will firm up. However, it’ll all still be a tad jiggly until refrigerated and firm.

      1. deborah

        i cooked mine according to the cooking time,and the middle was not/did not set.but the taste was awesome.next time i’ll cook for 10 minutes longer

      2. Judy

        I also had this issue. I actually turned up the temp to 325 and baked for about 30 additional minutes. then let cool in over with door propped open for amount min. then let it cool. turned out great and will make again!

  33. Jennifer Dacey

    I made two of these Browned Butter Pecan Cheesecakes last week. One was for home and one for a co-workers birthday. Yes, they are pretty labor intensive to make but soooooo worth the effort. Everyone absolutely LOVED this cheesecake. I even used the recipe for the homemade caramel sauce and the homemade cinnamon whipped cream. These extra steps make such a difference in the finished product and it looked gorgeous too. This has already been requested for Thanksgiving this year. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes too.

  34. Ann calvey

    Hi Lindsay, can I ask, how do you remove the cheesecake from the tin so smoothly?  Thanks, oh and I love all your recipes and have tried and tested so many, always so scrumptious ????

    1. Lindsay

      The springform pan sides should come off pretty easily once you pop it open. I just lift it off usually. Does that help answer your question?

      I’m glad to hear you’ve enjoyed the recipes! Thanks Ann!

  35. Cathy Hoover

    Made this a 2nd time! This is a keeper and will be making this for a long time to come! ThNks for the awesome recipe! Love love.

  36. Antonia

    I’ m trying this today! I don’t have a spring form.pan so hoping my glass dish can work…..guessing it can as it’s like the one used for the easy apple caramel cheesecake.

    1. Lindsay

      It will bake fine in the 9×13, but it will likely end up with cracks. Even though the cheesecakes are similar, the 9×13 can’t use a waterbath and I do believe that will affect it.

    1. Lindsay

      Would you be freezing it whole? I would think it’d be ok if it’s well wrapped. I just usually suggest defrosting while still wrapped in the fridge.

  37. Denise Evans

    I’ve just made your cheesecake and it’s in the oven  and I’m not real sure on when I take it out of the spring pan…am I to do that after I take it out of the oven at the same time I remove the water wrapping or not until after it has chilled for the 5 or 6 hours 

    1. Lindsay

      Once the cheesecake is done baking and cooling and you’re about the refrigerate it, you can take the pan out of the water and remove the wrapping from the outside of the pan.

      1. Lindsay

        Just before you add the finally whipped cream and finishing touches (step 22), after refrigerating.

  38. Laura Marshall

    This was by far the best cheesecake I have ever tasted! Every year for my birthday my husband makes me my a different cheesecake, so he has made plenty( I’m 45) he took great pride in making this pie, it was moist, kept its height in the pan and did not crack while cooling. We will be making this recipe for many years to come! Thank you for sharing 

  39. Shannon

    I cannot wait to make and try this. Butter pecan is my favorite ice cream, coffee creamer and cupcake! And ahead of all that, cheesecake is just my all time favorite dessert. I’m going to be on cloud 9 when I try it. Thank you so much for sharing! 

    1. Karen McBride

      I haven’t made this yet but have made other cheesecakes. I’ve never used the water bath method, but had water in a pan underneath. One recipe calls for sour cream to be spread on the top as a finish and pop back in oven for 5 minutes
      – and it hides small cracks beautifully!






  40. Amanda

    Of all the baking blogs I peruse, YOU get me drooling every time! There is no other creative, wonderful baker/artist/innovator like you, Lindsay. There are so many gluten-/vegan-free bakers now, but you just go all in and remind us to enjoy life to the max! I love what you do. There is not even a professional bakery that compares to your delectable creations–at least not in my area. I can’t say it any other way: pure deliciousness and decadence! Let me move next door to you:) I’ll just leave my window open to smell all of the wonderful aromas waft my way.

  41. Dawn Manor

    I am with you in that I’m so ready for the cool weather & fall to begin.  This cheesecake looks fabulous and you’re correct, brown butter is so wonderfully tasty.  I’m so excited to make this cheesecake this fall.  Thank you!

  42. Ruth

    Thank you sooo much Lindsay for including the conversions to grams when it comes to the ingredients (here in the UK everything is either in grams or ounces). I spend so much time converting recipes from cups to grams (have to use a variety of websites) and even then I’m not sure that I’ve converted them correctly! I’m going to make this cheesecake when all the family come over for dinner on Sunday – looks fantastic!

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29