Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars

A pecan pie cheesecake bar, topped with caramel and pecan topping, being held in a hand.

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These Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars combine two favorite holiday flavors into one, with a buttery graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake, and a gooey pecan pie topping! They're rich, sweet, and absolutely irresistible. They'll be everyone's favorite dessert if you make them for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Chilling Time4

Total Time5 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cherry Cheesecake Bars, creamy, graham cracker crust

Servings: squares

Calories: 347kcal

Author: Ellen

Ingredients

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 10 cracker sheets)
5 TBS Unsalted Butter (melted)
2 TBS white sugar

For the Cheesecake Filling:

16 oz cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 TBS Vanilla Extract
1 pinch Vanilla Extract

For the Pecan Pie Topping:

2 cups Pecan Halves
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup Light Corn Syrup
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Salt

Instructions

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9x9inch baking pan with parchment paper, and set it aside.
Add the graham cracker crumbs, and butter, and sugar to a medium bowl and stir them together until you have a nice sandy mixture. 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 5 TBS Unsalted Butter, 2 TBS white sugar
Pour the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan, and press it down with the bottom of a cup.
Bake the crust for about 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it chill.

For the Cheesecake Filling:

In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric hand mixer until it is smooth. 16 oz cream cheese
Add in the sugar, sour cream, and mix at medium speed for a couple of minutes until nice and smooth. 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup sour cream,
Stir in the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt at low speed until just combined. 2 eggs, 1/2 TBS Vanilla Extract, 1 pinch Vanilla Extract
Pour the mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust, smooth it evenly over the top.
Bake the cheesecake for for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is slightly jiggly.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Then place it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, up to 3 days.

For the Pecan Pie Topping:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spread the pecans out on a cookie sheet. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring half way through, until the nuts darken a bit, and smell like they're toasted. Remove from the oven, and chop half of the pecans into pieces. 2 cups Pecan Halves
Add the Brown Sugar, Butter, and Corn syrup to a small sauce pan. Heat over medium, and stir until the brown sugar is dissolved. 3/4 cup Brown Sugar, 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, 1/4 cup Light Corn Syrup
Add in the Heavy Cream and bring the mixture to a low boil. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. 1/3 cup Heavy Cream
Stir in the Pecans. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla, and salt. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1/4 tsp Salt
Let the topping cool for about 20 minutes.
Cut the cheesecake into bars.
Spoon the pecan topping on top of each slice of cheesecake that you're ready to serve, and enjoy immediately!

Notes

Line your Pan: Line your pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil to make the bars easy to remove, and easier to cut into nice even slices.
Toast your Pecans: For the best flavor toast the pecans for a few minutes at 350 F, or in a skillet before adding them to the caramel.
Graham Crackers: For our non US readers, or if you prefer something else, you can use Biscoff cookies, or Digestive Biscuits instead of graham crackers. You can also substitute Golden Syrup for the Light Corn Syrup, and the Cream Cheese may be sold in tubs instead of blocks.
Softened Ingredients: Let the cream cheese, sour cream and eggs sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before mixing into the filling to avoid lumps, and ensure everything mixes together nicely.
Don’t Over Bake: These cheesecake bars will be slightly jiggly in the center when they are done baking, they will keep cooking in the pan after they are removed from the oven. If the cheesecake is loose or jiggles a lot then the bars are not done, and bake a little longer. Do not bake until the cheesecake is fully set in the oven.

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