Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake

Everything you love about pumpkin flavored desserts and pecan praline candy combined into one dessert this Thanksgiving. My autumn Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake dessert has a rich and creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling with hints of praline flavor throughout and it’s baked into a crunchy buttery graham cracker crust. Glazed in a New Orleans style pecan praline topping made with butter, Tony Chachere’s Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade, and southern pecans.

Thanksgiving turkey may be the holy grail of November holiday classics, but don’t forget about the dessert spread. While traditional pies like pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, and apple sit on the table untouched by the end of the evening, this cheesecake is sure to pique interest from your family. Packed with real pumpkin and warm spices baked into a creamy cheesecake layer, this pumpkin cheesecake will win everyone over.

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

1. Mix the cheesecake graham cracker crust.
2. Pat it into the cake pan. Bake 15 minutes.
3. Mix together the cheesecake filling.
4. Line springform pan with multiple layers of foil.
5. Pour filling into baked crust.
6. Place cheesecake in the center of a large pan with tall sides.
7. Fill larger pan with water.
8. Bake in oven at 300°F for 1 hour 50 minutes.
9. Rest in oven 35 minutes with door closed.
10. Open door and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
11. Remove from water bath. Peel off foil and pat bottom dry.
12. Refrigerate overnight.
13. Boil pecan praline filling. Spread over the top of cheesecake. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

PUMPKIN PRALINE CHEESECAKE INGREDIENTS

■ PUMPKIN: Pumpkin puree combined with spices like pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon transforms classic cheesecake into a decadent pumpkin flavored cheesecake.

■ CREAM CHEESE: Mixed with eggs, cream cheese bakes into a creamy cheesecake filling. Use full-fat cream cheese instead of reduced fat or fat-free for the best results.

■ GRAHAM CRACKERS: A classic cheesecake graham cracker crust makes this dessert. Press the moist graham cracker, melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon crust into the bottom of a springform pan and up the sides. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

■ PRALINE FLAVOR: For the BEST praline flavor, use Tony Chachere’s Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade. Find this star ingredient in the marinades aisle.

■ PECANS: Buy fresh pecans. Although it’s tempting to use last year’s leftover pecans in the pantry, they may have a rancid, bitter off taste from the natural oils on the pecans expiring.

■ WARM SPICES: Both cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice add an incredible flavor to pumpkin filling, and crust.

■ BUTTER: Use real butter for the best tasting graham cracker crust.

■ SUGAR: Brown sugar, and granulated sugar sweeten the pumpkin cream cheese filling, and pie crust.

■ EGGS: Eggs work by binding the cream cheese and pumpkin ingredients together and giving the cheesecake structure, texture, and flavor.

HOW TO SERVE CHEESECAKE

To serve, simply remove the cheesecake from its springform baking pan. Next, place it on a pretty cake stand. Cut a triangular piece from the edge to the center using a sharp knife. Using a spatula or the knife, serve the slice of cake onto a small plate.

Serve Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake as a dessert on your holiday menu or bake for a special autumn occasion this fall.

CHEESECAKE TIPS & QUESTIONS

Where can I find Tony Chachere’s Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade? Find it at your local grocery store in the marinades aisle. Be sure to check the end caps where popular holiday ingredients are displayed or simply stock up for the season and buy it here.

Do I need a water bath for cheesecake? A water bath simply allows the center of the cheesecake to bake at the same temperature as the outer edges. Skipping this slow and even baking step will result in uneven cooking, a collapsed center, and a cheesecake that splits. Not a complete deal breaker but the structure, texture, and flavor will have different results from my recipe.

I don’t have a larger pan to fill with water. What can I use? A disposable aluminum roasting pan from the grocery store works perfectly.

Do I need to use a springform baking pan? A springform pan is a pan that separates into two pieces. It’s the best choice bakeware for baking cheesecake since the cake pan side can be removed from the bottom without tipping the delicate cheesecake.

How do I wrap the springform pan? Is it necessary? Wrapping the pan in several layers of heavy duty aluminum foil will ensure that no water gets into the cheesecake from the water bath. Simply cut 6 large sheets of foil that are at least double in length size of the pan. Next, lay one sheet flat with the pan in the middle. Secure it by wrapping the foil up the sides. Criss cross the next sheet to fill in the gaps on the other ends. Repeat with remaining sheets of foil.

TIP: Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature. This way, the batter will mix smoothly, without lumps.

TIP: Do not over-mix the batter. Set the beaters or your stand mixer to the lowest setting to avoid adding air into the batter.

For more holiday inspired recipes, try this Moose Munch recipe next. It’s loaded with classic ingredients like popcorn, chocolate caramel candies, and toffee coated in a delicious homemade caramel sauce that bakes up crunchy. My Hot Chocolate Praline Cupcakes are sure to be a hit with its praline center filling, chocolate cake, and hot chocolate frosting.

Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake

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A decadent Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake recipe with a buttery graham cracker crust, a rich and creamy classic pumpkin cheesecake filling, and a delicious pecan praline glazed topping. This pumpkin cheesecake will rival your trusted family's secret pumpkin pie and pecan pie recipe this Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season.  

5 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Resting Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 569 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

CRUST

• ▢ 2¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
• ▢ 10 tbsp butter, melted
• ▢ 4 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 1½ tsp ground cinnamon

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE FILLING

• ▢ 24 oz. full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• ▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 7 tbsp all-purpose flour
• ▢ 15 oz canned pumpkin puree
• ▢ ¼ cup full-fat sour cream
• ▢ 3½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ ½ tbsp vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ tbsp praline extract flavoring
• ▢ 2 tbsp Tony Chachere's Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade
• ▢ 4 large eggs, room temperature

PRALINE TOPPING

• ▢ 2 tbsp butter
• ▢ ¾ cup Tony Chachere's Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade
• ▢ ½ tsp baking soda
• ▢ 2 tsp praline extract
• ▢ ¾ cup whole pecans

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Cut a circle in the shape of the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan using parchment paper. Lightly grease both sides of paper and place in the bottom of the pan.
• Combine crust ingredients and mix until moist. Firmly press crust mixture into bottom of pan and up the sides. Bake crust for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Reduce oven to 300°F. Using heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap the pan sides and bottom well in multiple layers of foil to ensure no water will get in the pan from the water bath.
• In a bowl fit with a mixer, mix together on LOW the cream cheese, sugars, and flour until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• On LOW, mix in the pumpkin, sour cream, extracts, Tony Chachere's Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until well combined.
• On LOW, add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed until eggs are well combined.
• Pour cheesecake filling into baked crust pan. Evenly spread filling with a spatula then tightly cover the top of the pan with foil.
• Place cheesecake pan into a larger oven-safe pan with tall sides. Fill the empty pan with hot water covering about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan, making sure the water is well below the foil top. The water bath will help to prevent cracking.
• Bake for 1 hour and 50 minutes.
• Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 35 minutes with the door closed. Do not open oven door to peek inside.
• Slightly open oven door and leave cheesecake inside; 20 minutes.
• Remove cheesecake from oven. Cheesecake will slightly wiggle. Gently run a knife around the edges of the cake then cover with foil. Chill in the refrigerator until firm; about 6 hours or overnight.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and Tony Chachere's Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade. Bring to a boil.

  Cook until mixture reaches 230°F and sauce is thickened; about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

  Stir in praline flavoring extract. Reserve and set aside ¼ cup of praline glaze. Stir baking soda into the remaining saucepan of glaze.
• Quickly pour praline glaze over the top of cheesecake, spreading evenly with a spatula.
• Pour pecans into reserved glaze and coat well. Place glazed pecans on top of cheesecake.   
• Cover and refrigerate cheesecake until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 569kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 8gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 157mgSodium: 390mgPotassium: 260mgFiber: 3gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 6751IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 117mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate and it’s accuracy is not guaranteed to be exact.

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