Pecan pie cheesecake bars bring together two of Thanksgiving’s favourite desserts — pecan pie and cheesecake. They’re easy to bake too! Perfect for a delicious, stress-free holiday celebration.
Preheat oven to 325F. Line a 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper with a slight overhang on each side. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine all crust ingredients. Stir until evenly moist.
Transfer to your prepared pan and use the back of a spoon or measuring cup to pack it tightly to the bottom. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, ½ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract on low medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Pour your cheesecake batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until set (see post for tips on how to know if your cheesecake is done).
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan. In the meantime, you can make your pecan pie topping.
Using a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan on low-medium heat, combine 1 cup brown sugar, ¼ cup cornstarch and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir until incorporated.
Add 4 egg yolks, ½ cup golden syrup, ½ cup warm heavy cream and whisk until smooth.
Continue cooking until the mixture thickens considerably, about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Stir in the cold butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until thick and fully incorporated.
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. When ready, pour your pecan pie filling over your cooled cheesecake. Spread it out evenly.
Chill the cheesecake overnight or until set.
To serve, lift the cheesecake off the pan using the parchment paper and cut into squares (see post for tips on how to cleanly and evenly cut your pecan pie cheesecake bars).
Video
Notes
To warm heavy cream, I simply put the amount I need in a microwavable cup then zap it in increments of 5-10 seconds until it’s warm (not hot) to the touch. You don’t want it too hot so watch for little bubbles forming at the edges of your cup (you don’t want them). Once it’s warm, leave it on the counter until you’re ready to use it. Best to microwave it a few minutes before you need it.
After cutting the butter into cubes, keep it in fridge until ready to use.
See post for the complete step-by-step photos and more baking tips.