Say hello to the BEST fall cheesecake. A crossover between apple pie, pecan pie & cheesecake – with a shortbread crust, apple-pie stuffed cheesecake, and a pecan pie topping on top.
This post may contain affiliate links, please read the privacy policy for details. // Recipe updated 11/04/23, scaled down to a 7″. Notes on how to make a 9″ cheesecake are included in the post.
apple pecan pie cheesecake
Hello hello! Today we’re combining three fall classics into one: apple pie, pecan pie, and cheesecake. This is the perfect cheesecake for this Thanksgiving and fall in general. First of all, it has a *super* rich and creamy cheesecake base. Baked inside is a spiced apple pie filling, and on top is a crunchy pecan pie topping. It’s rich, creamy, sweet, salty, crunchy dessert perfection.
There are quite a few steps to this cheesecake but the great news is it’s the perfect make-ahead dessert since you’ll have to chill the cheesecake for at least 8 hours before serving. Below you’ll find some tips and tricks that (I hope) are helpful for getting the perfect cheesecake. Happy baking!
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
Use room temperature ingredients:
It’s important that your ingredients are at room temperature so that they can easily incorporate with each other. Take out your cream cheese, egg, and heavy cream 1-2 hours before starting the cheesecake.
how to avoid cracks in a cheesecake
Here are my 4 best tips for avoiding cracks in your cheesecake –
- Mix the batter carefully – after adding in the eggs, you’ll want to make sure to only mix the batter until the eggs are fully incorporated. This will make sure we don’t add too much air into the batter, which will help keep the batter dense and avoid cracks forming on top.
- Tap the cheesecake on the counter – giving your cheesecake a few good taps on the counter prior to baking helps remove air bubbles that could cause cracks on top.
- Bake your cheesecake in a water bath – this helps to evenly bake the cheesecake from all sides.
- Cool your cheesecake in the oven – once your cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and leave the door of the oven just *slightly* ajar. Let the cheesecake sit like that for one hour before transferring it to the fridge. This process allows your cheesecake to slowly come down to room temperature rather than quickly going from 350F to room temperature, which makes it less likely that the top will crack.
how to tell when your cheesecake is done baking
Cheesecake is done baking when it’s only slightly wobbly in the center. I like to temp my cheesecake as a more accurate way to tell when it’s done. A thermometer stuck into the middle of the cheesecake should read 155 fahrenheit / 68 celsius.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for apple pecan pie cheesecake:
shortbread crust:
- Unsalted butter: salted or your favorite non-dairy butter stick will work perfectly here as well.
- Light brown sugar: for flavor and sweetness. Dark brown sugar will work perfectly as well.
- All purpose flour: for structure.
- Crushed pecans for a little crunch in the crust.
apple pie filling:
- Here is my recipe for apple pie filling. You only need about 1/2 of that recipe for this cheesecake.
cheesecake:
- Cream cheese: the base of the cheesecake and what makes it tangy, rich, and creamy.
- Eggs: binds the batter together.
- Granulated sugar: for sweetness and helps lock in moisture.
- Corn starch: for thickening up the cheesecake. You can substitute in 2 tbsp. of flour in its place if needed.
- Heavy whipping cream: for moisture and richness. You could use sour cream in its place as well.
- Vanilla: for flavor.
pecan pie topping:
- Crushed pecans: the star of any pecan pie!
- Unsalted butter & heavy whipping cream: for thickening the mixture and for richness. You can use salted butter, just be sure to omit the extra salt from this part.
- Light brown sugar: for sweetness and flavor.
- Salt: for flavor.
how to make apple pecan pie cheesecake
Here are some shots of the process of making this apple pecan pie cheesecake. You can find the full recipe at the end of this blog post!
- Mix together the pecan shortbread crust ingredients.
- Press the crust into your springform pan and bake.
- Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch.
- Beat in the eggs, followed by the heavy cream and vanilla.
- Pour 1/2 of the cheesecake batter over the baked crust, then top it with the apple pie filling, followed by the remaining cheesecake batter. Bake.
- Once you’re ready to serve the cheesecake, make the pecan pie topping, then serve and enjoy!
apple pecan cheesecake recipe q&a
what size cake pan do I need?
You’ll need a 7″ springform pan for this cheesecake. You can use a 8″ springform, just note that your cheesecake will be thinner and will require a little less bake time. I wouldn’t recommend using a non-springform pan because it will be more difficult to get the cheesecake out of the pan, but if you’re okay with just serving the cheesecake from the pan, then a non-springform pan will work.
If you want to make this in a 9″ or 10″ springform pan, multiply all of the ingredients by 1.5x.
How should I store cheesecake?
The cheesecake should be out at room temperature for no more than 2 hours. Keep the cheesecake covered and stored in the fridge, where it will keep well for up to 5 days.
tools and ingredients:
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other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
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Apple Pecan Pie Cheesecake
Ingredients
Pecan Shortbread Crust
- 60 g unsalted butter (4 ¼ tbsp.)
- 65 g light brown sugar (⅓ c.)
- 80 g all purpose flour (⅔ c.)
- 28 g crushed pecans (¼ c.)
Cheesecake
- 450 g cream cheese room temperature (2 8-oz bricks)
- 150 g granulated sugar (¾ c.)
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 110 g heavy whipping cream room temperature (½ c.)
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 250 g apple pie filling (1 c. + 2 tbsp.)
Pecan Pie Topping
- 42 g unsalted butter (3 tbsp.)
- 75 g light brown sugar (¼ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 55 g heavy whipping cream (¼ c.)
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- 125 g crushed pecans (1 c. + 2 tbsp.)
Instructions
Apple Pie Filling
- If you are making your own apple pie filling (which I highly recommend!) You'll want to make it before starting the cheesecake. Here is my apple pie filling recipe, which has in-depth instructions and pictures.
Pecan Shortbread Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line the bottom of a 7" springform pan* with parchment paper by placing the paper on the base, then snapping the pan together.
- In a small mixing bowl, melt the butter. Add in the sugar, flour, and pecans and mix until you have a cohesive dough.
- Press the crust into the bottom of the springform pan, and bake for 10 minutes. In the meantime, make the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake
- Add the cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch to a large mixing bowl (or to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.)
- Use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to beat the ingredients together for 2 minutes.
- Add both eggs and the vanilla into the cream cheese, and beat the mixture on low speed *just* until the eggs have been fully incorporated.
- Add in the heavy cream and lemon juice, and again beat on low speed just until the mixture is cohesive.
- Pour ½ of the cheesecake filling over the crust. Carefully spoon heaps of the apple pie filling over the cheesecake to make an even layer, then top it off with the remaining cheesecake batter.
- Tap the pan on the counter a few times to help remove any air from the filling.
- Fill a 10" cake pan, or any larger pan that can reasonably fit the 7" springform inside of it, a third of the way with hot water. Wrap tin foil around the bottom of your springform pan to avoid the possibility of water seeping into the springform.
- Place the springform pan into the larger pan, then place the whole thing into the oven. Bake for 70-80 minutes, or until the cheesecake only slightly wobbles and reaches an internal temperature of at least 155°F / 68°C. If the cheesecake starts to brown on top, gently place a piece of tinfoil over the top of the pan.
- Once the cheesecake is fully cooked, turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar with the cheesecake in it for 1 hr. before transferring it to the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours.
Pecan Pie Topping
- (Save this step for until you're ready to serve the cheesecake!)
- Add the butter, sugar, heavy cream, and salt to a small saucepan. Set the mixture over medium heat, and stir it ocasionally until everything is melted and smooth.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, and let it boil for 2 minutes. Remove it from the heat and immediately stir in the pecans.
- Let the topping cool down on the side for 5 minutes, then smooth it out to an even layer on top of the cheesecake.*** Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.
What can be substitute for pecan flour
Hi! You can substitute in almond flour or just use a total of 90g (3/4 c.) of all purpose flour instead of 80g.
My family and I loved this recipe! I had never tried to make a cheesecake and it came out soo well and pretty. Absolutely delicious 10/10. I followed the recipe for the apple pie filling you gave, I subbed for a graham cracker crust and served the pecans on the side because I knew people in my family wouldn’t want them. I thinky pan is a 8 or 9″ so I did shorten baking time to about 45 minutes and shut off the oven and leave it in there for a while.
This recipie is perfect in every way. My only issue is how do you prevent excess apple filling liquid from dripping into the oven? No matter what I’ve tried there’s always drippage and the smoke sets off fire alarms
I too made this for Christmas this year and it was the best cheesecake Ive ever had! Very creamy and the apples were a great compliment. It was just myself and my husband, so I reduced the recipe by 1/3 and made in a 7″ (bake time only reduced by 5 min.)- it was perfect and had some leftovers for a few days. Thank you for the recipe! Its a definite keeper!
Ah that’s so kind of you! I’m so happy you and your husband liked the recipe! 🙂
I made this for Christmas dessert this year. It was by far my family’s favorite. The mix of apples and then the decadent pecan topping were wonderful. The recipe was easy to follow and the cheesecake itself was amazing!
Ah thank you so much, I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe! <3
Looks amazing 😍😍 Can I make this gluten free and dairy free??? Thanks
Hi! I’m sorry but I haven’t tested this recipe gluten/dairy free and I don’t have a ton of experience with dairy free baking so I’m unsure how the swaps would turn out in this recipe. But you can easily make it gluten free by using a 1:1 gluten free flour swap in the crust!
This is hands down THE BEST CHEESECAKE I HAVE EVER MADE , also the longest time i’ve taken baking 🤣. But it was worth it , the cheesecake was so fluffy and buttery but the crust came out very hard and took a long time to cut, i think i miss it up by not sticking to the ingredients 😅. But overall great recipe everyone loved the cake. thank you for sharing it 🫶🏻
Ahh thank you SO much, I’m so happy that you and everyone else loved it! ❤️
Amazing cake, thank you for sharing recipie! I made it yesterday and just got a chance to try it few minutes ago. It is really delish and good looking. For my personal taste (i dont use sugar much) a bit too sweet, so i am thinking to reduce sugar by half next time and see how it goes..
Thank you so much, Ema! I’m happy you liked the recipe 🙂 I definitely recommend using green apples for a tart contrast to the sweetness if you didn’t already use them!
Can this cheesecake be made ahead of time and frozen before serving? And for how long
Hi! This cheesecake can be made 2-3 days ahead of time and kept in the fridge. If you’re looking for longer term storage – I haven’t tried freezing it but looking around it seems that you should be able to safely freeze it for up to 1 month. I’d recommend not making the topping until you want to serve the cheesecake. When you want to serve the cheesecake, put it in the fridge to defrost the night before serving. Hope this helps! 🙂
This recipe was amazing. My family thought it was ‘fancy restaurant’ cheesecake! Thank you so much.
Ahh you just made my week, thank you so much! 🙂
Hi Erin,
Can I put the topping on sooner rather than later? You said to wait until ready to serve but is it something that can be done earlier c
Hi, if you want to put the topping on a while before serving I’d recommend slicing the cheesecake & then putting the pecan topping on so that slicing is easier. Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi – instead of pecan flour can i use almond flour? Also for the apple spice, if ireplace it with just cinnamon, how much should i add?
Hi, you can definitely use almond flour instead! And using cinnamon instead of apple pie spice would just be a 1:1 swap. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Do you think a gluten free flour could be used as a sub for the AP flour?
Definitely! A 1:1 gf swap such as King Arthur or bobs red mill should work perfectly!
Hi, I was wondering in what temperature should I bake the cheesecake? 350F?
Yep! The same as the crust 🙂
How much lemon juice in the making of the cheesecake part. I don’t see it listed in the ingredients?
Oops sorry about that, it’s 1 tbsp!
Hi Erin! Baking this cheesecake as I type this! Was wondering if I can bake instead of doing the water bath? My cheesecake is currently in the oven with water bath and it’s been 70minutes and it’s still pretty soft. Would it be fine if I bake as an alternate? Please let me know soon!
Hi Dez! Thanks so much for making the recipe! Sorry I couldn’t respond right away so I hope everything turned out. I’m sorry but I’m not sure what you mean by bake instead of the water bath, the cheesecake bakes in the oven with the pan in the water bath. You could bake it without a water bath but you’d run a greater risk of uneven cooking and the cheesecake cracking. My cheesecake took about 80 minutes to reach 170F and be done baking. I always recommend having an oven thermometer as your oven may be a lower temperature than it claims to be which can result in the bake taking longer. Also, checking the cheesecake for doneness with a thermometer is a sure-fire way to make sure it’s done baking. I hope this helps!
Looks delicious! Will be trying this next week! Question: would it be okay to apply the pecan topping, serve, and then refrigerate leftovers with the topping? I’m curious if the topping hardens too much if refrigerated
Hi Lori, thank you so much! You can store the sliced pieces with the pecan topping in the fridge. It will harden but shouldn’t be too difficult to eat! The hardening is more of a problem for first cutting the cheesecake, as it will crush the cheesecake underneath it which isn’t as pretty for serving. I hope you love the recipe! 🙂