Maple Cheesecake
By Jessica RudolphPublished on August 27, 2020
Time
3½ hours, plus 8 hours cooling
Yield
Serves 12 to 16
Ingredients
Crust
4 whole graham crackers, broken into pieces¼ cup pecans ½ cup (2½ ounces/71 grams) all-purpose flour ⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) sugar ¼ teaspoon table salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedCheesecake
2 pounds (907 grams) cream cheese, softened1 ¼ cups maple syrup 4 large eggsTopping
⅓ cup granola ½ cup maple syrupBefore You Begin
Do not substitute pancake syrup for the maple syrup. Reduce the oven temperature as soon as the crust is finished baking, and use an oven thermometer to check that it has dropped to 225 degrees before you bake the cheesecake. Thoroughly scrape the processor bowl as you make the filling to eliminate lumps. For the topping, try our Maple-Pecan Skillet Granola.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease bottom and side of 9-inch springform pan. Process cracker pieces and pecans in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine, about 2 pulses. Add melted butter and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened, about 5 pulses.
- Using your hands, press crumbs into even layer on prepared pan bottom. Using bottom of dry measuring cup, firmly pack crumbs into pan. Bake until crust smells toasty and is browned around edges, about 18 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees. Let crust cool completely.
- In clean, dry processor bowl, process cream cheese and maple syrup until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. With processor running, add eggs, one at a time, until just incorporated, about 30 seconds total. Pour batter onto cooled crust.
- Firmly tap pan on counter and set aside for 10 minutes to allow air bubbles to rise to top. Gently draw tines of fork across surface of batter to pop air bubbles that have risen to surface.
- Once oven has reached 225 degrees, bake cheesecake on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet until edges are set and center jiggles slightly when shaken and registers 165 degrees ½ inch below surface, about 3 hours.
- Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Refrigerate cheesecake, uncovered, until cold, about 6 hours. (Once fully chilled, cheesecake can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
- To unmold cheesecake, run tip of paring knife between cake and side of pan; remove side of pan. Slide thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen, then slide cheesecake onto serving platter. Let cheesecake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle granola around top edge of cheesecake. Drizzle maple syrup inside ring of granola. Spread with back of spoon, as needed, to fill area inside granola ring.
- Warm knife under hot water, then wipe dry. Cut cheesecake into wedges and serve.
for the crust
for the cheesecake
for the topping
Time
3½ hours, plus 8 hours coolingYield
Serves 12 to 16Ingredients
Crust
Cheesecake
Topping
Ingredients
Crust
Cheesecake
Topping
Ingredients
Crust
Cheesecake
Topping
Why This Recipe Works
We were after a velvety and smooth cheesecake using maple syrup instead of sugar for an autumnal twist. We loved the way a handful of pecans added to our tried-and-true graham cracker crust provided a nutty accent to a maple-y filling. Some flour ensured the crisp texture of this crust, combining with melted butter to waterproof the graham cracker crumbs and prevent the crust from sogging out. For maximum maple impact, we needed to use a lot of maple syrup (not pancake syrup, which is corn syrup–based and cloying). Through several rounds of testing, we landed on 1¼ cups of syrup for 2 pounds (that's four bricks) of cream cheese. A 225-degree oven cooked the cheesecake superslowly, setting the filling to a just barely firm, custardy texture that was completely free of cracks, without the need for a sloshy water bath. A border of crunchy granola plus an extra drizzle of maple syrup made this cheesecake look as stunning as it tastes.
Before You Begin
Do not substitute pancake syrup for the maple syrup. Reduce the oven temperature as soon as the crust is finished baking, and use an oven thermometer to check that it has dropped to 225 degrees before you bake the cheesecake. Thoroughly scrape the processor bowl as you make the filling to eliminate lumps. For the topping, try our Maple-Pecan Skillet Granola.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease bottom and side of 9-inch springform pan. Process cracker pieces and pecans in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine, about 2 pulses. Add melted butter and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened, about 5 pulses.
- Using your hands, press crumbs into even layer on prepared pan bottom. Using bottom of dry measuring cup, firmly pack crumbs into pan. Bake until crust smells toasty and is browned around edges, about 18 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees. Let crust cool completely.
- In clean, dry processor bowl, process cream cheese and maple syrup until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. With processor running, add eggs, one at a time, until just incorporated, about 30 seconds total. Pour batter onto cooled crust.
- Firmly tap pan on counter and set aside for 10 minutes to allow air bubbles to rise to top. Gently draw tines of fork across surface of batter to pop air bubbles that have risen to surface.
- Once oven has reached 225 degrees, bake cheesecake on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet until edges are set and center jiggles slightly when shaken and registers 165 degrees ½ inch below surface, about 3 hours.
- Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Refrigerate cheesecake, uncovered, until cold, about 6 hours. (Once fully chilled, cheesecake can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
- To unmold cheesecake, run tip of paring knife between cake and side of pan; remove side of pan. Slide thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen, then slide cheesecake onto serving platter. Let cheesecake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle granola around top edge of cheesecake. Drizzle maple syrup inside ring of granola. Spread with back of spoon, as needed, to fill area inside granola ring.
- Warm knife under hot water, then wipe dry. Cut cheesecake into wedges and serve.
for the crust
for the cheesecake
for the topping
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