Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Topping is a creamy New York-style cheesecake made with fresh sweet potato puree and the warm spices of fall. This no-fail, no-crack cheesecake recipe will be a hit at your next holiday meal, or make one just because. Sweet potato lovers will drool over the pure flavor of this unique dessert. The pecan praline topping makes this sweet potato cheesecake even more decadent and addicting.
*This post was originally published in November 2019. I’ve updated the article and the images and made the praline topping recipe more user-friendly. If you’re visiting from my YouTube channel, follow these instructions.*
What Is A Sweet Potato Cheesecake?
A sweet potato cheesecake is a batter of cream cheese mixed with roasted and pureed sweet potatoes, flavored with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and allspice; the batter is poured into a graham cracker crust and baked until firm. I add another level of sumptuousness by topping this cheesecake with a buttery, brown sugar pecan praline topping. In short, my sweet potato cheesecake recipe tastes like autumn.
How Do I Make The Graham Cracker Crust?
Preparing and baking the crust is the first step in any cheesecake recipe.
You need graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted unsalted butter to make the graham cracker crust for this sweet potato cheesecake. You also need a 9-inch springform pan to bake the cheesecake in.
Mix the graham crumbs and sugar with a rubber spatula (or your hands). Next, add the melted butter to the crumbs in the bowl and mix the ingredients until they clump.
Test the consistency of your graham cracker crust mixture by squeezing a handful of it to see that it holds its shape. Add 1-2 tablespoons of melted butter if the graham cracker crust mixture falls apart; however, add more graham crumbs if butter oozes from your clenched hand when you squeeze the mixture.
Press the graham cracker crust mixture into the springform pan using a measuring cup or the bottom of a clean drinking glass. Be sure to push the graham crust up the sides of the pan to form a side crust. Press the graham cracker crust firmly to ensure it doesn’t fall apart when you fill it with the cheesecake batter.
Bake the graham cracker crust at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the oven and allow it to cool to the touch. Once the pan is cool enough to handle, wrap the bottom and sides of the pan in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Press the foil against the pan well, but avoid creating holes or tears.
Can I Substitute The Graham Crackers In This Crust?
You can replace the graham crackers in this recipe with a similar crunchy cookie. I have made this sweet potato cheesecake with a gingersnap, Biscoff, and oatmeal cookie crust, and it’s always a hit. Be sure to use crunchy (crispy) cookies, not soft, since soft cookies absorb the butter too much and become soggy.
What Are Sweet Potatoes?
Sweet potatoes are tubers native to the Americas that are in season during autumn and winter. They range in color from off-white, purple, and yellow to deep orange-colored flesh. Their sweetness varies depending on the variety, ranging in taste from mealy and dry to moist and dense. All sweet potato varieties become softer and sweeter after cooking and have a flavor similar to pumpkin with a slight nuttiness.
The orange Beauregard sweet potato’s flavor and texture make it a great choice for pureeing and adding to this cheesecake batter.
For the sake of brevity, here’s a post on how to roast and puree sweet potatoes for this cheesecake recipe. Likewise, you can purchase a can of sweet potato puree and use that instead.
What Other Ingredients Do I Need To Make The Cheesecake Batter?
To make the sweet potato cheesecake batter, you need room-temperature cream cheese, granulated sugar, eggs, sweet potato puree, cornstarch, pumpkin spice blend, kosher salt, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. The lemon zest is optional but adds subtle brightness to the cheesecake.
You also need an electric stand mixer or a handheld mixer to blend the cheesecake batter.
How Do I Make The Sweet Potato Cheesecake Batter?
Use an electric mixer to blend the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. It’s important to always make your cheesecake batters with room-temperature cream cheese to avoid chunks of cream cheese in the finished cheesecake. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and the beaters.
Add the large eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest to the bowl with the cream cheese. Blend the ingredients together at low speed until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and beaters again, then increase the mixing speed to medium. Beat the mixture for 2 1/2-3 minutes to fully combine the ingredients.
Next, add the sweet potato puree to the cheesecake batter and blend it at low speed for 1-2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters again.
What Does Cornstarch Do In Cheesecakes?
Combine the cornstarch, pumpkin spice blend, and kosher salt in a small, separate bowl with a whisk or spoon.
Add the cornstarch mixture to the cheesecake batter and blend it at low speed for 45 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters. Mix the sweet potato cheesecake batter at low speed for another minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters one last time.
Try not to overmix the sweet potato cheesecake batter after you add the cornstarch mixture. Cornstarch adds body to cheesecake batters, which helps prevent cracks and gives the cheesecake a good mouthfeel. Over-mixing the batter after adding cornstarch will cause the baked cheesecake to feel gummy instead of smooth. For this reason, mixing the batter minimally after you add the cornstarch spice mixture is important.
Do I Have To Bake The Cheesecake In A Water Bath?
Before pouring the cheesecake batter into the crust, microwave about 4 cups (950ml) of water on high heat for 5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust while the water heats.
Set the foil-wrapped springform pan in a wide, shallow pan with at least 2 inches of space between it and the inner pan. Carefully pour the steaming water into the outer pan to create a bain-marie, or water bath.
A bain-marie is essential in baking a crack-free cheesecake since it maintains a regulated baking environment. Without it, your cheesecake is at the mercy of the ever-fluctuating oven temperature and more susceptible to developing fissures or large cracks in its surface.
How Long Does It Take To Bake The Sweet Potato Cheesecake?
Bake the sweet potato cheesecake in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The top will develop a golden brown color, and the cheesecake will barely jiggle if you shake it. But, don’t shake it, because it’s in water and we don’t want to splash it.
Turn the oven off after the baking time is over, and prop open the oven door with a wooden spoon. Allow the sweet potato cheesecake to cool slowly in the oven for 45 minutes.
After cooling the cheesecake in the oven, remove the pan holding the cheesecake from the oven, then remove the cheesecake pan from the water bath.
Remove the protective foil from the cheesecake pan and let the sweet potato cheesecake cool to the touch on the countertop. This usually takes about an hour. Cover the pan with the sweet potato cheesecake with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 8-12 hours or overnight.
Are These Multiple Cooling Steps Necessary?
If you want a crack-free sweet potato cheesecake, you must bake it in a water bath and cool it gradually.
The water bath creates an accurately consistent temperature for the cheesecake to bake in. Cheesecakes are nothing but custards, meaning they need a consistent temperature to bake evenly.
Allowing the sweet potato cheesecake to cool gradually in the vented oven protects the surface of the cheesecake from developing a crack. A sudden temperature change- like being removed from a 350°F oven to a 72°F countertop- will often result in the cheesecake developing a crack.
Cooling it on the countertop prevents the cheesecake from steaming under the plastic film. Steam condenses on the plastic and drops down onto the cheesecake’s surface, discoloring it. So, yes, all of these steps are necessary.
What Do I Need To Make The Pecan Praline Topping?
To make the praline topping for the sweet potato cheesecake, you need chopped pecans, brown sugar, unsalted butter, half-and-half, honey, dark rum (optional), and kosher salt.
Begin by toasting the chopped pecans in a skillet over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently to keep them from burning. Once the pecans smell fragrant, remove them to a sheet pan or bowl and allow them to cool while you make the praline sauce.
How Do I Make The Praline Sauce?
Melt the unsalted butter over medium heat in the same skillet you used to toast the pecans.
Add the brown sugar, honey, half-and-half, rum, and kosher salt to the skillet once the butter melts. The rum in this recipe is optional. You can replace it with 1 tablespoon (15ml) vanilla extract if you abstain from alcohol.
Use a rubber spatula or whisk to stir the contents of the skillet together and encourage the sugar to dissolve fully.
Allow the praline sauce to come to a boil in the pot, stirring constantly. Boil the sauce for 3-4 minutes or until it drips slowly back into the pan when you lift the rubber spatula.
Remove the skillet from the stove and allow the praline sauce to cool for 5 minutes.
Stir the toasted pecans into the praline sauce after allowing the sauce to cool for 5 minutes. Set this aside while you de-pan the cheesecake.
How Do I Top The Sweet Potato Cheesecake?
Dip a knife in hot water and shake dry to loosen the cheesecake from the pan. Remove the springform collar and set the cake on a platter or cake stand.
Spoon or scrape the pecan praline topping onto the sweet potato cheesecake, covering the entire surface. As the praline topping cools, it will firm up slightly, making this taste much like the pecan praline candy you’d find in the South.
How Do I Serve This Sweet Potato Cheesecake?
To achieve clean, bakery-style slices of sweet potato cheesecake, use a sharp, thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped off. Each time you make a cut in the cheesecake, dip the knife blade in hot water and wipe it clean to remove the remnants.
Slice the cheesecake and serve it as is.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Keep the sweet potato cheesecake refrigerated unless you are serving it. To keep the sweet potato cheesecake as fresh as possible, press a piece of wax or parchment paper against the exposed cheesecake. This prevents a gummy crust from forming on the slices.
You can store sweet potato cheesecake in the refrigerator for 3-4 days after baking it. That doesn’t include the 8-12 hour chilling time, so the clock starts after that chilling time is over.
Can I Freeze It?
You can freeze sweet potato cheesecake before covering it with the pecan praline topping. De-pan the cheesecake and wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze the sweet potato cheesecake for up to two months.
Thaw the frozen cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight, then make and top it with the pecan praline topping.
When Is A Good Time To Serve Sweet Potato Cheesecake?
This is a trick question. Anytime is a good time to serve it!
Serve this Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Topping for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Ramadan (without the rum added), New Year’s, or next Tuesday. This rich, creamy cheesecake is a hit with sweet potato lovers and even those who aren’t big sweet potato fans. Its dense, New York-style texture makes it the ultimate dessert for indulging your sweet tooth, and with my foolproof instructions, your family and friends will be begging you to make this sweet potato cheesecake for all your holiday dinners.
Pin this recipe to your dessert boards and share it with your friends and family. Tag me in your pictures, @senseandedibility, when you make it, and let me know what you think of it in the comments section below.
Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Topping
at Sense & EdibilityEquipment
- electric stand or hand mixer
- skillet
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 1/2 cups (275 grams) graham crackers crumbs (about 18 graham crackers)
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter melted
For the Sweet Potato Cheesecake
- 1/3 cup (45 grams) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons (5 grams) Pumpkin Spice Blend
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- 4 8-ounce packs (904 grams) cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup (250 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 medium lemon zested (1 tablespoon or 3 grams), optional
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) vanilla extract
- 1 pound (2 cups or 450 grams) sweet potato puree
For the Pecan Praline Topping
- 2 cups (255 grams) chopped pecans
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick or 85 grams) unsalted butter sliced
- 1 cup (200 grams), packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) half and half
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) dark rum optional
Instructions
- Heat an oven to 350°F (180°C).
Prepare and Bake the Graham Cracker Crust
- Mix the graham crumbs and sugar with a rubber spatula (or your hands) in a medium bowl. Next, add the melted butter to the crumbs in the bowl and mix the ingredients until they clump.
- Test the consistency of your graham cracker crust mixture by squeezing a handful of it to see that it holds its shape. Add 1-2 tablespoons of melted butter if the graham cracker crust mixture falls apart; however, add more graham crumbs if butter oozes from your clenched hand when you squeeze the mixture.
- Press the graham cracker crust mixture into the springform pan using a measuring cup or the bottom of a clean drinking glass. Be sure to push the graham crust up the sides of the pan to form a side crust and firmly to ensure it doesn't fall apart when you fill it with the cheesecake batter.
- Bake the graham cracker crust at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the oven and allow it to cool to the touch. Leave the oven on to bake the cheesecake.Once the pan is cool enough to handle, wrap the bottom and sides of the pan in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Press the foil against the pan well, but avoid creating holes or tears.
Mix the Sweet Potato Cheesecake Batter
- Combine the cornstarch, pumpkin spice blend, and kosher salt in a small, bowl with a whisk or spoon. Set this bowl aside.
- Use an electric mixer to blend the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and the beaters.
- Add the large eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla to the bowl with the cream cheese. Blend the ingredients together at low speed until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and beaters again, then increase the mixing speed to medium. Beat the mixture for 2 1/2-3 minutes to fully combine the ingredients.
- Next, add the sweet potato puree to the cheesecake batter and blend it at low speed for 1-2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters again.
- Add the cornstarch-spice mixture to the cheesecake batter and blend it at low speed for 45 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters. Mix the sweet potato cheesecake batter at low speed for another minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters one last time.
Bake, Then Gradually Cool the Cheesecake
- Microwave about 4 cups (950ml) of water on high heat for 5 minutes.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust while the water heats. Set the foil-wrapped springform pan in a wide, shallow pan with at least 2 inches of space between it and the inner pan. Carefully pour the steaming water into the outer pan to create a bain-marie, or water bath.
- Bake the sweet potato cheesecake in the hot oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The top will develop a golden brown color, and the cheesecake will barely jiggle if you shake it. Turn the oven off after the baking time is over, and prop open the oven door with a wooden spoon. Allow the sweet potato cheesecake to cool slowly in the oven for 45 minutes.
- After cooling the cheesecake in the oven, remove the pan holding the cheesecake from the oven, then remove the cheesecake pan from the water bath.Remove the protective foil from the cheesecake pan and let the sweet potato cheesecake cool to the touch on the countertop or about an hour. Cover the pan with the sweet potato cheesecake with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours.
Make the Pecan Praline Topping
- Toast the chopped pecans in a skillet over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently to keep them from burning. Once the pecans smell fragrant, remove them to a sheet pan or bowl and allow them to cool while you make the praline sauce.
- Melt the unsalted butter over medium heat in the same skillet you used to toast the pecans. Add the brown sugar, honey, half-and-half, rum, and kosher salt to the skillet once the butter melts. Use a rubber spatula or whisk to stir the contents of the skillet together and encourage the sugar to dissolve fully.
- Allow the praline sauce to come to a boil in the pot, stirring constantly. Boil the sauce for 3-4 minutes or until it drips slowly back into the pan when you lift the rubber spatula.
- Remove the skillet from the stove and allow the praline sauce to cool for 5 minutes. Stir the toasted pecans into the praline sauce after allowing the sauce to cool for 5 minutes. Set this aside while you de-pan the cheesecake.
Remove the Sweet Potato Cheesecake From Its Pan and Top With the Pecan Praline Topping
- Dip a knife in hot water and shake dry to loosen the cheesecake from the pan. Remove the springform collar and set the cake on a platter or cake stand.
- Spoon or scrape the pecan praline topping onto the sweet potato cheesecake, covering the entire surface. Slice the cheesecake and serve it as is.
- Keep the cheesecake refrigerated when you're done serving it.
Notes
- Replace the graham crackers in this recipe with crunchy gingersnap, Biscoff, or oatmeal cookies.
- I recommend using homemade sweet potato puree for this cheesecake recipe, but you can purchase a can of sweet potato puree and use that instead or use canned sweet potatoes that have been drained, rinsed, and mashed.
- The lemon zest is optional but adds subtle brightness to the cheesecake.
- Replace the pecans in this recipe with walnuts, hazelnuts (filberts), or almonds.
- You can use light brown sugar or dark brown for the praline topping.
- The rum in this recipe is optional. You can replace it with 1 tablespoon (15ml) vanilla extract if you abstain from alcohol.
- Be sure to use crunchy (crispy) cookies, not soft, since soft cookies absorb the butter too much and become soggy.
- Try not to overmix the sweet potato cheesecake batter after you add the cornstarch mixture. Over-mixing the batter after adding cornstarch will cause the baked cheesecake to feel gummy instead of smooth.
- A bain-marie is essential in baking a crack-free cheesecake since it maintains a regulated baking environment.
- As the praline topping cools, it will firm up slightly, making this taste much like the pecan praline candy you'd find in the South.
- To achieve clean, bakery-style slices of sweet potato cheesecake, use a sharp, thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped off. Each time you make a cut in the cheesecake, dip the knife blade in hot water and wipe it clean to remove the remnants.
- Keep the sweet potato cheesecake refrigerated unless you are serving it.
- To keep the sweet potato cheesecake as fresh as possible and to prevent a gummy crust from forming on the slices, press a piece of wax or parchment paper against the exposed cheesecake.
- Store sweet potato cheesecake in the refrigerator for 3-4 days after baking it, not including the 8-12 hour chilling time, so the clock starts after that chilling time is over.
- You can freeze sweet potato cheesecake before covering it with the pecan praline topping.
- De-pan the cheesecake and wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- Freeze the sweet potato cheesecake for up to two months.
- Thaw the frozen cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight, then make and top it with the pecan praline topping.
Sorry, I meant to say, by adding Pumpkin Pie Spice, o
Since there’s no pumpkin in the recipe, it won’t taste like pumpkin pie. You can swap out the pumpkin pie spice for cinnamon and nutmeg, but the flavor won’t be as interesting.