Caramel Apple & Pecan Cheesecake Recipe

This is autumn in cheesecake form! A deliciously lightly spiced no-bake cheesecake with caramelised apple pieces and crunchy pecan praline.

This cheesecake combines some of the best flavours with caramelised apple, Biscoff spread, crunchy pecans, a smooth cheesecake filling and a touch of cinnamon. What's not to love!

This cheesecake serves 8 very generous slices or more smaller and will last around 4 days in the fridge or you can freeze it for longer.

Makes one 8" cheesecake

Pecan praline ingredients;

200g pecan nuts

4 tbs maple syrup

Caramel apple ingredients;                   

2x large cookie apples

2 tbs maple syrup

2 tbs brown sugar

Cheesecake base ingredients;

250g biscuits - I used Lotus/ Speculoos biscuits

75g melted vegan butter

Cheesecake filling ingredients;

300g vegan cream cheese - I used Violife

200g vegan double cream - I used Emlea

90g icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla powder

100g Biscoff spread

100g melted white chocolate

You will also need; an 8" circular baking tin - I like to use a springform tin to make getting the cheesecake out easier, a mixing bowl, a spoon, electric hand mixer, food processor, knife, baking paper, saucepan

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Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 180°c

2. Line your baking tin with baking paper, this will make sure your nuts do not stick to the tin

3. Begin by making your praline.  Roughly chop the pecans and add them together in a bowl with the maple syrup. Mix together until the nuts are covered in the syrup

4. Tip into the lined baking tin and spread out evenly

5. Bake for around 15 minutes until the syrup is bubbling and everything is golden coloured

6. Set aside to cool and move on to making your apples

7. Peel and finely chop your apples into little chunks no bigger then 1cm

8. Add the apples into your saucepan with the maple syrup and brown sugar

9. Simmer on a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for around 15 minutes until the apples are soft and the sauce is golden caramel coloured

10. Set the apples aside to cool and make your cheesecake base

11. In your food processor, add the biscuits and blend until a fine crumble

12. Add the melted vegan butter and blend again until all mixed

13. Tip the biscuit mixture into your 8" cake tin and press down using the back of a spoon until you have a firm and even base. Put this in the freezer to set

14. Once your pecan praline and caramelised apples are cool to touch, make your cheesecake filling

15. In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla powder and whip until fluffy using the hand mixer

16. Add the cream and mix again until you can feel the cream begin to whip and the mixture start to thicken

17. Check that your melted chocolate is not too hot.  The bowl should not feel warm and the chocolate should be as cool as possible but still runny

18. Add the melted chocolate and Biscoff spread to the filling mixture and continue whipping until all the chocolate is incorporated and the mixture is thick and fluffy

19. Break up your pecan praline and add around half to your cheesecake filling mixture. I used my hand mixer to break up the praline chunks and mix it in

20. Begin to fill your cheesecake. On top of the cold biscuit base, spoon in around half your cheesecake filling and evenly spread it out

21. Spoon on top around half your caramelised apple mixture and roughly swirl this into the filling mixture

22. Repeat the layers by spooning the remaining filling mixture on top again and swirling through the remainder of the caramelised apples

23. Gently smooth out the top of the cheesecake and sprinkle the remainder if the pecan praline around the edge to decorate the cheesecake

24. Put the cheesecake back into the freezer for at least 2 hours to set

25. Once fully set, remove the cheesecake from the tin, slice and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks!

• I always use Moo Free vegan chocolate. You can buy bulk 2kg boxes from Coco's Pantry, who have lots of vegan baking ingredients

• This recipe would also be delicious swapping the apples for caramelised pears and plums

• Instead of pecans, you could also caramelise chopped hazelnuts instead

• Half the recipe to make a smaller 6" cheesecake or you could make lots of mini cheesecake instead in a loose based muffin tin