Maple Cheesecake

By Bree Hester Jump to Recipe

This Maple Cheesecake is the perfect dessert to impress your friends and family this holiday season! Rich and creamy maple-flavored cream cheese and mascarpone filling baked in a toasted pecan crust -finished with maple whipped cream!

This maple cheesecake is a nice departure from the pumpkin cheesecake that graces most Thanksgiving and holiday tables. No doubt, pumpkin cheesecake is delicious, but this maple-flavored variation is truly something special.

This cheesecake is delicate and rich -and it looks gorgeous with piped maple whipped cream and a sprinkle of maple flakes (I found them at Williams-Sonoma). It is also the perfect make-ahead dessert! It’s just as delicious after it’s frozen and thawed. Every time I make this maple cheesecake, everyone raves about it and requests the recipe, so here it is. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

• The trickiest part about this is timing it right. If you overbake it, it will lose its creaminess, which is what this cheesecake is all about. That said, keep an eye on the oven, and don’t overbake your cheesecake.
• When it’s ready, It will look like the center is underbaked, and that’s perfect.
• Unless you get started in the morning, maple cheesecake needs to be assembled and baked at least a day in advance. You’ll need at least 6 hours for the cooling/chilling process.
• Baking your cheesecake in a water bath will help it cook evenly and keep the top from cracking. Double wrap your springform pan in foil to prevent leakage, and then place the pan in another pan a few inches wider. Fill the outer pan with a few inches of boiling water and then bake.

Why is Maple Cheesecake So Good?

• Cheesecakes are surprisingly really easy to make -the most challenging part is timing it just right.
• Adds variation to the cheesecake and dessert options at your next holiday gathering.
• It’s just SO good. It’s next-level creamy and perfectly maple.
• The maple whipped cream is perfect and super simple to throw together. However, your topping and garnish options are limitless.

Storing & Freezing

You can make the cheesecake a few days ahead or freeze it, but I would add the whipped cream and garnishes before serving.

Fridge Storage: Store cheesecake in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Freezing is a bit more time-consuming, but it will taste like a freshly made cheesecake once thawed. Bake and cool/chill your cheesecake in an aluminum pan with a lid. Place the chilled and finished cheesecake in the freezer (covered) for a few hours or until the cheesecake hardens. Then, wrap the entire cheesecake in a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze in an airtight bag for 1 to 2 months.
Thawing: Pull your cheesecake out of the freezer a few hours before serving and thaw in the fridge. Garnish as you please and enjoy!

FAQs

Can I use a ready-made pie crust for homemade cheesecake?

Yes -if you’d like to save a few steps and use a premade crust, that’s okay. A graham cracker crust or walnut crust would work here.

Should all cheesecakes be baked in a waterbath?

Baking in a water bath isn’t necessary. You can certainly make a perfect cheesecake without one. However, baking cheesecake in water baths maintains the heat and moisture during baking, so the edges do not cook faster than the center and burn

How can you tell when a cheesecake is ready?

The jiggle test! Wearing oven mitts, shake the pan. If the perimeter of the cheesecake appears set and the center still has some jiggle, it’s ready.

Maple Cheesecake

Bree Hester

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course desserts

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Calories 633 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the crust:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans

For the cheesecake:

• 3 8-ounce packages room temperature cream cheese
• 1 8-ounce container room temperature mascarpone cheese
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs at room temperature

Maple Whipped Cream:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 packets Whip-It optional
• Maple flakes optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and brown sugar. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter and then stir in the pecans.
  
• Press the mixture into the bottom of a 10" springform pan. Then, bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until browned. Make sure to let the crust cool completely before adding the filling.
  
• Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, half-and-half, flour and vanilla to the bowl. Mix until smooth.
  
• Then, crack in the eggs and beat until just combined.
  
• Pour the cheesecake filling into the cooled crust and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until about 3" around the perimeter is firm and the middle still jiggles.
  
• Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing from the ring from the pan. Run a knife around the edges to remove the ring. Let the cheesecake continue to cool for 2 hours, and then transfer the pan to the fridge, covered, to chill for at least 4 hours -preferably overnight.
  
• Mine cracked a little, so I made a maple-flavored whipped cream to hide it (no one was the wiser). In a bowl, beat the heavy cream and  Whip-It together until soft peaks form. Add in the maple syrup and vanilla and continue to whip until the cream thickens.
  
• Pipe or spread the maple whipped cream over the top and sprinkle with maple flakes. Enjoy!
  

Nutrition

Calories: 633kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 8gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 26gSodium: 164mgFiber: 1g

Keyword cheesecake recipe, maple cheesecake, thanksgiving cheesecake

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