Matcha Swirled Pecan Cheesecake

This Matcha Swirled Pecan Pie Cheesecake is seriously the most fun twist on a classic fall dessert. I mean, Pecan pie? Yum. Cheesecake? Yum. Matcha?! YUM! Move over y’all, matcha is here to participate in holiday baking this season and it’s going to be DELICIOUS!

 

MATCHA SWIRLED PECAN PIE CHEESECAKE INGREDIENTS

• Graham crackers: Two whole sleeves of graham crackers are used to make the crumbs for the crust. 
• Pecans: Both the crust and the topping use pecans. Pulse them in the food processor along with the graham crackers to create a fine texture, and roughly chop the pecans for the topping. Use unsalted, raw pecans. 
• Brown sugar: The crust and the topping use brown sugar.
• Jade Leaf Culinary Grade Matcha: We are going to separate a portion of our cheesecake filling into a different bowl, whisk in the matcha, and swirl it into the rest of the filling.  
• White sugar: For the cheesecake filling.
• Butter: Melted, unsalted butter is mixed with the graham crackers and pecans to bind the crust together. More butter also goes into the topping.
• Cream cheese: For the cheesecake filling- preferably full-fat bricks.
• Sour cream: Use full-fat for best results and flavor.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla goes into both the pecan pie topping and the cheesecake filling.
• Salt: Just a pinch! It enhances all the delicious flavors.
• Eggs: Used in both the pecan pie topping and cheesecake filling.
• Dark corn syrup: To get that classic pecan pie texture!
• Heavy cream: Heavy cream makes the pecan pie topping extra ooey-gooey.

 

Tools

• Electric mixer: Use a handheld mixer or stand mixture to make the cheesecake filling.
• Springform pan: This cheesecake fills a 9 inch springform pan.

 

Preparing the pan

Line the bottom and the sides of your 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. You can cut a circle of parchment to the size of the pan, and use a thin strip for the sides. The easiest way to line the pan is to spray it with a non-stick spray, and then lay the parchment on top so it’s “glued” in place.

Next, wrap the bottom of the pan tightly with tin foil, to prevent any spills in your oven that might happen from the topping seeping down and out of the sides of the pan.

 

HOW TO MAKE MATCHA SWIRLED PECAN PIE CHEESECAKE

There are three main parts to making this cheesecake: the crust, the filling, and the topping.

 

The Crust: Pulse the graham crackers and pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Then, brown sugar and melted butter get added to the crumbs until the mixture looks like wet sand. If you have a big enough machine, you can do this part right in the food processor, or transfer the crumbs to a bowl and then mix the sugar and butter in.

 

Pack the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Pro tip: use a ¼ cup measuring cup to smooth out and pack in the crust!

Bake the crust at 350°F for 10 minutes, and set aside while you work on the cheesecake filling.

 

The Filling: Here’s the fun part-this is the step with the matcha! First, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

Next, with a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the two blocks of room temperature cream cheese until it’s smooth. Next, add the sugar, sour cream, salt, and vanilla and beat until completely combined. Lastly, the eggs go in. Mix until just combined.

Okay, the fun part as promised - here comes the matcha!!

Divide the cheesecake filling evenly into two bowls- about 1 ½ cups of batter in each bowl.

In one of the bowls, sift one tablespoon of Jade Leaf Culinary Grade Matcha and then whisk until the matcha is completely incorporated into the cheesecake filling. 

Spoon the cheesecake batter into the pan with the crust, alternating between the white batter and the green batter. Use two different spoons so as not to mix the two colors together.

 

Take a knife and carefully swirl the two colors together by dragging the knife through the batter. 

Pop the cheesecake in the oven for 45 minutes. Baking it for a while will ensure the cheesecake is set enough to hold the topping without collapsing.

While the cheesecake is baking, work on the pecan pie topping! 

 

The Topping: The corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and butter all get combined in a saucepan to form part of the syrup mixture for the pecan pie topping.

Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it’s boiled for about two minutes, take it off the heat and let it cool. While the mixture cools, work on the other part of the topping and chopping the pecans.

The other part of the pecan pie topping is a mixture of eggs heavy cream, and salt.

Whisk them together, and gradually add this mixture to the sugar and corn syrup mixture and then stir in the chopped pecans.  

Once the cheesecake has baked for 45 minutes, take it out of the oven and gently spoon on the pecans, leaving behind the liquid.

Once you’ve covered the top of the cheesecake in pecans, go ahead and add a little more of the syrup- just enough to fill in the cracks between the pecans but don’t add all the liquid!

We don’t want to add too much because it could seep down the sides of the cheesecake, making the crust soggy and causing the springform pan to get glued together.

Pop the cheesecake back in the oven and bake for another 45 minutes, until the topping is set. 

Once the cheesecake comes back out of the oven, set it on a cooking rack. When it’s at room temperature, pop it in the fridge for at least two hours to give it time to set up.

When you’re ready to serve your beautiful Matcha Swirled Pecan Pie Cheesecake, remove the sides of the springform pan and transfer to a serving platter.

Pro tip: to get the perfect slice, run a sharp knife under hot water to warm the blade. Carefully dry off the knife and then cut into the cheesecake. Wipe and repeat for each slice, and they’ll come out flawless every time!

 

MATCHA SWIRLED PECAN PIE CHEESECAKE

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (two sleeves of graham crackers)
• 1 cup pecans, finely ground
• ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

 

FOR THE FILLING:

• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon Jade Leaf Culinary Grade Matcha

 

FOR THE TOPPING:

• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2/3 cup dark corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• ¼ cup heavy cream, room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ cups roughly chopped pecans

 

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE CRUST:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick spray. Wrap the bottom outside part of the pan with aluminum foil and set aside.
2. Add graham crackers and pecans to a food processor, and pulse until very fine. Using a silicone spatula, stir in brown sugar and butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, making sure to bring the crust up high enough so that it holds in the topping.
3. Bake for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool as you make the cheesecake filling. 

 

FOR THE FILLING:

1. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
2. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed, until it becomes creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat until thoroughly combined.
4. Add in the eggs, and beat until just combined.
5. Separate half the cheesecake batter into another bowl- take out about 1 ½ cups and it should be evenly divided. Sift in Jade Leaf Culinary Grade Matcha, and use a whisk to combine. Using two separate spoons, spoon the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust, alternating between white and green. Using a knife, gently drag the blade through the batter to create a swirled pattern. Bake for 45 minutes. While the cheesecake is in the oven, work on the topping.

 

FOR THE TOPPING:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and butter. Cook over medium heat until the mixture reaches a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to boil the mixture for about 2 minutes. 
2. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Meanwhile, roughly chop the pecans and set aside. Whisk together eggs, heavy cream, and salt. When the syrup is cooled, gradually add the egg mixture and whisk until combined. Stir in the chopped pecans.
3. Carefully spoon the pecan topping over the cheesecake, and then add just enough of the syrup to fill the cracks between the pecans. Be careful not to put too much liquid, or it could leak down the side of the pan and glue it together!
4. Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake for another 40-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and looks set.
5. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy and tag @jadeleafmatcha on Instagram to show off your slice!