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Vanilla Bean Brown Butter Cheesecake

Vanilla Bean Brown Butter Cheesecake

  • Total Time: 10 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

A decadent cheesecake featuring the nutty, rich flavor of brown butter and fragrant vanilla bean, with a crunchy pecan and cookie crumb crust.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Brown Butter & Crust:
1 cup butter
2 cups graham, digestive or golden oreo cookie crumbs (240g)
1 cup ground pecans (115g)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
For the Filling:
2 packages cream cheese, softened (452g)
1/2 cup labne or sour cream
1 cup brown sugar (210g)
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs
For the Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Instructions

  1. Step 1: To brown the butter, melt 1 cup of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until it foams and brown bits form at the bottom. It will smell nutty. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool.
  2. Step 2: Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and line a tall 8 or 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
  3. Step 3: For the crust, combine cookie crumbs, ground pecans, and powdered sugar. Stir in 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the liquid part of the browned butter. Reserve the solid brown bits from the butter for the filling
  4. Step 4: Press the crust mixture into the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. After baking, reduce oven temperature to 325 F.
  5. Step 5: To make the filling, beat the softened cream cheese, 1 cup brown sugar, salt, 1/4 cup of the reserved browned butter bits, and vanilla bean scrapings in a large bowl until completely smooth.
  6. Step 6: Beat in the labne or sour cream until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed just until incorporated.
  7. Step 7: Pour the filling into the cooled crust. For an extra smooth texture, you can pour the filling through a fine-mesh sieve.
  8. Step 8: Prepare a water bath by placing the cheesecake pan inside a larger pan and filling the outer pan with about an inch of warm water.
  9. Step 9: Carefully place in the oven and bake for 60 to 75 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the top looks matte and the center is no longer jiggly.
  10. Step 10: Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool inside with the door propped open for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a counter for another 30 minutes.
  11. Step 11: Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight, to fully set.
  12. Step 12: For the topping, whip the heavy cream, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until thick and scoopable.
  13. Step 13: Top the chilled cheesecake with the whipped cream and serve.

Notes

If using Oreo cookies for the crust, be sure to remove the cream filling first.

For the filling, use the solid brown bits from the browned butter to get the most flavor.

For a perfectly smooth filling without lumps, pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into the crust before baking.

The cheesecake must chill for a minimum of 8 hours to set properly.

Store leftover cheesecake covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.

  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

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Find it online: https://recipeszesty.com/vanilla-bean-brown-butter-cheesecake/