Description
Indulge in the rich flavors of this decadent Vanilla Bean Brown Butter Cheesecake. The nutty brown butter adds a depth of flavor to the creamy cheesecake, while the brown butter crust and whipped cream topping take it to the next level of deliciousness.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Brown Butter
- 1 cup butter
Brown Butter Crust
- 2 cups graham digestive or golden oreo cookie crumbs, 240g (if oreo, cream should be removed)
- 1 cup pecans ground, 115g
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon browned butter 120g
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Brown Butter Cheesecake Filling
- 2 packages cream cheese 452g (at room temperature, soft)
- 1/4 cup brown butter 57g (try to get mostly the bottom brown bits, less of the yellow liquid)
- 1/2 cup labne or sour cream
- 1 cup brown sugar 210g
- 1 vanilla bean scraped
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Two large eggs
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract can use a vanilla bean scrapings too
Instructions
- Brown the butter: Have a heatproof bowl ready and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Set the butter in a saucepan and turn the heat on to medium. Once the butter is melted turn the heat to medium high and cook as it sputters and spits, then foams, then goes nearly quiet. You’ll see brown bits on the bottom and it will smell nutty. Immediately pour it into the bowl, scraping the pan to get all the little brown bits. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and line a tall 8 or 9” cake pan with parchment paper. In a bowl, stir together the ground pecans, cookie crumbs, powdered sugar and 1/2 cup plus 1 TB of the yellow liquid of the browned butter (reserve most of the browned bits for the filling). Press the mixture into the pan and up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 F.
- Make the filling: Beat together cream cheese, sugar, salt, browned butter bits, and vanilla until smooth. Add sour cream, then eggs. Pour filling into crust.
- Bake the cheesecake: Place the cheesecake in a water bath in the oven and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool in oven, then refrigerate for 8 hours.
- For the whipped cream: Process heavy cream, vanilla, salt, and sugar until thick. Top on cheesecake before serving.
Notes
- Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for best results.
- Cheesecake should be well-chilled before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
