Don’t fix it if it ain’t broken. Cheesecake is one of those desserts you expect to be decadent – dressed in glazed fruit, shavings of chocolate or crushed nuts. The name alone implies that you’re about to enjoy a combination of two very rich foods: cheese and cake. That’s exactly what you can expect from this maple walnut cheesecake, coated in a buttery maple caramel sauce. Other than the nut-based crust, it’s a supremely sweet slice of a classic indulgence. The only thing you’ll be fixing here is your sugar craving.
Maple Walnut Cheesecake with Browned Butter Maple Caramel
Crust
3 cups vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
¼ cup walnuts
½ cup melted butter
Filling
3 packages low-fat cream cheese
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
½ cup sugar
3 eggs
Topping
3 Tbsp. butter
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup powdered sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9-inch spring form pan with cooking spray or coconut oil.
- Using a hand chopper or food processor, crush walnuts into small pieces. In a medium bowl, stir together crumbled cookies, crushed walnuts and melted butter until mixture holds. Press into the bottom of the springform pan.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer), combine all filling ingredients, whipping until smooth.
- Pour filling over crust and bake for 80 minutes, or until the middle is settled.
- Place in refrigerator for 2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare the topping.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until browned. Add maple syrup, and then whisk in powdered sugar. This should create a smooth mixture.
- Pour hot topping over cooled cheesecake. It will solidify like a chewy caramel sauce.
- Slice and serve.