Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9 inch spring form pan with a non-stick baking spray. Place a 9 inch parchment circle on the bottom of the pan. Then, spray again. Set aside.
Blend graham crackers in a food processer or blender until fine crumbs form. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter. Mix with a fork until everything is wet from the butter.
2 ½ cups Graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup Brown sugar, 10 tablespoon Unsalted butter
Pour crumbs into pan. Use fingers to bring the crust halfway up the sides of the pan and on the bottom. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to compact the crust down.
Bake for 13 minutes. Then, allow to cool.
Pecan Pie Filling
While the crust is baking, start the filling. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
10 tablespoon Unsalted butter
Add in brown sugar, cinnamon, heavy cream, and chopped pecans. Heat until it starts to bubble. Heat for 4-5 minutes.
1 ½ cups Brown sugar, 2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon, 1 ½ cups Heavy cream, 2 ½ cups Pecans
Pour batter in the a bowl and place in the freezer to rapidly cool.
Brown Sugar Cheesecake
Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar on high speed for 2 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl.
32 oz Cream cheese, 1 cup Brown sugar
Add in sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Add in the eggs and egg yolk on low speed until just combined. Take off the mixer and scrape the bowl.
¾ cup Sour cream, ¾ cup Heavy cream, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 4 Large eggs, 1 Egg yolk
Pour half of the batter into the springform pan. Spoon ⅓rd of the pecan pie filling on top of the batter. Use a butter knife to swirl it in. Top with the rest of the cheesecake batter.
Water bath: For either option, use a large roasting pan (12X16 inches) and hot boiling water1. Place spring form pan in a 10 inch cake pan. Then, place in a roasting pan. Fill with hot water until ⅔rds up the side of the cake pan. This option is the best so no water can get into the crust.2. Cover spring form pan with aluminum foil twice very tightly. Place the pan directly in the roasting pan and fill with hot water about ½ way up the spring form pan
Bake for 65-85 minutes. Bake until there is a very slight jiggle in the middle and the edges are set. If there is a big jiggle, bake for 10 more minutes and check again.
Once baked, turn off the oven, and prop the oven door. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 30 minutes. Then, pull out of water bath and on a cooling rack. Cool completely. Then, wrap in foil and chill in the fridge. Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
After completely cooled. Take the cheesecake out of the pan and remove the parchment paper.
Top the cheesecake with the rest of pecan pie filling.
Notes
All dairy ingredients have to be pulled out at least 2 hours before baking.