Sweet Potato Cheesecake -

5 from 3 votes

Sweet Potato Cheesecake

This Sweet Potato Cheesecake is a cross between a sweet potato pie and a cheesecake. It's a wonderful dessert for autumn gatherings with friends and family!

Prep Time45

Cook Time2 30

Chilling Time8

Total Time11 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheesecake, praline, sweet potato

Servings: slices

Calories: 548kcal

Author: David

Ingredients

For the Crust

2¼ cups graham cracker crumbs ~11 full-sized graham crackers
¼ cup brown sugar
7 Tbsp unsalted butter melted

For the Sweet Potato Cheesecake

2 pounds sweet potatoes
24 oz. cream cheese room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
½ cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Sour Cream Topping

2 cups sour cream
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Pralines

½ cup chopped pecan halves lightly toasted
6 Tbsp granulated sugar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1½ Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ Tbsp bourbon

Instructions

For the Crust

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour a 9” springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; set pan aside.
Using a medium mixing bowl, add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter; stir until well combined.
Transfer mixture into prepared pan; press crumbs into bottom and sides of pan. (Tip: A flat bottomed glass is helpful for this step.)
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and let cool.

For the Sweet Potato Cheesecake

Pierce potatoes several times with a fork and place in a baking dish.
Bake at 350°F for 1 hour, or until a knife can be inserted easily into the center of the potatoes.
Let potatoes cool for 15-20 minutes, or until they can be handled.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Slice potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh. Use a food processor or electric mixer to puree until smooth. Set pureed sweet potatoes aside.
Using a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until completely smooth (~3 minutes).
Add sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and flour; mix on medium speed until well combined.
Using a separate bowl, whisk eggs and additional egg yolks together. Add this egg mixture to the mixing bowl in 2 additions, mixing fully after each addition.
Add the sour cream, vanilla and 1½ cups of sweet potato puree; mix on medium speed until well combined. (Note: Any extra sweet potato puree can be eaten or saved for another use.)
Pour cheesecake batter on top of the cooled crust.
Wrap the bottom of the pan with a piece of aluminum foil and place in a large baking pan. Fill pan with ~½” of water. Bake at 325°F until center of cake is just barely set (~80-85 minutes). (Tip: Pull the cheesecake out of the oven when there is about 1" ring of "looser" filling left in the center of the cake.)
Increase oven temperature to 450°F.

For the Sour Cream Topping

Using a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla.
Spread this mixture evenly on top of the baked cheesecake.
Return cheesecake to oven and continue baking for 7-8 minutes, or until topping is set.
Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan for 1 hour.
Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, release pan and slice cheesecake.

For the Pralines

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or silicone liner; set aside.
Place all ingredients except for bourbon into a large saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring often, until mixture begins to boil. Let boil for 3 minutes, or until temperature reaches 238-240°.
Remove pan from heat, add bourbon and continue stirring until mixture begins to thicken slightly.
Working quickly, use 2 large spoons to drop spoonfuls of praline mixture onto lined sheet pan. Let cool completely.
Sprinkle chopped pralines on top of cheesecake before serving.

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