This Salted Caramel Pecan Baked Cheesecake are absolutely divine. The base is gluten free, crispy, buttery and made from ground gluten free oats and crushed pecan. The filling is smooth, rich and creamy. Topped with a beautiful salted caramel and pecans, these adorable 5 inch cheesecakes are perfect sizes to share.
This gluten free cheesecake recipe can be broken into 3 steps;
Begin making the cheesecake base by blitzing gluten free oats in a food processor until they resemble a coarse flour. Place into a mixing bowl and add the pecans to the food processor. Blitz into small pieces but not fully ground like the oats. You can finely chop them either if you prefer. Add to the large mixing bowl along with the melted butter. Mix well until combined and divide equally into two greased and lined 5 inch spring form round cake tins. Press down firmly on the crumbs to create the crust. Pop into a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the filling.
To begin making the cheesecake filing, place the cream cheese and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Whisk with an electric whisk or stand mixer with a whisk attachment until the mix is smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs one by one and whisk well in between additions. In a small bowl, add half of the cream to the cornflour and ix together fully until no lumps remain. Add this cornflour mix along with the rest of the cream and vanilla extract to the cheesecake filling. Whisk again until smooth and no lumps remain. Remove the cheesecake bases from the oven and pour the filling over the two evenly. Place into the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes until fully baked, Allow to cool fully before removing from the tin.
To begin making the caramel sauce, add the sugar and water to a saucepan. Heat on high heat until the sugar starts to caramelise. Turn down to medium and cook till you achieve an amber colour. Add in the butter and whisk thoroughly. The sugar will start to spit and look clumpy when you add the butter, this is normal. Keep whisking and be careful not to burn yourself. Once the butter is fully incorporated, add the cream next and whisk. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until all remaining sugar crystals dissolve. Pour into a jar or heatproof container and allow to cool before spreading over the cooled cheesecake. Top with pecans.
It’s very possible at the start of making caramel it can crystallise. Maybe you stirred it or swirled the pan, there are many reasons the caramel can crystallise. Don’t panic! Sugar dissolves in hot liquid so if this happens at the start of the process, simply continue as normal. Keep breaking off chunks of crystallised sugar around the sides of the pot, allowing them to melt as you are making the caramel. The final addition of cream and allowing it to cook for a further few minutes will really help dissolve all the crystals.
-Don’t mix the sugar, swirl the pan every minute or so to prevent burning. Mixing the sugar may result in large sugar crystals which may produce a grainy caramel. You can use a whisk once you add in the butter and cream though.
-You’re looking to get the sugar to a soft ball stage. This means that if you drip a small bit of the sugar into water, it should form a small soft ball, that is squishy to the touch still. If using a food thermometer, aim for a temperature of just under 112-115°c/234-240°f.
-Don’t worry if it starts to crystallise and forms lumps after you add the butter and cream. This is totally normal and the sugar will dissolve again once it’s put back on the heat. For this reason, I like to underdo my caramel slightly at the start before adding the butter and cream for this reason, so I don’t worry about burning it when trying to remelt the sugar crystals.
Of course!
-For a smooth cheesecake, try to leave your cream cheese at room temperature for 20 minutes before making. This allows it to soften a little bit, making it easier to cream and less likely to form lumps.
-Make sure to whisk your cornflour with a few tablespooms of cream before adding to the cheesecake mix. If you add the cornflour directly to the mixture, it’s likely to clump and form lumps of cornflour.
-Use a sping form or loose bottomed baking tin for easy removal of the cheesecake once cold. You can use a regular cake tin, just make sure its very well greased and lined.
-Ensure you allow the cheesecake to cool adequately before removing from the tin. If you remove it while it’s still hot, it make break or crack while moving it. The cheesecake will still be very fragile while hot so it’s important to let it cool first.
-This cheesecake will stay fresh in an airtight container or covered in cling film for up to 3 days in the fridge. It may also be tightly wrapped in cling film and frozen for up to 3 months.
For more Cake Recipes, check out my Cake Category, here.
Maybe you want more Gluten Free Recipes? Take a peek at my Gluten Free Recipes, here.
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