Vanilla Bean Brown Butter Cheesecake Recipe
This Vanilla Bean Brown Butter Cheesecake offers a rich and nutty twist on the classic dessert. Featuring a buttery graham and pecan crust infused with browned butter, this cheesecake filling is smooth and creamy with the warm flavor of vanilla bean and brown butter. It’s baked in a water bath for a silky texture, topped with lightly whipped vanilla cream, making it a decadent and elegant dessert perfect for special occasions.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 9 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Brown Butter
- 1 cup butter
Crust
- 2 cups graham, digestive, or golden Oreo cookie crumbs (240g, if Oreo, cream removed)
- 1 cup ground pecans (115g)
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon browned butter (120g)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 packages cream cheese (452g, at room temperature, soft)
- ¼ cup brown butter (57g, mostly browned bits)
- ½ cup labne or sour cream
- 1 cup brown sugar (210g)
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Two large eggs
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean scrapings
Instructions
- Brown the Butter: Melt 1 cup of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Increase to medium-high and cook, allowing it to sputter, foam, and then calm, forming brown bits on the bottom and releasing a nutty aroma. Pour immediately into a heatproof bowl, scraping all browned bits from the pan. Let it cool slightly.
- Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a tall 8 or 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper, securing with clips if needed. In a bowl, combine ground pecans, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon of the yellow liquid browned butter. Press mixture evenly into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake crust for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
- Prepare the Filling: Beat softened cream cheese, brown sugar, sea salt, 3-4 tablespoons of the reserved browned butter bits, and vanilla bean scrapings together until smooth and lump-free, scraping bowl as needed. Add labne or sour cream and beat until smooth. Gently beat in eggs just to combine. For a super smooth filling, strain through a fine mesh sieve into the prepared crust.
- Bake the Cheesecake: Place the cheesecake pan inside a larger 13×9-inch pan filled halfway with warm water to create a water bath. Bake in the preheated 325°F oven for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the center is no longer jiggly and the top is matte. Turn off the oven, prop the door open with a wooden spoon, and cool the cheesecake inside for 30 minutes. Then, remove to cool on countertop for another 30 minutes before refrigerating for at least 8 hours to chill thoroughly.
- Make Whipped Cream: Using a food processor, whip heavy cream with vanilla extract, pinch of salt, and brown sugar until thick but not over-whipped, suitable for scooping.
- Serve: Top the chilled cheesecake with freshly whipped cream and serve. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Notes
- Use room temperature cream cheese to avoid lumps in the filling.
- For the crust, removing the cream from Oreo cookies helps prevent sogginess.
- Brown butter adds a unique nutty flavor; ensure not to burn it.
- Water bath baking prevents cracks and ensures creamy texture.
- Chilling the cheesecake for at least 8 hours is essential for proper setting.
- Whip the cream just enough to hold shape but still soft for best texture.
- Store cheesecake refrigerated and consume within one week for freshness.
Keywords: Vanilla Bean Brown Butter Cheesecake, Cheesecake recipe, Brown butter dessert, Vanilla bean dessert, Nutty cheesecake, Cream cheese dessert
