Butter tarts are my all time favourite holiday treat! When I was a kid and the cookie platter came out for the holidays I went for the butter tarts first and then the other goodies, if I still had room for them. Later, when I moved out for school and my grandmother asked me what I wanted for Christmas I would always reply that I wanted a box of her homemade butter tarts, and I treasured them dearly when I received them! Now they are the first holiday cookie that I bake, and the one that I make the most of! When I made the pecan pie cheesecake recently I could not help but think that a butter tart version would simply be divine for the holidays! The resulting butter tart cheesecake turned out to be just as amazing as I imagined, the perfect combination of butter tart and cheese cake, even better than the originals! A new holiday favourite?!
Butter Tart Cheesecake
A butter tart turned into a cake with a layer of butter tart filling topped with a layer of cheesecake all finished off with a gorgeous warm walnut and raisin caramel sauce!
ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (gluten-free for gluten-free)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup maple syrup (or corn syrup)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 3/4 cups walnuts, toasted and chopped
- 3/4 cups raisins
- 3 (8 ounce) bricks cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
- 1/2 cup raisins
For the crust:
For the butter tart filling:
For the cheesecake filling:
For the pecan caramel topping:
directions
- Mix the crumbs, butter and sugar and press into the bottom of a 8-10 inch spring form pan.
- Bring the brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, eggs, vanilla, walnuts and raisins to a boils and simmer until it thickens, about 5 minutes, before pouring into the crust in the springform pan.
- Beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cream and vanilla until smooth before pouring on top of the butter tart filling in the springform pan, wrap the bottom of the pan in foil, place in a larger pan with a small amount of hot water and bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until set, about 60 minutes. (It is recommended that you let the cheesecake cool completely on the counter and then chill it in the fridge overnight, but it’s also amazing while still warm from the oven!)
- Heat the butter and sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat until bubbling, let it bubble for 3 minutes, carefully add the heavy cream, mix until smooth and add the cinnamon, walnuts and raisins and let cool before pouring on the cooled cheesecake.
For the crust:
For the butter tart filling:
For the cheesecake filling:
For the butter tart caramel topping:
Butter Tarts
Pecan Pie Cheesecake with Pecan Caramel Sauce
Maple Pecan Pie
Sweet Potato Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Butter Tarts with Pepitas and Cranberries
Maple Bourbon Bacon and Pecan Butter Tarts
Chocolate and Pecan Butter Tarts
Pecan Pie Cookies
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
Pumpkin White Chocolate Cheesecake
Chestnut Cheesecake
Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake
oh… my… goodness….delectable
I made this cake today. Omg…..so delicious. It was not as sweet as I thought it would be. It’s like eating a butter tart. This is a keeper in my files. Thank you for sharing! It’s the first time a cake looks like the actual photos.
My family and friends said it looks like it came from a professional bakery!
I wanted to send my pic but don’t know how to attach.
I will be making your Butter Tart Cheesecake for a Thanksgiving dessert. I love making cheesecakes and this one will surely be a winner. I do have a question about the crust. Your instructions do not say bake the crust for “x” amount of minutes. So, are you saying the crust does not have to be baked before you start applying the layers of the cheesecake? The idea of using vanilla wafers for the crust is fabulous because I love them. Thank you for your help. And, keep these delicious recipes coming!!!
The crust is not pre-baked. Enjoy!
Can i use graham cracker crumbs instead vanilla wafers?
Yes you can! Enjoy!
Looks wonderful! Could I use fresh or dried cranberries instead of raisins? (We just don’t care for raisins.) If so, should I use the same quantities? Thank you.
You could simply omit the raisins and dried cranberries would be a nice substitute!
Hello there.. I am wondering if the crust goes up the sides of the spring form pan? Also can I use parchment paper on the bottom and sides of pan? last but not least… Do i have to use the water bath? I had a bad experience once with it and kinda scared of it LOL .. thanks in advance 🙂
I like to press some of the crust up the side of the cheesecake (about 1/2 top 1 inch) but you could also just press it into the bottom. You can use parchment paper for easier release from the pan! You can omit the water bath! Enjoy!
Was wondering if I could use pure maple syrup in the filling or do I have to use a brand like Mrs butterworth’s? Also do I have to use raisins in the filling? And if I don’t use raisins do I have to substitute something else or can I just not use them and not put anything else?
I use pure maple syrup for these, but if you really want to, you could use pancake syrup… You can fill them with anything you want or nothing at all! (My father likes them with just walnuts, my mother likes them with raisins and walnuts, and I have friends that request them without raisins or nuts!) Enjoy!
Hello, I’ve found using the water bath is better to solidify the cheesecake. Use this method instead: get a large roasting pan (larger than the springform), place 3-4 paper towels inside a slow cooker plastic liner, inside the large pan. Once the cheesecake batter is inside the springform carefully place on the paper towels inside the liner. Carefully fill up to half of the large pan with boiled water (make sure no water gets inside the liner). Bake for 12 min @ 450° then turn down to 300° for 90 minutes (gas stove). If it jiggles slightly in the middle, turn off the oven and crack the door to allow the heat to escape and cool for a half hour. Remove from oven and finish cooling on a wire rack. Enjoy!
UNNNNNNNBELIEVABLE.. I used a 9 1/2″ in spring form pan and the cream cheese filling filled it to the top. I wouldn’t recommend anything smaller. I used parchment paper, inverted the base, used graham waffer crackers and mixed pecans and walnuts . I further used a water bath by placing the spring form pan in a larger cast iron fry pan . Leaving your cream cheese over night at room temp. is a must . Spent more time than needed beating these 3 blocks of C.C. to remove the tiny lumps The taste of this dish is simply over the top. While pouring the topping and spreading it,it reminded me of a volcanic lava flow only to be filled with sweet tasty goodness. Thanks for sharing and spreading this warmth of goodness.
If I don’t put the topping on right away does it freeze well
Have you tried this with a ginger snap crust? I am planning on giving this recipe a shot and curious if anyone’s made that variation.
This would be good with a gingersnap crust!
Can this be frozen?
Yes it can!
When using graham cracker crumbs for this recipe. would you do the rest of the crust recipe as you wrote. or would you change up the measurements on any of the other ingredients in the crust?
Simply replace the 1 3/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs with 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs and everything else is the same. Enjoy!
Looks amazing, cannot wait to put this together!
Question: does each layer have to be chilled before adding the next layer? Ie; chill the crust, then chill the butter tart filling before adding, and so on?