Roasted Pear Crumble Cheesecake
Servings 10
Ingredients
Roasted pears for cheesecake
- 4 slightly underripe pears, sliced 1-4 inch thick slices
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (28 grams)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (37 grams)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (185 grams)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (36 grams)
- 6 tablespoons melted butter (85 grams)
Streusel
- 9 tablespoons all-purpose flour (70 grams)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (67 grams)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup melted butter ( 57 grams)
Cheesecake
- 32 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (250 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup sour cream, at room temperature (180 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Roasted pears for topping
- 4 slightly underripe pears sliced 1-4 inch thick slices
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (28 grams)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (37 grams)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
- Prepare the pears for the cheesecake filling. Toss the sliced pears with melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, tossing to coat. Spread evenly on one of the prepared baking sheets. Roast for 15-18 minutes or until the pears are tender but not mushy. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- Make the crust. Combine graham cracker crumbs with brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add melted butter, stirring until well combined. Pour mixture in the springform pan, pressing down and up the sides to create the crust. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- Make the streusel. Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Add melted butter, stirring until well combined. Spread streusel on the second prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. The streusel will look a little wet but will harden as it cools. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare cheesecake. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese for 1 minute. Add sugar and cornstarch and beat for 2 minutes or until well combined and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating the egg before adding the next. Add sour cream and vanilla, mixing until well combined.
- Pour half of the cream cheese batter into the baked crust. Spread the roasted pears on top and sprinkle ½ of the streusel mixture on top. Pour the remaining cheesecake batter on top, smoothing the top.
- Wrap the bottom of the cheesecake pan with at least 3 pieces of foil to avoid water seeping into the pan. Fill a roasting rack with enough boiling water to come up the sides of the cheesecake pan halfway. Place the rack in the center of the oven and bake the cheesecake for 1 hour 30 - 1 hour 40 minutes or until the cheesecake is almost fully set. The center will have a slight jiggle but the edges should be completely set.
- Crack open the oven door and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Transfer to the refridgerator and let cool for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- When ready to serve, roast the remaining 4 pears, following the same directions as step 2. Let the pears cool to room temperature and spoon on the cheesecake. Sprinkle the remaining streusel on top. Slice and serve.
Notes
I used Bartlett pears, but you can also use Anjou pears or Bosc pears. If using Bosc pears, peel the pears before roasting them. You can also peel Anjou pears or Bartlett pears if you dislike the skin.
You can bake the streusel and graham cracker crust the day before and store them at room temperature.
You can roast all of the pears at the same time and bring the pears for the topping to room temperature before placing them on the baked cheesecake.
