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Spiced Rum Pecan Cheesecakes

Spiced Rum Cheesecakes are little 4-bite treats laced with spiced rum and smothered in a homemade boozy caramel studded with pecans. This dessert is perfect for dinner parties, holidays, and for all the spiced rum lovers in your life.

Spiced Rum Pecan Cheesecakes are little 4-bite cheesecakes covered in a homemade spiced rum caramel sauce loaded with pecans

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Remember that time I made Spiced Rum Cupcakes with Boozy Buttercream and they were your actual favorites for like two whole years? 

I’m sort of hoping you feel the same way about these cheesecakes. Spiced Rum Pecan Cheesecakes are definitely loveable. 

I pulled this recipe from several places, and all of them have booze, so if baking with the liquor (side note I spell that word wrong on the first try EVERY TIME) cabinet is not your thing, I invite you to make this Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake.  That recipe is also a keeper. 

Little simple cheesecakes doused in homemade spiced rum caramel studded with pecans. Spiced Rum Pecan Cheesecakes are 4-5 bites each and decadent!

Okay soooo. Spiced Rum Pecan Cheesecake has a shortbread crust. I actually borrowed the crust here from my Bourbon Cheesecake with Boozy Chocolate recipe. The filling is very similar too, but there are differences. The sour cream in this recipe makes the cake a little silkier. 

And, if I am being quite honest, THIS recipe is a little lighter on the alcohol content. 

There’s brown sugar here which I think really complements the spice in the rum, and the pecans as well. 

Spiced Rum Pecan Cheesecakes are small, smooth, decadent cheesecakes covered in a homemade caramel sauce with pecans; this is a whole plate of cheesecakes on parchment paper with a bright white background

The first time I tested this recipe was like … right before last Father’s Day, y’all. Annnd I tested it with bourbon. 

I think I had some grand ideas about a Father’s Day dessert, but then I was busy, and there are 9 dogs here to chase around, and I did that thing where I was like YASSSSS NEW BLOG POST, and then I saved the photos and promptly lost the scrap of paper that I wrote the recipe on in a stack of magazines on my desk. 

Or behind my desk. 

If your desk is fastidiously organized we are probably not real life friends. One day I’ll show you a photo so we can keep it real and also be embarrassed together. 

Fast Forward. To the fall. It was for sure cool outside, and I was planning to attend my sister’s wedding but also how to get my hair like Cruella de Vil for Halloween [mission accomplished] because priorities. And I found the scrap of paper when I was having a moment of must-clean-my-desk sanity. 

I was not long-lived, but IT DID remind me that y’all needed cheesecake. So I tested this recipe again, but I was out of bourbon. 

A close look at Spiced Rum Pecan Cheesecakes. They have a shortbread crust, a spiced rum smooth cheesecake filling, and are topped with a thick boozy caramel sauce loaded with pecans

Enter the spiced rum. We can all thank my scatter brained organization as well as my local rum distillery for this. 

The topping is based on the bourbon caramel that I used in Bourbon Caramel Apple Shortcakes. <<<—- MAKE THOSE

What I am saying here is that Spiced Rum Pecan Cheesecakes are good for Valentine’s Day. They’re good for Father’s Day. Make ’em for a dinner party and for sure serve them at Thanksgiving. This is a recipe that’s a total crowd-pleaser, and even though I really LOVED this with spiced rum, you can also make it with bourbon. 

It’s been tested and re-tested and who can turn down tiny cheesecakes?!!!

Definitely not me. 

Looking for more Spiced Rum Desserts? Look no further.

Slow Cooker Boozy Peach Cobbler

Blueberry Peach Pound Cake

Slow Cooker Boozy Peach Cobbler is a great summer recipe, but also works with frozen peaches! It calls for cake mix and has a blueberry counterpart with coconut, and you will definitely love it. 

Blueberry Peach Pound Cake with Boozy Blueberry Sauce  is just a REALLY PRETTY CAKE. But also delicious. A pound cake recipe that you can file away and serve without the booze. Or with. You know. Whatever works.

 

Square close up image of little spiced rum pecan cheesecakes
Yield: 12 - 15 mini cheesecakes

Spiced Rum Pecan Cheesecakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Spiced Rum Cheesecakes are little 4-bite treats laced with spiced rum and smothered in a homemade boozy caramel studded with pecans. This dessert is perfect for dinner parties, holidays, and for all the spiced rum lovers in your life.

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 cup all purpose flour

For the Cheesecake

  • 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup spiced rum

Spiced Rum Topping

  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 teaspoons spiced rum
  • 1 cup pecan halves, very coarsely chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a standard muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. To make the crust, combine the 1/2 cup butter, 4 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 cup flour until a smooth ball of dough forms. You may have to use your fingers to press it all together.
  3. Divide the dough and press it across the bottom and barely up the sides of the prepared muffin pan. Gently prick the dough across the bottom of the pan with a fork several times. Bake for only 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  4. Reduce the oven temperature to 350.
  5. To make the filling, beat together the cream cheese and brown sugar until fluffy. Then add the sour cream.
  6. Mix in the eggs 1 at a time, beating well between each addition. Stir in the vanilla and rum, and pour the batter over the prepared crust.
  7. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 275 (I like to open the oven door for just a minute to help the temperature drop) and bake for 20 more minutes. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecakes cool IN the oven. CHILL FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR BEFORE SERVING.
  8. To make the spiced rum topping, add the water to a small saucepan. Add the sugar in a little pile right in the center of the pan. Turn the heat up to medium high, cover and simmer (this will only take about 30 seconds). Remove the lid and let it continue to simmer for about 12 minutes. Sometimes it takes longer. You are looking for that pretty amber caramel color.
  9. Place the pan in the sink, add a tablespoon of the cream and stir it in. It will bubble and sizzle. Keep stirring until it's smooth. Stir in the vanilla and spiced rum. If it seems too thick add more cream. You want it to still be sort of saucy as it cools. Stir the pecans in to the warm caramel sauce and spoon over the cheesecakes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 440Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 125mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 6g

Dale

Monday 3rd of April 2023

I just put the second batch in after making another 12 shortcake bases using the original recipe, and still have enough filling to make probably 8 more. So that makes it approx 32! Also I reduced the cooking time for the muffin cup size to 20 mins plus 12-15 mins then placed on a cooling rack as I needed my oven for supper and they turned out just fine on the cooling rack. I also did not wait for the 1 hour cooling before putting topping on and it set nicely. As mentioned before, the topping needs to be doubled for one batch. Because it made so many (and I don’t want to be in the kitchen all night), I am going to freeze the extras and use various toppings as needed.

Dale

Monday 3rd of April 2023

These are very tasty. However, the ratio’s are incorrect. It yields at least 24 regular muffin tin size cheesecakes. I doubled the syrup recipe and that was just enough to have a good amount of pecan rum topping. The water and sugar for the syrup must simmer for at least 20-30 mins to turn golden then you must work quickly to add cream and rum as the sugar will set.

Chloe

Thursday 18th of November 2021

You said in your notes above that this recipe is lighter on the booze; would it ruin the consistency/recipe if I added extra alcohol to it, or do you think I should be fine?

Heather Tullos

Saturday 11th of December 2021

Depends on how and where you add it. I love a stronger rum flavor so if you want to follow the recipe and note the texture of the batter and then add a little more rum as you go BEFORE you pour it into the pan that should work.

Emily

Tuesday 8th of December 2020

I had a crazy amount of extra filling so I might make a second batch lol

Heather Tullos

Tuesday 8th of December 2020

Ha - good to know, Emily! I might need to retest this one!

Kelly-Ann Harracksingh

Friday 25th of September 2020

This recipe made me waste spiced rum! The cake didn't turn out well and cheesecake is normally easy for me and the caramel sauce is too liquid. Terrible recipe !!!!!

Heather Tullos

Tuesday 29th of September 2020

Sorry you are bad at baking.

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