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Almond praline cheesecake is smooth, creamy, and absolutely addictive, especially if you are a lover of almonds and caramel!

This has been one of my favorite cheesecakes for years. I’m honestly not sure where I got the recipe from it has been so long ago. I love the creamy almond flavor of this cheesecake and the caramely almond topping on the top. Truth be told, I could eat the topping alone with a spoon and be happy. It is that good! I love almonds. They are hands down my favorite nut. This cheesecake has almonds in the crust, almond extract in the cheesecake and almonds on the top. So it’s pretty much almond perfection.

Before starting your cheesecake, arrange the oven racks so that the cheesecake will bake in the center of the oven. After arranging the racks preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

For this cheesecake we of course start with the crust. I blend my crust up in a food processor so that the almonds get chopped up and blended in well. Then just press the crust into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan and set aside.

When making cheesecake filling you always want your cream cheese to be room temperature. This is too avoid cream cheese lumps in your cheesecake. Next, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times and beat out any remaining lumps. If you try to beat out lumps after all the ingredients are added you will incorporate too much air into the cheesecake filling causing it to puff high while baking and collapse upon cooling. Next beat in the sweetened condensed milk and almond extract. Then beat in the eggs one at a time at a low speed just until blended. Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 55 to 60 minutes. When cheesecake is done the edges will be slightly puffed and the center will still jiggle a little bit. Allow the cheesecake to cool for about 10 minutes then run a sharp knife carefully around the edges to loosen them from the pan. Don’t remove the sides yet though. Cool the cheesecake on a wire rack for an hour then move it to the refrigerator, uncovered for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. At this point you should be able to unlatch the sides of the pan and remove the outside rim.

Now that the cheesecake is properly chilled, it is time to make the topping. I like to toast my almonds first. I spread the almonds out on a foil lined baking sheet and place them in my oven that’s been preheated to 325 degrees. It only takes about 5 to 10 minutes to toast the almonds. Just be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Then in a small saucepan heat the brown sugar and whipping cream until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for about 5 minutes. You will notice the sauce getting a little thicker. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds. In the recipe I put 1/2 cup to 1 cup toasted almond slices. This is because you may want more sauce than almonds. I tend to go a little heavier with the almonds. So the amount of almonds in your sauce in up to you. Cool the sauce slightly and pour over the cheesecake. Slice and serve. Keep the leftovers in the fridge.

Almond Praline Cheesecake

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Author: Mindee's Cooking Obsession
Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus chilling time)
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 0 One 9 inch cheesecake
Category: Cheesecake
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Description

Almond praline cheesecake is smooth, creamy, and absolutely addictive, especially if you are a lover of almonds and caramel!

Ingredients

Crust:
3/4 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/2 Cup Sliced or Slivered Almonds
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Butter (melted)
Filling:
3 (8 oz) packages Cream Cheese (room temperature)
1 (14 oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp Almond Extract
3 Large Eggs
Topping:
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar
2/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 Cup to 1 toasted Almond slices (see note at end)

Instructions

Arrange oven racks so cheesecake will be baking in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
In a food processor, blend the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and almonds until the almonds are chopped up and blended in well. Add the melted butter and blend just until combined. Press the crust into a 9 inch springform pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, scraping down the sides of the bowl until it is smooth and no lumps remain. Beat in the sweetened condensed milk and almond extract.
Beat in the eggs one at a time at a low speed just until combined. Pour the filling over the crust.
Bake the cheesecake at 300 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes. When done the edges will be slightly puffed and the center will still jiggle a little.
Cool for ten minutes and then run a sharp knife around the side of the pan to loosen the edges. Do not remove the side yet. Cool on a cooling rack for an hour then place the cheesecake uncovered in the fridge for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
After cheesecake has properly chilled remove the rim of the springform pan and make the topping.
To toast the almonds, spread them out on a foil lined baking sheet and place them in an oven preheated to 325 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes. When the almonds begin to brown remove them from the oven.
In a small saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar and whipping cream. Heat until the sugar dissolves and sauce begins to simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds. Cool slightly before pouring over the cheesecake.
Slice and enjoy!
(Note: I list 1/2 to 1 cup sliced almonds for the sauce because if your preference is more sauce than almonds than just add the 1/2 cup. If you want a fair amount of almonds in your sauce than add up to a cup of toasted almonds to the sauce. It’s totally up to you!)