I love my snacks. I am a born grazer, as is my oldest son, James. We don't want a great big meal, but we do want to eat pretty much nonstop.
One of my go-to snacks is almond butter on graham crackers. Honey almond butter is even better, if I have that in the pantry. Recently I was snacking and thought to myself: "This would be really awesome if it were cheesecake."
Honey Almond Butter Cheesecake. Ta daaa! My snack and dessert dreams have collided, and it's awesome.
To be more specific, I'm talking about a classic graham cracker crust filled with honey almond butter cheesecake, and topped with fresh whipped cream, sliced almonds, and white chocolate "honeycomb." I would love to eat any one of those things all on its own, but they're even better together!
This cheesecake is definitely on the denser side. I typically prefer a creamier cheesecake, but I'm satisfied with how this turned out because I wanted to make sure that you could taste that almond butter goodness. Adding less almond butter wasn't an option. 🙂
Be mindful of the type of almond butter that you use. Many organic and natural almond butters are very thin and/or have a lot of accumulated oil on top. You want a spreadable consistency with no excess oil, or it will wreak havoc on the texture of your cheesecake.
You can use a standard 8" or 9" springform pan with removeable bottom for this cheesecake, but I LOVE my "push pan." This pan's bottom has a silicone seal that's waterproof, so you can set the pan directly into the water bath and have no worries about water leaking in! If you're interested in getting one for yourself, you can find one [here]. Check out the recipe notes for more detail on baking a cheesecake in a water bath.
After baking, the cheesecake cools in the oven for an hour, on the counter until it's room temperature, and then in the refrigerator another 4-6 hours! The wait can be grueling (it smells so good!), but I promise it's worth the wait!
I topped my cheesecake with fresh whipped cream, sliced almonds, and white chocolate "honeycomb", but you can dress it up however you like!
I love the flavor of vanilla bean paste and the lovely black flecks it leaves in the whipped cream. If you don't have vanilla bean paste, you can substitute vanilla extract. If you're looking to purchase vanilla bean paste, you can find it [here].
I made the white chocolate "honeycomb" by spreading melted white chocolate onto bubble wrap! It's a technique I saw recently, and I knew I had to try it out since this cheesecake has honey in it! I like the look, but it totally optional if you'd rather not take the extra step.
Now every time I have a sweet snack I'll be wondering what dessert I can make it into. 😉
Other posts you may like:
Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups (with cheesecake mousse!)
Honey Almond Butter Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 18 whole graham crackers)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 7 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake:
Whipped Cream:
- ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream, cold
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste (see note)
Toppings:
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- 4 oz white chocolate (for white chocolate "honeycomb", optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 8" or 9" springform pan (see note) with nonstick spray. Set aside.
For Crust:
- Crush graham crackers finely in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you can crush them in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter, making sure all the crumbs are coated with butter. Place the graham crackers in the prepared pan, pressing them into the bottom and about 1" up the sides.
For Filling:
- Combine cream cheese, almond butter, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Combine at low speed, then increase speed to medium until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add honey and eggs, one at a time, allowing the first egg to incorporate before adding the second. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add sour cream and heavy cream and mix to incorporate.
- Pour filling into prepared crust and smooth top. Wrap the bottom and up the sides of the pan with at least two layers of heavy-duty foil to keep the water bath out of the cheesecake (see note on pan).
- Place cheesecake in a water bath (see notes) in the preheated oven. Bake until cheesecake is puffed around the edges, about 1 hour. The center will still be wobbly.
- Turn off the oven. With the oven door slightly ajar, leave the cheesecake to slowly cool in the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove the pan from the oven and run a thin knife around the edge of the cheesecake to make sure it is released from the pan. Allow the cheesecake to cool on a rack to room temperature. Once at room temperature, chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator at least 4-6 hours.
For Whipped Cream:
- Place cold heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla bean paste (see note) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Start the mixer on low speed, and gradually increase the speed to high. Whip until the cream thickens and forms peaks.
For White Chocolate "Honeycomb":
- Chop white chocolate finely and place in a heatproof bowl. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, taking care that the water doesn't touch the bowl, and gently melt chocolate until smooth.
- Pour white chocolate onto a piece of bubble wrap, spreading and smoothing the chocolate with an offset spatula. Set aside in the refrigerator to chill until firm.
- Once firm, carefully remove the bubble wrap from the chocolate. Break or cut chocolate into desired size/shape pieces.
Assembly:
- Pipe or dollop whipped cream on top of chilled cheesecake and top with sliced almonds. If desired, also top with white chocolate "honeycomb".Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate.
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