Maple Cheesecake Candied Bacon
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Rich cheesecake with maple syrup, candied bacon topping, and a spiced gingersnap crust. Uses water bath baking for crack-free texture. Cream cheese beaten thoroughly, eggs added slowly. Crust baked briefly before filling. Candied bacon adds smoky sweetness. Chill overnight for best slice. Practical tips for substitutions and troubleshooting cracks included.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
75 min
Total:
100 min
Servings:
12 servings
#cheesecake
#bacon
#maple syrup
#dessert
#water bath
#gingersnap
#baking tips
Always loved dense cheesecake but hated cracking mess. Found using water bath with sturdy foil wrap changed game. Maple syrup swirled in makes topping sticky-sweet, cozy autumn flavor. Throw candied bacon on and you get sweet meets savory fireworks. Gingersnap crust adds spice crunch, no dull base. Tried subbing vanilla wafers once, meh. Flavors not tight enough. Patience in mixing eggs matter; rushed batter means lumps or curds — wasted time and ingredients. The baking tempo is less about rigid minutes, more about jiggly center and gentle edges browning, signaling doneness. Cooling in open oven slow and firm after bake avoids sudden shrinkage and cracks — doing it wrong means ugly top. Overnight chill turns creamy slice into cuttable slabs, hold shape on plate perfectly.
Ingredients
Crust
- 180 grams gingersnap crumbs
- 55 grams unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Maple Cheesecake
- 680 grams cream cheese softened
- 140 grams packed dark brown sugar
- 20 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 150 grams pure maple syrup
- 180 grams full fat sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
Candied Bacon Topping
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Pinch cayenne pepper optional
About the ingredients
Gingersnap crumbs form an aromatic and spiced base. You can swap half for graham cracker crumbs if needed, but it dulls character. Use unsalted butter for controllable salt level, melted for direct moistening. Dark brown sugar adds molasses depth; white sugar feels flat here. Cream cheese should be softened thoroughly; cold lumps kill texture and risk blending issues. Maple syrup — pure grade preferred — is the flavor star; light can work but changes color and intensity. Sour cream keeps texture creamy but tang balanced; Greek yogurt okay in pinch but monitor baking time due to acidity. Eggs large and room temp, added slowly, keep batter uniform and rise even. Candied bacon topping adds smokiness and salt punch; adjust sugar and cayenne pepper to your sweet-spicy preference or omit cayenne entirely for milder taste.
Method
Crust
- Oven warm to 370°F. Prep 9-inch springform pan bottom with parchment. Grease sides with vegetable shortening or line with parchment. Wrap bottom twice in foil. Avoid water bath leaks.
- Stir gingersnap crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar – the lesser sugar keeps crust balanced. Press firmly on pan base—uniform layer crucial for even bake. Bake about 9 minutes; look for slightly darkened edges and scent awakening. Set crust aside. Drop oven to 345°F while crust cools.
Maple Cheesecake
- Beat softened cream cheese with paddle attachment 3-4 minutes until creamy, no lumps. Patience here saves blending errors later. Add dark brown sugar, flour, salt; mix until homogenous.
- Stream maple syrup, sour cream, vanilla next; blend well till mixture glistens but holds shape when lifted. Eggs and egg yolks go in one by one. Scrape bowl sides, blend each thoroughly to avoid curds.
- Check for tiny chunks, strain through metal sieve if uneasy. It’s the secret to silky texture.
- Pour batter over crust carefully, no splashes to sides or water bath could seep in. Set pan inside deep roasting tray. Fill tray halfway with hot tap water, keep water level checked during bake.
- Bake roughly 70-80 minutes until edges firm with mild golden brown, center jiggles like set jelly—not liquid but not stiff either. If edges brown too quick, tent foil without touching surface. Listen for soft cracking sounds, watch slight puffing–both normal.
- When timed out, switch oven off, crack door slightly. Let cake sit in warmth for 1 hour to avoid sudden shrinkage and cracking. Then fridge chill minimum 14 hours or overnight for slices to firm well.
Candied Bacon Topping
- Preheat skillet medium heat. Coat bacon strips in maple syrup, sprinkle sugar and cayenne if desired. Cook slowly, flipping often, until crispy edges develop and sugar glaze caramelizes, 10-12 minutes. Drain on paper towels cool completely.
- Chop candied bacon roughly before serving.
Serving
- Release springform carefully. Drizzle with pure maple syrup to taste. Scatter bacon over top. The salty-sweet bacon contrasts decadent cheesecake, adding chew and crunch, a texture rollercoaster.
- Slice chilled cheesecake using a hot, clean knife dipped in warm water between cuts to keep edges clean and neat.
Notes
- If short on gingersnaps, substitute crushed vanilla wafers or graham crackers. Butter replacement: clarified butter or neutral oil (less flavor, but workable). Sour cream swap with Greek yogurt; keep temp steady to prevent graininess.
- Water bath crucial for preventing cracks. If too hot steam forms, or water seeps into pan, results suffer. Use double foil wrap method religiously. Don't open oven door before 60 minutes to stabilize temperature.
- Overbeating eggs creates air bubbles that pop on bake—risks cracks; add eggs slowly instead.
- If cheesecake cracks despite care, patch with maple syrup drizzle and bacon topping to mask.
- Bacon needs constant eye; sugar burns fast. If too sweet, reduce sugar by half or omit cayenne.
- Use fresh eggs at room temp for best blending and rise.
- Time cues approximate. Use visual and tactile signals to finalize bake and cooling.
- Slices hold better chilled 2-3 hours after removal from fridge.
Cooking tips
Start with your prepared pan, parchment lined and foil-wrapped to keep water bath dry. Press crust with firm, even layer critical — too thin means soggy spots, too thick ruins balance. Bake until you smell gingersnap aroma and crust firms; don’t overbrown. Drop oven temp before cheesecake fill to avoid crust burning under long bake. Cream cheese whipping well indispensable — no lumps means even batter and better texture. Adding sugar, flour, and salt before wet ingredients disperses correctly without overmixing. Adding eggs one by one cuts curd risk. Strain batter if bits linger; patience needed here for texture. Pour smooth batter carefully over crust avoiding bubbling or splashing. Water bath ensures slow, even cooking prevents cracking but water level must be high enough and stable. Midway tent with foil if edges brown too fast, don’t rely solely on timer watch visual cues too. Cooling inside cracked oven opens gradually, traps moisture for gentle firming, stops sinking cracks — crucial. Chill thoroughly overnight for firm, sliceable cuts. Candied bacon—slow cooked with sugar—must brown but not burn; watch closely and drain well before topping. Serve with extra maple syrup drizzle for gloss and sweet finish. Always slice with hot knife wiped between slices to keep neat edges.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Press crust firmly but evenly in pan base. Too thin, soggy patches appear; too thick ruins bake balance. Bake until edges smell toasted and just darken. Drop oven temp for cheesecake fill—to stop burnt crust under long cook. Wrap pan bottom well, double foil, prevents water bath leaks. Moisture ruins crust texture—keep dry gasket.
- 💡 Beat cream cheese fully soft, no lumps before adding sugar and flour. Mix brown sugar first with cream cheese, then add flour plus kosher salt—helps mix even, limits overwork. Pour wet ingredients slowly; maple syrup and sour cream add gloss and body. Eggs slow pour avoids curds, scrape bowl often to combine all.
- 💡 Water bath needs level mid-pan, fills halfway roasting tray only. Check water once bake starts or steam and splash can warp crust or batter. Tent foil if edges brown fast but keep foil lifted—not touching cheesecake surface, prevents wet spots, cuts harsh lines. Watch for faint cracking sounds, tiny puff rise—signals baking progress, not faults.
- 💡 Cool cheesecake in oven with door cracked after bake. Warm still but stable temp stops surface shrink, cracking. Leaving in open cooler fridge too soon causes cracks, sink marks. Chilling minimum 14 hours—overnight—makes slices firm sharply but keeps creamy feel inside. Slice chilled using knife warmed in hot water, cleaned between cuts, neat edges every time.
- 💡 Candied bacon needs slow medium heat, sugar caramelizes slowly for crunch without bitter burnt. Flip often—watch edges crisping golden. Drain thoroughly on paper towels cool fully—sticky bacon cools hardens glazing. Add pinch cayenne for heat tuning or skip if too much sweet-spice conflict. Dice roughly before topping—scatter generously, contrast texture, smoky punch with sweetness.
Common questions
How to avoid cracks when baking?
Use a good water bath double wrapped foil. Oven cracked door cooldown after bake keeps surface stable. Don't open door early. Add eggs slowly—air bubbles burst cause cracks. Cooling slowly reduces shrink marks too.
Can I substitute sour cream?
Greek yogurt works but acid can speed bake time—watch edges closely. Keep temp steady, avoid graininess. Butter swap with clarified butter or neutral oil okay; changes flavor pressure. Gingersnaps swap half with vanilla wafers dulls spice punch but still work.
What to do if bacon burns fast?
Turn heat down medium low, cook slower. Sugar burns easily so watch closely, flip often stops hot spots. Remove early if edges crisp dark brown but not black. Sugar glaze thickens as cools so don't overcook. Drain on towels cool fully keeps crunch.
Best way to store leftovers?
Wrap cheesecake airtight in fridge. Can freeze in slices on tray first then bag—thaw slow in fridge. Leftover bacon stored separately keeps crisp longer. Room temp short term okay but risk texture softening and oxidation.
