Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars

Crust

1. Arrange a rack in the lower-middle position of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper as shown in the picture. The parchment will help you easily remove the cheesecake bars when ready to serve.
2. Mix almond flour, ground pecans and coconut sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in melted butter until everything is evenly moistened. Transfer the crumbs mixture into the prepared baking dish and use the bottom of a measuring cup to press it evenly into the bottom (not up the sides).
3. Place the crust in the preheated oven and bake until the crust is just starting to brown around the edges, around 8 to 10 minutes. When done, let the crust cool down about 15 minutes before you pour the filling. While the crust is cooling prepare the filling.

Filing

1. Place softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl & beat with mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch and ¼ tsp salt to the cream cheese. Mix on medium- low speed until the mixture is creamy like thick frosting and smooth, about 5 minutes. Scape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
2. Add ½ cup sour cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat on medium-low speed until combined and creamy. Scrape down the beaters and the sides of the bowl again.
3. Beat in 3 eggs and 1 egg yolk one at a time with the mixer on medium-low speed. Wait until each egg is almost completely mixed into the batter before adding the next one. Stir the whole batter a few times by hand, scraping down the sides and the bottom of the bowl. The finished batter should be thick (but pourable), creamy, and silky.
4. Pour batter over the cooled crust in the baking dish. Place the baking dish in a roasting pan or other deep baking dish large enough to hold it. Bring about 8 cups of water to a boil and pour the hot water into the roasting pan so it goes about halfway up the sides of the baking dish, being careful not to splash any water on the cheesecake. Carefully place the roasting pan in the lower-middle position of the oven. Bake the cheesecake for 45 -50 minutes. The cheesecake bars are done when the outer 2-3 inches look slightly puffed and set but the inner circle still jiggles when you gently shake the pan. It’s okay to have some spots of golden color but if you see any cracks starting to form, move on to the next step.
5. Turn off the oven, crack the door open or prop it with a wooden spoon, and leave the cheesecake in the oven. Let the cheesecake cool slowly for 1 hour.
6. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and from the water bath, and transfer to a cooling rack and let it cool for about 1 ½ hours. After that, chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. This step is crucial for letting the cheesecake set and achieving perfect cheesecake texture.

Pecan Pie Cheesecake Topping

1. Place 6 tablespoons butter, 3/4 cup coconut sugar, ½ teaspoon salt in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly until the butter is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and bubbling, about 6 minutes. Whisk in ½ cup cream until completely combined and bubbling again.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped and whole pecans and ½ tsp vanilla extract. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 30 – 40 minutes.
3. Spoon the pecan pie topping over the chilled cheesecake. You can carefully remove the sheet cheesecake before slicing by carefully lifting the parchment paper from the baking dish and holding the cheesecake underneath using a large fish spatula. Slice the cheesecake into bars and serve on a large platter or plate. (You can also serve the pecan pie cheesecake bars right from the baking dish after you slice them.)