Honey Bun Cheesecake

This Honey Bun Cheesecake starts with a honey graham cracker crust, then has layers of rich cheesecake filling, cinnamon sugar swirls, chunks of actual honey buns, then topped with a sweet vanilla glaze drizzle.

Prep Time25

Cook Time55

Chill Time8

Servings: slices

Author: Miranda Couse

Ingredients

Crust

1 ½ cups honey graham cracker crumbs about 11 cracker sheets
6 tablespoons salted butter melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cinnamon Sugar Swirl/Topping

1 cup light brown sugar packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons salted butter melted

Cheesecake

32 ounces cream cheese room temperature
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup full-fat sour cream
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
4 large eggs
4 Little Debbie Honey Buns chopped

Glaze

3 tablespoons salted butter melted
1 cup powdered sugar
1 - 3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick baking spray. Line the sides of the pan with 3-inch-wide parchment paper strip. Wrap the outside of the prepared springform pan with two layers of heavy-duty foil.
In a medium bowl, add the 1 ½ cups honey graham cracker crumbs, melted 6 tablespoons salted butter, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Mix until the graham crackers are coated in the butter.
Press the crust evenly and firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
Place in the fridge or freezer to chill while working on the cheesecake batter. For a firmer crust, place in the preheated oven and bake for 13 minutes and then let cool.

Cinnamon Sugar Swirl/Topping

In a medium bowl, add the 1 cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon and 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Stir until the mixture is well combined.
Pour in the melted 4 tablespoons salted butter and stir until the butter coats everything. Clumps of cinnamon sugar are good. Set aside.

Cheesecake

In a large mixing bowl, add the 32 ounces cream cheese. Beat using a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
Add in the 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup full-fat sour cream, and ¼ cup heavy whipping cream. Beat until smooth and creamy. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
Add the 4 large eggs, one at a time, and beat in each egg just until combined. Scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl before adding the next egg.
Pour half of the cheesecake batter in the crust.
Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar swirl/topping on top. Gently give it a swirl without digging into the graham cracker crust.
Add the chopped 4 Little Debbie Honey Buns on top of the cinnamon sugar swirl. Be sure to evenly layer them on top.
Spoon the remaining cheesecake batter on top of the chopped honey buns. Spooning it helps to cover all of the honey bun pieces.
Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar topping on the top of the cheesecake batter. Give the cheesecake a few gentle taps on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Honey buns will begin to float to the top, use the skewer/ butter knife you swirled with earlier to push the honey bun pieces back down. Gently swirl the cinnamon sugar if you would like to.
Carefully place the cheesecake in a larger pan filled with 1 inch of hot water and place both pans in the preheated oven. Bake until the top of cheesecake turns golden, the edges are completely set, and the center only have a very slight jiggle to it, about 50 – 60 minutes.
Once done, leave the cheesecake in the oven, turn the oven off, and leave the door slightly ajar until the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature.
Once the cheesecake is at room temperature, work on the glaze.

Glaze

In a small bowl, add in the melted 3 tablespoons salted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon milk. Whisk until smooth. If you would like the glaze thinner, add ½ tablespoon of milk at a time and stir. Continue until you reach your desired consistency. I like to leave mine a thicker consistency so I can pipe it.
Add the glaze into a sandwich bag and pipe a drizzle on top of the room temperature cheesecake. Use even pressure while moving your hand back and forth over the top of the cheesecake. If the glaze is super thin, you can pour it on the top of the cheesecake and spread it to the edges so it coats the top like it would a hot honey bun and fill in any divots.
Cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight pie container/cake container and store in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Notes

Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition