*To make the pecan meal, grind 170g pecan halves to a coarse meal texture in a coffee grinder, food processor, or blender. It’s important to use freshly ground pecan meal because the oils released from the nuts help bind the crust together. A few chunks are ok for texture.

CRUST: Mix the crust ingredients together with a fork or hand mixer. Press into the bottom of a greased 10 inch springform pan. (I didn’t bother pressing it up the sides.) Bake at 350* F for 8 minutes. Let the crust cool while preparing the cheesecake filling. Turn the oven down to 325*.

FILLING: Beat the room temperature cream cheese in a stand mixer until smooth and creamy. (You can also use a hand mixer.)  Add the sour cream, sweeteners, molasses, and vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well between each addition until the cheesecake filling is smooth and emulsified. Add more THM Gentle Sweet if you want a sweeter cheesecake.

Melt 1/2 cup sugar free chocolate chips in the microwave or over a double boiler. Fold 1 cup of cheesecake filling into the melted chocolate chips to create a chocolate batter.

ASSEMBLY: Make sure neither the crust nor the caramel are piping hot. Spread 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce evenly over the prebaked crust. Spread the chocolate batter over the caramel layer all the way to the sides of the pan using an offset frosting spreader. Spread the vanilla batter evenly over the chocolate batter. Jiggle the cheesecake to smooth out the top.

BAKE: Place the cheesecake pan into a piece of extra wide aluminum foil and wrap the foil around the sides of the pan, then place the contraption into a larger pan filled with 3/4 inch of water. (A pizza pan with sides works great.) This water bath will help the cheesecake bake more evenly. (It can also help prevent cracks, but we’re covering the top with ganache so that doesn’t really matter.)

Place the cheesecake in the center of the oven. Bake at 325* for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cheesecake still has a bit of a wobble but is fairly set. Turn the oven off, crack the door open, and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 10 minutes to cool slowly. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and cool to room temperature.

GARNISH: I prefer to let cheesecakes refrigerate overnight before serving. You can garnish the cheesecake before or after this step. Just make sure the cheesecake has cooled completely before garnishing.

GANACHE: Bring the cream just to a boil in the microwave or on the stovetop. Dump the chocolate chips into the hot cream and give the container a shake to disperse them evenly. Let stand for a few minutes to allow the chips to melt, then whisk until smooth. Spread evenly over the cheesecake immediately using an offset frosting spreader. (Do not make the ganache ahead of time; it sets quickly.) Drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce (1/2 – 3/4 cup, or whatever amount you like). (Reheat it for a few seconds in the microwave if needed to make it spoonable, then whisk until smooth.) Top the cheesecake with chopped pecans or pecan halves. Refrigerate the cheesecake until serving.