Thick Amazonian lucuma fruit cheesecake with caramel rum sauce, whipped cream & pecans with gluten-free Cheerio crust
In a mixing bowl, combine crushed Cheerios and melted butter. Mix until fully combined.
Press the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan to create an even layer at the bottom. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add in lucuma puree and vanilla extract, mixing until well incorporated.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
Pour the cheesecake filling over the cooled Cheerio crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven at 325°F (160°C) for 45-50 minutes, or until the center is set but still slightly jiggly. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar for about 1 hour.
After cooling, refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then let it simmer without stirring until it turns a golden brown color.
Carefully add heavy cream and rum to the caramel, stirring continuously until smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and slice into desired portions. Drizzle with caramel rum sauce and top with whipped cream and chopped pecans before serving.