Equipment Needed
- Medium mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Spatula
- Small skillet (for toasting pecans)
- Serving bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
Step-by-Step Instructions
My first step is always to get my cream cheese perfectly softened. I leave the block on the counter for a good hour. If it’s still cool in the center, it will create lumpy bits in your dip—a mistake I made once that required a lot of extra mixing. While it softens, I toast my pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly until they’re fragrant and just starting to brown. I immediately pour them onto a plate to cool, which stops the cooking and lets them crisp up.
Now, for the base. In my mixing bowl, I combine the softened cream cheese, marshmallow creme, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Using my electric mixer on medium speed, I beat everything together for a solid 2-3 minutes. You can’t rush this. I scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. The goal is a completely smooth, airy, and fluffy mixture with no streaks of cream cheese. When you lift the beaters, it should form soft, luscious peaks. This aeration is what makes it taste like a cloud of cheesecake.
Once the base is silky smooth, I use my spatula to gently fold in about half of the cooled, toasted pecans. I reserve the other half for the top. I also fold in about half of the salted caramel sauce at this point. Folding, rather than beating, preserves that lovely fluffy texture I just worked so hard to create. I give it a few gentle turns until the caramel is swirled in, but not fully incorporated—beautiful streaks are what we want.(See the next page below to continue…)