These caramel apple cheesecake bars have a graham cracker crust, cheesecake filling, cinnamon apples, crumble topping, and caramel drizzle.
These bars start with a buttery graham cracker crust that provides a crunchy base and a delish flavor and texture.
The creamy cheesecake filling sits on top, offering a rich and smooth texture that complements the sweetness of the dessert.
Layered above the cheesecake are cinnamon-spiced apples, which add a warm, fruity flavor reminiscent of apple pie.
To finish, a crumbly topping adds an extra layer of texture and taste, while a generous drizzle of caramel sauce brings everything together with its sweet and sticky goodness.
Each bite is an explosion of comforting flavors and textures, making these bars an irresistible dessert for any occasion.
For more apple desserts, check out my apple crumble cake, apple fritters, apple crumble muffins, easy apple cake, and apple crumble pie.
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Why this recipe works
- Texture- the combination of a crunchy graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and a crumbly topping creates an irresistible texture in every bite.
- Cinnamon apples- the addition of cinnamon-spiced apples brings a warm, comforting flavor to each bite. These tender apple pieces add not only flavor but also enhance the overall texture with their slight juiciness.
- Creamy cheesecake filling- these bars feature a smooth, creamy cheesecake layer that perfectly balances the tart apples and sweet caramel.
- Crumble topping- a generous crumble topping adds an extra layer of crunch and flavor to these bars. Made with butter, sugar, and flour, it bakes up golden brown for an added touch of sweetness and crunchy texture.
- Caramel drizzle- each bar is topped with homemade or store bought caramel sauce. It adds just the right amount of sweetness and complements the tangy cheesecake and spiced apples beautifully.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
For the crust
Graham crackers- if you don’t have graham crackers, you can use tea biscuits, vanilla wafers, and digestive biscuits.
Melted butter- melt the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds pulses, to make sure that the butter doesn’t boil up and explode in the microwave (been there done that), or melt it on the stovetop.
For the cheesecake
Cream cheese- the most important ingredient in this recipe is cream cheese. To ensure a cheesecake with no cracks, use full-fat cream cheese and make sure it's at room temperature.
Granulated sugar- you will need one cup of granulated sugar for this recipe. The cheesecake will be sweet, but not too sweet. One cup of sugar is the perfect balance of sweetness for this recipe.
Eggs- you will need 2 large eggs for this recipe. To get a perfect classic cheesecake, make sure that the eggs are at room temperature.
Cornstarch- I used cornstarch, you can use flour instead.
Vanilla extract- vanilla extract adds extra flavor. For extra vanilla flavor, use vanilla bean extract or an actual vanilla bean!
Sour cream- I suggest using full-fat sour cream for this recipe. The sour cream makes the cheesecake batter creamier and lighter.
For the apple filling
Apples- I like to use Granny Smith apples for this recipe, they are a little bit less sweet and sturdy, but any kind of your favorite apples will work!
Brown sugar- brown sugar adds a caramel flavor. You can use dark brown sugar as well.
Cinnamon and nutmeg- use your favorite brand of ground cinnamon and nutmeg for an extra flavor that compliments the apple flavor perfectly.
For the streusel topping
Oats- I used rolled oats for a crunchy texture, but you can also use quick oats for this.
Instructions
Peel and cut the apples into small cubes. I like using my apple corer and slicer to make this process easy and quick.
Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prepare a 9x9 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
Make the crust: pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. If you don’t have a food processor on hand, place the crackers in a Ziplock bag and smash the crackers with a cup until fine crumbs form.
Into a small to medium mixing bowl, add the graham crackers crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the crumbs are coated with butter.
Transfer the crumbs into a baking sheet lined 9 by 9 inch pan, pressing evenly and firmly into the pan.
Bake the crust in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 8 minutes. Keep an eye on the crust and make sure it doesn’t burn. Take the crust out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature while you make the filling.
Lower the oven to 160c (320f).
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the chopped apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar, and mix it with a spoon until well combined.
Make the streusel. In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, brown sugar, kosher salt, cinnamon, and mix until well combined.
Add the melted butter and mix with a spoon until well combined. Set aside while you make the cheesecake filling.
In a large mixing bowl, add the room-temperature cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract, and mix with an electric hand mixer until is creamy.
Whisk the eggs in a small bowl add them to the cheesecake mixture and mix until the mixture is smooth.
Sift the cornstarch into the mixture and mix until combined and there are no lumps of cornstarch showing.
Pour the cheesecake filling onto the baked crust and smooth it out with a spatula. Layer the spiced apples on top of the cheesecake batter evenly.
Sprinkle with the crumble topping on top of the apples. Bake the cheesecake a 160c (320f) for 40 minutes or until the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly.
Open the oven door halfway, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature for 1 hour.
After the cheesecake is cooled, wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap tightly, and place the cheesecake in the fridge to cool completely for at least 5 hours.
Drizzle homemade or store-bought caramel sauce over the chilled cheesecake, slice, and enjoy! I recommend using my homemade caramel sauce for the topping.
Expert Tips
- Make sure that you are using room-temperature cream cheese in this recipe, this step makes it easier to mix the cream cheese with no unnecessary lumps, we don’t want that.
- To make this process easy, and quick, use an apple peeler and corer.
- Use high-fat cream cheese or the well-known Philadelphia cream cheese. Using full-fat cream cheese ensures that your cheesecake will be stable and will not crack.
- Let your cheesecake chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours. We know it’s very hard to resist eating this delicious cheesecake right away, but you have to let the cheesecake cool and set it in the pan. We like to let the cheesecake sit in the fridge overnight.
- For a smooth and creamy cheesecake, make sure that you are using room-temperature ingredients. Before you begin to make this cheesecake, make sure that your cream cheese is completely soft, and that your eggs are at room temperature.
- Don’t overbeat the mixture! It's really easy to overbeat the mixture, and that is one of the most common mistakes. To avoid overbeating your mixture, make sure that you lower the speed of the hand mixer and add each egg at a time.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no cream cheese lumps.
- Don't open the oven door before the cake is fully baked or about to be baked! Drastic changes in the temperature of the cake while baking can cause the cake to collapse or crack.
Faq's
Not all apples are great for baking. The best ones maintain their structure and balance sweetness and tartness, like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, and Jonagold.
Yes! You can double or even triple this recipe. If you double this recipe, I recommend using a 9x13-inch baking pan!
New York-style cheesecake is richer and denser than regular cheesecake due to more cream cheese and heavy or sour cream, giving it a smooth consistency.
In contrast, regular cheesecakes are lighter, often using cottage or ricotta cheese.
Overbaking cheesecake is a common mistake that causes the cheesecake to crack or even burn.
You will know that your cheesecake is done baking when you see that the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly. The middle of the cake will be set in the cooling process.
Storing
Store this cheesecake in the fridge (since it contains dairy) covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to 4 days.
Freezing
Start by allowing the cheesecake to cool completely at room temperature.
Once cooled, place the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight to set. Next, remove the cheesecake from its pan and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, ensuring no air pockets remain.
For added protection, wrap the cheesecake again in aluminum foil. Label the package with the date and contents, then place it in the freezer.
The cheesecake can be stored frozen for up to 2 months. When you're ready to serve, thaw the cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.
Substitutions
Gluten-free- This recipe is really easy to turn gluten-free, simply replace the graham crackers with gluten-free graham crackers, or with gluten-free digestive biscuits.
Digestive biscuits- People outside of America usually don’t have graham crackers. You can use tea biscuits, vanilla wafers, and digestive biscuits.
Variations
Fruit- swap the apples with pears and make this pear cheesecake bars!
Vanilla Oreos- replace the classic graham crackers with vanilla Oreos for a vanilla Oreo lover!
Nuts- add ⅓ cup of your favorite chopped nuts to the crumble mixture for extra crunch like chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts.
Vanilla bean- add the inside of the vanilla bean and add it to the cheesecake mixture instead of the vanilla extract. Or use a vanilla bean extract.
Glaze- top this cheesecake with a simple glaze instead of caramel sauce.
Citrus- you can add a delicious citrus touch to this cheesecake by adding the zest of lemon, or orange, or any of your favorite citrus.
Serving Tips
Whipped cream- top each slice of cake with a dollop of whipped cream.
Vanilla ice cream- add a large scoop of ice cream next to a slice of this cheesecake.
Equipment
- You will also need a food processor to make the crust (if you are not using a store-bought crust).
- I recommend using an electric hand mixer to make sure your cheesecake mixture is smooth and perfect. You can also use a stand mixer for this with a balloon attachment.
- Apple corer and slicer
- 9 by 9 inch pan
- Rubber spatula
- Offset spatula
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
More apple desserts
Cinnamon Apple Cake- This cinnamon apple cake is moist and buttery, filled with apples, a cinnamon swirl topping, and a drizzle of simple glaze.
Apple Spice Cake- This apple spice cake is tender and filled with apples and spices and topped with a cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Apple Pie Cookies- These apple pie cookies are made with a soft cinnamon cookie and filled with apple pie filling. These taste just like apple pie in cookie form! They are perfect for the holidays and fall time.
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. We love hearing from you.
If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 ⅓ cups Graham crackers crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup Butter unsalted, melted
For the spiced apples
For the streusel topping
- ¾ cup Flour
- ½ cup Rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ⅓ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar
- 6 tablespoon Butter melted, unsalted
For the cheesecake filling
- 16 oz Cream cheese room temp, full fat
- ⅔ cup Granulated sugar
- ½ cup Sour cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
Instructions
- Peel and cut the apples into small cubes. I like using my apple corer and slicer to make this process easy and quick.
- Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prepare a 9x9 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crust: pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. If you don’t have a food processor on hand, place the crackers in a Ziplock bag and smash the crackers with a cup until fine crumbs form.
- Into a small to medium mixing bowl, add the graham crackers crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the crumbs are coated with butter.
- Transfer the crumbs into a baking sheet lined 9 by 9 inch pan, pressing evenly and firmly into the pan.
- Bake the crust in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 8 minutes. Keep an eye on the crust and make sure it doesn’t burn. Take the crust out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature while you make the filling.
- Lower the oven to 160c (320f).
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the chopped apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar, and mix it with a spoon until well combined.
- Make the streusel. In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, brown sugar, kosher salt, cinnamon, and mix until well combined.
- Add the melted butter and mix with a spoon until well combined. Set aside while you make the cheesecake filling.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the room-temperature cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract, and mix with an electric hand mixer until is creamy.
- Whisk the eggs in a small bowl add them to the cheesecake mixture and mix until the mixture is smooth.
- Sift the cornstarch into the mixture and mix until combined and there are no lumps of cornstarch showing.
- Pour the cheesecake filling onto the baked crust and smooth it out with a spatula. Layer the spiced apples on top of the cheesecake batter evenly.
- Sprinkle with the crumble topping on top of the apples. Bake the cheesecake a 160c (320f) for 40 minutes or until the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly.
- Open the oven door halfway, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature for 1 hour.
- After the cheesecake is cooled, wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap tightly, and place the cheesecake in the fridge to cool completely for at least 5 hours.
- Drizzle homemade or store-bought caramel sauce over the chilled cheesecake, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure that you are using room-temperature cream cheese in this recipe, this step makes it easier to mix the cream cheese with no unnecessary lumps, we don’t want that.
- To make this process easy, and quick, use an apple peeler and corer.
- Use high-fat cream cheese or the well-known Philadelphia cream cheese. Using full-fat cream cheese ensures that your cheesecake will be stable and will not crack.
- Let your cheesecake chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours. We know it’s very hard to resist eating this delicious cheesecake right away, but you have to let the cheesecake cool and set it in the pan. We like to let the cheesecake sit in the fridge overnight.
- For a smooth and creamy cheesecake, make sure that you are using room-temperature ingredients. Before you begin to make this cheesecake, make sure that your cream cheese is completely soft, and that your eggs are at room temperature.
- Don’t overbeat the mixture! It's really easy to overbeat the mixture, and that is one of the most common mistakes. To avoid overbeating your mixture, make sure that you lower the speed of the hand mixer and add each egg at a time.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no cream cheese lumps.
- Don't open the oven door before the cake is fully baked or about to be baked! Drastic changes in the temperature of the cake while baking can cause the cake to collapse or crack.
Eric
These are perfect for thanksgiving dinner!