Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

On the hunt for the ultimate fall dessert? Look no further than these Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars! Imagine this: fresh apples and a crispy streusel topping paired with smooth cheesecake, all topped off with a generous drizzle of caramel. 

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

The moment fall hits, it’s like a switch flips, igniting an instant craving for all things apple! Enter Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars: your answer to those autumnal dessert dreams. They’re a crowd-pleaser, inspired by the rave-worthy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars, but with a juicy apple kick.

So, if you’re eager to tackle some seasonal baking that’s sure to impress at any holiday gathering? Let’s get started — it’s baking time!

Ingredients In Apple Caramel Cheesecake Bars

CRUST

• Cinnamon graham crackers, butter, and sugar: These combine to create a sweet, spiced, and crunchy foundation for the bars. The butter holds the cracker crumbs together, while the sugar enhances the crust’s sweetness.

CHEESECAKE FILLING

• Cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt: These ingredients blend together to form the smooth, creamy, and sweet layer of the cheesecake. The cream cheese provides the classic tang, eggs add structure, vanilla offers a hint of flavor, while the sugar sweetens the mix, and salt balances the sweetness.

STREUSEL

• Brown sugar, flour, quick oats, chopped pecans, and butter: These ingredients create the crumbly, sweet, and slightly nutty topping that adds texture and a rich, buttery flavor to the bars. The brown sugar contributes sweetness and moisture, flour and oats provide structure, pecans add a nutty crunch, and butter binds everything while contributing richness.

How To Make Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Making Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars involves preparing four main components: the crust, cheesecake, apple layer, and streusel. Despite multiple layers, each step is straightforward and leads to a stunning dessert!

1. Crust: This simple base combines cinnamon graham crackers, butter, and sugar. Just create crumbs from the crackers, mix them with sugar and butter, and press the mixture into a parchment-lined pan. No cinnamon crackers? Use regular ones and add a teaspoon of cinnamon.
2. Cheesecake: The key to a creamy cheesecake is room-temperature, full-fat cream cheese. Blend it with sugar until smooth, then incorporate eggs, vanilla, and salt without over-beating.
3. Apple Layer: Use quality Granny Smith apples for this part. After peeling, coring, and chopping them, mix with lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Needing to prep apples ahead of time? Here’s how you can prep them without browning.
4. Streusel: This delicious topping is easy! Combine brown sugar, flour, quick oats, and chopped pecans, then blend in softened butter. For a lighter streusel, reduce the quantities.
5. Assembly: Spread the cheesecake mix over the cooled crust, layer the apples on top, and finish with a generous helping of streusel. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until set. Cool it down, then cut into bars and serve with caramel sauce for extra indulgence!

How To Serve Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

1. Let the bars cool and set, ideally overnight, or for a minimum of three hours (one hour at room temperature, two hours in the fridge). They taste good cold but are best at room temperature; allow 30 minutes for them to warm slightly before serving.
2. Cut into 24 small pieces for the ideal serving size, using parchment paper for easy removal and a hot knife for clean slices.
3. Serve with a light drizzle of your favorite Caramel Sauce, either store-bought or homemade.

Other Delicious Apple Desserts:

• Apple Cobbler
• Apple Nachos
• Caramel Apple Bites
• Apple Smoothie
• Apple Bread Recipe

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4.80 from 5 votes

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

By Chelsea Lords

On the hunt for the ultimate fall dessert? Look no further than these Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars! Imagine this: fresh apples and a crispy streusel topping paired with smooth cheesecake, all topped off with a generous drizzle of caramel. 

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 bars

Ingredients  

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Crust

• ▢ 12 full sheets cinnamon graham crackers
• ▢ 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• ▢ 3 tablespoons white sugar

Cheesecake Filling

• ▢ 3 packages (8 ounces EACH) full fat Kroger Cream Cheese, softened
• ▢ 3/4 cup white sugar
• ▢ 3 large Simple Truth Pasture Raised Eggs
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Apple Layer

• ▢ 3 large Simple Truth Organic Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Streusel

• ▢ 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• ▢ 1 cup flour
• ▢ 1/2 cup quick cooking oats*
• ▢ 1/4 cup Kroger Baking Pecans, finely chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into small cubes
• ▢ Caramel Sauce, homemade or store-bought

Instructions 

Crust

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper.
• Begin by placing the graham crackers into a blender. Pulse until all the crackers are crumbs. Add in the sugar and melted stick of butter and mix until combined.
• Press the graham cracker mix into the pan until even and firm. Bake for 8 minutes. 

Cheesecake filling

• While the crust is baking, prepare your cheesecake filling. Begin by beating the three packages of SOFTENED cream cheese and 3/4 cup white sugar together. Beat on low and even speeds. Once smooth, add the eggs, vanilla, and salt. Beat until incorporated and smooth, being careful not to over beat the mix. 
• Let the mix sit until the crust has baked and slightly cooled (it should still be warm but not hot). Pour the cheesecake mixture evenly over the slightly cooled crust.

Apple filling

• Mixed the peeled, cored, and finely chopped apples with the lemon juice. Toss with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 

Streusel

• Mix the brown sugar, flour, quick oats, and finely chopped pecans together. 
• Add the cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Incorporate by gently mixing the ingredients together with your hands until the butter holds all the dry ingredients together. 

Assembling, Cooking, and Serving the Apple Cheesecake Bars

• Spoon the apples evenly over the cheesecake layer. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the bars.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F or until filling is set. Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Transfer to the fridge for 2 hours.
• When ready to serve, use the parchment paper to pull the cheesecake bars out of the pan. Cut into bars. Drizzle with caramel sauce and enjoy! 

Video

Recipe Notes

*The video shows old fashioned oats, but quick oats are the best to use for the streusel!

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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