Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 336cal
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 3 medium Granny Smith Apples or 2 large - peeled, cored, and diced
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Shortbread Base
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese 2 - 8 ounce blocks, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
Other
- caramel sauce for drizzling
Instructions
Making the Filling
- Add all ingredients for the apple filling to a bowl and stir to coat the apples. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Shortbread Base
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9x13 pan with a piece of foil so you can easily lift out the bars.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the flour and salt until well-combined.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and use your hands to spread it evenly into the bottom.
- Bake until the shortbread is set along the outside, about 15 minutes. It won’t be fully cooked at this point.
- While the shortbread base par-bakes, make the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Streusel Topping
- Add all ingredients for the streusel topping to a bowl and combine with a fork (or your fingers) until crumbly.
Assembly
- Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the par-baked crust, and spread it out evenly.
- Stir the apple mixture, and add it on top of the cheesecake filling in as even a layer as you can (including some of the juices, but not all if there is a lot of liquid).
- Sprinkle the streusel on top of the apple mixture as evenly as possible.
- Bake until the filling is set and the top is golden, about 35 minutes.
- Cool completely before cutting. It’s best to let these bars cool to room temperature and then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before cutting and serving. They will slice easier this way, and it lets the flavors develop. Serve drizzled with caramel sauce.
Video
Notes
- If desired, you can flavor the shortbread crust with 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- To make an oatmeal streusel topping, add 1/2 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats to the streusel mixture.
- I recommend an apple that leans more on the tart side for this recipe as it pairs really well against the sweet cheesecake filling and streusel topping. We used Granny Smith but you can also use Pinky Lady, Braeburn, Jonagold, and even Honeycrisp as a sweeter apple.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 336cal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 644IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
