What foods pop into your mind first when you think of the fall season? A beautiful array of leaves falls gently on the ground while bonfires burn bright, cider is poured, pumpkins cover our porch, and everything apple!
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars should be the mascot for Fall. Apple season is usually the end of summer into fall depending on where you reside. Fresh apples to bake into your desserts– there is truly nothing better.
This recipe is a labor of love, but let me emphasize LOVE. Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars have multiple layers of different flavors and textures that will tingle your taste buds.
We begin with a buttery and flaky crust made with graham crackers and brown sugar for a sweet and dense layer. Then the creamy cheesecake filling with a subtle hint of vanilla. An apple layer with seasonal spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Then we add a layer of sugary streusel topping with hearty oats. Last but not least, the caramel drizzle to lay on top of your beautiful bars.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars are rich, creamy, crunchy, and all that in between wrapped into one dessert.
Can I use different types of apples?
You can choose different apples depending on your flavor preference. Some apples have more of a tart taste vs. the sweetness that you get from Honeycrisp.
What do these bars pair best with?
Depending on what season you bake them you can use seasonal ales such as apple cider (which is the best pairing we have found) because it has a slightly more bitter taste so it balances the sweetness from the Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars. They also go perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or adding a dollop of whipped cream on top for an extra special treat.
Here is what you need to create these fantastic Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars.
For Your Crust :
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Cheesecake Filling :
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Apple Layer:
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 Granny Smith apple
Streusel Topping:
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Caramel Drizzle :
12 individually wrapped caramels
1 tablespoon heavy cream
OR salted caramel sundae topping
Let’s walk through how you can bake these Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars right in your own home.
Grab your favorite 8 x 8-inch baking dish and spray it with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
While the oven is preheating, in a small bowl you are going to start to combine the ingredients for the crust. Mix your graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar with a fork. Make sure you mix it well!
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Now you are going to place your crust mixture into your prepared baking dish. Make sure you press it down gently with your fingers. With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese until soft and smooth in a bowl. This should take about 2 minutes.
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B)
Add in the vanilla, sugar, and egg. You are going to want to beat this mixture until it’s smooth and thoroughly combined. Take your mixture and pour over the crust, spreading evenly.
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It’s time to combine your ingredients for the apple layer. In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and mix it well.
Take your apples and peel, core, and dice them into small pieces. You are going to mix this into the dry mixture and toss to coat. You will want to now evenly distribute over the cheesecake layer you put in the baking dish.
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Streusel topping time! In a medium bowl, combine your flour, oats, cinnamon, brown sugar, and melted butter. Mix it all together until a coarse meal is formed. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over your apple layer.
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Bake for about 30 – 40 minutes until your streusel topping is golden.
When your bars are ready, transfer your baking dish to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Then you will need to refrigerate them for an hour, sometimes more to set.
I saved the best step for last! It’s the caramel drizzle. In a microwavable bowl, melt the caramels in increments of 30 seconds, until smooth. You will want to allow them to cool slightly before stirring in the heavy cream.
Drizzle with caramel sundae sauce topping before serving it up!
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars are hard to just stop at one :-).
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bar
Ingredients
Crust :
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Cheesecake Filling :
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 8 oz. package cream cheese softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Apple Layer:
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Granny Smith apple
Streusel Topping:
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup oats
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Caramel Drizzle :
- 12 individually wrapped caramels
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- OR salted caramel sundae topping
Instructions
- Grab your favorite 8 x 8-inch baking dish and spray it with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- While the oven is preheating, in a small bowl you are going to start to combine the ingredients for the crust. Mix your graham cracker crumbs, melter butter, and brown sugar with a fork. Make sure you mix it well!
- Now you are going to place your crust mixture into your prepared baking dish. Make sure you press it down gently with your fingers. With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese until soft and smooth in a bowl. This should take about 2 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla, sugar and egg. You are going to want to beat this mixture until it’s smooth and thoroughly combined. Take your mixture and pour over the crust, spreading evenly.
- It’s time to combine your ingredients for the apple layer. In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and mix it well.
- Take your apples and peel, core and dice them into small pieces. You are going to mix this into the dry mixture and toss to coat. You will want to now evenly distribute over your cheesecake layer you put in the baking dish.
- Streusel topping time! In a medium bowl, combine your flour, oats, cinnamon, brown sugar and melted butter. Mix it all together until a coarse meal is formed. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over your apple layer.
- Bake for about 30 - 40 minutes until your streusel topping is golden.
- When your bars are ready, transfer your baking dish to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Then you will need to refrigerate them for an hour, sometimes more to set.
- I saved the best step for last! It’s the caramel drizzle. In a microwavable bowl, melt the carmels in increments of 30 seconds, until smooth. You will want to allow them to cool slightly before stirring in the heavy cream.
- Drizzle with caramel sundae sauce topping before serving it up!
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