These Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars are a must make dessert for the fall! I’ve made the cheesecake and crumb topping for these bars at least one dozen times and they always come together in the most delicious way. They are beautiful, rich, and come together in less than one hour!
These bars have a buttery graham cracker crust, smooth and creamy cheesecake filling, and cinnamon spiced apples, all topped with a crunchy brown sugar streusel topping! Don’t forget to top each bar with a drizzle of gooey caramel sauce. They all come together to make every bite taste like a mix of apple pie, and cheesecake, which let me tell you, is basically dessert heaven!
These Apple Cheesecake Bars are easy to make, and will be a hit for your Thanksgiving dessert table, or any fall gathering. They’re perfect for parties because they’re a great make ahead dessert, and so pretty they’ll definitely impress everyone. The hardest part about making these bars, is waiting for them to chill!
Why you should make these
- Perfect Fall Flavors: The brown sugar, and cinnamon coated apples paired with the brown sugar crumb topping, and caramel drizzle will take your cheesecake bars to the next level. The perfect taste of fall in one bite.
- Easier than a Full Cheesecake: No water bath needed, and these bars bake and chill faster than a full cheesecake. Plus there is very little risk of them cracking, and the crumb topping, and caramel sauce will hide any faults they might have. (Pssst… there won’t be any)
- A Great Make Ahead Option: These bars need to chill for at least a few hours in the fridge, and taste even better after sitting overnight, so they’re perfect for making the day before Thanksgiving, or your next holiday party!
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bar Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Graham Crackers: You can crush graham crackers in a blender or food processor, or buy store-bought graham cracker crumbs.
- Butter: Use unsalted or salted butter to bind the graham cracker crumbs together.
- Cream Cheese: Make sure to let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, up to 1 hour.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the crust and cheesecake
- Eggs: Helps bind everything together for the cheesecake
- Apples: I like using green apples because their tart flavor and they bake up great.
- Ground Cinnamon: Gives the apples that extra fall flavor
- Brown Sugar: Sweetens the apples and crumb topping
- All Purpose Flour: Helps the crumb topping hold its shape.
- Caramel Sauce: Use your favorite store bought, or homemade caramel sauce.
How to make Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars?
Step 1: Make the Streusel Topping. Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Add the softened butter and use two forks or a pastry cutter to cut the ingredients together until you have a mixture that has some sandy texture, and some bigger clumps. Place the bowl in the fridge until needed.
Step 2: Make the homemade graham cracker crust. You will need graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and a little sugar. Press them into the bottom of a lined 8x8inch pan and bake for about 10 minutes until the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a bit.
Step 3: Make the Cheesecake Filling. Mix the cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk works great) until it is smooth. Then add in the sugar, sour cream, and mix for a couple of minutes on medium speed. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and salt, and mix on low speed until just combined. Spread the cheesecake over the top of the baked crust.
Step 4: Make the Cinnamon Apples. Dice the apples into small pieces, then toss them in lemon juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Spread them over the top of the cheesecake. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the top of the apples.
Step 5: Bake the Bars. Bake the cheesecake bars until the sides are set and the center is just barely jiggly. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool in the pan on the counter for about 1 hour. Transfer it to the fridge for another 2 hours to chill.
Step 6: Add Caramel. Slice the bars into pieces. Drizzle caramel sauce over the top of each bar. Add a dollop of whipped cream if you want too, then enjoy these tasty bars!
Tips and Tricks:
- Line your Pan: Line your pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil to make the bars easy to remove, and easier to cut into nice even slices.
- Softened Ingredients: Let the cream cheese, sour cream and eggs sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before mixing into the filling to avoid lumps, and ensure everything mixes together nicely.
- Don’t Over Bake: These cheesecake bars will be slightly jiggly in the center when they are done baking, they will keep cooking in the pan after they are removed from the oven. If the cheesecake is loose or jiggles a lot then the bars are not done, and bake a little longer. Do not bake until the cheesecake is fully set in the oven.
Storage Instructions
These cheesecake bars will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days. The crust will start to soften the longer they stay in the fridge. You can also wrap individual cheesecake bars in plastic wrap, then in foil or a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge before enjoying.
These Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars have five delicious layers that come together in one dreamy dessert. With a buttery graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake filling, spiced apples, crunchy streusel topping, and gooey caramel. They’re they ultimate fall dessert!
More Apple Desserts
- Apple Monkey Bread
- Easy Applesauce Cake
- Fried Apple Rings
- Apple Pie Caramel Apples
- Apple Pie Egg Rolls
- Caramel Apple Cookies // Best Christmas Desserts
- Applesauce Cookies
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the Streusel Crumb Topping:
- 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 5 TBS Unsalted Butter (softened)
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs (about 12 cracker sheets)
- 6 TBS Unsalted Butter (melted)
- 2 TBS Granulated Sugar
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 16 oz Cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 cup Sour Cream
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 TBS Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 tsp Salt
For the Spiced Apples:
- 2 cups Diced Apples
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 2 TBS Brown Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
For Serving:
- Caramel Sauce
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
For the Streusel Crumb Topping:
- Add the dry ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk them together. 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour, 1/3 cup Brown Sugar, 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon, 1/8 tsp Salt,
- Add the butter and mix into the dry mixture using two forks or a pastry cutter until the mixture is nice and crumbly. 5 TBS Unsalted Butter
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 8×8 or 9x9inch baking pan with parchment paper, and set it aside.
- Add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter to a medium bowl and stir them together until you have a nice sandy mixture. 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs, 6 TBS Unsalted Butter, 2 TBS Granulated Sugar
- Pour the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan, and press it down with the bottom of a cup.
- Bake the crust for about 10 minutes.
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric hand mixer until it is smooth. 16 oz Cream cheese
- Add in the sugar, sour cream, and mix at medium speed for a couple of minutes until nice and smooth. 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar, 1/4 cup Sour Cream
- Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and salt at low speed until just combined. 2 Eggs, 1/2 TBS Vanilla Extract, 1/8 tsp Salt
- Pour the mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust, smooth it evenly over the top.
For the Spiced Apples:
- Add the apples to a medium bowl, and toss them with them lemon juice. Then add the brown sugar, and cinnamon and stir them together. 2 cups Diced Apples , 1 tsp Lemon Juice, 2 TBS Brown Sugar, 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- Spoon the apples evenly over the cheesecake, evenly to the edges.
For Assembling the Cheesecake:
- Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top of the apples.
- Bake the cheesecake for for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is slightly jiggly.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature, for about 1 hour. Then place it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, up to 3 days.
- Cut the cheesecake into bars. Spoon caramel sauce over the top of each bar and enjoy!
Notes
- Line your Pan: Line your pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil to make the bars easy to remove, and easier to cut into nice even slices.
- Softened Ingredients: Let the cream cheese, sour cream and eggs sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before mixing into the filling to avoid lumps, and ensure everything mixes together nicely.
- Don’t Over Bake: These cheesecake bars will be slightly jiggly in the center when they are done baking, they will keep cooking in the pan after they are removed from the oven. If the cheesecake is loose or jiggles a lot then the bars are not done, and bake a little longer. Do not bake until the cheesecake is fully set in the oven.
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