These Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars are fall in dessert form! Creamy cheesecake, spiced apple filling, buttery shortbread crust, and a crumbly brown sugar streusel. I made this recipe because I wanted all the flavors of apple pie and cheesecake in one easy, sliceable bar that still feels special. They're yummy, caramel-drizzled, and perfect for when you want something that looks fancy but doesn't take all day!
This is a spin off of my Apple Crisp Blondies something easy to whip up and I love that it cane be made the day before! My favorite part is the caramel drizzle on top!!
Choosing the Right Ingredients
Each layer of these Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars has a purpose, so choosing the right ingredients makes a big difference:
- Apples: I like Granny Smith because they hold their shape and balance the sweetness with tartness. Honeycrisp also works if you prefer a slightly juicier filling.
- Cream Cheese: Always use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese at room temperature. It gives that thick, creamy texture without cracks.
- Butter: For the shortbread, use unsalted butter at room temperature. It helps the dough come together smoothly and gives that tender, melt-in-your-mouth bite.
- Brown Sugar: The base of both the shortbread and streusel-it adds moisture, depth, and a subtle caramel flavor that ties everything together.
- Caramel: Homemade caramel sauce makes these bars next-level. You can make it a few days ahead and warm it up before drizzling.
How to Make Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
- Start with the shortbread crust: Cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth, then mix in the egg yolk, vanilla, salt, and flour until a soft dough forms. Press it evenly into a parchment-lined pan and bake until lightly golden.
- Make the cheesecake filling: Beat cream cheese until smooth, then mix in brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and cornstarch just until combined.
- Cook the apple filling: Simmer sliced apples with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until softened, then thicken with a cornstarch slurry. Let cool.
- Assemble the layers: Pour the cheesecake batter over the cooled crust, spoon the apple filling evenly on top, and sprinkle the chilled streusel across the surface.
- Bake: Bake with a pan of hot water in the oven for about 50-55 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has a slight jiggle.
- Cool and chill: Let cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Tips for Making These Bars
- Cool each layer: Let the shortbread cool slightly before adding the cheesecake layer so the batter doesn't melt into the crust.
- Don't overmix: Mix your cream cheese mixture just until smooth-overmixing adds air, which can cause cracks. Over mixing your eggs can also cause too much air which can cause cracks!
- Bake with steam: The hot water pan in the oven helps the cheesecake stay creamy and prevents cracking.
- Cooling + chilling: Let the bars cool fully at room temperature, then chill for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before slicing.
- Clean slices: Wipe your knife between cuts for picture-perfect layers.
- Storing: Store your Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze individual bars in an airtight container with parchment between layers. Thaw in the fridge overnight and drizzle with caramel before serving.
How to Make Salted Caramel
Homemade salted caramel is simpler than it looks-it just takes patience and timing. Combine sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir just until the sugar is moistened. Cook undisturbed over medium heat until it turns a deep amber color. Warm the cream in the microwave, then slowly pour it into the caramel while whisking (it will bubble up fast). Stir in vanilla and salt. If the caramel looks lumpy, place it back over low heat and whisk until smooth. Let it cool-it will thicken as it sits. Tip: If your caramel ever gets too thick, whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of warm cream to loosen it back up.
How Do I Know When Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars Are Done?
The edges should look set and slightly puffed, and the center should have a gentle jiggle-like Jell-O, not liquid. The streusel should be golden brown and firm to the touch. If the crumble starts browning too early, loosely cover the pan with foil for the last 10-15 minutes. After cooling, the cheesecake layer will continue to firm up in the fridge. When in doubt, it's better to slightly underbake than overbake-the residual heat will finish setting the cheesecake as it cools.
Streusel Topping
Streusel adds the best buttery crunch and warmth to these bars, and it's super simple to make. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, , cinnamon, and salt. Add cold, cubed butter and cut it into the dry ingredients using your fingers or a pastry cutter. Keep working it in until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs-no dry flour should remain, and you should still see some pea-sized butter pieces. Chill the streusel in the fridge while you prepare the other layers; this helps it hold its texture when baked. When you sprinkle it over the apple layer, press it gently so it sticks without packing it down
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Recipe
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the Apple Filling:
- 3 large apples thinly sliced Granny Smith apples work well
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- A pinch of salt about ⅛ teaspoon
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup cold water
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Streusel:
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- A pinch of salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cubed into pea-sized piece
For the brown sugar short bread
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 24 ounces full-fat cream cheese 3 blocks room temperature
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 large whole eggs room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoons corn starch
Instructions
For the Apple Filling:
- In a bowl, combine the thinly sliced apples, lemon juice, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Toss until the apples are evenly coated.3 large apples thinly sliced, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, A pinch of salt about ⅛ teaspoon
- Place the apple mixture in a medium to large pot over medium-high heat. Slowly bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- In a separate bowl, create a slurry by mixing cornstarch with cold water. Set it aside.4 tablespoons cornstarch, ¼ cup cold water
- As the apples release liquid and begin to soften, add the slurry to the mixture while stirring constantly. The mixture should thicken within about 30 seconds. If needed, prepare a bit more slurry to reach the desired thickness.
- Once thickened, remove the apple mixture from heat and transfer it to a container. Let it cool to room temperature. The filling can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Salted Caramel Sauce Instructions
- In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup. Stir gently to moisten the sugar, then stop stirring completely.1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup water, 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- Set over medium heat and cook undisturbed for 5-10 minutes, until the syrup turns a rich amber color. It can happen fast, so keep an eye out on it. Meanwhile, warm the heavy cream in the microwave for 1 minute.¾ cup heavy cream
- Once the caramel is amber (like honey or copper), remove from heat. Carefully pour in the warm cream while whisking - it will bubble up quickly.
- Whisk until smooth, then stir in the vanilla and salt. If needed, return to low heat briefly to smooth everything out.2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Let cool slightly, then transfer to a heat-safe jar. The caramel will thicken as it cools. Refrigerate for up to a week and warm before using.
For the Streusel:
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, and salt. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, cut in the cold cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This takes some time, so be patient. The mixture is done when there are no more flour streaks.⅓ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, A pinch of salt, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cubed into pea-sized piece
- When the streusel is ready, place it in the fridge while you make the cheesecake batter.
For the Brown Sugar Shortbread
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, using a hand electric mixer, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy.½ cup unsalted butter room temperature, ½ cup brown sugar
- With a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and salt until fully combined.1 large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- With the rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour and mix just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.1 cup all purpose flour
- Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with your fingertips or the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges.
- Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the cheesecake layer.
Cheesecake Filling:
- Lower your oven to 325°F (163°C). Using any kind of baking dish, I used an 9x9 square but you can use whatever you want, fill with hot water and place it on the bottom rack in the oven while you make the batter.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sugar on low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.24 ounces full-fat cream cheese 3 blocks room temperature, ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
- Add the egg yolk and eggs, mixing just until combined. Scrape down the bowl again.1 large egg yolk room temperature, 1 large whole eggs room temperature
- Gently fold in sour cream, vanilla, and cornstarch with a rubber spatula until smooth, avoiding overmixing to reduce air bubbles.¾ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 tablespoons corn starch
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the pre-baked shortbread crust. Spread evenly.
- Add the cooked apple filling on top, and then add all the streusel on top until it no longer covers the apple.
- Place the cheesecake on the second rack of the oven, if your oven doesn't have a second rack you can place it next to the dish with the hot water in it.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the edges are set and the center is slightly jiggly. If the middle is still jiggly, but the crumble is done, lightly cover with tin foil until the middle is slightly jiggly. Let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Once cool, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When the cheesecake is set up drizzle the caramel on top and serve cold!
Regeana Stake says
WOW!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS RECIPE!!