Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars start with a shortbread crust, a thick cheesecake layer, and are topped with diced cinnamon apples and a sweet streusel topping. These are a tried and true cheesecake bar dessert recipe.
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CARAMEL APPLE CHEESECAKE BARS
WHAT ARE IN THESE BARS?
These have a flaky shortbread crust, a simple cheesecake filling, and has cinnamon apples and a brown sugar streusel on top. Drizzle caramel sauce on top when serving. I like Mrs. Richardson’s caramel or any other brand that’s on the thicker side.
WHAT KIND OF APPLES SHOULD I USE?
I use Granny Smith green apples because they are a little more tart and the recipe is on the sweet side so it balances out. You can really use any apple you have on hand.
Add some cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg to the apples.
The cheesecake layer goes on top of the shortbread crust.
Add the seasoned apples on top!
The crumble on top is pretty simple with some flour, brown sugar, oats, and butter.
Seems thick but melts down.
You know it’s done when it’s nice and golden brown.
You can add the caramel on top right before serving or before you chill them. This recipe is always requested any time I bring it anywhere.
HOW DO I STORE THESE?
After you have baked the bars let them cool to room temperature then store in the fridge up to 5 days. Some people like to eat these warm as well.
CAN I FREEZE THESE CARAMEL APPLE CHEESECAKE BARS?
Absolutely. You can freeze these caramel apple cheesecake bars up to four months. Just like most cheesecakes, this recipe freezes well. Just make sure to save the caramel topping for when serving.
OTHER APPLE RECIPES:
- Salted Caramel Apple Cups
- Apple Pie Caramel Apple
- Apple Pudding Cake
- Apple Crisp Pizza
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake
- Apple Crisp Cheese Danish
- Appledoodles
- Apple Salad
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
Cheesecake Filling:
- 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Apples:
- 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped, (about 3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Streusel Topping:
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
Drizzle:
- 1/2 cup caramel topping for drizzling after baked
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or food processor (or 2 forks) until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan that is greased or lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil or parchment. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.
- In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture.
- For the streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. I like to really combine it by using my clean hands to thoroughly combine the butter into the mixture. You can't use a food processor because it will grind up the oats.
- Sprinkle Streusel topping over apples. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Let bars come to room temperature then store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Can be frozen up to 4 months.
- Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!
Video
Notes
I loved these, made them last night but left out the apple layer.
Right out of the fridge they are a bit hard, so I left them on the counter about 30 – 40 mins before we wanted to eat them and they were perfect.
Thank you
Wow, I made these last night and loved them. I did not put the apple layer in it. Amazing!
I would suggest that when you are ready to eat one, to leave it out on the counter for 30 mins. Right out of the fridge they are a little hard. Left out for a bit – they are perfect.
Thank you
I totally agree Celeste.
can these be made ahead and frozen?
Yes. I’ve absolutely frozen them before. they’re great.
I made these a few days ago…wow…so yummy! I loved it warm out of the oven, AND cold!!! My husband was skeptical with it having apples, but he actually loved it too. He also brought the rest of the batch into work for his employees and one guy even called him and said how it was the best dessert he’s ever had! So I would say this is a definite winner. 🙂 Only difference I did is that I love graham cracker crusts, so I got a box of the Keebler Graham cracker crumbs in the baking aisle and used that as the bottom instead (recipe on the back of the box). I forgot to line the baking pan or spray with anything, but they still came out very easily (maybe because of the butter in the graham cracker crust?). I’m making this for Thanksgiving this year, but am gonna try different variations and do 1/3 with blueberries on the top, 1/3 with strawberries, and 1/3 with the apples – I’m excited to see how they turn out! PS. You don’t even need the caramel topping, I couldn’t taste it on top anyway, but it does make it look prettier. 🙂
So glad you liked them. One of these times try the shortbread crust. It’s amazing. I’m sure graham cracker would be good too.
I was at a Mutual activity and your Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars were served…they were wonderful. I asked for the recipe and here I am. I can hardly wait to see what to make these and several other recipes I see on your site.
Haha. That’s hilarious. They are one of my faves!
My 5 year old ggrandaughter helped make this morning.Waiting for them to bake.
Hope you love them! The hard part is waiting for them to cool.
I made this recipe a few times now. The last time I made this with a graham cracker crust. Turned out amazing.
I just recently made them. I forgot how much I love them.
I made these yesterday and I absolutely love them!
I cannot wait to share these with my friends! Thanks for
Posting these!
Made these!! I’m in love! Used Gala apples and only 2- 8oz packages of cream cheese as I only bought 2 at the store. Added cinnamon to the crust and used whole oats intead of quick oats. LOVE THESE!! My pan of cheesecake bars was gone in 10 minutes (directly out of the oven, no one wanted to wait)!
Glad you loved them. I promise you’ll like them cold better!
After an hour of baking mine is still jiggly?
Bake it until the center is set. Every oven bakes differently so if it needs extra time. That’s ok.
Just made these last night for a school function today and they were a HUGE hit!! I made exactly as recipe says. I baked them the night before, let cool, and put in frig overnight. In the morning I cut into bars and then drizzled the caramel sauce on. I also used non-stick foil (read some people had problems with foil sticking to them) but I was able to lift the entire thing out of the pan and then cut them up and they came right off perfectly. Will be making these again !!!!
So glad you loved them as much as I do.
I made these bars last night for a baby shower at work. They are AMAZING!!!!! I will be making them for another event last er this month. So excited.
I have made so many recipes from your site, and every single one has turned out perfect and delicious. I will be buying a copy of your cookbook soon, as well as several copies for my friends this Christmas. Keep ’em coming!!!
Thank you Christina!!
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this
matter to be actually something that I think I would never understand.
It seems too complex and very broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I’ll try to get the hang of it!
These are amazing…just made em and my wife gave me some…WHOO!! The only thing I changed thought is rather than use store bought caramel I made salted dulce de leche and spread that on top…makes for a firmer caramel and is delicious!
Whoo back! Love it!
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Hello!
I’m french and I’m a great fan of your blog! That recipe looks realy good !
The apple cheesecake bars look just so good. I have to go shopping tomorroe for some of the ingredientd to make this. I have 4 boys and a husband who is kind of a pig anf I am sure it will be gone in less than a day. Haven’t cooked any desserts since my back surgery, and they do deserve it. So do I!
I just have to say thank you for this recipe. It is my husband’s absolute all-time favorite. He wants me to make it for him every year for his bday. The only thing I do different is making my own caramel that’s a bit thicker. So yum!
Hi there
I made these a few weeks ago. I did some with a graham craker crust and the others with a shortbread crust. I used Pepperidge Farm’s Chestman cookies for the shortbread. I topped the caramel with sea salt. To die for! Thanks ChrisiePooh! 🙂
Your version sounds yummy!
Could you use just plain red apples for this recipe?
YES! I use whatever apples I have and they turn out DELISH every time!
i love this recipe. i searched for a long time for something as delicious as this. I cannot thank you enough!
I also replaced apple and caramel with banana, I love banana cheesecake.
What would be the best size pan to use?
A 9×13 pan is what this recipe calls for…
I made these for this year’s superbowl party. Everyone like them, though a LOT was leftover because they are so heavy that people wanted only half or lesser portion.
I froze the leftovers and whenever I want one, I just take it out of the freezer, pour caramel sauce (I got Hershey’s caramel topping) and pop it into the microwave for 10-15 seconds. They taste almost the same as when they were fresh, except that the streusel topping is soft and slightly soggy.
Next time I’d skip the apples or replace them with something else. The tartness of the apples doesn’t go very well with the cheesecake.
I made these for a work luncheon and they were a huge hit! I did cut them much smaller, as they are very rich. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I tried this recipe a few times and EVERYONE loves it. Thanks for posting it. Caramel Apple Cheesecake.
Can you use old fashioned oats instead of quick oats that’s all I have?
Yes, old fashioned are fine.
Can I freeze this and take out day of?
Sure! I don’t see why not.
These are soooooo delicious!!
Can’t get enough of them!
I made these a few weeks ago and my husband declared them “the best thing I’ve ever baked.” Note–I bake something at least 2 or 3 times a week! So this is high praise! Wondering if I could put this recipe (with these same measurments) into a 9 inch springform pan?
Hmmmm, I’m not sure if it would work in a springform pan. I don’t see why not.
I baked this in a springform pan the first time I made this and it turned out okay.
k just made them..wanyting to take out of oven..how do i know its set?..toothpick?
Just as long as they aren’t jiggly in the middle.
I just stumbled upon your blog. Your food loves amazing. I’m totally saving the name of your website.
Made these for a family dinner – big hit. Although next time, I will keep the apple pieces bigger – maybe even thin slices instead of finely chopped. But so delicious!
I was just wondering how long in advance anyone has made these. The one time I made them it was a hit but I made it the night before and brought it to work. Has anyone ever tried to freeze them before?
I would say up to days ahead of time. The topping might start to get soft if stored too long in the fridge.
Hello, these look absolutely delicious!
I was wondering if you were aware that this recipe, along with your picture is being shared around Facebook. It was how I found it. There was no link to your blog though so I Googled the name and checked the images to find your page. I was concerned because of a post that I saw on FB today that said to be careful about sharing recipes on FB if the recipe is written out and has a picture but has no link to the original.
Just wanted to let you know and I will be adding a link back to you in my FB post.
Can’t wait to make these. I do hope it is okay if I pin it.
Thanks Karen for looking out for me. Yes, I’m aware. It’s been everywhere on FB.
Hello! This recipe looks great and I will be trying it tomorrow! Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
I always use unsalted butter when baking…
could i substitute a canned apple pie filling for the fresh apples? i am wanting to make this for a large group.
It might be a little too wet but I think it would work but just have a slightly different taste.
these bars are amazing I made them and everyone said they were great. I advise anyone to make them
I just love to try new recipes! These apple caramel cheesecake bars look absolutely delicious! Yummy!!
I intend to try them tomorrow since I have my kids over for supper !
SOOO delicious! Thanks for sharing. I made this for my mum’s birthday yesterday and it was an enormous hit. I used half graham cracker crumbs for the crust because I really love the flavour of graham cracker crusts. It seems like a lot of steps but was actually very quick to come together. A food processor for the crust and streusel topping (except I stirred the oats in by hand) really speeds up the process and eliminates the need for softened butter. I made the cheesecake layer and apple layer while the crust was baking. It cooled for about five minutes while I sliced the last apple. The whole recipe probably came together in about half an hour. A real winner! I can’t wait to make it again. 😀
what seems to be the problem on most recipes with not giving the nutritional info?
I know there are free programs out there that calculate the info. I have over 500 recipes so to get the info for all of them is kind of hard.
this looks amazing! i love apples so this will be perfect for me.
je vais essayé vos recette ça m’a l’air très bon
I made these for a work potluck…well, what turned out to be a surprise baby shower. They were so yummy and a hit! I will definitely make these again. (:
Hi Christy:) I have been reading your blog for a while, and have tried a few of your recipes and they are always yummy, so today, for our daughter’s blessing, I decided to trust you completely and make your ham and cheese sliders and these Caramel Apple Cheesecake bars. I can’t even TELL you how many compliments I got for both, but especially the cheesecake bars!!! People were literally raving over them! Thanks so much for such yummy and delicious recipes! I baked my bars without foil and sprayed the pan with nonstick spray, and I also used a glass 10×15 pan. It probably took 55 minutes to not be jiggly, but it worked really well and came out of the pan without a problem today. I also cooled them off by leaving them in an open oven for 2 hours first, as per suggestions in the comments. Anyway, they were just perfect! Thanks for it all, and good luck with your sweet little baby who is on her way! And here is a great response for dumb people who think you should have already had your baby: Look them straight in the eye and say, “What? I’m not pregnant!” Funny to watch the reactions:)
I actually have done the “I’m not pregnant” thing and it freaks people out!! So glad everything was a success!
Just pinned these ! They look like heaven!!
delicioso. rico para un regalo de cumpleaños
Hola! I was wondering if anyone has tried making half of this recipe…some recipes are fine to cut in half but sometimes, especially desserts, taste funny if you do. Thanks!
~AMP
Ashley,
The only tricky part is halving an egg! Other than that, it’s fine to half it.
Oh, these look so good! I have some caramels that I need to use up, and this looks perfect. I’m sure the guys at work will love this.
I don’t have caramel…any suggestions what to use instead
They’re great without. Don’t stress not having it…
Made these for the first time, for my hubbys birthday. I thought they were good but will not use the tin foil again. Also thought the crust seemed a bit to hard and lacked much flavor. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best I would rate them about a 7. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I made this recipes exactly as stated and certainly it was very tasty! Two little issues though: There is too much crust and it tends to get quite hard to cut with a fork; the filling is delicious as is the apple topping. I think there is too much streusel topping as well and it’s kind of hard to tell if the cheesecake is done with the streusel on top so I had to sort of shake the pan to see if the filling was too jiggly or not. Mine cooked in probably 50 minutes.
Yes, there is a lot of topping which is why I love it. If you leave the dish out for 10-15 minutes the crust will soften and be easier to cut. The crust has butter which hardens when refrigerated.
I think someone is using your picture on their Pampered Chef FB page!!! 🙁 Wasn’t sure if you were aware.
http://www.facebook.com/JamiPCKitchen
Thanks! This has been happening a lot lately.
OMGeeeeee, these are A+mazing! I made these for our Easter dessert and my family and friends absolutely loved them. So glad I found your blog from pinterest!
Just came across this on Pinterest and I absolutely will have to make this, regardless of the fact that we are approaching spring!
These are amazing.. I’ve made them twice and they were a BIG hit at both occasions. Fantastic recipe! 🙂
I loved this recipe….made it for my father in law’s bday and it was a huge hit. Absolutely delicious!!!!! I also agree you should use 3 pkgs. of cream cheese.
Love your blog….keep it up!
I will also make it this weekend for another group of friends….I am sure they will be amazed!
this is my second time making this recipe… we LOVE them!!! thanks so much 🙂
This Recipe looks so good, im going to try too make it this thursday night 😀
It is nice to find a recipe for Caramel Apple Cheesecake. Finally I have made something that actually looks like the pictures posted! This is a simple enough recipe that anyone could understand it. It would be a great project for a 4-H kid to bring to the fair also. The tastes of these bars are great! I have made these bars twice now and I cannot get enough of them! They are absolutely AMAZING! My family had a bunch of apples left over after we had put some away to freeze. We had no idea what to do with the leftovers, so I decided to look up some recipes. I had used more apples than what was called for. I also did not use Granny Smith apples, I used Jonathon Dwarf apples and it turned out just fine. It you are doing this step by step; I suggest putting the apples in lemon juice and water to soak when you are not using them. This will prevent them from turning brown while sitting. I kept this in the fridge and drizzled warm caramel on top which made my family go crazy! I would recommend this recipe to anyone who enjoys cheesecake and apples!
how do I save these recipes in the recipe box? there is no where to click on save in recipe box.
Norma,
I am still converting all of the recipes to the ziplist format which takes some time. Hopefully soon!
Hey Christy…
I don’t eat apples but I love sweets made with apples !! And this look so yummyyy
I’ll be trying them soon. Thx
i am having alot of trouble with these is there tricks i need toknow also i used 9 by 13 and the cream cheese was so thin and the topping and crst were hard i followed directions any help available?
The cream cheese should not be thin. That’s why I increased the the cream cheese to 3 packages. Maybe try cooking it less so the topping is not hard. Since there’s butter in it the topping will be somewhat hard when refrigerated but not as hard at room temperature.
This was delicious! It was a great way to use up some apples and try something new with cheesecake. I wouldn’t change a thing with this recipe.
I made an Oreo cheesecake once before, and failed because the directions for cooling the cake were not correct. I swore I wouldn’t make another recipe with the term “cheesecake” in it, but this one has made me a new believer. When the timer went off after 40 minutes, the filling was set, so I turned the oven off, cracked the oven door open about 3 inches and let the cheesecake bars cool. I then covered the pan with foil, placed it in the refrigerator and served the next day for dessert after our Thanksgiving lunch. Some relatives who said they don’t like cheesecake (?!) still had a piece and remarked how on great it tasted. Thanks Christy for posting this recipe among the many others that I cannot wait to try! My husband has already hinted at me baking the Pecan Pie Bars from your November 2010 post.
So glad you liked them!
I made this for a work carry-in a few weeks back and everyone fell in love! I printed at least 10 copies of this amazing recipe to hand out 🙂 Now, making it again for Thanksgiving celebration, thanks for the great recipe!
Just made these for our Thanksgiving dessert along with several others and it smelled delicious! Ready for my family and I to try them out! Thanks for posting it!!
hi, i checked Paula Dean recipe and she uses only two packs of cheese, please advise why did you use three?? and is it possible to do the whole thing in a cheesecake pan and without lining it?? thanks for your swift feedback.
Yes, Paula Dean only uses two but I felt like there wasn’t each cheesecake layer and it was overwhelmed by the topping. They’re still good her way.
“enough cheesecake”
These look like the love-child of a cheesecake and a french apple pie. YUM. I have them cooling now for Thanksgiving tomorrow. My only question is how can you tell when the filling is set? It’s covered by apples and topping.
I know it’s hard. If you cook it around the cooking time listed they should be fine. Just make sure it isn’t jiggling when you move the pan.
OMG!! Made these tonight, yummy. Not sure they’ll make it to thanksgiving tomorrow!
Made these tonight with my daughter for Thanksgiving tomorrow! Turned out delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe!
I’m so annoyed!!! I’m baking these right now, and I don’t think they’re going to turn out right. In your instructions, it says combine ALL INGREDIENTS for the streusel mix… that INCLUDES the caramel. So thanks to that unhelpful bit of instruction, I will have a soggy, weird streusel topper.
@Melissa,
Sorry. The original recipe had a break between the streusel list and the caramel but it seems to have gotten squished together in the transfer to WordPress. I can see how the directions would be confusing with it listed like that. They say to drizzle on the caramel after baked but if you already did the streusel without looking on to the next instruction it would be messed up. Hopefully they turn out still.
Are you using the 1/2 caramel for drizzle or in the streusel mix?
For the drizzle!
Definitely just popped these guys in the oven! I am too excited to bring them into work tomorrow. The girls are going to be lucky this Halloween 😉 I made one for the girls at work and for my family at grandma’s house tomorrow. Telling myself I’m not going to touch them until then. We’ll see about that 😉
Thanks so much for this recipe!
@Anonymous,
I’ve never made these as muffins but I’m sure your could. I’m not sure what the cooking time would be though.
Could you make these in a muffin sheet rather than a pan?
Came across this, via god knows what, and so happy I did! Made these for folks at work (they are my taste testers – who are very happy to provide feedback with any new recipes I try – mainly baking of course)and they were a HUGE hit. Love them!!! Thanks for the great treat.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Your blog is amazing. I featured you on my blog this month.
http://rhondassaucyadventures.blogspot.com/2012/10/october-spotlight.html
These are fantastic! However, like other commentors suggested, I would half the recipe and forgo the foil. These are VERY rich! Yum – will make again (in a smaller batch).
@HollyO,
I actually think these would freeze beautifully. You can make them a day ahead of time. I would just make sure to not put the caramel on them if you make them ahead of time. Wait to drizzle it on until you serve them.
These look delicious! I am looking for a recipe to make for my labor &delivery nurses when I give birth in a few weeks. My question is, can thses be frozen? Or how long can they be kept in the fridge? Obviously, I will need to make them ahead of time, but maybe if this is not a good idea, maybe you could recommend another fallish recipe with apples or pumpkin that would do better in my situation. Thanks so much!
I love caramel anyway! It’s awesome!
It looks like heaven! Really delicious!
I served these at my poker party last night, wow what a great reaction! Everyone loved them. I have a giant apple tree and love apple recipes. Thank you!
@Amy,
I prefer to serve them cold but I do think you could serve them warm with ice cream. That would be heavenly.