This recipe for Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake will have you looking forward to the fresh apples of fall every year! My favorite is Honeycrisp Apples from the Pacific Northwest. I loved going to pick some up fresh off the tree at the farmer's market when I lived up there.
This recipe is a great way to impart the flavor of this crisp, sweet, and tart apple that just screams fall! While you can use any apple you love, just be sure to use a firm, flavorful apple that isn't too watery. Pink Lady, Fuji, and Gala are also good options.
Ingredients
This is a superb cheesecake, and the ingredient list carries the usual suspects. Room temp cream cheese is the most important thing, everything else can go either way on being room temp or cold. But the cream cheese is non-negotiable.
I also add a bit of caramel sauce into the cheesecake batter itself. It helps carry the Apple Crisp flavor through and makes the finished cheesecake extremely lush and decadent!
For the crumble topping that crisps when baked, hence "Apple Crisp", you need the ingredients seen in the image below.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Method
The first thing I do when starting this recipe is to make the crisp topping. Mix the ingredients together in a bowl, coating the butter in flour and sugar. Rub the butter between your fingers until it is in pea-sized pieces and completely worked together, but not yet a paste.
Store the topping in the fridge so the butter stays super cold until ready to be baked.
Next, make the graham cracker crust, press it into the pan and halfway up the sides, and bake until set. I bake my cheesecakes in an 8-inch cake pan, but you could also use a springform pan if you prefer. If you use a regular cake pan, just be sure to line it with parchment paper on the bottom as insurance that your cake will release from the pan.
Make the cheesecake batter while the crust is baking. Then scoop the batter into the pan and top it with the diced apple pieces followed by the crisp topping. The apple adds a nice texture to the cheesecake when you eat it.
Bake the cheesecake until it has a slight wiggle in it. It will shake even though it has a topping on it. You will be able to see if it shakes watery or like jello, when it shakes like jello you can turn off the oven.
After the cheesecake has fully cooled and rested in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, up to overnight, drizzle with caramel and top with apple slices.
Notes & Tips
When the cheesecake is done baking and it shakes like jello, allow it to cool in the oven for an hour or two, with the door propped open. You can use a wooden spoon to keep the door cracked open.
Be sure to use a crisp, tart apple. Honeycrisp is my favorite to use, and I always have a few around. Pink Lady, Fuji, and Gala are also good options. Steer clear of Macintosh, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith apples, they have too high a water content and could leave your cheesecake soupy.
You can use store-bought caramel for the cheesecake batter and topping the cake with, but if you know me, I always go with HOMEMADE!
If the cheesecake is a little stubborn, run a warm knife around the outside of the pan to loosen before turning it out of the pan.
Substitutions
To make this cheesecake Gluten-Free, make your own graham cracker crumbs out of gluten-free graham crackers, and omit the flour from the topping. It's ok to leave the flour out, the sugar will do all the work it needs to and create a crisp top.
Make it a Dairy-Free by using THIS dairy-free cream cheese. It is a great swap, and I really love this product! Use Ghee or Earth Balance to replace the butter in the crust and topping.
More fall favorites
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📖 Recipe
Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake
This recipe for Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake will have you looking forward to the fresh apples of fall every year! My favorite is Honeycrisp Apples from the Pacific Northwest.
Ingredients
- for the topping:
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar
- ⅓ cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Quick Oats
- ½ cup All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, diced, cold
- 1 lg Honeycrisp Apple, peeled and diced
- for the cheesecake:
- 2 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter melted
- 3 8 oz Cream Cheese Blocks room temp
- 1 ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Corn Starch
- ¼ cup Caramel Sauce, plus more for topping
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Eggs extra large
- ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Instructions
for the topping:
- In a bowl, mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, quick oats, salt, and flour to combine.
- Add the diced butter and press the butter into the flour mixture by pressing it between your fingers until a shaggy crumble forms. Hold the topping in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake.
for the cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Prepare an 8-inch round cake pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and greasing the bottom and sides well with pan spray.
- In a small bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, and melted butter to form your crust mixture.
- Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the pan using the base of a measuring cup or drinking glass, pressing some of the crust about halfway up the sides.
- Bake the crust in a 350˚F oven for 9 minutes. Remove and set aside while making your filling.
- In a stand mixer, combine one package of cream cheese and ⅓ cup of sugar. Mix on low until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add each of the remaining cream cheese blocks one at a time until they are all combined. Scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.
- Add the remaining sugar, corn starch, caramel, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed adding the eggs one at a time, making sure they are well combined after each addition. Add the cream and only mix until combined, being careful not to over mix.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture into your prepared pan, top with the diced apple and cover the apple with the topping.
- Place the prepared cake in a shallow pan, place it in the oven, and fill the pan with 1 inch of water. This is a water bath, and it will keep the cheesecakes from cracking while cooking.
- Bake in the preheated 350˚F oven for 1 hour 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and it has the slightest wiggle to it. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven until cool, 1 hour with the door cracked. Cool on the counter a further 2-3 hours. Leave the cake in the pan and cover it loosely with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top and place it in the refrigerator until completely cool, 4 hrs up to overnight.
- To remove from the pan, turn upside down keeping the plastic wrap on top, and warm the bottom with your hands. You do this because the butter when cold will keep the cake in the pan. Rub the bottom for about a minute and then give the bottom a good whack. The cake should fall from the bottom and be in perfect condition. Lift the cake using the plastic wrap and place it on a plate. Drizzle the top with caramel sauce and sliced apples if desired.
Notes
Notes & Tips
When the cheesecake is done baking and it shakes like jello, allow it to cool in the oven for an hour or two, with the door propped open. You can use a wooden spoon to keep the door cracked open.
Be sure to use a crisp, tart apple. Honeycrisp is my favorite to use, and I always have a few around. Pink Lady, Fuji, and Gala are also good options. Steer clear of Macintosh, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith apples, they have too high a water content and could leave your cheesecake soupy.
You can use store-bought caramel for the cheesecake batter and topping the cake with, but if you know me, I always go with HOMEMADE!
If the cheesecake is a little stubborn, run a warm knife around the outside of the pan to loosen before turning it out of the pan.
Substitutions
To make this cheesecake Gluten-Free, make your own graham cracker crumbs out of gluten-free graham crackers, and omit the flour from the topping. It's ok to leave the flour out, the sugar will do all the work it needs to and create a crisp top.
Make it a Dairy-Free by using THIS dairy-free cream cheese. It is a great swap, and I really love this product! Use Ghee or Earth Balance to replace the butter in the crust and topping.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 604Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 326mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 2gSugar: 44gProtein: 7g
This is an estimated caloric value, actual numbers may differ based on the ingredients used.
Leena Thadani says
Hello. I can't wait to try this recipe. Can you please tell me what ingredient can I use to replace eggs in it ?
Thanks.
Kendell says
Leena, I would try replacing them with a tablespoon of cornstarch for each. They are there to help set the cheesecake, and the additional cornstarch should help hold it together.