I have never really been an apple pie fan, but I sure do love apple crisp. The second I heard about these apple crisp cheesecake bars I had to make them. I really love a bar that has layers and these ones are super delicious and perfect for the upcoming fall months.
Call me crazy, but I love to make a dessert that my family can enjoy for dinners. Trying to get back in shape makes it hard and I have come to the conclusion that there is no way I am going to lose anything with a pregnant wife. We just enjoy being together and having dinner with a delicious dessert to enjoy.
These apple crisp cheesecake bars are great too because they have the chopped up apple that are great for kids and I just tell myself that I am getting a healthy portion of fruit when eating these. And then to top it off with a oatmeal crumble crust, you know you’re doing something right.
The best part of all this is, apple season is vastly approaching and you are going to want a dessert that will blow your family’s mind. This is the dessert for you. I may or may not have eaten the entire pan without a single regret. Enjoy!
- Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
- Cheesecake
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (use brick-style, lite okay)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Apples
- about 2 cups small dices apples (from about 2 med apples, peeled and cored; I used 1 Fuji and 1 Gala)
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Crumble
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned-whole rolled oats (not quick-cook or instant)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 of 1 stick), softened
- Caramel
- 1/2 cup+ (salted) caramel sauce, for drizzling (homemade salted caramel, or storebought; use a thick caramel sauce and not thin, runny ice cream sundae topping)
- ice cream, optional for serving
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang and spray with cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
- Crust – In a large bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, and cut in the butter with two forks. Keep working until mixture is combined and pea-sized crumbly bits are present.
- Turn mixture out into prepared pan, hard-packing it with your fingertips in an even, smooth, flat layer to form a crust. Bake for 14-15 minutes, or just until set (set a timer). Remove from oven; set aside. While crust bakes, prepare the remaining layers.
- Cheesecake – In a large bowl (same one used for crust is okay, just wipe with a paper towel), add all ingredients and beat with a hand mixer (or whisk vigorously by hand) until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes on high power; set aside.
- Apples – Peel, core, and dice apples and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and toss well to combine; set aside.
- Crumble – In a medium bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, oats, and cut in the butter with two forks. Keep working until mixture is combined and pea-sized crumbly bits are present. If necessary, add an extra tablespoon or two of flour or oats for preferred consistency if mixture is loose.
- After removing pan with the crust layer from the oven, pour cheesecake mixture over the crust, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Lightly and evenly sprinkle the apples.
- Evenly sprinkle with the crumble mixture. It looks like a lot, but it sinks some while baking.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes (I baked 48 minutes), or until crumble topping is just set and very lightly golden browned. Place pan on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes.
- Caramel – After 30 minutes, evenly drizzle with (salted) caramel sauce. Allow bars to cool, in pan, on wire rack for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Cover with foil if cooling overnight. Don’t slice bars too early because you’ll have a literal hot mess and bars will likely fall apart. Prior to slicing, lift bars out using foil overhang, slice, and serve. Bars will keep airtight at room temp for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Optionally serve with ice cream.
Inspired by Averie Cooks.
