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A teal plate with a caramel apple cheesecake bar garnished with apples and cinnamon sticks.
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5 from 3 votes

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Easy Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars have three delicious layers and are a perfect fall dessert! A graham cracker crust topped with a creamy cheesecake layer loaded with cinnamon spiced apples and cookie-like streusel and salted caramel on top.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 18
Author: Julia Foerster

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (15 full sheets)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted (115g)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)

For the cheesecake layer:

  • 16 ounces cream cheese softened (450g)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten

For the spiced apples:

  • 3 medium tart apples peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the streusel topping:

  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (190g)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cubed (100g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup (salted) caramel sauce see notes above

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a 9x13-baking pan with baking spray.
  • Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar with a rubber spatula. Press mixture into the bottom of the pan. The crust should be tight and compact, I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the mixture into the pan.
  • Pre-bake the crust for 8 minutes.
  • While the crust is baking make the cheesecake layer: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute.
  • Add eggs and beat on low speed until just combined. Spread over the slightly cooled crust.
  • In another bowl, combine apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss until all the apple pieces are evenly coated. Spread over the cheesecake mixture.
  • For the streusel topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the flour, sugar, cubed butter, and cinnamon together until you have a crumbly mixture, about 2-3 minutes. Distribute streusel evenly over apples. The streusel should look like in the picture above.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until filling is set. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce and let cool in pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then transfer pan to the fridge and cool for at least 3 hours. Cut into bars.

Nutrition

Calories: 368kcal