Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping
The perfect marriage of cheesecake + caramel apples, these caramel apple cheesecake bars with that buttery, delightful streusel topping are one of my favorite fall desserts!
Move over pumpkin, because today, apples are getting their rightful attention as favorite fall flavor, too!
I mean, obviously you can enjoy apples every day of the year if you want (same with pumpkin, if we’re going to have this conversation), but there’s something about fall that brings out the delicious, warm flavors of apples.
And there’s no better combination than apples + caramel. Am I right?
Throw a little shortbread, cheesecake and streusel in there and you are looking at one of my family’s favorite desserts EVER.
And ok, fine, I actually have never relegated these caramel apple cheesecake bars to just autumn time. They are an oft-requested and oft-made treat all through the year.
My brother, Nathan, sent me the recipe years and years ago after his coworkers basically told him he should never bring any other treat in to work besides these babies. (Sidenote: my brother is an incredible baker and makes the most delectable desserts.)
I soon saw for myself the popularity that follows these bars. As in, you may get mobbed for the recipe. Prepare yourself.
Every time I bring these to a church activity or book club or social gathering (that highlight reel makes me sound like I actually get dressed and leave my house on occasion, which is slightly misleading), they are wildly, wildly popular.
I mean, just look at them! I know looks aren’t everything, but you have to admit, they are stunning little bars. And the outside appearance is just the beginning. They are ridiculously delicious. Like, best thing I ever ate kind of delicious.
That buttery shortbread based topped with a luscious creamy cheesecake layer and then followed by the syrupy tender apples…it’s almost too much.
But wait! There’s more! We’re going to take it two steps further with a buttery golden streusel (streusel is life) and caramel sauce drizzled on top with wild abandon.
I know. Let me give you a minute.
If you are looking for a showstopper dessert this fall, these caramel apple cheesecake bars should be very high on the to-make list.
And I’m not the only one with undying love! I originally posted this recipe back in 2010, and it has continued to be a family favorite of ours and many of yours, too (check out the comments for reviews and feedback).
There is a lot going on in this recipe, there’s no doubt about that. But I promise the end result will be worth it.
All of the components come together quickly and simply. It’s just a matter of assembling them all together (and bribing someone else to wash the dishes).
And in the name of giving apples a chance to shine today, here are a couple of my other favorite apple recipes (that aren’t pie)!
Whole Grain Applesauce Cinnamon Quick Bread
Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Apple Dapple Cake with Warm Vanilla Sauce (one of my favorite cakes ever)
Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
Apple Cinnamon Waffles
Apple Cinnamon Streusel Dessert Pizza
Caramel Apple Cider Floats
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping
Ingredients
Apples:
- 3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Streusel Topping:
- 1 cup (212 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup (50 g) quick cooking oats
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, softened
Shortbread Base:
- 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (106 g) packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, softened
Cream Cheese Layer:
- 2 packages (8-ounces each) (454 g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Caramel Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup (212 g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream cream
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla, can cut down to 1 teaspoon for less vanilla flavor
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch pan with foil (helps with cleanup but isn't necessary). Lightly grease the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- For the apples, in a small bowl, stir together the chopped apples, two tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- For the streusel, in a medium bowl, combine all the streusel topping ingredients and mix with a pastry blender or two forks (or your fingers) until crumbly. Set aside.
- For the shortbread base, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly but evenly and well combined. Press the crust evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until very lightly browned around the edges.
- For the cream cheese layer, while the crust is baking, in a large bowl with an electric handheld mixer (or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the cream cheese with the 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time and then the vanilla. Mix until evenly combined, scraping down the edges of the bowl as needed. Pour over the warm crust.
- Give the apple mixture a good stir and spoon over the cheesecake layer. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the filling is set.
- For the caramel sauce, add the butter, brown sugar, cream, and salt to a saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook while stirring gently for 5-7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. If the caramel sauce has been refrigerated, warm slightly to pour over the bars.
- Cool the bars to room temperature. Drizzle with the caramel topping (or plate individual slices and drizzle with topping one by one).
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: Bars adapted from my brother, Nate (I think he originally found them here), caramel sauce from Pioneer Woman
Recipe originally published October 2010; updated with new photos, commentary and recipe notes.
I have made these twice and LOVE them! The only thing I do not love is that they are a bit time consuming. Any tips for chopping up the apples quickly? I have tried them in my hand food chopper but the apples seem to stick to the side of the blades instead of staying in the cup for easy chopping.
Hi Sarah – I’m pretty old school when it comes to chopping the apples. I do it by hand and yes, I agree, it is a tedious process. Unfortunately I don’t have any great tips to speed it up (unless you have or get one of those nifty apple peeler/corer/slicer hand crank machines).
Was referred to your site by a friend, and boy do I owe her a favor! I’ve been reading your recipes all day and have yet to find one I didn’t drool over! I’ve printed off no less than 10 of your recipes which are the ones I want to try immediately, and have bookmarked numerous others! But this one is gonna be the first one I make tomorrow! cannot wait! it looks amazing! thanks for sharing! and for taking the time to do your blog!
Amazing, delicious, delightful, and so rich!! This is a great dessert for parties.
First of all I would like to thank you for the fabulous compliments. I submitted this recipe to Paula Deen in 2008, and it has been published in several of her magazines, and it is posted on the food network website. I just decided to do a search on the recipe tonight, and to my surprise, it is pretty popular. It is a recipe that I made up for a dinner party for someone who wanted to serve my Caramel Apple Cheesecake. I decidedto make the recipe into bars, so it was easier to serve. Thank you.
This recipe will be the end of me. Apple anything has always been a favorite, and combining my other favorite thing, cheesecake is just playing a big joke on my back end. It is delicious! I halved the recipe and it came out great! I’m glad I wont have a whole pan of this stuff hanging around.
I just made these last night after months of staring at them on your blog and they were a big hit. Even my husband, who is dubious about apple desserts, went back for seconds.
I made these for our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday because I actually had all of the ingredients for them, yay! I LOVED them. They are the perfect apple desert and I loved all of the different layers, they go perfect together. So, so, so, yummy, thank you Mel!!! 😀
Kensi – way to go on having all the ingredients on hand for these. I’m so glad they were a hit!
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe Melanie! I made it for a family get together and it was major hit! I will definitely be making this again!
Thanks, Shayla – I’m so glad this worked out well for your family get together!
Okay, so, I was beginning to think I was cursed. I have made SIX new recipes in the last 2 weeks, and they have ALL been DISASTERS!! But… you broke my curse! These bars were fantastic! They were easy to make, and are just divine! I’m going to have to share them so I don’t eat them all. Thanks for the yummy recipe and for breaking the curse! 😉
Krista – sorry you’ve had such bad luck with new recipes. That’s the worst! Glad that these cheesecake bars broke up the bad streak!
I can’t remember if I commented or not … I made these last week and they are oh-my-goodness good! Basically a cheesecake in bar form, which definitely makes them easier to bake!
Thanks!
Thanks, Candice!
These bars were a HUGE hit at my family reunion this past weekend. Everyone was asking me for the recipe! I have to admit to taking 2 shortcuts. I made a graham cracker crust base (called for less butter) and i used Hershey’s caramel sauce on top.
I’m so happy I found your blog by doing a random Google search for cheesecake bars. Now i want to try more of your recipes 🙂
Stephanie – I’m so glad you found your way here, too and that the first recipe you tried was a hit. Thanks for letting me know!
I just made this last night and it was a hit with all our friends and family! I liked it and thought it had great texture and flavor. I am a HUGE cheesecake fan so my only wish was that that cheesecake flavor was more prevalent. But the desert was really good; and that carmel sauce..to die for and so easy! I tried it slightly warm and then cold. I think I would prefer it at room temperature so I will try that today 😉
As always thanks Melanie for the awesome recipes. My husband thinks I’m a great cook now and I always tell him it’s because your recipes inspire me to try new things so thank you!
p.s. I also send all my friends to your blog! I think it is one of the best out there!
Lisa – you need to start taking the credit for your husband’s praises (forget about telling him you got the recipe from here!). I’m so glad these cheesecake bars were a hit. I’ve seen other people make them and they one and a half the cheesecake layer – you might try that for a more prevalent cheesecake flavor!
Awesome- and this dessert is good for breakfast,lunch,dinner, midnight snack….I made this for company and everyone ate dessert no matter how full they were already and cleaned they’re plates and groaned! My husband isn’t a cheesecake fan but ate several helpings within the next couple of days. I may add a little more apple mixture to it the next time because I think it would be nice to have even more of a apple flavor and the texture of it more pronounced. But it’s very good the way that it is already.
Dorcas – so glad you loved this and I agree it is perfect for just about any meal!!
I thought this recipe was delicious. It tastes a lot like the bavarian apple torte, but with streusel and caramel–two things that amp up any recipe in my book! That caramel sauce was so easy and tasty–I’ll be using that component for all kinds of things!
Reyna – yes, the flavors are definitely similar to your Bavarian Torte. In fact, next time I make the torte, I’m going to drizzle some of that caramel sauce on top.
This was by far the best dessert I have made this fall. It’s really good for breakfast too!
Thanks, Ann!
I made this last night (sans caramel sauce) and it was one of the best things I have EVER made. Having a food processor cuts the steps down. Thank you!
Kitty – I bet a food processor could really help out with this. Thanks for the tip! And I’m happy you liked it so much!
yumm. this seems like the perfect sweet fall dish!:)
I made these last night. The recipe looks long and involved, but they are simple, really. Not difficult–even for someone like me who is easily overwhelmed by recipes–and faster than it looks, too. And they turned out great for me. Really love the apples in them. And the oats in the streusel.
Queenann – thanks for checking in on this recipe. I agree that the steps look endless but it really does come together quickly. So glad you liked it!
Holy crap Mel!!! Those look to die for! I really, really wish you could be my personal chef. Little do your adorable kiddos know how lucky they are!!! 🙂 Hope all is well!
The men in your family seem like super guys! 🙂
~ingrid
this is a cheesecake-type creation i can see myself enjoying immensely! hooray for apple season.
These look so delicious! Has anyone had success freezing these bars for a yummy treat later? If so, how long do they take to thaw approximately?
Well after so many rave reviews from so many different sources, I know exactly what dessert I’ll be making this week. My thighs officially do NOT thank you 😛
With the exception of the homemade caramel sauce , the cheesecake bar recipe comes from Paula Deen. These are very good, I’ve made them several times.
ohhhh, yum. thank you for sharing this!
Looks so good. Love the drizzle across the top. Couldn’t resist these if I saw them on the table.
I saw your recipe and decided to made these for a bake sale at my husband’s work tomorrow to benefit cancer research. WOW! Amazing! It is going to take everything in me to send them to the bake sale rather than just eat them all myself. SOOOO GOOD!
Thanks, Barbie – I’m glad these worked out for you!
Oh heavenly! Agreed with all statements previously mentioned! Ha ha! Must make immediately!
Your dessert posts make me so happy!!! 🙂
I brought these to our church cheesecake contest a couple years ago, and won 1st place for them!!! This is a Paula Deen recipe with extra spices added to the crust. Recently, I’ve seen this recipe pop up on everyone’s food blog.
Wow, Mel, these look incredible! I could definitely go for one of these right now… I’m so glad I found your blog! I’ll be visiting again soon to see what you’re cooking and baking up next!
Sorry I didn’t finish my comment earlier…these look amazing. I will have to try your homemade caramel. I’m sure that just makes it out of this world. Thanks for stopping by and saying hi. I love everything you make!
I’ve decided apple pie is my favorite pie, cheesecake is my favorite cake, and caramel is my favorite topping…how could I go wrong with this dessert? I am thinking it may replace our apple pie this year at Thanksgiving if it is that good. Hmm. Could I justify making it sooner than that because I sure want to try it?!
Oh my goodness. I need these. Right. Now.
Those look so yummy…I am headed to the grocery store today and I just had to add those ingredients to my list.
I found these a couple of years ago on Food Network and they are AWESOME! They are delicious. They take a bit of time but they are so worth it. I’m glad you’re getting that recipe out there!
This dessert encompasses everything I love! My only hesitation in making them is my concern that I will devour the entire pan myself. I’m going in though, I can’t stop myself!
Yeah! Just the other night I was on a hunt for something like this. I had a craving for a creamy cheesecake filling with cinnamon apples. Voila! You came to my rescue. I am thinking my bottled apple pie filling will work great for the top apple part.
Thanks Melanie!!
I have been looking for a recipe exactly like this! Thanks for ending my search.
That picture speaks for itself. I can see why this would be such a favorite, especially with all that good stuff going for it.
I guess I’m headed to the store for Granny Smiths and cream cheese.
Oh those are calling my name. Why oh why have I already had my share of goodies for the week. Those look awesome. Thanks for sharing them.
These look absolutely fabulous! They are going on my table soon!
These look so yummy! Silly question, do you wait till the caramel simmers and then cook 5-7 more minutes or 5-7 minutes total? thanks!
Jeanette – it isn’t a very scientific recipe but that’s a good question. Bring it to a simmer and cook it for about 5 minutes after that.
I’ve been waiting for a good apple cheesecake dessert recipe to pop up online! Thanks 🙂
I have been wondering what to do with my extra half and half dinner called for a few nights ago…. MMMM!
Caramel apple flavors are good in so many desserts–this recipe looks like another one to add to the list!
Ditto for me, Jessica! These are going to be on my Thanksgiving table, too! Thanks for sharing Nate’s recipe with us, Melanie! 🙂
These are one of the most popular things on my site. I increased the cream cheese layer because I thought it needed a little but more.
http://thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com/2010/09/caramel-apple-cheesecake-bars.html
Just bookmarked! These are going to be my Thanksgiving dessert!