Fall will soon be descending on us. So I decided that I would take these classic caramel apple cheesecake bars and combine them with an apple crumble texture.
The result is a caramel apple crumble cheesecake bar recipe that is out of the world. A symphony- no, actually, a masterpiece- that sings of heavenly fall flavors!
Main Ingredients Needed for These Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars:
- Cheese
- Graham cracker
- Vanilla wafers
- Unsalted butter
- Cornstarch
- Flour
- Dulce de Leche (caramel)
- Apple pie filling
Your Family Will Love These Cheesecake Bars
Everyone in our house loves the taste of a delicious juicy caramel apple. Especially the little ones.
These caramel apple cheesecake bars are a go-to recipe for fall around our house. They are also great for carry-in dessert for school functions, a fall party, or even to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving.
Building Your Cheesecake Bars
The cheesecake bars are a layered dessert. The bottom layer is made up of butter, graham cracker crumbles, vanilla wafers, and brown sugar. The middle layer consists of apple pie filling, cream cheese, and egg.
The streusel layer is flour, sugar, and butter. Finally, you drizzle dulce de leche caramel sauce on top. This caramel sauce is superb when used in a desert it is the ultimate burst of divine caramel flavor.
There is something so magical about the taste of caramel and apple. They go together so well. The streusel on top of these amazing cheesecake bars adds a very nice touch as well.
The first time I prepared these caramel apple cheesecake bars, it seemed like an eternity before the bars were cool and ready to sample. My kids like eating this apple treat for breakfast.
The cheesecake bars resemble coffee cake which makes them ideal to serve at a Sunday morning brunch.
One of the coolest things about these caramel apple cheesecake bars is that unlike traditional cheesecake recipes, you don’t need a plate or fork. Just grab a square and eat it on the go!
How to Make Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars Recipe
If you love caramel apple, apple crisp bars, and cheesecake, you are really going to love this recipe!
Crust for Apple Cheesecake Bars
- 12 graham cracker sheets
- 25 vanilla wafer cookies
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 egg
Cheesecake Filling for Cheesecake Bars
2 -8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
¼ Sour cream
½ tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup cornstarch
Topping for Apple Cheesecake
- 1 20 oz can apple pie filling
- 1 13.4 oz. can Dulce de Leche
Streusel Topping for Caramel Apple Cheesecake
- ½ stick unsalted butter (60g)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (Plain Flour, 70g)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Streusel Topping for Cheesecake
1) Combine all of the streusel toppings in a medium bowl.
2) Mix with a hand mixer until the mixture is crumbly.
3) Cover and set aside.
Making the Cheesecake Crust
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Combine all of the crust ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix until all ingredients for a nice batter.
3) Line a 9 x 13 glass pan with wax paper and press the crust mixture evenly across the pan.
4) Cook crust for 5 minutes, remove from oven and set aside.
Cream Cheese Filling
1) Mix all cheesecake filling ingredients in a large bowl. Make sure the mixture is smooth with no clumps.
2) Evenly layer the cheesecake filling over top of the crust.
Topping for Cheesecake Bars
1) Spread the apple pie filling over top the cheesecake filling. Be careful not to mix.
2) Sprinkle the streusel over top of the apple pie filling.
Cooking Cheesecake Bars
1) Bake for 40 minutes.
2) Allow 5 minutes of cooling time.
Finishing Caramel Cheesecake Bars
1) Heat Dulce de Leche sauce in the microwave until the caramel becomes runny.
2) Drizzle the Dulce de Leche over top of the entire cheesecake.
3) Cover the pan and set in the refrigerator overnight.
