Apple Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Hello Friends! Today I am bringing this recipe for Apple Dulce de Leche Cheesecake! Creamy and rich Dulce de Leche Cheesecake topped with caramelized spiced apples, on a shortbread crust.

This is the dessert I brought for the Thanksgiving dinner we attended last month, but I might make another one for our Christmas dinner because it was such a huge hit!

This Apple Dulce de Leche Cheesecake was truly a dream.

The apples on top are spiced, and the slightly sourness of the apples contrasts so wonderfully with the sweet and rich cheesecake!

I made this Apple Dulce de Leche cheesecake twice.

The first time, I made a shortbread crust that was going all the way up the sides of the pan, as you can notice on the picture above.

However, I didn’t pre-bake the crust enough, and it ended up being under baked.

So next time I made it, for the Thanksgiving dinner we attended, I decided to just put the crust on the bottom of the cheesecake instead of putting it all around the sides of the pan.

Just make sure to pre-bake the crust, and then let it cool, before adding the cheesecake batter on top, and then baking the cheesecake.

This recipe is pretty easy to make. It’s a regular cheesecake recipe, with dulce de leche added to the batter, for an incredible rich and indulgent taste.

And then we top the cheesecake with spiced caramelized apples.

These are the same apples I use on these Apple Crisp Cupcakes, and on my Apple Macarons.

I make the apples and the cheesecake on the same day, and let both chill in the fridge overnight.

Then, on the next day, I spoon the apples on the cooled cheesecake.

This Apple Dulce de Leche Cheesecake was one of my favorite desserts I made this season, and I’ve been making lots and lots of desserts!

It’s just that I absolutely love cheesecake! I don’t think I bake enough cheesecakes!

A couple of tips for your cheesecake not to crack:

• Use a water bath, this helps keep the temperature evenly distributed in the whole cake as it bakes.
• As soon as the cheesecake is done baking, run a knife gently around the edges of the cheesecake so the sides won’t stick to the pan, making the cheesecake crack as it cools down and shrinks naturally.

Trust me on that last tip, my cheesecakes always used to crack, and it always happened after I had turned the heat off. And I didn’t understand why.

Then one day, I read this tip somewhere, I can’t recall where. But since then, game changer, never had a cracked cheesecake on top again!

More recipes you may enjoy, to serve to your guests, friends, and family over the holiday celebrations:

• No-Bake Flan
• Creme Brulee Pie
• Chocolate and Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Pie
• Dulce de Leche Cake
• Mousse Cake
• Cookie Dough Mini Cheesecake
• Baklava Cheesecake

Thank you for reading my blog, and for stopping by! If you make any of my desserts tag me on instagram, please! I love so much to see what you are making and creating!

Apple Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Camila Hurst

This is a Dulce de Leche Cheesecake, topped with apples, featuring a shortbread crust.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10 people

Calories 500 kcal

Ingredients

  

Shortbread Crust

• 1/2 cup  unsalted butter softened 4 oz, 113 grams
• 1/2 cup  powdered sugar 2.25 oz, 63.78 grams
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour  6.75 oz, 191 grams

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

• 32 oz. cream cheese softened (907 grams)
• 1/2 cup sugar 3.5 oz, 100 grams
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2/3 cup dulce de leche 6.3 oz, 180 grams
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Apple Topping

• 4 cups chopped apples 3-4 apples, 13 oz, 370 grams
• 1/4 cup brown sugar 1.75 oz, 50 grams
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

 

Shortbread Crust

• Place butter in the mixer bowl. Cream on medium high for 2 minutes. The butter will work best if it’s softened, but not too soft.
• With the mixer off, add powdered sugar. Mix on low until combined. Raise speed to medium-high and cream for 1 minute.
• Add vanilla. Mix to combine.
• Add flour, mix on low until the dough just comes together.
• Coat a 9 or 8 inch springform pan with a bit of oil, or non-stick spray.
• Now put the crust dough in the pan and start to pat the dough down to line the whole bottom of the springform pan.
• Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. While the oven pre-heats place the pan in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
• Bake the crust in the oven for 15 minutes, until golden. Remove and let it cool down. While it cools, make the filling.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

• Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
• Place cream cheese in a large bowl. Cream with an electric mixer until creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Add sugar, cream for another minute.
• Add sour cream and 2/3 cup of dulce de leche. Cream again, until combined.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing fully before adding the next egg.
• Add vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
• Pour cheesecake batter over the cooled crust.
• Wrap the bottom of the pan in foil.
• Place cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan, or any pan with tall sides that will fit the cheesecake pan.
• Pour water on the bottom of the pan to create a water bath for the cheesecake.
• Place it in the oven.
• Bake for about 60 minutes. The cheesecake should be jiggly in the middle, but not wet, or soupy. The edges should look done and solid. Use a knife to gently run around the edges of the cheesecake, so the sides won't get stuck to the pan and make the cheesecake crack.
• Turn the heat off, crack open the oven door, leave the cheesecake in there for 30 minutes.
• Remove the cheesecake.
• Let it cool completely. Remove the ring around the springform pan, place it in the fridge overnight or for at least 6 hours.

Apple Topping

• Place chopped apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small saucepan.
• Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low. Cook mixture, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes, just until the apples begin to soften, but not so much that they are falling apart.
• The cooking time will depend on the kind of apples you are using. I used honeycrisp, and they were very firm, so they took about 8 minutes to soften up.
• Mix cornstarch and water. Add to the pan with the apples. Stir and cook for about 1-2 minutes, until the liquid on the bottom of the pan is thick and coating the apples.
• Remove apples to a small bowl. Let them cool down in the fridge.

To serve

• Spoon cooled apples on top of cold cheesecake.
• Slice and serve.

Storage

• Store cheesecake for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Keyword apple, cheesecake, dulce de leche