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Caramel Apple Cheesecake

This Caramel Apple Cheesecake is the perfect combination for fall! Enjoy the taste of fresh apples, luscious caramel, and tangy, sweet cheesecake!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword apple, cheesecake
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 12 servings
Calories 250kcal
Author Camila Hurst

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 180 grams or digestive biscuits
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar 28 grams
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted 85 grams

Apple Filling

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped apples about 1 medium apples (140 grams)
  • 1/2 tbsp flour
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Caramel Sauce

Cheesecake batter

  • 907 grams cream cheese softened 4 packages of 8 oz.
  • 1 cup brown sugar 220 grams
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 grams
  • 1/2 cup sour cream 120 grams
  • 1/3 cup apple sauce 83 grams
  • 3 large eggs room temp
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

Caramel Apple Topping

  • 3 cups sliced apples about 3 apples (330 grams)
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water

Instructions

Caramel sauce

  • Prepare the caramel sauce ahead of time, so it has a chance to come to room temperature. You can make it a day ahead, or even a few days ahead and keep it in the fridge in a sealed container. Before making the recipe, remove it from the fridge and microwave gently to soften it up so you can measure some out to use in the recipe. Some of the sauce will be baked into the cheesecake batter, and the remaining will be drizzled over the Apple Topping before serving.

Graham Cracker Crust

  • Pre-heat the oven to 325ºF.
  • Place the graham cracker in a food processor and process to obtain fine crumbs.
  • Add the brown sugar and mix to combine.
  • Melt the butter and mix with the crumbs and sugar.
  • Press the mixture on the bottom of an 8” or 9” cheesecake pan. If using an 8” springform pan, it must be deep.
  • Bake the crust in the oven for 10 minutes.
  • Remove it from the oven and let it cool down.

Apple Filling

  • Place the chopped apples in a bowl. Add the flour and cinnamon to the bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.

Cheesecake Batter

  • Beat the cream cheese for 2 minutes with a mixer at medium speed, until creamy.
  • Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the cream cheese and beat for another 2 minutes at medium speed.
  • Scrape the bowl and beat for another 30 seconds.
  • Add the sour cream and mix to combine.
  • Add the apple sauce along with the cinnamon and mix.
  • Make sure to scrape the bowl a few times during the mixing process.
  • Add the eggs one at a time to the bowl, mixing until incorporated before adding the next one.
  • Avoid over mixing once the eggs are added, to prevent cracking of the cheesecake.
  • Add the final egg yolk with the vanilla, salt and mix until combined.

To Assemble

  • We are going to alternate layers of cheesecake batter, apple filling, and caramel sauce.
  • First, pour one quarter of the cheesecake batter in the pan, over the baked and cooled crust. You should pour enough to form a 2 inch layer on the bottom.
  • Next, sprinkle half of the chopped apples on top of the cheesecake batter.
  • Pour another quarter of batter on top, enough to cover the apples.
  • Drizzle 1/3 cup of caramel sauce over the cheesecake batter. The caramel should be at room temperature.
  • Pour another quarter of the batter over the caramel, enough to cover the sauce.
  • Top with the other half of the chopped apple filling.
  • Spread the remaining batter on top.
  • Drizzle 1/4 cup of sauce on top of the batter. Use a spatula to swirl the filling around with the batter to cover it. If there are bits of caramel exposed that aren’t swirled in with the batter, the cheesecake will most likely crack in those spots.

Baking

  • Wrap the bottom of the pan with a few layers of foil.
  • Place the pan in a larger roasting pan, and add hot water to the roasting pan, to form a water bath. This is very important so the cheesecake doesn’t crack.
  • Bake the cheesecake in the pre-heated 325ºF oven for 60 to 75 minutes.
  • To check if the cheesecake is done baking, give the pan a little wiggle, it should jiggle slightly in the center, but the edges should look set.
  • Turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake in there for 1 hour.
  • Remove the cheesecake from the oven and place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

Apple Caramel Topping

  • Peel and slice the apples into thin slices about 1/8”.
  • To make the Apple Caramel topping, place the sliced apples in a medium saucepan with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the apples have softened up but are not falling apart. They should be bendable. If the mixture is drying out and the apples are sticking to the pan, add one or two teaspoons of water as needed, or lower the heat.
  • Mix the cornstarch with the water until dissolved.
  • Once the apples are soft, pour the dissolved cornstarch in.
  • Mix to combine, while cooking for about one to two minutes, until the apples thicken.
  • Remove the apples from the heat, pour into a bowl. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap. Let the apples cool down and then place in the fridge until chilled through, at least a couple of hours. You can make the apple topping a day ahead and keep in the fridge until ready to serve the cheesecake.

To Serve

  • Once the cheesecake has chilled for at least 6 hours, remove it from the refrigerator. Remove the ring around the cake.
  • Pour the cooked apple slices topping over the cheesecake, arranging them on an even layer.
  • Drizzle another 1/3 to 1/2 cup of caramel on top of the apples, or as much as desired from what is leftover. Just make sure the caramel is room temperature, not too warm, and not cold from the fridge. If the caramel is cold, place it in the microwave for just a few seconds at a time, until it’s of a pouring consistency.
  • Slice and serve the cheesecake.

Notes

Caramel sauce: You can use store-bought caramel sauce, or dulce de leche if desired. Here is my caramel sauce recipe that I used in this cheesecake.
Storage: You can store the Apple Caramel cheesecake in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days, covered in an air tight container. The cheesecake can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Make sure to place it in an air tight container. You can also freeze the cheesecake first, then once it’s frozen, wrap it with plastic wrap very tightly and then place in an air tight container. This will extend its freezer shelf life.
Crust: You can use digestive biscuits instead of graham crackers. Or use the Biscoff Crust recipe from this Biscoff Cheesecake.
Greasing the cheesecake pan: I like to grease the sides of the pan after baking the crust, because if I grease the cheesecake pan before adding the crust in, first I have a hard time making the crust stick to the sides of the pan, and also, it makes the crust soggy.
Oven temperature: If using a convection oven, you may have to use a lower baking temperature, around 300ºF instead. And baking time may also vary. Bake until the cheesecake is slightly jiggly in the center, and set around the edges.
Oven thermometer: It’s best to have an oven thermometer to ensure the oven temperature is accurately measured. Often times, ovens are not accurate, and if the oven is off and the actual temperature is too low, the cheesecake can take way longer to bake. And if the temperature tends to be higher than what you actually set it to, the cheesecake can crack because of being baked at too high of a temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 250kcal