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The perfect fall dessert in a convenient bar form. With a brown sugar shortbread crust, creamy cheesecake, cinnamon apples, and a buttery crumble topping, these bars will be a crowd-pleaser.
This apple crumble cheesecake bar recipe is so refreshing and delicious! It’s as if you combined a cozy apple pie or apple crumble and a creamy cheesecake into one delectable dessert.
4 Delicious Layers and Ingredient Breakdown
Shortbread – tender, sweet and buttery. The perfect foundation for these bars.
- Brown sugar – adds a warmth and sweetness to the shortbread.
- Cinnamon – a little extra flavor and warmth.
- Cold butter – gives the crust a delicious buttery flavor and classic shortbread texture.
- Flour – the structural framework.
Cheesecake – sweet and creamy cheesecake. Simple and delicious.
- Cream cheese – for a creamy, rich texture and a mild tang.
- Sweetened condensed milk – adds sweetness, flavor, and structure to the cheesecake.
- Lemon juice – adds some acidity to cut through the richness of the cream cheese.
- Vanilla – flavor enhancer.
Apples – cinnamon sugar apples give these bars the perfect fall flavor.
- Apples – adds some bright fall flavor that compliments the richness of the cheesecake.
- Cinnamon – adds flavor and warmth.
- Sugar – adds a bit of sweetness.
Crumble – a buttery, brown sugar and cinnamon crumble topping gives these bars the perfect, crunchy finishing touch.
- Butter – gives the crumble a yummy richness.
- Sugar – creates a crispier crumble.
- Brown sugar – adds sweetness and rich caramel-like notes.
- Cinnamon – adds warmth and flavor.
- Salt – flavor enhancer.
- Flour – provides structure.
What Apples do I Choose?
In a season full of warm apple crisps and apple pies, these cheesecake bars are a refreshing way to enjoy apples while they’re in season.
With so many apple varieties available, it can be hard to know which variety you’ll want to use in a recipe. Below I have organized some common apple varieties into categories. It may help you choose the type of apple that you want to use, depending on if you like sweeter or more tart apples and how firm you like them to stay when baking. I typically enjoy using Empire or Cortland apples here, but you may enjoy another variety, depending on your preferences. Don’t stress, this information is just here if you want it.
Tart and Firm – Granny Smith
Tart and Soft – McIntosh, Cortland
Sweet and Firm – Fuji, Honeycrisp, Gala
Sweet and Soft – Empire, Golden Delicious
Equipment
You’ll need a 9 x 13 baking dish and an apple peeler for this recipe. I like to use a food processor for the shortbread crust, but you can also use a pastry cutter.
Apple Crumble Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- 9 x 13 baking dish
- apple peeler
- food processor (optional)
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups (240 g) flour
- ½ cup (110 g) dark brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup (2 sticks) (226 g) butter, cold, cut into cubes
Cheesecake Layer
- 2 8-oz. packages (452 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 15-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Apple Layer
- 4 cups (about 480 g) apples, peeled & finely chopped (approx. 4 apples)(Cortland or Empire)
- 2 tbsp (20 g) sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup (1 stick) (113 g) butter, melted
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- ¼ cup (55 g) dark brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup (120 g) flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
Prepare the Crust
- Add flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a food processor or bowl. Pulse a few times to mix. If using a bowl, mix ingredients until combined.
- Add cold butter to the food processor and pulse until the mixture is crumbly.If using a bowl, use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until crumbly. You'll know it's ready when it loosely sticks together when squeezed in your hand.
- Press mixture evenly into bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Bake for 12 – 18 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Cheesecake Layer
- While the crust is baking, beat together cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and lemon juice with a mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Spread over crust, set aside.
Apple Layer
- In a bowl, stir together chopped apples, sugar, and cinnamon until apples are evenly coated.
- Distribute apples evenly over cheesecake layer and lightly press them down.
Crumble Topping
- In a bowl, mix together melted butter, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
- Add flour and mix until combined.
- Crumble topping evenly over apple layer.
- Bake 40 – 45 minutes or until crumble has browned slightly, apples are soft, and cheesecake layer has set.
- Let cool at room temperature before placing in fridge to chill. Serve cold.
Notes
If you try out this recipe, I’d love to know what you think! Please leave a comment with a rating below and share a photo of your creation on Instagram using the hashtag #BrooksideKitchen and tag @BrooksideKitchen
