Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Buttery shortbread layered with creamy cheesecake, spiced apples, crisp streusel, and rich caramel for a classic fall-inspired dessert bar.
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Servings: 24
Ingredients
Apple Layer
- 3 medium Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Streusel Topping
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup quick-cooking oats
- ½ cup salted butter softened
Shortbread Base
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup salted butter softened
Cream Cheese Layer
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Caramel Sauce
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil and lightly grease.
- In a small bowl, combine the chopped apples, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir until evenly coated and set aside.
- Prepare the streusel topping by combining brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, oats, and butter in a bowl. Mix with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly. Set aside.
- For the shortbread base, combine flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Press firmly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges.
- While the crust bakes, prepare the cream cheese layer. Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla. Spread evenly over the warm crust.
- Spoon the apple mixture evenly over the cream cheese layer. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the cheesecake layer is set.
- Prepare the caramel sauce by combining butter, brown sugar, cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened. Stir in vanilla and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Allow bars to cool completely. Drizzle with caramel sauce before slicing and serving.
Notes
To make these Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars gluten free, substitute the all-purpose flour in the crust and streusel with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. Use certified gluten-free oats in the streusel topping. All remaining ingredients are naturally gluten free, but labels should always be checked for cross-contamination.