This Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake is a dessert that captures the essence of fall in every bite. It combines a buttery cookie crust with a creamy caramel cheesecake layer, generously topped with spiced apples and a tantalizingly crispy crumble topping. As the finishing touch, a drizzle of salted caramel sauce takes this dessert to new heights of deliciousness.
While this cheesecake may appear complex at first glance, the preparation process is surprisingly straightforward. Don’t let the long list of ingredients and steps intimidate you. With a little patience and care, you’ll be rewarded with a dessert that will impress both your family and guests.
The Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake bursts with irresistible flavors and textures that is sure to leave your taste buds dancing with joy. The buttery cookie crust provides a satisfying crunch, while the creamy caramel cheesecake layer melts in your mouth. The spiced apples add a burst of fruity sweetness, perfectly complemented by the fragrant and crispy crumble topping. Each element works in harmony to create a dessert that is as comforting as it is indulgent.
This decadent treat is especially ideal for the upcoming holidays, providing a warm and inviting addition to your festive spread. With every forkful, you’ll savor the wonderful combination of caramel, apple, and warm spices, creating a memorable dining experience.
How to make Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake
For this recipe you must first prepare the salted caramel sauce to have time to cool. Then continue with preparing the crust, the crisp topping and only then prepare the apples and finish with the caramel cream cheese filling.
Prepare the salted caramel sauce
First prepare the salted caramel sauce, start by placing the sugar and water in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to cook without stirring until the sugar dissolves and turns into a caramel color.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour in the cream. Expect some bubbling to occur.
Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute until the mixture becomes smooth. Take the pan off the heat and add the vanilla extract, butter, and salt. Stir well until everything is smooth. Transfer the sauce into a bowl and set it aside to cool while you work on the cake.
Prepare the cookie crust
For the cookie crust, preheat your oven to 350F (180C) and line an 8-inch (20cm) springform pan with parchment paper. Put the crackers or digestive biscuits into a food processor and pulse until they turn into crumbs. Add sugar and melted butter to the crumbs, mixing until they are evenly moistened.
Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan using the back of a spoon. Bake it for 10-13 minutes and then let it cool completely.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300F (150C).
Prepare the crisp topping and spiced apples
In a medium bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and cinnamon for the crisp topping. Whisk them together, and then incorporate the melted butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Set the topping aside for now.
For the apples, place the diced apples into a medium bowl and add lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir well to coat the apples, and set them aside until the cream cheese filling is ready.
Prepare the caramel cream cheese filling
For the caramel cream cheese filling, in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese until it becomes smooth. Add sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon, and salt, and mix until everything is combined. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating each one fully. Then add vanilla extract, lemon zest, caramel sauce, and sour cream. Mix everything together until well combined, being careful not to overmix and incorporate too much air into the batter.
Pour the caramel cream cheese mixture over the prepared crust. Gently spread the diced apples on top, and then sprinkle the oat topping over the apples.
How to bake the caramel apple crisp cheesecake
Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour. Afterward, turn off the heat and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional hour.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a sharp knife around the inside edge of the pan. Allow it to cool completely at room temperature, and then cover and refrigerate it overnight.
When you’re ready to serve, you can add more caramel sauce on top if desired.
Treat yourself and your loved ones to this heavenly creation and enjoy the delightful flavors and cozy comforts of fall. If you do, make sure to share the photos with me on Instagram. Would love to see how it turns out for you.
Other fall desserts you may like to try
Delight in the irresistible flavors of this Pecan Upside Down Cake. This delectable dessert features a caramelized pecan topping atop a moist and fluffy cake. Indulge in the perfect balance of sweetness and nutty goodness.
This Almond Apple Tart is one of the easiest apple tarts you can ever prepare, vert comforting and totally delightful. The tart consists of a pate sablee crust coated with apricot jam and filled with thinly sliced apples and almond flakes. Serve while still a bit warm with salted caramel sauce, whipped cream or ice cream.
This German Apple Streusel Cake – Apfelkuchen mit Streusel is one of the best fall desserts. It consists of a soft crust with a tender and juicy apple and cinnamon filling and a crispy buttery crumble on top with toasted flaked almonds.
This Pecan Caramel Mousse Cake is an elegant, delightful cake that is perfect for fall days and especially for Thanksgiving table. The cake consists of two layers of vanilla sponge cake with caramel pecan topping and with a smooth custard salted caramel mousse filling.
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Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake
Ingredients
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) water
- 1/2 cup (120g) whipping cream
- 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter , room temperature
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- 1 tsp (5g) salt
Crust
- 7 oz (200g) digestive biscuits or graham crackers
- 2 tbsp (30g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter , melted
Caramel Cream Cheese Filling
- 25 oz (700g) cream cheese , room temperature
- 3 tbsp (45g) sugar
- 1/2 tsp (2g) salt
- 1 tsp (3g) cinnamon
- lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tbsp (15g) flour
- 1/3 cup (80g) sour cream
- 1/3 cup (80g) caramel sauce
- 3 large eggs , room temperature
Apple Filling
- 3 medium apples (about 250g) - peeled , cored
- 1 tbsp (15ml) lemon juice
- 2 tbsp (30g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp (3g) cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (1g) nutmeg
Crisp Topping
- 1/2 cup (50g) rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (63g) flour
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter , melted
- 1/3 cup (70g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp (3g) cinnamon
Instructions
First prepare the salted caramel sauce.
- It needs time to cool down. Place the sugar and water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and cook without stirring until the sugar dissolves and gets a caramel color.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the cream. It will bubble a little bit.
- Cook for about 1 minute stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until smooth.
- Remove from heat and add vanilla extract, butter and salt. Stir well until smooth. Transfer into a bowl and set aside to cool until the cake is ready.
Prepare the crust.
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line with parchment paper a 8 inch (20cm) springform pan (with a removable base). Place the crackers or digestive biscuits into the bowl of a food processor and crush until crumbs form. Add sugar and melted butter and mix until evenly moistened.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan using the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
- Reduce oven temperature to 300F (150C).
Prepare the crisp topping.
- In a medium bowl, combine oats with brown sugar, all-purpose flour and cinnamon. Whisk to combine, then incorporate melted butter until the mixture feels crumbly. Set the mixture aside until all the other ingredients are prepared.
Prepare the apples.
- Place the diced apples into a medium bowl. Add lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to coat. Set aside until cream cheese filling is ready.
Prepare caramel cream cheese filling.
- In a large bowl mix the cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, salt, flour and cinnamon and mix until combined.
- Add eggs one at a time until each egg is incorporated. Add vanilla extract, lemon zest, caramel sauce and sour cream. Mix until well combined. Try to not overmix the batter to incorporate as little air as possible.
- Pour the caramel cream cheese mixture over the prepared crust.
- Gently spread the diced apples on top. Sprinkle the oat topping over the apples.
- Bake at 300F (150C) for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and leave it another hour in the oven.
- Remove and run a sharp knife around the inside edge of the pan. Let it cool completely at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Top with remaining caramel sauce if desired and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @homecookingadventure on Instagram and hashtag it #homecookingadventure.
I made this yesterday and serced it today. I followed the recipe to the T. Too salty for me and my sister, but my daugther absolutely loves it. I was actually worried it would be too sweet, but was taken aback by its saltiness. I may make again, and maybe not salt the caramel or reduce it.
It’s too salty because the cheesecake batter salt measurement should be 1/2 tsp, not 1/2 tbsp. This is a mistake in the website recipe. The YouTube version says 1/2 tsp. I tasted the batter, checked on YouTube, and had to make the batter all over again 😅
But when I changed that measurement and the cake turned out awesome 🔥
Thank you for noticing me about the typo on the website.. Just fixed it. Glad you tried this cheesecake, it is one of my favorite fall desserts.
Absolutely delicious; I had it earlier tonight for a late Thanksgiving. Next time I might bake it the tiniest bit longer to set the middle more, or pre-cook the apples a bit (though my friends liked the little crunch), but even so it was delicious and so, so worth the effort.
Very good recipe and yes it takes a little longer to make but it’s worth every bite. I used granny smith and honey crisp apples, which turned out great. The caramel sauce made a nice presentation.
I’ve just baked your “Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake”! Alone the sound of its name is heavenly! As a German I am always intrigued by recipe’s from around the world and I have to admit: even though it took a while to prepare this cake, I will bake it again! Two thumbs up!! With a big hello from Germany, Anja
Anja, so glad to hear you tried this cake and enjoyed it. It is by far one of my favorite cheesecakes as well.
Can you include the fact that you need to leave in the pan to refrigerate.
Hi, can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
yes. you can use Greek yogurt, should be fine.
Hi, what kind of apples can I use? And just to be clear, you did not use the water bath method in the recipe, right? Do I bake it in the middle rack of the oven? Thank you!
Yes I did not use water bath for this recipe.. you can use either the middle rack or the next lower rack. As for the apples use the ones you like best: Granny Smith, honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala.. all work great in this recipe.
Hi! I’m trying to make a gluten-free version of this recipe.
For the crisp topping, I was thinking of using almond flour. But how about the caramel cream cheese filling? Should I skip the flour altogether or can I replace it with something else?
you can substitute the flour with cornflour (cornstarch)
can you tell me how you made this recipe gluten-gree?
Treena, it is quite easy to make it gluten free. Use gluten-free cookies for the crust, use cornstarch instead of flour in the cream cheese filling and replace the flour in the crisp topping with almond flour for instance.
Instead of making our own (homemade) salted caramel sauce, can we replace the “1/3 cup (80g) caramel sauce” with the same amount of dulce de leche?
Thank you.
Yes for sure. It is a great alternative. Let me know if you try it out:)
Absolutely delightful everyone (kids and all) ate this cheesecake to the last crumb. Thank you so much for sharing:)
So happy to heart that William. Yes, it is one of the best cheesecakes ever. We love it too.