Caramel Apple Cheesecake

This Caramel Apple Cheesecake Recipe will be your favorite autumn treat. Apples are baked into the cheesecake filling and the cheesecake is also topped with caramel apples. Step-by-step photos teach you how to bake this gorgeous fall cheesecake recipe.

As we approach the autumn season I begin to dream of all of the apple and pumpkin recipes. Baked apples are one of my favorite things so I am always looking for new baking recipes.

This cheesecake has apples on top and inside. And tons of caramel flavor.

I shared this recipe with about 9 friends, everyone raved about it. I hope you and your family and friends love this recipe too!! Another caramel apple dessert you might like is my caramel apple bars recipe.

Ingredients

This recipe has a few different components so the ingredient list is long but don't let it scare you!

• Golden Oreos. The Oreos will need to be crushed into a fine crumb. You can also make a graham cracker crust- you'll need XXXXXXX
• Butter. We'll use the butter in the crust part of the recipe and also for the apple topping recipe.
• Cream Cheese. The most imperative step in making cheesecake is ensuring that your cream cheese is softened to room temperature. If the cream cheese is not completely softened then you will be left with a lumpy cheesecake. To quickly soften your cream cheese place the foil-wrapped blocks in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes.
• Sugar. Just regular granulated sugar or caster sugar is needed for this recipe. You could totally use brown sugar instead, it will just create a slightly darker cheesecake color.
• Salt. Don't skip it, trust me!
• Sour Cream. Make sure your sour cream is at room temperature. You could also use Greek yogurt.
• Vanilla Bean Paste. I love the flecks you get from using a whole vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste, you could, of course, substitute vanilla extract instead.
• Caramel. Since the caramel is used in the cheesecake, apple filling, and apple topping you'll need a fair amount. I like to just make a batch of my homemade salted caramel sauce and save the leftovers for other treats. You can totally use store-bought caramel though.
• Eggs. Your eggs need to be at room temperature. To quickly get eggs at room temperature place the eggs in a bowl of warm water before using. This recipe calls for an extra egg yolk for added richness.
• Apples. You can use whatever apples you like but for most baking, I prefer Granny Smith apples. Other cooking apples you could use are Honey Crisp, Fuji, Gala, Braeburn, Cortland. For the filling, you'll dice the apples and for the topping use sliced apples. You could also use a jar of apple pie filling for the top of the cheesecake.
• All-Purpose Flour. The flour will help keep the apples in place when baking.

I personally didn't want to take away from the caramel flavor profile so I chose not to add any ground cinnamon, you could totally add a teaspoon or two of cinnamon when you add the sour cream.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.

We'll start with the crust recipe.

In a food processor, crush the Oreos until they become a fine crumb. You don't want any large chunks. Then pour in the melted butter.

Mix a few more times, you want a wet sand texture. Press the crust into the bottom and slightly up the sides of prepared pan.

Bake the crust for 5 minutes to set it. Set the crust aside while you prepare the filling.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat cream cheese for 3 minutes on low to medium speed.

Add granulated sugar and beat for another minute or two, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Next add the sour cream, salted caramel, and vanilla bean paste mixing until just combined, scraping the sides to make sure fully incorporated.

Add in eggs one at a time, add the additional yolk with the first egg. Make sure to mix well after each addition, you don't want any egg yolk remaining.

You should have a creamy batter with no lumps.

In a large bowl add chopped apples and toss in the flour.

Once apples are mixed in the flour evenly drizzle the caramel in and mix until evenly combined.

Gently place the apples in an even layer on top of the crust. Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the apples.

Place the 9-inch springform pan in a 10-inch cake pan- place cake pan in roasting pan and fill roasting pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the cake pan. This prevents ANY water from getting in the cheesecake and you don't have to wrap everything with aluminum foil. You can of course wrap the cheesecake pan in heavy-duty foil to prevent water seeping in as well.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, the middle of the cheesecake should jiggle just a little bit. You can use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 150F-155F or  65C-68C. Turn the oven off and let cool in the oven for 1 hour then take out of roasting pan and let finish cooling on the counter for an hour. Finally, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight or at least 6 hours.

In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat add the apples and butter.

Saute for 3-4 minutes, when the apples have started to slightly soften add the caramel and cook for a few more minutes, you want the apples to soften but not be mushy.

Once the apples are softened pour the apples and caramel into a bowl and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before topping on the chilled cheesecake. 

Gently place the apples in an even layer on top of the cheesecake, just before serving drizzle more caramel sauce on top if desired. Store the cheesecake in the fridge for up to 5 days.

How to freeze

You can freeze cheesecake whole or in slices. I do not suggest freezing the apple topping though.

To freeze a whole cheesecake let it cool completely then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap twice, then wrap it in aluminum foil. To make sure the cheesecake stays in its best shape I will often place the cheesecake on a cake board before wrapping in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to a month. To thaw take the cheesecake out of the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight.

To freeze slices of cheesecake take a slice of cheesecake and place it on a plate or tray and flash freeze for an hour or two. Then place frozen slices of cheesecake in a freezer-safe container. Or you can wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap, twice.

To thaw a slice of cheesecake let it sit on the counter at room temperature for a couple of hours.

🗝Cheesecake baking tips

• Keep to a low speed when mixing the batter and do not over mix the batter. Beating too fat will add too much air into the cheesecake batter that will cause it to rise more in the oven and crack.
• Baking the cheesecake in a water bath helps make the heat a more even cooking environment for the long back time. It also helps create a moist cooking environment.
• Let the cheesecake cool in the oven then on the counter before transferring to the fridge to cool. If you transfer the cheesecake too quickly the shock of the temperature could encourage cracks to form.
• Let the cheesecake sit for 20-30 minutes before serving.
• To achieve clean slices take a glass full of hot water, clean tea towels, and a knife, each time you make a slice dip the knife in the hot water and wipe clean.

More caramel apple recipes

Caramel and apples are a delicious combination that I adore, here are some similar recipes you might love too!

These caramel apple crumb bars are scrumptious. Caramel Apple Dip is perfect for your next party!

This caramel apple upside down cake is seriously one of my favorite desserts ever!!

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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