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Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

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  • Author: Maria
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 1 (9ร—13-inch) pan
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars combine a buttery shortbread crust, spiced apple cheesecake filling, crumbly streusel topping, and a rich caramel drizzle. Perfect for Thanksgiving or any special occasion!


Ingredients

For the Shortbread Crust:

  • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 3/4 cup (159g) light brown sugar, packed

  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Spiced Apple Cheesecake Filling:

  • 3 (8-ounce) packages (681g) brick-style cream cheese, room temperature

  • 1 cup (227g) sour cream

  • 1 1/2 cups (249g) granulated sugar

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 3 large eggs, room temperature

  • 2 large egg yolks, room temperature

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup (113ml) heavy cream

  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced into 1/8-inch pieces

For the Brown Sugar Streusel Topping:

  • 1/2 cup (106g) light brown sugar, packed

  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

  • 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup (62g) old-fashioned oats

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter

For Serving:

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  • 1 cup (227g) salted caramel sauce

  • Flaky sea salt for sprinkling


Instructions

Prepare the Crust:

  1. Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (175ยฐC). Line a 9ร—13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Spray with non-stick spray.

  2. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).

  3. Add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, mixing on low until crumbly.

  4. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Make the Cheesecake Filling:
5. Beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth.
6. Add sugar and vanilla, mixing well. On low speed, add eggs and yolks, one at a time.
7. Stir in flour, then fold in heavy cream. Pour filling over cooled crust.
8. In a bowl, toss apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Evenly sprinkle over the cheesecake batter.

Make the Streusel Topping:
9. In a bowl, combine both sugars, flour, oats, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until crumbs form.
10. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the apples.

Bake & Chill:
11. Bake at 350ยฐF for 20 minutes, then reduce oven to 300ยฐF and bake for another 40 minutes, until edges are set but the center is slightly jiggly.
12. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.

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Serve:
13. Lift bars from the pan, transfer to a cutting board, and drizzle with salted caramel sauce. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
14. Slice into squares and enjoy!


Notes

  • Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

  • Make-Ahead: These bars can be made a day in advance and stored before drizzling with caramel.

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  • Freezing: Freeze bars without caramel for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 420
  • Sugar: 32 g
  • Sodium: 210mg
  • Fat: 24g
  • Saturated Fat: 14g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 8g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 48g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 5g
  • Cholesterol: 85mg