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:
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3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
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3/4 cup (159g) light brown sugar, packed
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2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
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1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Spiced Apple Cheesecake Filling:
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3 (8-ounce) packages (681g) brick-style cream cheese, room temperature
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1 cup (227g) sour cream
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1 1/2 cups (249g) granulated sugar
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2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
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3 large eggs, room temperature
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2 large egg yolks, room temperature
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1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
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1/2 cup (113ml) heavy cream
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2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
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3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced into 1/8-inch pieces
For the Brown Sugar Streusel Topping:
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1/2 cup (106g) light brown sugar, packed
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1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
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1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
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1/2 cup (62g) old-fashioned oats
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1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
For Serving:
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1 cup (227g) salted caramel sauce
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Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
Prepare the Crust:
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Spray with non-stick spray.
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In a mixing bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
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Add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, mixing on low until crumbly.
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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 350°F for 20 minutes, then reduce oven to 300°F 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.
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
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Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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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