Apple Cheesecake Bars are filled with layers of apple, cheesecake, and crumble coating all sitting on a shortbread base. Rich and creamy, sweet and tangy, buttery tender bites in every forkful.
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Our Apple Cheesecake Bars recipe is an easy-to-make fall favorite treat, filled with a buttery crust base topped with layers of smooth cheesecake, sweetly spiced apples, and a crumb coating.
It takes only 20 minutes to prepare and assemble each made-from-scratch step, then bake your delicious dessert that is chilled and sliced into squares.
Apple Crumble Cheesecake Bars
Apple Crumble Cheesecake Bars are a delicious fall dessert and are quick and easy to prepare in a baking pan in 20 minutes.
Using basic kitchen-staple ingredients, it’s quite simple to create the thick and chewy cheesecake layer that sits atop a homemade shortbread crust, then cover it with a juicy apple filling sprinkled with a brown sugar crumble.
I love how a classic apple crisp can come together with a cheesecake to create the ultimate square-shaped snack – it’s easy to transport so you can share and feed your friends.
Why We Love This Apple Cheesecake Bars Recipe
- Quick and easy to prepare and assemble in 20 minutes.
- Uses simple kitchen-staple ingredients.
- Full of contrasting flavors and textures that pair perfectly.
- Homemade recipe with a tasty twist on a traditional fall treat.
- Delicious dessert to serve at potlucks, holiday celebrations, family get-togethers, or autumn parties.
More Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Salt
- Cream cheese
- Eggs
- Granny smith apples
- Ground cinnamon
- Light brown sugar
Substitutions and Additions
- Additional Apples: You can try different apple varieties to get slightly different flavors of apples. Tart green apples are typical because they hold their shape and texture, but Honeycrisp, Gala, Winesap, or Jonagold would also taste great.
- Fruit Flavors: Apart from juicy apples, you can add other fruits like blueberries, peaches, plums, or raspberries to your bars.
- Tasty topping: Feel free to top your bars with salted caramel sauce or scoop of ice cream. For some extra crunchy texture, try adding chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts on top.
- Add Some Spices: Feel free to add spices, like allspice, cloves, and cardamom to your apple mixture.
Recommended Tools
- 8” x 8” baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Electric mixer
- Apple peeler
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Jump to RecipeHow to Make Apple Cheesecake Bars
Apple Cheesecake Bars are the best combination of a classic apple crumble fused with a creamy cheesecake filling, all baked into a delicious dessert bar. This recipe is easy to prepare and makes the perfect fall treat for any party or get-together.
- Make The Crust: Beat together the flour, butter, sugar, and salt until there is no longer dry flour. Press crust into bottom of the baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. Cool for 20 minutes.
Pro Tip: If the dough is sticky and hard to spread, spray a spatula lightly with non-stick cooking spray to help spread the dough out evenly.
Pro Tip: If crust has started to bubble up a bit, poke a few holes in it with a fork to release the extra air. - Make The Cheesecake: Beat cream cheese until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, and then beat in eggs and sugar until well combined. Pour cheesecake layer over cooled crust.
Pro Tip: Make sure the cream cheese is smooth before adding the other ingredients or you will end up with a chunky cheesecake. - Add The Apples: Stir together the apples, sugar, and cinnamon and sprinkle over the raw cheesecake layer.
Pro Tip: Apple pieces should be smaller than bite-sized but larger than diced. - Create The Crumble: Beat together the brown sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon until crumbly. Sprinkle over the unbaked apple layer.
Pro Tip: If your mixture is not coming together into crumble, use clean hands to mix ingredients together until it’s an evenly crumbled mixture. - Bake: Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 55 to 60 minutes until the middle of the cheesecake is no longer jiggling.
Pro Tip: The middle of the cheesecake should no longer look really sunken in. - Cool: Cool at room temperature for an hour before covering with plastic food wrap and placing in fridge to chill for at least 7 hours or overnight.
Pro Tip: Letting it set overnight is best – if you can wait that long before digging in! - Serve: Once cooled completely, cut into 16 bars and serve. Enjoy!
TIPS FROM OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER
- To bring cold cream cheese from the fridge to room temperature, let the cream cheese sit on kitchen counter for 1 to 2 hours (no longer than 2 hours before using it in baking).
- To bring cold eggs from the fridge to room temperature, let sit on kitchen counter for 1 hour (no longer than 2 hours).
- When lining your pan with parchment paper, I recommend leaving the edges slightly higher than the pan to help lift the cheesecake out after cooling.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Store leftovers in the fridge (in a sealed food storage container) for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: If sealed properly in a food storage container or wrapped tightly in food-safe plastic wrap, these cheesecake bars can be frozen for up to 2 months. Let thaw in fridge before serving.
Other Amazing Apple Recipes
- Apple Pie Bites
- Apple Crisp
- Hasselback Apples
- Caramel Apple Dump Cake Recipe
- Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll Bake
Apple Cheesecake Bars
Serves — 16
Apple Cheesecake Bars are filled with layers of apple, cheesecake, and crumble coating all sitting on a shortbread base. Rich and creamy, sweet and tangy, buttery tender bites in every forkful.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Chill Time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 35 minutes
Ingredients
Crust
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter slightly melted (about 40 seconds in microwave)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cheesecake Layer:
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Apple Layer:
- 2 large granny smith apples peeled, cored and chopped (about 2 ½ cups chopped apple)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Crumble:
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter slightly melted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Grease an 8” x 8” baking pan with non-stick cooking spray then line with parchment paper (leaving the edges slightly higher than the pan will help to lift the cheesecake out after cooling) then spray parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat together flour, butter, sugar and salt just until mixture comes together and there is no longer dry flour.
- Press crust evenly into bottom of the prepared baking pan. The dough may be sticky and hard to spread – spray a spatula lightly with non-stick cooking spray to help spread the dough out evenly.
- Place crust in oven and bake for 20 minutes. The edges will be very slightly browned when done baking. If crust has started to bubble up a bit, poke a few holes in it with a fork to release the extra air.
- Let cool on top of oven for 20 minutes before filling with cheesecake layer.
Cheesecake:
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth (about 1 to 2 minutes). This is an important step before adding the other ingredients or you will end up with a chunky cheesecake.
- Beat in eggs and sugar just until well combined.
- Pour cheesecake layer over cooled crust.
Apple Layer:
- In a medium bowl, stir together chopped apples, sugar and cinnamon. Apple pieces should be smaller than bite-sized but larger than diced.
- Sprinkle apple mixture evenly over raw cheesecake layer.
Crumble:
- In a medium bowl, beat together brown sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon until it’s a crumbled mixture. If it’s not coming together into crumble, use clean hands to mix ingredients together until it’s an evenly crumbled mixture.
- Sprinkle evenly over the unbaked apple layer.
- Place in oven and bake 55 to 60 minutes until the middle of the cheesecake is no longer jiggling. The middle of the cheesecake should no longer look really sunken in.
- Let cool at room temperature for an hour before covering with plastic food wrap and placing in fridge to cool for at least 7 hours or overnight. Letting is set overnight is best – if you can wait that long before digging in!
- Once cooled completely, cut into 16 bars. Store leftovers in the fridge (in a sealed food storage container) for up to 4 days.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Store leftovers in the fridge (in a sealed food storage container) for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: If sealed properly in a food storage container or wrapped tightly in food-safe plastic wrap, these cheesecake bars can be frozen for up to 2 months. Let thaw in fridge before serving.
- To bring cold cream cheese from the fridge to room temperature, let the cream cheese sit on kitchen counter for 1 to 2 hours (no longer than 2 hours before using it in baking).
- To bring cold eggs from the fridge to room temperature, let sit on kitchen counter for 1 hour (no longer than 2 hours).
- When lining your pan with parchment paper, I recommend leaving the edges slightly higher than the pan to help lift the cheesecake out after cooling.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 543IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 1mg
followed recipe exactly! baked at first for 55 min, way sunkin in and jiggly. Did for 5 more less but still way jiggly. Now keep adding more time and still not set! anyone else have that issue?
5 stars