Amazing Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars layered with a Biscoff cookie crust, vanilla cheesecake, spiced apples, cinnamon oat streusel topping and homemade salted caramel sauce! The perfect fall treat!
These cheesecake bars are one of my all time favorite fall desserts! The combination of buttery biscoff cookies, creamy cheesecake, sweet apples, crunchy crumb topping and caramel sauce is happiness in every bite!
Be sure to check out some of our favorite apple recipes, including Apple Cheesecake Buns, Cinnamon Apple Babka and Baked Apple Cider Donuts Holes!
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♡ Why You Will Love This Recipe
- The perfect make ahead dessert. Can be made 5 days in advance. It also freezes well, for up to 2 months!
- Perfect for parties, get-togethers and holidays. An impressive dessert that's a crowd-pleaser.
- So easy to make. Although there are many components to the cheesecake, they are all very easy to put together.
- No water bath. Most baked cheesecakes require a water bath, but these do not.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes about all the ingredients used in these Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars. Quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card below!
Biscoff Cookie Crust
- Biscoff Cookies - Biscoff cookies work nicely with this recipe, however, you can also use graham crackers.
- Brown Sugar - A bit of brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness and a bit of moisture to the crust.
- Unsalted Butter - Melted butter will help bind the crust together.
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Filling
- Cream Cheese - Use blocks of cream cheese, not whipped cream cheese or cream cheese spread.
- White Sugar - Adds just a bit of sweetness.
- Eggs - Adds structure to the cheesecake.
- Sour Cream - Adds a little tang.
- Vanilla Bean Paste - I always prefer to use vanilla bean paste, but you can also use a good quality vanilla extract.
- Lemon Zest - Adds a hint of lemon scent.
Spiced Apples
- Apples - You can use a variety of apples. I recommend granny smiths, honeycrisps, or galas.
- Brown Sugar - Adds a bit of sweetness.
- Cinnamon + Nutmeg - The combination of these spices work well with apples.
Crisp Topping
- All-Purpose Flour
- Oats - I used old-fashioned oats (aka rolled oats), but you can also use quick oats. Do not use steel-cut oats.
- Brown Sugar - The molasses in brown sugar adds more flavor.
- Cinnamon - For added flavor.
- Salt - Balances the sweetness.
*See recipe card for quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Here are step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make these Apple Crumble Cheesecake Bars! You can find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1: Make Cookie Crust - Finely pulse together cookies and brown sugar. Then pulse in melted butter.
Step 2: Press cookies crumbs into a parchment-lined 9x9 inch square baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven of 325ºF and bake for 10 minutes.
💡 Tip
Use the bottom of a small measuring to help press the cookies crumbs into the pan.
Step 3: Make Spiced Apples - In a small bowl, combine diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside until needed.
Step 4: Make Crisp Topping - In a medium bowl, combine flour, quick oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and melted butter. Set aside.
Step 5: Make Cheesecake Filling - In a large mixing bowl, whisk room temperature cream cheese until light and fluffy. Then mix in the white sugar.
Step 6: Add eggs, one at a time. Mixing well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.
Step 7: Add sour cream, lemon zest (if using) and vanilla and mix until combined.
Step 8: Pour cheesecake mixer over cooled cookie crust.
Step 9: Drain spiced apples well and evenly add over the top of the cheesecake layer.
🍎 Tip
Apples will release a lot of liquid as it sits. Use a slotted spoon when adding apples to the cheesecake layer.
Step 10: Finally, add all the streusel topping over the top. It may seem like a lot of streusel, but trust me, you will want to use all of it! Bake at 325ºF for 42 to 45 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack and then cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.
Step 11: When you are ready to serve, remove from the pan and cut into bars. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce and enjoy!
💡Tip
Homemade salted caramel sauce can be made ahead, as it keeps for at least 1 month in the fridge. Try my easy 10-minute Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce!
Substitutions & Variations
- Cookie Crust - I'm using Biscoff cookies, but you can use honey graham crackers, cinnamon graham crackers, digestive biscuits or Golden Oreos.
- Apples - Feel free to use other fruits such as pears, blueberries, raspberries or strawberries.
- Sour Cream - If you do not have sour cream, it's perfectly fine to omit it completely.
- Oats - You can use old fashioned oats or quick oats.
- Salted Caramel Sauce - You can use butterscotch sauce, vanilla icing, or maple glaze. You can also omit the caramel sauce and dust with powdered sugar.
Key Equipment
- 9x9 inch Square Baking Pan or a round 9-inch Springform Pan
Storage
- Fridge - Keep in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer - Place cheesecake bars (with or without caramel sauce) in a single layer, on a parchment-line baking sheet. Freeze for at least an hour and then individually wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Store in freezer bags and enjoy for up to 2 months. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Expert Tips
- Use full-fat ingredients. Use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream for best results.
- Make sure ingredients are at room temperature. Eggs, cream cheese and sour cream should all be at room temp. It will make for a smoother batter.
- Don't overbake. The cheesecake is ready when it's set with a slight jiggle.
- Can easily be made days in advance. You can make these cheesecake bars 5 days in advanced, making it perfect for parties and get-togethers.
FAQ
Yes! The bars will be thicker and will require more time to bake.
Yes you can! A round 9-inch springform pan will work for this recipe.
Rolled oats (old-fashioned) and Quick oats are processed in a very similar way, in that the groats get steamed and rolled flat. However, quick oats are steamed for much longer and are rolled out thinner and may get cut into smaller pieces. This results in a quicker cooking time. Rolled oats are a bit larger in size and will typically take 6 minutes to cook as opposed to 2 minutes for quick oats.
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📖 Recipe
Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars
INGREDIENTS
Cookie Crust
- 2 ¼ Cups (250g | 32 Standard Rectangle Cookies) Biscoff Cookie Crumbs (you can also use graham crackers)
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 6 to 7 Tablespoons (85g to 98g) Unsalted Butter melted
Spiced Apples
- 2 Apples, about 2 ¼ Cups diced
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
Crisp Topping
- ⅔ Cup (80g) All-Purpose Flour
- ½ Cup (100g ) Brown Sugar
- ⅓ Cup (30g) Quick or Rolled Oats
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 5 Tbsp (70g) Unsalted Butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 20 Ounces (567g | 2 ½ Blocks ) Full-Fat Cream Cheese room temp
- ½ Cup (100g) White Sugar
- ¼ Cup (56g) Full-Fat Sour Cream room temp
- 2 Large Eggs room temp
- Fine Zest of 1 Lemon (optional)
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Paste or Extract
- For Serving, Salted Caramel Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat Oven & Prep - Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325ºF (165ºC). Line a 9x9 inch (23x23 cm) square pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1 to 2 inch overhang. Set aside.
- Make Cookie Crust - Finely pulse together cookies and brown sugar in a food processor. Then pulse in melted butter. Press cookie crumbs into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes (keep oven on as the cheesecake will bake at 325ºF as well).2 ¼ Cups (250g | 32 Standard Rectangle Cookies) Biscoff Cookie Crumbs (you can also use graham crackers)2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar6 to 7 Tablespoons (85g to 98g) Unsalted Butter
- Make Spiced Apples - Clean, peel, core and finely dice your apples. Transfer to a small bowl and combine with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest. Set aside until needed.2 Apples, about 2 ¼ Cups1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar1 Teaspoon Cinnamon¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
- Make Crisp Topping - In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt. Then add melted butter and toss everything together until incorporated. Set aside.⅔ Cup (80g) All-Purpose Flour½ Cup (100g ) Brown Sugar⅓ Cup (30g) Quick or Rolled Oats1 ½ Teaspoon Cinnamon¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt5 tablespoon (70g) Unsalted Butter
- Make Cheesecake Filling - In a large mixing bowl, whisk room temperature cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add white sugar and sour cream and mix until combined. 20 Ounces (567g | 2 ½ Blocks ) Full-Fat Cream Cheese½ Cup (100g) White Sugar¼ Cup (56g) Full-Fat Sour CreamAdd eggs, one at a time. Mixing well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Finally, add sour cream, lemon zest (if using) and vanilla and mix until combined.2 Large EggsFine Zest of 1 Lemon (optional)1 Teaspoon Vanilla Paste or Extract
- Assemble Cheesecake - Pour cheesecake mixture over cooled cookie crust. Next, use a slotted spoon or drain your spiced apples over a sieve and evenly transfer on top of the cheesecake filling (see note below). Then add all the streusel topping over the top. It may seem like a lot of streusel, but trust me, you will want to use all of it!
- Bake - Bake for 42 to 45 minutes. It's ready when the cheesecake is set and has a slight jiggle.
- Cool - Allow to cool completely on a wire rack and then cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.
- Serve - When you are ready to serve, remove from the pan and cut into bars. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce and enjoy!
Notes
Debbie says
SO GOOD! I couldn't find biscoff, so I made the crust with cinnamon graham crackers. They were so tasty. I will double the recipe and make it again for Thanksgiving!
Lisa says
Hi Debbie, thank you so much for your wonderful review! Yes, so perfect for Thanksgiving! 😊