If apple crisp and cheesecake had a baby, you would have these delicious apple crisp cheesecake bars! A buttery shortbread crust, creamy cheesecake layer, cinnamon apples, and a cinnamon streusel crisp topping. A delicious dessert that is perfect for fall!
Ingredients for Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars
Shortbread crust
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature for easy creaming.
- Granulated sugar: Just a touch of sugar to sweeten the shortbread.
- All-purpose flour: Regular all-purpose flour.
- Vanilla extract: A bit of vanilla extract adds great flavor.
- Water: A bit of water helps bring the shortbread crumbs together.
Cheesecake filling
- Cream cheese: Room temperature for easy creaming.
- Granulated sugar: A bit of sugar to add some sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract adds a subtle vanilla flavor.
- Egg: Room temperature to easily combine with the cream cheese.
Apple filling
- Apples: Peeled and chopped. I used Crispin apples. Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples are also great varieties to try!
- All-purpose flour: A bit of flour helps thicken any liquid from the apples so the bars do not become watery.
- Granulated sugar: A little sugar helps add some sweetness.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon compliments the apples perfectly.
Crumb topping
- Unsalted butter: Melted.
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and a touch of molasses flavor.
- Cinnamon: Adding another great warm spice flavor.
- All-purpose flour: To create structure for the crumb topping.
Tools & Supplies for Making Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars
How to Make Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 8×8 inch baking pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, cream together unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer.
- Add in flour and mix until crumbly. Add in water and mix until the shortbread forms small crumbles.
- Pour the shortbread crumbles into the pan and press evenly to create the crust.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Remove and cool.
Cheesecake Filling
- Cream together cream cheese and granulated sugar.
- Add in vanilla extract and egg. Mix until smooth.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the shortbread crust and spread evenly using a small offset spatula.
Apple Filling
- Combine apples, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Toss to combine.
- Spoon on top of the cheesecake filling.
Crumb Topping
- In a small bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and all-purpose flour. Mix to combine.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping over the apples.
Bake
- Increase the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the apple crisp cheesecake bars for 35-40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool to room temperature.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars Recipe Tips
Apples
I recommend using apples that are slightly tart and crisp. I used Crispin apples, but Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith are also great options. Be sure to chop the apples into small pieces for easy baking! The number of apples to make 3 cups of chopped apples will vary on the size of the apples. For this recipe, I used 2 large apples.
Chill the bars
Be sure to chill the bars for at least 4 hours. Overnight is preferable. Chilling the bars will help the shortbread crust and cheesecake filling firm up a bit so the bars are easily cut and maintain shape.
Parchment paper
When preparing your baking pan, definitely opt for parchment paper. Cut two pieces to fit the width of your pan. Cross the two pieces of parchment paper into an ‘X’ shape, so the parchment goes up the sides of the pan. Once the bars are baked and cooled, simply lift the bars out of the pan by the parchment paper!
Work smarter
While the shortbread crust is baking, make the cheesecake filling, apple filling, and crumb topping. That way, once the shortbread crust cools slightly, you can layer all the elements in just a minute or two and toss it back in the oven!
Storing and serving
Store the bars in the pan covered with aluminum foil or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature. These bars are perfect on their own but adding a bit of my salted caramel sauce really takes it to the next level!
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Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- 8×8 baking pan
- Electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp water
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg room temperature
Apple Filling
- 3 cups apples peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Crumb Topping
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat oven to 300° F. Prepare an 8×8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric hand mixer.
- Add in all-purpose flour and mix until crumbly.
- Add in water and mix on low until the shortbread dough begins to clump up.
- Pour the shortbread crumbles into the prepared 8×8 baking pan and press into the bottom of the pan to create the crust.
- Bake the crust for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Cheesecake Filling
- In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and granulated sugar. Cream together with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
- Add in vanilla extract and egg and continue to mix until combined and smooth.
- Spread the cheesecake filling evenly on top of the slightly cooled shortbread crust.
Apple Filling
- In a mixing bowl, combine peeled and chopped apples, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and cinnamon.
- Toss to combine. Spread the apples in an even layer on top of the cheesecake filling.
Crumb Topping
- In a mixing bowl, combine melted unsalted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and all-purpose flour.
- Mix together until the crumb topping is well combined.
- Crumble the crumb topping over the top of the apple filling.
Bake
- Increase the temperature of the oven to 350° F.
- Bake the apple crisp cheesecake bars for 35-40 minutes.
- Remove for the oven and allow the bars to cool in the pan to room temperature.
- Once the bars are cooled, cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Notes
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Comments & Reviews
Can you freeze these?!
Hi Regina! I actually haven’t tried freezing these bars, so I can’t say for certain how well they freeze. If you try it out, I recommend cutting the bars into squares and wrapping them well with plastic wrap and foil. The crumble topping may not stay as crisp after being frozen.
These were a hit! Perfect combination of two of my favorite desserts. Easy to make. I will add that I do like watching the video just to make sure I am doing things right.
Amazing! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for trying it out and leaving a positive review! These are one of my personal favorites too!