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Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Caramel apple cheesecake bars with a golden graham cracker crust and creamy cheesecake filling, topped with cinnamon apples and buttery streusel. Bake until just set for a sliceable, creamy texture, then chill and finish with caramel drizzle.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Chilling 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430

Ingredients
  

Graham cracker crust
  • 2 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 0.33 cup sugar
  • 0.5 cup butter melted
Cheesecake filling
  • 16 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.5 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
Apple topping
  • 3 apples peeled and diced
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp butter
Streusel
  • 0.5 cup flour
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp butter cold
Caramel drizzle
  • 0.5 cup caramel sauce for drizzling

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake the crust
  1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a 9x13 pan with parchment so the bars lift out cleanly.
  2. Press the graham cracker crust mixture into the lined pan and bake for 8 minutes.
Make filling and add apple topping
  1. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream until smooth, then pour over the hot crust.
  2. Cook the diced apples with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon for 5 minutes, until slightly softened, then scatter over the cheesecake.
Add streusel and bake
  1. Make the streusel by rubbing flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold butter together until crumbly, then scatter over the apples.
  2. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 325F until the center is just set, then cool completely at room temperature.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate for 3 hours so the cheesecake bars firm up for clean slicing.
  2. Drizzle caramel sauce over the bars before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the bars fully before chilling to prevent condensation on top. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freezing is yes—freeze individual bars in an airtight container up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat sour cream (texture stays creamy, though slightly less rich).