Imagine – crunchy, buttery crust. Cinnamon apple layer. Creamy, melt-in-your-mouth cheesecake. Crispy pecan oat topping. Salted caramel drizzle. There is no better way to celebrate fall than with this salted caramel apple cheesecake!
(Love cheesecake? Try these pecan pie cheesecake bars. Perfect for a stress-free holiday celebration!)
There, I said it. I am celebrating fall. This summer girl has conceded that summer (*gasp*) is over and fall is upon us.
While I may feel a little sad about the cooler temperatures, I do love fall flavours. I’m not in pumpkin mode yet (yet!) so let me slowly ease us into the season with this salted caramel apple cheesecake.
Pumpkins tend to overshadow apples in the fall but apples are gorgeous this time of the year too. And I know I always say this but seriously guys, this is so good. Whether you’re baking just for you or you have company over, welcome to your new favourite cheesecake.
An apple a day
So yes, I like apples! Have you checked these out?
And this new cheesecake recipe is a phenomenal addition to my recipe box and yours. The base cheesecake recipe is from my co-worker Momma C who is an amazing baker. It’s chaos whenever she’d bring this in (think: The Cornucopia in The Hunger Games).
I added the pecan oat crisp and salted caramel sauce because pecans and salted caramel. And the components work together like magic.
It does involve a bit of preparation (mise en place if you want to get all fancy). Trust me, it’s worth it. Let me break it down for you.
Crispy, butter crust
First there’s the crispy, buttery crust. Just beat all the ingredients together until they resemble coarse crumbs, press onto the bottom of your springform pan and bake.
Cinnamon apples
Then you have your apples. Just peel, slice and cook in butter and cinnamon until soft and tender. Put it on top of your cooked crust and drizzle with salted caramel.
Salted caramel sauce
I doubled my recipe for salted caramel sauce for this cheesecake and I made it ahead of time (it can be made up to 3 days ahead). I just reheated in the microwave. And stopped myself from eating it all in the meantime.
Pecan oat crisp
For your topping, you just need more apples, rolled oats, sugar, butter and pecans. Cook and set aside until you’re ready to serve.
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Put it all together: salted caramel apple cheesecake
When it’s time, all you need to do is take a slice of your apple cheesecake, top with your pecan oat crisp and drizzle with salted caramel sauce.
In one bite, you get crunchy butter crust, soft cinnamon apples, creamy cheesecake, crispy pecan oat topping and amazing salted caramel. Celebrating fall doesn’t get any better than this!
Celebrate fall with this salted caramel apple cheesecake! Butter crust, cinnamon apples, creamy cheesecake, pecan oat crisp, salted caramel sauce. You’re welcome.
Ingredients
- Double this recipe for salted caramel sauce. You can make the sauce up to 3 days ahead of time.
- 1 1/2 cups (192 grams) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk from a large egg
- Pinch of salt
- 2 apples (I like to use Granny Smith apples for baking), peeled, cored and sliced into thin wedges
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 8 oz (250 grams) block of cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced (about the size of chickpeas)
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup (21 grams) rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- In a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a handheld electric mixer, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg yolk until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You should see little bits butter remaining.
- Press onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and bake for 15 minutes or until a light golden brown.
- In the meantime, prepare your apple layer. In a medium sized skillet, combine apple wedges with 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Cook on medium heat until apples are soft and tender (5-7 minutes).
- Once your crust is baked, remove from oven and lower oven temperature to 325F.
- Pour apples on your baked crust. Drizzle with 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce. Set aside while you prepare your cheesecake filling.
- In a large bowl using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar on low medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Pour your cream cheese mixture over your apple layer and smoothen the top.
- Before putting your cheesecake in the oven, prepare a roasting pan (or a 9x13 baking pan) and place it on the bottom shelf of your oven. Pour hot water until the pan is 2/3 full. Place your cheesecake on the middle shelf and bake for 30 minutes or until set (see notes).
- In the meantime, prepare your pecan crisp (see notes). In a medium-sized skillet, combine diced apples, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons butter. Cook on medium heat until apples are tender (3-5 minutes). Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/4 cup rolled oats and stir until thoroughly combined. Continue cooking until the sugar is completely absorbed and the topping is nice and sticky.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a heat proof container. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Once your cheesecake is set, turn the oven off but keep the cheesecake in the oven with the oven door opened just a crack. Leave the cake there for an hour. Then take it out, run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen the cake, before chilling it (still in the pan) in the fridge for 4-6 hours, preferably overnight.
- To serve, top each cheesecake slice with pecan crisp and drizzle with salted caramel sauce (see notes).
Notes
You'll know your cheesecake is set when it's starting to pull away from the sides but the middle is still jiggly/wobbly but NOT soupy.
You can prepare your topping ahead of time and just store in the fridge until you're ready to serve your cheesecake. You can either warm it slightly in the microwave or serve it cold. Both works! You can also opt to cook your topping just before you serve your cheesecake. Just allow it to cool slightly before using.
If you don't have time to make the salted caramel sauce you can always buy a jar of your favourite caramel sauce from the store. You can also opt out of the topping, the cheesecake on its own tastes great!
Happy baking!
Did you make salted caramel apple cheesecake? What’s your favourite apple dessert? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
Love cheesecakes? Me too! Check these out:
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- No-Bake Mango Cheesecake (with video)
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- Best Lemon Cheesecake
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- Mini Cheesecakes
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- Japanese Cheesecake
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