Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars: The Dessert That Will Wow Your Guests

Apple Crisp has always been one of my favorite desserts that's not chocolate. There is just something about the warm flavors of cinnamon apples and crumbly oat streusel that make me feel cozy inside. When combined with creamy, smooth brown butter cheesecake filling, it really sets off and gives you a rich, caramelized flavor.

HOW TO MAKE THESE Cheesecake bars

NOTES & TIPS:

1. There is a little prep work that goes into making these cheesecake bars, one being the brown butter. You will want to make sure you plan to make the brown butter ahead of time so that it has time to cool down and become solid (sometimes if I’m in more of a hurry I will place it in the refrigerator or freezer to help the cooldown time along). If you don’t know how to brown butter, there are plenty of resources out there on how to do it. I will link one right here https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/how-to-brown-butter/

2. It's important that the crust, brown butter, streusel, and apple filling are completely cooled before layering. I recommend starting these processes the day before or at least first thing in the morning so that they have an hour or two to chill.

3. I used a scale for a lot of this recipe, I highly recommend weighing with a food scale to ensure accurate measurements.

4. Servings totally depend on how you choose to cut these. You can cut 9 square bars (as pictured) to serve a smaller group or you can cut them into 36 bite-size squares perfect for a larger party or potluck.

5. Keep covered & refrigerated, good for up to 3 to 4 days.

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED

• Hand mixer

• Kitchen Scale

• Small and medium bowls

• Cake Spatula or metal spoon

• Parchment paper 

• Sheet pan

• 9x9 metal pan

Yield: 36

Author: Tracy Gerow

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 H & 40 M

Ingredients

Streusel Topping

• 80 g flour
• 40 g old-fashioned oats
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 Tbsp light brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Graham Cracker Crust

• 190 g graham crackers (approx. 24 crackers)
• 20 g non-fat milk powder
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 55 g Lactaid Milk (or regular milk)

Apple Filling

• 5 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cut
• 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt

Cheesecake Filling

• 24 oz (three 8 oz blocks) Cream Cheese Blocks (room temp)
• 4 Tbsp unsalted browned butter (let cool to solid)
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Prepare Streusel Topping Ahead

1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees
2. Mix together dry ingredients: flour, oats, salt, and brown sugar.
3. Pour the melted butter and vanilla extract into dry ingredients, mix together until clumps begin to form.
4. On a cookie sheet, spread the entire mixture onto the pan and allow to bake for 20 minutes. Don’t overbake. Set aside to cool completely.

Prepare Graham Cracker Crust Ahead

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees
2. Crush Graham Crackers by hand or with a food processor, creating Graham Cracker crumbs.
3. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl: Graham Crackers, milk powder, sugar, and salt.
4. Whisk butter and milk together in a small bowl, then add to dry ingredients. If the mixture is too moist, add in a few additional crushed-up crackers.
5. Line a 9x9 metal pan with parchment paper for easy removal later. Mold mixture into pan and place in the oven for 15-20 mins, until golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.

To Prepare Apple Pie Filling Ahead

1. Squeeze lemon juice into a medium bowl of cold water and set aside for cut-up apples.
2. Peel and cut apples into cubes. Place cut Apples into lemon water to keep them fresh throughout the process. Drain the water once completed.
3. In a medium-sized pot, combine apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, gently stirring.
4. Reduce the heat and let the apples simmer for no longer than 3-5 minutes.
5. Transfer apples to a container and place in the refrigerator to cool down.

To Prepare Cheesecake Filling

1. Brown 4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter and let cool to solid (best to do this in advance, place in fridge to speed up the process)
2. With a hand mixer, mix cream cheese & brown butter together. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth.

Constructing the Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars

1. Once Everything has been prepped and cooled, layer Cheesecake Filling onto graham cracker crust using an ice cream scoop to ensure even amounts, smoothing thick layer with the back of a spoon or cake spatula.
2. Evenly distribute apple filling on top of the cheesecake layer.
3. Evenly distribute streusel on top of the apple filling layer.
4. Place cheesecake bars in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.
5. Remove from freezer, lift from metal pan using the parchment paper you placed under the graham crust. Cut into 9 even squares or 36 smaller bite-size pieces.
6. Optional: drizzle caramel as a garnish.

Notes

1. It's important that the crust, brown butter, streusel, and apple filling are completely cooled before layering. I recommend starting these processes the day before or at least first thing in the morning so that they have an hour or two to chill.
2. I used a scale for a lot of this recipe, I highly recommend weighing with a food scale to ensure accurate measurements.
3. Servings totally depend on how you choose to cut these. You can cut 9 square bars (as pictured) to serve a smaller group or you can cut them into 36 bite-size squares perfect for a larger party or potluck.
4. Keep covered & refrigerated, good for up to 3 to 4 days.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

196.87

Fat

11.07 g

Sat. Fat

6.39 g

Carbs

23.33 g

Fiber

1.18 g

Net carbs

22.15 g

Sugar

16.06 g

Protein

2.17 g

Sodium

211.09 mg

Cholesterol

29.47 mg

Calories are an estimate, based on the ingredients used and servings of the baked good.

All rights reserved for Tracy Gerow

TRACY NICHOLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars