Caramel apple cheesecake is a decadent cheesecake with all of the flavors of fall. It’s the perfect fall dessert and a Thanksgiving dessert option that isn’t apple pie.
When Fall rolls around, Pumpkin desserts get all the love. And I mean I get it. Pumpkin cookies, Pumpkin Cake, Chocolate Pumpkin Pie. It’s allllll good. But you know, apples are also at the height of their season in the fall too.
If you’re looking for something to serve during the holidays in addition to or instead of the traditional desserts, you’ve got to try this Caramel Apple Cheesecake. It is creamy, decadent and downright heavenly. With a graham cracker crust and creamy cheesecake topped with streusel and caramel sauce, it’s the stuff fall dessert dreams are made of.
What ingredients you’ll need:
There are 4 parts to this cheesecake: the crust, the cheesecake, streusel topping and caramel sauce.
The crust is pretty basic. You’ll only need graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. The same with the streusel. It’s a pretty classic recipe with brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and cold butter.
For the cheesecake layer you’ll need:
- CREAM CHEESE: Full fat here, friends. It’s a must. Also make sure that it is room temperature. It will help ensure that your cheesecake is creamy and smooth.
- SOUR CREAM and HEAVY CREAM: I use both in this recipe. They soften the texture and add richness to the cheesecake.
- EGGS
- VANILLA EXTRACT
- GREEN APPLES: Green apples work the best in this recipe because they lend themselves to cooking and add a slightly tart flavor.
- CINNAMON/GINGER/LEMON JUICE: These are used to season the apples before adding them to the cheesecake.
For the caramel sauce you’ll just need caramel candies and milk. If you don’t want to make your own (pssst, it’s SUPER easy), you could always use store bought caramel as well.
How do you make Caramel Apple Cheesecake?
Cheesecake can seem like a really daunting dessert. I’ve actually had more than a few friends tell me “oh I can’t make a cheesecake! I don’t even want to try!” but guys, it’s actually one of the easier desserts I make. Let me show you just how easy.
DES’ TIP: The trick to perfectly creamy cheesecake is to make sure that your cream cheese is at room temperature. If it is cold, you will end up with lumps in your cheesecake. You don’t want that.
STEP #1: Combine graham crackers crumbs and melted butter together in a bowl. Mix well. Press graham crackers into the bottom of the springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
STEP #2: While the crust is cooling, beat cream cheese and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after adding each egg. Beat in vanilla extract, heavy cream and sour cream. Continue mixing on medium speed until the mixture is silky and smooth. Pour mixture into cooled crust.
STEP #3: Place cheesecake into a roasting pan. Place in the oven and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan, quickly close the door. Bake for 60 – 70 minutes or until the cheesecake is set. The middle will still be jiggly. Turn off oven, keep oven door closed and allow cheesecake to cool 1 hour in oven. It will finish cooking during this time. Remove from oven and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
STEP #4: About 30 minutes before ready to eat, heat caramel candies and 2 tablespoons milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until caramel melts. If sauce is too thick, add remaining tablespoon milk. Remove from burner and allow to cool 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife under warm water until warm. Slice cake, drizzle with caramel and serve.
Storing leftovers:
Keep the cheesecake covered in the refrigerator. It is best when eaten within 3 days.
It doesn’t get much more decadent than this Caramel Apple Cheesecake! So if you’re looking for the perfect dessert to serve at Thanksgiving, Christmas this year, you need this on your menu!
Love cheesecake? Check out these other decadent cheesecake recipes!
Note: This post was originally posted in 2015. It was updated with new photos, step by step photos, tips and nutrition information in 2021.
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups crushed graham crackers
- 5 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 3 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups diced apples
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons butter (cold, cut into cubes)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 15 unwrapped caramel candies
- 2 - 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the spring form pan in the middle of two large pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil. Bring the foil up the sides of the pan. Crimp the pieces together around the pan. Make sure it is tight and secure so no water gets in during the baking process.
- Begin to boil a pot of water.
- Combine graham crackers crumbs and melted butter together in a bowl. Mix well.
- Press graham crackers into the bottom of the springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
- While the crust is cooling, beat cream cheese and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after adding each egg. Beat in vanilla extract, heavy cream and sour cream. Continue mixing on medium speed until the mixture is silky and smooth. Pour mixture into cooled crust.
- Combine apples, lemon juice, sugar, ginger and cinnamon. Mix until apples are coated.
- Make streusel topping by placing butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to cut butter keep working until mixture becomes crumbly.
- Scatter the apples over the cheesecake. Sprinkle streusel topping over the the top.
- Place cheesecake into a roasting pan. Place in the oven and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan, quickly close the door. Bake for 60 - 70 minutes or until the cheesecake is set. The middle will still be jiggly. Turn off oven, keep oven door closed and allow cheesecake to cool 1 hour in oven. It will finish cooking during this time.
- Remove cheesecake from oven, carefully remove it from the water bath. Remove the aluminum foil, being careful of any water that may have worked its way in.
- Chill cheesecake in the refrigerator 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
- About 30 minutes before ready to eat, heat caramel candies and 2 tablespoons milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until caramel melts. If sauce is too thick, add remaining tablespoon milk. Remove from burner and allow to cool 10 minutes.
- Run a sharp knife under warm water until warm. Slice cake, drizzle with caramel and serve.
[…] Besides pumpkin recipes for fall, apple ones have to be the best. Some of my other favorite apple recipes include: Caramel Apple Crisp, Cinnamon Apple Turnovers and this Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake! […]
[…] Get the Recipe […]
Oh boy. I wish I could dig my teeth into that cheesecake! Looks heavenly.
Now THIS is a cheesecake! This has all my fall favorites in one place – LOVE!
OMG this is gorgeous! I love apple pie, but cheesecake has my heart completely :D :D :D
Taking a slice with me to go ;)
Toodles,
Tammy<3
Streusel, apples, cheesecake…girl, you are speaking my language here! This looks awesome!
Oh, yes! I’m a huge apple dessert fan, so pairing with cheesecake is just perfection for me! Love the caramel!
uM.. i’m totally just drooling over that oozing caramel down the side. Now you are making me crave cheesecake, and its only 9am!
Wow, I sooo want a slice of this right now!
Um, it’s not even 8:00am yet and I think I need a piece of this like, right now. Looks SO good.
YES! Always streusel over pie crust. :) And I love pumpkin but September is all about apples for me. So I’m totally loving this!
This is the perfect fall dessert. I wish I could have a piece right now!
I wish I could reach through the screen to grab a taste! This looks amaaazing :)