These caramel apple cheesecake bars have a spiced graham cracker crust, a creamy cinnamon caramel no bake cheesecake filling, and the ultimate, spiced caramel apple topping! You’re going to love how easy it is to make each of the components. The rich caramel, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom bring out the apple flavor and add so much fragrance. These are the best apple cheesecake bars.
If you love no-bake fall cheesecake recipes, you need to try my pumpkin cheesecake bars!
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🍏 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Topping: The topping includes a mixture of apples, caramel and your favorite fall spices.
- Caramel: These apple caramel cheesecake bars are packed with caramel! It is mixed into the cheesecake filling, in the apple topping and ALSO drizzled on top!
- Texture: The filling has an ultra creamy mousse-like texture with a crumbly graham cracker crust.
- Crust: There is cinnamon, cardamom and cloves added into the crust. The perfect compliment to the apple flavor!
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
- All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
- Caramel Sauce: I used homemade salted caramel sauce - but you can use any thick store bought caramel sauce. Dulce de leche would also work amazing.
- Cream Cheese: Full fat, brick style cream cheese like Philadelphia will work the best. Don’t use reduced fat cream cheese because it has too much water content and won’t set properly. You’ll need two bricks of cream cheese.
- Cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves: These spices together create the perfect apple spice mix! It’s fragrant and brings out the warm apple flavor perfectly.
- Crushed graham crackers: You can crush your own graham crackers or buy pre crushed. Crushed biscoff or spiced cookies would also taste amazing with these apple cheesecake bars. For a gluten free version, use gluten free graham crackers or your favorite gluten free cookie!
- Heavy whipping cream: Make sure your cream is 35% or higher so that it whips up to stiff peaks! Keep the cream, bowl, and whisk chilled so that it whips up to perfectly stiff peaks.
- Lemon juice: Helps brighten the apple flavor and helps the cheesecake to set. I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice because it has a lot more depth of flavor.
If you love spiced apple flavors, you're going to love this chai cake - it has a spiced apple filling!
👩🍳 How to make caramel apple cheesecake bars
Caramel apple topping step by step
Step 1 : In a wide pan add apples, lemon juice, caramel sauce, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Heat the mixture on low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Step 2: Cook for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the apples are very soft. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate.
Spiced graham cracker crust step by step
Step 1: Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, and melted butter in a large bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined and uniform in texture.
Step 2: Line an 8” or 9” square dish with parchment paper. Transfer and spread crust mixture into the dish.
Tightly pack down the crust mixture with the bottom of a glass. Set aside for later.
Cheesecake filling step by step
Step 1: In a large bowl or stand mixer whip cream to stiff peaks with a whisk. Set aside in the fridge while you work on the rest of the filling.
Step 2: Beat cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, caramel sauce, and cinnamon until smooth and creamy. Add lemon juice and mix again.
Step 3: Gently fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until smooth.
Transfer the filling into the crust and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Step 4: Remove the cheesecake from the pan. Cut the cheesecake into bars, I cut mine into four by three bars to make 12 bars.
Step 5: Top the bars with the caramel apple topping and drizzle with extra salted caramel sauce.
Step 6: Serve chilled and enjoy!
✔️ Expert no bake cheesecake tips
- Use full fat, brick style cream cheese for a perfectly set no bake cheesecake
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks to ensure a thick, creamy, and set texture
- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. This will allow the flavors to develop and the cheesecake to firm up and set.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
These cheesecake bars store well. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
You can make the caramel apple filling a few days ahead of time! Store it in the fridge in an airtight container or jar for a day or two.
If you’re making homemade caramel sauce, I recommend making it ahead of time to make it easier.
🍏 The best apple varieties for cooking
Any firm, tart variety of apple is the best kind of apple for cooking. A firm apple is key because it holds its shape well and maintains the texture. The tartness balances the sweetness of the sugar, creating a more flavorful apple filling.
I love granny smith apples because they’re easy to get a hold of and are super crunchy and tart! They bake up really well and the tartness creates so much depth in flavor. You can also use northern spy apples if you can get a hold of them. They’re absolutely delicious in pies and baked goods as well!
You can also use baking apples to make these salted caramel apple pie bars and this traditional sharlotka cake.
❔ Can you make this into a full sized cheesecake?
Yes you can, use an 8” or 9” round springform pan and follow the instructions. I recommend topping the caramel apple cheesecake with the apple filling after it’s sliced because it’s difficult to slice through the apples.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Make sure you wipe your knife clean with every cut. It also helps if the cheesecake is extra cold - pop it in the freezer 10 to 20 minutes before cutting the caramel apple cheesecake bars into slices. This makes it extra firm and easier to slice.
This is a no bake cheesecake without gelatin, so it sets up to have a mousse-like texture. It’s still firm and sliceable, just not as firm as baked cheesecake. Make sure to keep it chilled because it will get softer as it warms up.
Any thick store bought caramel sauce will do - I recommend using dulce de leche it has amazing caramel flavor and is so delicious! You can also make your own caramel sauce like I did - the salted caramel sauce that goes on top of my salted caramel apple pie bars is my favorite.
🍂 More related recipes
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📖 Recipe
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Caramel Apple Topping
- 5 medium apples Granny Smith or Northern spy
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ cup caramel sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Spiced Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅔ cup butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
- 16 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ cup caramel sauce if it's not a thick caramel sauce, only use 2 tablespoons.
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
Caramel Apple Topping
- Peel, core, and cut the apples into slices. Place them into a wide pan and add lemon juice, caramel sauce, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. Heat the apple mixture on low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. As it cooks, the apples will release their juices, then the sauce will start to thicken up.5 medium apples, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ cup caramel sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Cook for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the apples are very soft. Remove from heat and transfer into a non-metal container. Let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate. This can be made ahead of time.
Spiced Graham Cracker Crust
- In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, and melted butter. Stir to combine everything evenly. Use your spoon to break up any lumps in the brown sugar.2 cups graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ⅔ cup butter
- Transfer the crust into a parchment paper lined 8” or 9” square dish. Make sure to leave long handles of parchment paper on the sides so that it’s easy to take out the bars once they set.
- Spread the crust mixture into an even layer and pack it tightly down with the bottom of a glass. Set aside for later.
Cheesecake Filling
- Whip cream to stiff peaks in a large bowl or stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Set aside in the fridge while you work on the rest of the filling.1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Beat cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, caramel sauce (only use 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce if it's thin), and cinnamon in a large bowl or stand mixer until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl frequently to prevent any lumps. Add lemon juice and mix again.16 oz cream cheese, ½ cup granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ cup caramel sauce
- Gently fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until smooth.
- Transfer the filling into the crust and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Assembly
- Remove the cheesecake from the pan by lifting it up by the parchment paper. Cut the cheesecake into bars, I cut mine into four by three bars to make 12 bars.
- Top the bars with the caramel apple topping and drizzle with extra salted caramel sauce. Serve chilled!
Video
Notes
- Use full fat, brick style cream cheese for a perfectly set no bake cheesecake.
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks to ensure a thick, creamy, and set texture.
- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. This will allow the flavors to develop and the cheesecake to firm up and set.
Syd
Amazing texture and the spices balance the sweetness of the caramel perfectly. As a fan of your no bake pumpkin cheesecake bars, I was very excited to try this recipe and it exceeded my expectations!