Description

These Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars feature a deliciously buttery digestive biscuit crust topped with creamy full-fat cheesecake, layered with spiced granny smith apples, and finished with a crunchy crumble topping. A generous drizzle of rich caramel sauce adds a perfect finishing touch, making these bars a delightful dessert ideal for fall or any indulgent occasion.

Ingredients

Scale

Crust

180 g digestive biscuits
70 g unsalted butter (melted)

Cheesecake Layer

320 g full-fat cream cheese (room temperature)
120 g granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs (room temperature)

Apple Filling

300 g granny smith apples (peeled, cored and chopped to medium cubes)
20 g granulated sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Crumble Topping

100 g unsalted butter (chilled and cubed)
125 g plain flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
70 g demerara sugar
40 g granulated sugar

Finishing

3 tbsp caramel sauce

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Instructions

Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan). Lightly grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan and line it with baking paper, ensuring there is plenty of overhang for easy removal of bars later. Set aside.
Make crust: Crush the digestive biscuits into fine crumbs and mix thoroughly with the melted unsalted butter until combined. Press this mixture evenly into the base of the prepared pan to form a firm crust layer. Chill briefly if needed to set.
Prepare cheesecake filling: In a large bowl, beat the full-fat cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla extract, continuing to mix until fully incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, beating gently after each addition until smooth and homogenous.
Assemble apple layer: In a separate bowl, toss the peeled, cored, and chopped granny smith apples with granulated sugar, lemon zest, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the biscuit crust.
Add cheesecake layer: Pour the prepared cheesecake batter evenly over the apple layer, spreading carefully to avoid mixing layers.
Make crumble topping: Combine chilled cubed unsalted butter, plain flour, ground cinnamon, demerara sugar, and granulated sugar together. Use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to crumble the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the cheesecake layer.
Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden and the cheesecake layer is set but still slightly wobbly in the center.
Cool and drizzle caramel: Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, drizzle the caramel sauce generously over the top.
Chill and serve: Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars from the pan. Cut into 9 even bars and refrigerate until ready to serve for clean slices and ideal texture.

Notes

These caramel apple cheesecake bars feature distinct layers—a buttery crust, creamy cheesecake, spiced apple filling, and crumble topping—finished with luscious caramel sauce for added sweetness and texture.
For best results, all dairy ingredients (cream cheese, butter) should be at the specified temperatures to ensure smooth batter and crisp topping.
The recipe is perfect for fall desserts but delicious any time of year with seasonal apples.
Use fan oven setting for even baking and a nicely browned crumble topping.
Allow bars to cool fully before slicing to avoid crumble breakage.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 80 g
Calories: 555 kcal
Sugar: 41 g
Sodium: 386 mg
Fat: 31 g
Saturated Fat: 18 g
Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 65 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 7 g
Cholesterol: 118 mg