Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Fall says caramel apples, so why not make it a cheesecake!

This cheesecake has an apple blondie crust that is so very delicious. It creates the perfect balance between a crust full of apples and a cheesecake full of apples. The caramel is homemade, so it has that caramel apple flavor that caramel sauce from the store just can’t recreate. White chocolate drizzled on the top of the cheesecake just rounds out the flavors and also creates some fun décor on top of the caramel.

Ingredients for the Caramel Apple Cheesecake

The Apple Blondie Crust:

• Dry ingredients: all-purpose flour (sub GF flour blend), baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg
• Creamed ingredients: unsalted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla
• Chopped apples: Chop one apple fine.

The Caramel:

• Heavy cream: My preferred heavy cream comes from Costco because it is 40% fat. Worth it!!
• Kosher salt or sea salt: This salt is preferred over table salt because the crystals are larger and you actually use less. If using table salt—double the salt in this recipe.
• Light corn syrup: Find the corn syrup that doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup. If it doesn’t contain HFCS, it will be mentioned on the front of the container. If you can’t see the “call-out,” it does contain HFCS. Karo brand corn syrup does not contain HFCS, which means it is more healthy. And yes, healthy is relative when eating a sweet treat—so it’s best to choose wisely—which is why I like to make sweet treats in my own kitchen!!
• Granulated sugar: When making cooked candy, like caramel, pure cane sugar is the best choice because other sugars have different boiling points and will affect the temperature of your candy. If granulated sugar is not pure cane, it’s typically beet sugar.
• Unsalted butter: I like to add my own salt.
• Vanilla: This ingredient is added at the end and rounds out the flavor of the caramel.

The Apple Swirl:

• Diced apples: Two apples are needed. Choose your favorite apple flavor!
• Lemon juice: I prefer fresh squeezed.
• Unsalted butter:
• Brown Sugar, All-purpose flour, Cinnamon, Nutmeg

The Caramel Apple Cheesecake:

• Cream cheese: My cheesecake recipe calls for more cream cheese than some other recipes. Because of the added cream cheese, I have never had to use a water bath to bake my cheesecake. Yeah!
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar, instead of granulated sugar, enhances the caramel flavor.
• All-purpose flour: You can substitute a GF flour blend. Just a little bit of flour stabilizes the batter and helps with the texture of the cheesecake. It also contributes to no needed a water bath bake.
• Caramel Sauce: I use the homemade caramel for the cheesecake recipe as well.
• Eggs: The ingredient that creates the rise in the cheesecake. While adding the eggs, mix on low so less air is being added to the cheesecake. Scrape the bottom and edges of the bowl well so the batter gets mixed consistently.
• Apple swirl: A delicious addition to this cheesecake!

Topping:

• Caramel Sauce: More homemade caramel, of course! Add a little heavy cream to the sauce so it’s a little drippy of each slice of cheesecake.
• White Chocolate: Melt and drizzle over the top of the caramel sauce.
• Whipped Cream: Use fresh whipped or from a can.

How to Make Caramel Apple Cheesecake:

Caramel (make day ahead):

1. Calibrate your current boiling temperature with your recipe. Boil water and adjust recipe cooking temperature accordingly. For more details see (https://tastethekitchennextdoor.comcalibrate-your-thermometer/)
2. Combine cream and salt in small bowl; stir well to dissolve salt.
3. Combine water and corn syrup in heavy-bottomed 2- to 3- quart saucepan; pour sugar into center of saucepan, taking care not to let sugar granules touch sides of pan. Gently stir with clean spatula to moisten sugar thoroughly. Cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat; cook, covered and without stirring, until sugar is completely dissolved and liquid is clear, 5-10 minutes.
4. Uncover, add thermometer and continue to cook, without stirring, until bubbles show faint golden color, 1-3 minutes more.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook until caramel is light amber and registers 358° F on candy thermometer.
6. Remove saucepan from heat. Put on hot pad glove to stirring hand. Slowly/carefully add cream to center of pan; stir with metal whisk or silicon spatula (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously) until cream is fully incorporated and bubbling subsides.
7. Stir in butter and vanilla until combined; transfer caramel to microwaveable measuring cup or bowl and set aside to cool completely.
8. When cool, cover and refrigerate until ready to make cheesecake. Remove caramel from refrigerator prior to use and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave for 15 seconds more to become pliable again. Leave at room temperature until finished with cheesecake.

Apple Blondie Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan. Spray bottom and sides. Place parchment paper circle in the bottom and spray again.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, wish the melted butter and brown sugar together until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk together until well combined.
4. Add dry ingredients and fold with spatula just until no flour remains. Fold in the chopped apple. Then spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350° F for 25-30 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out with a few small crumbs. Remove blondie from the oven and let cool slightly before pouring cheesecake batter on top of the blondie.

Apple Swirl:

1. Melt butter in fry pan over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice to the butter and stir until incorporated.
2. Add apples. Stir fry apples for 2-3 minutes, then lower heat to medium-love and cover with lid to steam apples for 5 minutes while you make the cheesecake batter.

Cheesecake Batter:

1. While blondie crust is cooling, mix softened cream cheese with stand mixer (or electric mixer) on medium-high speed until soft and smooth.
2. Add sugar, flour, and vanilla. Mix at medium speed on electric mixer (or stand mixer), for 2 minutes until well blended. Use low speeds so less air is added to the batter to reduce cracking while baking.
3. Add caramel sauce and mix on low just until combined. Scrape bowl.
4. On low speed, blend in eggs, one at a time, scraping bowl between each addition.  Add vanilla and mix on low speed just until combined.
5. Pour a third of the batter over crust. Pour half of the apple filling over the batter. Use a butter knife to slightly swirl the apples into the cheesecake batter. Pour a second third of the batter into the pan. Pour remaining apple filling over the batter. Swirl slightly again. Top with remaining cheesecake batter. Swirl slightly. Smooth top with spatula.
6. Bake at 450° F (232° C) for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250° F (121° C), continue baking for 25-40 minutes or until the center of the cheesecake is firm to a light touch, not jelly-like.
7. Allow to cool at room temperature. Cover with slightly warmed caramel sauce. Drizzle with melted white chocolate to create a fun design.
8. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or more. Serve with whipped cream if desired. Store cheesecake in refrigerator for up to 4-5 days or as long as the apples hold up.

I can’t wait for you to make this cheesecake. I think it’s my top favorite!

–Kim

Print Recipe

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Caramel Apple Cheesecake has an apple blondie crust, a caramel cheesecake swirled with spiced apples, topped with homemade caramel sauce and a melted white chocolate swirl. You taste caramel apples in every bite!

Prep Time40 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Keyword: apple, caramel, cheesecake

Servings: 9 inch cheesecake

Author: Kim Melanson

Equipment

• 9" Springform Pan

Ingredients

Caramel (make day ahead):

• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• 2 ½ cups sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Apple Blondie Crust:

• (recipe based on lifeloveandsugar.com)
• 1 ¼ cups (163g) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ cup unsalted butter melted
• 1 cup (225g) brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped apples (1 large apple)

Apple Swirl:

• 2 cups diced apples (2 large apples)
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup (52.5g) brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons (15g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

Caramel Apple Cheesecake:

• 3 packages (24 oz—680g) cream cheese room temperature
• ½ cup (105g) brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons (22.5g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup caramel (recipe above)
• 3 eggs room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Apple Swirl (recipe above)

Topping:

• Caramel Sauce: ½ cup caramel (recipe above) + 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
• White Chocolate drizzle
• Whipped Cream (if desired)

Instructions

Caramel (make day ahead):

• Calibrate your current boiling temperature with your recipe. Boil water and adjust recipe cooking temperature accordingly.
• Combine cream and salt in small bowl; stir well to dissolve salt.
• Combine water and corn syrup in heavy-bottomed 2- to 3- quart saucepan; pour sugar into center of saucepan, taking care not to let sugar granules touch sides of pan. Gently stir with clean spatula to moisten sugar thoroughly. Cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat; cook, covered and without stirring, until sugar is completely dissolved and liquid is clear, 5-10 minutes.
• Uncover, add thermometer and continue to cook, without stirring, until bubbles show faint golden color, 1-3 minutes more.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook until caramel is light amber and registers 358° F on candy thermometer.
• Remove saucepan from heat. Put on hot pad glove to stirring hand. Slowly/carefully add cream to center of pan; stir with metal whisk or silicon spatula (mixture will bubble and steam vigorously) until cream is fully incorporated and bubbling subsides.
• Stir in butter and vanilla until combined; transfer caramel to microwaveable measuring cup or bowl and set aside to cool completely.
• When cool, cover and refrigerate until ready to make cheesecake. Remove caramel from refrigerator prior to use and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave for 15 seconds more to become pliable again. Leave at room temperature until finished with cheesecake.

Apple Blondie Crust:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan. Spray bottom and sides. Place parchment paper circle in the bottom and spray again.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, wish the melted butter and brown sugar together until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk together until well combined.
• Add dry ingredients and fold with spatula just until no flour remains. Fold in the chopped apple. Then spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
• Bake at 350° F for 25-30 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out with a few small crumbs. Remove blondie from the oven and let cool slightly before pouring cheesecake batter on top of the blondie.

Apple Swirl:

• Melt butter in fry pan over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice to the butter and stir until incorporated.
• Add apples. Stir fry apples for 2-3 minutes, then lower heat to medium-love and cover with lid to steam apples for 5 minutes while you make the cheesecake batter.

Cheesecake Batter:

• While blondie crust is cooling, mix softened cream cheese with stand mixer (or electric mixer) on medium-high speed until soft and smooth.
• Add sugar, flour, and vanilla. Mix at medium speed on electric mixer (or stand mixer), for 2 minutes until well blended. Use low speeds so less air is added to the batter to reduce cracking while baking.
• Add caramel sauce and mix on low just until combined. Scrape bowl.
• On low speed, blend in eggs, one at a time, scraping bowl between each addition. Add vanilla and mix on low speed just until combined.
• Pour a third of the batter over crust. Pour half of the apple filling over the batter. Use a butter knife to slightly swirl the apples into the cheesecake batter. Pour a second third of the batter into the pan. Pour remaining apple filling over the batter. Swirl slightly again. Top with remaining cheesecake batter. Swirl slightly. Smooth top with spatula.
• Bake at 450° F (232° C) for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250° F (121° C), continue baking for 25-40 minutes or until the center of the cheesecake is firm to a light touch, not jelly-like.
• Allow to cool at room temperature. Cover with slightly warmed caramel sauce. Drizzle with melted white chocolate to create a fun design.
• Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or more. Serve with whipped cream if desired. Store cheesecake in refrigerator for up to 4-5 days or as long as the apples hold up.