Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

I loved these bars! They have the textures of smooth and crunchy along with the flavors of tart and sweet to make for a very delightful taste experience.

Tart Granny Smith apples mixed with cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg sitting on a layer of cream cheese filling and topped with streusel with a drizzle of caramel. The textures and flavors are spot on perfect.

Whenever I make a dessert with apples I usually toss them in lemon juice because it brings out the flavor of the apples and gives it a fresh bright taste. I decided against it this time and I’m glad I did.

The Granny Smith Apples had a wonderful tart fresh flavor of their own that was delicious. This isn’t an overly sweet tasting dessert which makes it very more-ish! If you wanted more crunch in the topping you could add nuts, other than that, I can’t think of anything that would make them anymore delicious than they already are! Enjoy!

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Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

For The Bottom Crust

2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter softened

For The Cream Cheese Filling Layer

2 - eight ounce packages cream cheese room temperature
2 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar

For the Apple Layer

3 Large Granny Smith Apples peeled,cored and chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoons sugar

For The Streusel Topping

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup Caramel Sauce optional, your favorite brand

Instructions

For The Bottom Crust

1. In a large bowl combine the flour and brown sugar. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly.
2.Press the crumbs onto the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan lined with double thick foil ( I just doubled regular foil). Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until light brown.

For The Cream Cheese Filling layer

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese and 1/2 cup of sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla, mix until incorporated. Pour cream cheese mixture over warm crust.

For the Apple layer

In a medium size bowl combine the finely chopped apples with 2 Tablespoons sugar, the cinnamon and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over the cream cheese layer.

For The Streusel Topping

In a medium bowl combine all the streusel ingredients, mix them together until crumbly ,sprinkle evenly over the apple layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until filling is set. Cool completely. Refrigerating the bars will make them easier to cut when served.
Drizzle with caramel topping if desired or serve with ice cream.

Notes

It's important to FINELY chop the apples, I used my food processor and whirled them around until they were chopped fine. When the apples sit in the bowl they release some of their juice, discard the juice before sprinkling on top of the cream cheese layer.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see your pictures on Instagram! Mention @bunnyswarmoven or tag #bunnyswarmoven!