The only thing better than salted caramel apples? A salted caramel cheesecake recipe! Throw apples on top for the perfect flavor combo!
Original post: September 2018 | Updated: March 2021
I keep thinking I will run out of ideas for baking with apples, but the opposite is happening. The more I bake with apples, the more ideas start swimming around in my head. I hadn’t made a cheesecake in a while, so I figured it was time I introduce two of my favorites to one another. And salted caramel had to join the party, too. Of course.
My new favorite thing to do with cheesecake is to add a layer of gooeyness (in this case, apples and salted caramel sauce) between the crust and the cheesecake and to do the same thing on the top. This little trick sends cheesecake into a new realm of delicious.
HOW TO MAKE SALTED CARAMEL CHEESECAKE RECIPE
MAKE THE CHEESECAKE CRUST
Either in a food processor or resealable bag, pulse or crush the graham crackers until fine crumbs are formed. Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1 cup of sugar and 12 tablespoons of melted butter in a medium bowl. Stir until crumbs are moist.
Spray a 9-inch spring form pan with cooking spray. Press the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan and up the sides two-thirds of the way to the top. Place pan in the fridge.
PREPARE THE APPLES
In a medium saucepan, combine the 6 tablespoons butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted, stirring constantly. Add the apples and cook for 10 minutes, or until apples begin to get soft. Remove pan from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
PREPARE THE CHEESECAKE
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the pan from the fridge and pour half of the apples filling into the crust, being sure that’s evenly spread. Drizzle half of the caramel sauce over the top and sprinkle with sea salt. Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, Add the cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar to a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer). Using whisk attachments on an electric mixer, beat on medium speed for 30 seconds, or until free of lumps. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Pour the cream cheese filling over the top of the baked apple crust. Use a regular or offset spatula to spread evenly. Bake cheesecake for an additional 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the cheesecake is thoroughly cooked (the entire cheesecake will jiggle uniformly when done and the top will be very slightly golden brown).
Place the springform pan on the wire rack. Let cheesecake cool at room temperature between 30 minutes and 1 hour, then place in the fridge.
ASSEMBLE THE CHEESECAKE
Pour the remaining apples evenly over the top of the cheesecake and top with the remaining caramel sauce and sea salt just before serving. Throw a dollop of whipped cream on top, for good measure. Serve thinly sliced!
HOW TO MAKE WHIPPED CREAM
Make this easy Homemade Whipped Cream in 5 minutes and with only 3 ingredients! It is creamy, light, fluffy and perfect to spread over just about any dessert!
MAKE YOUR OWN HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE
Only 4 ingredients needed to make your own Salted Caramel sauce. It’s easy to do and you’ll be glad you know how to make it yourself because this recipe has so many uses – top or fill your next batch of baked goods with this delicious, irresistible sauce. You will need to resist the temptation to eat it by the spoonful! Salt and caramel make the best food duo.
BEST CHEESECAKES TO MAKE NEXT
- Cherry Almond Cheesecake – Saturated with almond flavoring and delicious tart cherries, this is the yummiest cherry cheesecake you’ll ever make! Layers of tart cherries below and above the cheesecake, you’ll have an incredible flavorful bite no matter what you do.
- Avoid cracking and hassle by making creamy, flavorful cheesecake in your pressure cooker! Cooks perfectly every time and tastes delicious served solo or with fruit, chocolate or caramel as a topping. This is a great easy dessert to make for any type of gathering!
- Creamy Butterfinger Cheesecake – As if cheesecake couldn’t get more delicious, add Butterfinger candy bars to send it over the top!
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake – This cheesecake is so festive and deliciously minty! Plus, what isn’t delicious when it’s drizzled with chocolate!
- Peach Topped Blueberry Cheesecake – The combination of blueberries and peaches is to-die-for in amazingly good cheesecake! Great dessert for summer.
- Banana Cheesecake – This creamy cheesecake is the perfect way to use up ripe bananas!
APPLES RECIPES FOR FALL
Apples aren’t just for picking from a tree – there’s so many great ways to enjoy a sweet apple treat, don’t limit yourself to just one recipe!
- Appledoodles – These cookies are a fun twist on the classic snickerdoodles! Great way to use up apples in the fall!
- Easy Homemade Crockpot Applesauce – A kid-worthy snack that is fun to prepare because it’s so easy to make. Use an assortment of green and red apples and you’ll have a flavorful snack you can enjoy; better than the store stuff!
- Apple Pie Jam – this fall make this Amazing Apple Pie Jam! This jam tastes just like Apple Pie because it’s similar to pie filling. This is a great, DELICIOUS way to use up extra apples in the fall! Also a great gift idea!
- Apple Coffee Cake – This is the best Apple Coffee Cake recipe you’ll find. Enjoy as an indulgent breakfast treat or an any-time snack or dessert!
- Salted Chocolate Caramel Apples – Sprinkling of sea salt and a bit of chocolate turns Caramel Apples into an extravagant dessert.. Salted Chocolate Caramel Apples!
- Apple Crisp – This delicious Apple Crisp recipe is the best. It is tried, tested and NEVER fails! It is the perfect way to use up apples in the fall. You’ll love the oatmeal brown sugar topping and the flavors of the apples dusted with cinnamon shines through. It also tastes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
- Salted Caramel Apple Cupcakes – Salted Caramel Apple Cupcakes are the tastiest way to use up apples! Salted caramel oozes over apple cupcakes that are topped with apple-infused icing. These are irresistible!
ALTERNATIVE TO USING A SPRINGFORM PAN
A springform pan is a cake pan with removable sides. It bakes the same way that a cake does in a regular pan. But it’s great to use when you bake a cake like cheesecake, where you have a delicious graham crust to reveal.
While a springform pan is ideal for cheesecake, you can make do with a cake pan. Make sure that you line it with parchment paper and then grease it well.
WHAT TYPES OF APPLES ARE GOOD FOR BAKING?
I recommend using a variety of apples and at the very least, use two kinds: one sweet and one tart. My favorite combo is Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples.
Sweet/Softer Apple Brands
- Fuji
- Honeycrisp
- Red Delicious
- Golden Delicious
- Cortland
- Gala
Tart (or a little Sour) Apple Brands
- Granny Smith
- McIntosh
- Ida Red
- Braeburn
- Empire
- Jonathan
RECIPE NOTES
- Let the cream cheese come to room temperature before using it. It’ll be easier to beat into a creamy texture for your cake, you’ll avoid a lumpy mixture and it’ll mix with other ingredients better.
- Skip the low fat cheese and go for full fat. This keeps your cheesecake creamy. None of the low-fat fillers would be ideal for this dessert.
- If you can’t find salted caramel sauce, regular caramel ice cream topping is a great replacement (with a touch of extra sea salt). Or make your own homemade salted caramel sauce.
- I love the added cinnamon in the crust when using the cinnamon-flavored graham crackers, but you can also use regular graham crackers and add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the mixture.
- Add a splash of apple cider to the apple filling mixture for an extra dose of apple flavor.
- Refrigerate until right before slicing and serving!
- Sprinkle toasted chopped pecans over the top for an added crunch!
- Add 1/2 cup sour cream to the filling for an even creamier texture.
- 1-2 teaspoons of lemon zest would be a great addition to the creamy mixture!
FAQ ABOUT CHEESECAKE
Cheesecake freezes extremely well! Wrap the cheesecake tightly in foil and place inside a resealable freezer bag or airtight container for up to 6 months. When you are ready to enjoy the cheesecake, allow it to thaw completely in the fridge overnight.
A typical bake time for most cheesecake recipes is between 55-70 minutes, although recipes will vary.
You’ll be able to tell when cheesecake is done when you gently shake the pan and the cheesecake jiggles uniformly. If the center jiggles at a different rate than the outer edge, put it back in the oven for 5-minute bursts, checking for a uniform jiggle after each. In addition, cheesecake will have a very slightly golden brown top when it is done cooking.
Tightly wrap cheesecake in plastic wrap or foil and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Related Recipes
Salted Caramel Cheesecake Recipe with Apples
Ingredients
CRUST
- 16 cinnamon graham crackers
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 12 tbsp salted butter melted
APPLE FILLING
- 6 tbsp salted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 5 apples (use a variety), cored, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup salted caramel sauce
- 1 tbsp Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
CHEESECAKE
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
MAKE THE CRUST
- Either in a food processor or ziploc bag, pulse or crush the graham crackers until fine crumbs are formed. Add graham cracker crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Add the 1 cup of sugar and 12 tablespoons of melted butter. Stir until crumbs are moist.
- Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Press the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan and up the sides two-thirds of the way to the top. Place pan in the fridge.
MAKE THE APPLES
- In a medium saucepan, combine the 6 tablespoons butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir over medium heat until the butter is melted, stirring constantly. Add the apples and cook for 10 minutes, or until apples begin to get soft. Remove pan from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
PREPARE THE CHEESECAKE
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the pan from the fridge and pour half of the apples evenly over the crust. Drizzle half of the caramel sauce over the top and sprinkle with sea salt. Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, Add the cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar to a large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer). Using whisk attachments, beat on medium speed for 30 seconds, or until free of lumps. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Pour the cheese mixture over the top of the baked apple crust and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the cheesecake is thoroughly cooked (the entire cheesecake will jiggle uniformly when done). Let cool for 10 minutes.
ASSEMBLE THE CHEESECAKE
- Pour the remaining apples evenly over the top of the cheesecake and top with remaining caramel sauce and sea salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve!
Notes
- Let the cream cheese come to room temperature before using it. It’ll be easier to beat into a creamy texture for your cake, you’ll avoid a lumpy mixture and it’ll mix with other ingredients better.
- Skip the low fat cheese and go for full fat. This keeps your cheesecake creamy. None of the low-fat fillers would be ideal for this dessert.
- If you can’t find salted caramel sauce, regular caramel ice cream topping is a great replacement (with a touch of extra sea salt). Or make your own homemade salted caramel sauce.
- I love the added cinnamon in the crust when using the cinnamon-flavored graham crackers, but you can also use regular graham crackers and add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the mixture.
- Add a splash of apple cider to the apple filling mixture for an extra dose of apple flavor.
- Refrigerate until right before slicing and serving!
- Sprinkle toasted chopped pecans over the top for an added crunch!
This is SOOOOO yummy….but unless you have a sous chef, it is WAY MORE THAN 10-15 minutes prep time. With being in fridge an hour it took me (experienced baker) the good part of an hour plus…peeling apples, cooking down apples, etc… If you can I would def make the day before so it will completely cool. We ate mine about 2 1/2 hours after being in fridge and it was still warm. Is it worth it? ABSOLUTELY!! I wouldn’t change a thing!! Making another one this weekend!!?
This looks soool good! I want to make it for Thanksgiving. How is the taste if you make it the day before?
This is a great recipe to make beforehand! It would hold up 2-3 days before the holiday. Your biggest issue would be making sure no one gobbled it up before!