This Caramel Apple Cheesecake is sure to be a crowd-pleaser this holiday season–it features a delicate graham cracker crust, a rich apple spice filling, and is topped with crunchy struesel and gooey, homemade caramel!
For as long as I can remember, one of the dessert options at Thanksgiving has been pumpkin cheesecake. Before I took to the kitchen, my mom always made a no-bake version and it was really good! Then a few years ago, I discovered the art of cheesecake-making from scratch and took charge of holiday desserts–Pumpkin with Chocolate Ganache for Thanksgiving and Chocolate Peppermint for Christmas.
The other thing is that fall and Christmas are my absolute jam and I’m very stringent about holding to all the family traditions. But then this Caramel Apple Cheesecake happened. And after some discussion and family taste-testing, we’ve concluded it needs to make an appearance at this Thanksgiving. Give the recipe a try and I bet you’ll be wanting to do the same! It’s pretty involved though, so read through the whole thing before getting started.
Other Cheesecake Recipes to Try:
- Cappuccino Cheesecake
- Mocha Cheesecake
- Merlot Chocolate Cheesecake
- Lemon Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake
Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
Filling
- 2-3 Wealthy apples (or your favorite pie apple)
- cinnamon and sugar to taste
- 3-4 tbsp butter divided
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp dark maple syrup
- 1 tsp Penzeys ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Penzeys ground nutmeg
- Pinch Penzeys ground cloves
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Struesel Topping
- ¼ cup cold butter
- ½ cup flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp white sugar
Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 ½ tsp arrowroot starch
- ¼ cup dark maple syrup
- 2 tbsp sucanat
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Crust
- First, grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch spring from pan with canola spray or melted coconut oil/butter.
- Then put the graham crackers in a food processor and grind until they are just small crumbs. Add the sugar and pulse a few more times.
- In a small bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter. Finally, press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set aside.
Struesel
- Combine the flour and sugar. Then cut in the butter and using a pastry blender (or by hand) break up the butter into pea-size pieces. Set aside until the cheesecake is ready to bake.
Filling
- In a frying pan, melt 1-2 Tbs. of butter. Add the apples with cinnamon and sugar to taste. Sauté until easily pierced with a fork. (They should be soft, but not applesauce.) Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add approximately an inch of water to the bottom of a double boiler and melt 1 cup of white chocolate chips on medium heat. Stir every few minutes and be sure not to get any water in the chocolate. When the chips are melted, remove from heat and stir in 2 Tbs. of melted butter. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.
- In a large, deep bowl, combine the somewhat-cooled white chocolate mixture, cream cheese, sugar, maple syrup, spices and salt. Use an stand or hand mixer to mix all the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl every so often to ensure that everything is well combined. Don't to use the slowest setting and do not over mix. Gently fold in the prepared apples.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Scoop the filling in the spring form pan and using a small offset spatula, smooth it out until even. Sprinkle the struesel over the top.
- Bake for 35 minutes, making sure to not open the oven! Any rapid change in temperature or humidity can lead to cracking and caving.
- Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake rest in the oven for another 30 minutes, still not opening the door. When the time is up, remove from oven and let the cheesecake cool for approximately 30 more minutes before letting it chill and set up in the refrigerator for at least three hours.
Caramel Sauce
- While the cheesecake is cooling, whisk the arrowroot starch and 2 tbsp of cream in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a saucepan, heat the rest of the cream, maple syrup, sucanat, and sugar. Whisk often and bring to a boil. After 10 seconds of boiling, add the butter.
- Decrease heat and simmer for 10 minutes, continuing to whisk. Add the slurry and gently boil another minute or two. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and salt.
- After it is somewhat cooled, it can be drizzled over the entire cheesecake or added to individual slices. Enjoy!
Notes on Caramel Apple Cheesecake:
When selecting white chocolate, make sure it actually contains cocoa butter and is free from hydrogenated oils and artificial flavors. (I get mine at Trader Joe’s.)
It’s important to make sure the base of of the spring-form pan is right side up. However, even if it is, it’s still possible for butter to leak out the bottom. To prevent a major mess, line a baking sheet with foil and place it under the cake pan.
Allow the cream cheese to reach room temperature before use so that it mixes smoothly. It will also help prevent the need to over-mix which can cause the cheesecake to cave in.
Whatever you do, do not open the oven until it is time to take it out. I know it’s tempting, but you just have to trust me on this one! It is imperative that the pan is put together correctly and a baking sheet is below the pan. Otherwise you may have to open the oven to clean up burned butter as the house fills with haze…yes, I learned this the hard way.
Don’t cover the cheesecake until it is totally cool to prevent condensation from collecting on top and don’t release the sides until it has set up for 3 hours in the fridge.
