Made with homemade apple butter and a crunchy crumble topping, these bars are the perfect mix of warm, rich apple flavors and creamy cheesecake.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 40

Total Time 3 10

Servings squares

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

▢ 1 ¼ cups crushed graham crackers (about 8-10 cookies; see Note 1)
▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

Spiced Apples

▢ 1 large apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped (about 1 cup; sweet apples are best, but any works)
▢ ½ tsp cinnamon
▢ ¼ tsp nutmeg
▢ Pinch salt
▢ 1 tbsp unsalted butter
▢ 1 tbsp all purpose flour

Cheesecake

▢ 1 ½ cups cream cheese, softened (one and a half 8 oz blocks)
▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
▢ 2 large eggs
▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract
▢ ¾ cup apple butter (see Note 2)

Crumble Topping

▢ ¾ cup all purpose flour
▢ ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
▢ ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a square 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper so it overhangs on one side (this makes removing the bars easy)

Graham Cracker Crust

Using a food processor or a rolling pin and a resealable, crush the graham crackers into crumbs
Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter until combined (it should stick together when pressed but will still be crumbly)
Press into the baking dish and flatten with a spatula or measuring cup
Bake for 10 minutes then set aside

Spiced Apples

In a small saucepan, combine apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, butter and flour and stir
Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and apples are slightly softened then set aside to cool (see Note 3)

Cheesecake

In a large bowl, add the cream cheese and beat with a hand mixer or whisk until no lumps remain
Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until completely smooth

Crumble Topping

Wipe the cookie crumbs from the food processor then add the flour, brown sugar and butter
Pulse for a few seconds until the mixture forms large clumps (it should be a wet, clumpy and sandy texture)

Assembly

Pour half the cheesecake mixture over the crust and smooth out
Drop the apple butter over the cheesecake mixture in dollops, then pour over the remaining cheesecake mixture
Using a butter knife, gently swirl the apple butter into the cheesecake layer (swirl no more than 2-3 times or you'll lost the marbled effect)
Spread the apples evenly over the marbled cheesecake layer, pressing gently so they slightly sink in
Sprinkle the crumble evenly on top
Bake for 40-45 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few small crumbs
Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours until set
Remove bars from the pan using the overhanging parchment paper then cut into squares and serve

Notes

Note 1: Digestive biscuits or Biscoff cookies may be used in place of graham crackers and are both great with this recipe. You’ll need about 10-12 cookies depending on the size because they’re typically smaller than graham crackers.

Note 2: I use my homemade apple butter for this recipe. You can definitely use any store-bought apple butter, but it can sometimes be hard to find and homemade versions tend to be much more cost effective.

Note 3: These bars can be made without the Spiced Apples if you prefer to save a little time. They’re delicious either way.

Nutrition Facts are calculated automatically and may be inaccurate.

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Apple Crumble Cheesecake Bars (with Homemade Apple Butter)