Apple Crumble Cheesecake

Apple Crumble Cheesecake is a cozy fall dessert that layers spiced apples, creamy cheesecake, and a buttery oat crumble topping. It’s the perfect mash-up of two classics—apple crisp and cheesecake—all in one bite.

I love both apple desserts and cheesecake, so combining the two felt like the ultimate treat.

This recipe takes a bit more time than a standard cheesecake due to prepping the apples, but the crumble mixture doubles as both the crust and topping, which helps streamline the process.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A perfect balance of textures and flavors—the sweet graham cracker crust, the ultra-smooth cheesecake layer, and the warm cinnamon apples topped with a buttery crumble make every bite irresistible. And since it combines two classic desserts in one, it’s easier and more efficient than making both separately.

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Ingredient List

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10-12 full crackers)
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling

• 24 oz (3 packages) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup sour cream
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Apple Crumble Topping

• 2 cups chopped apples (about 3 medium apples – I love Honeycrisp or Granny Smith!)
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Why These Ingredients Work

Graham crackers create that essential crispy bottom that holds everything together. Using both sugars in the filling isn’t me being fancy – brown sugar adds this amazing caramel undertone that regular sugar can’t touch. Sour cream might sound weird but it makes your cheesecake stupid-smooth and cuts through the sweetness perfectly. Room temp eggs blend better and prevent lumps (learned this the hard way).

The apple topping is where memories are made. Cinnamon is obvious but don’t skimp – it transforms basic apples into autumn magic. That butter in the crumble? It creates those golden chunks everyone picks off the top first.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• 9-inch springform pan (seriously, don’t use anything else)
• Electric mixer (unless you have superhuman arm strength)
• Large roasting pan for the water bath
• Aluminum foil (heavy-duty or double up the regular stuff)
• Wire cooling rack
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Rubber spatula

How To Make Apple Crumble Cheesecake

1. Prepare the Crust

Set your oven to 325°F – cheesecake hates high heat. Mix graham crumbs with brown sugar in a bowl. Pour melted butter over and stir until it looks like wet sand. Dump into your springform pan and press down hard – I use a measuring cup bottom to pack it tight. Bake 10-12 minutes until it smells toasty. Pull it out and let it cool while you make everything else.

2. Make the Crumble Topping

Mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Drop in soft butter chunks and mash with a fork until you get pea-sized crumbles. Take 1 cup of this mixture and toss with your apple chunks in another bowl. Keep the rest for sprinkling on top later.

3. Make the Cheesecake Filling

Beat cream cheese for 2-3 minutes until zero lumps remain. Add both sugars and sour cream, keep beating until smooth. Now go slow – add eggs one by one on LOW speed. High speed = air bubbles = cracks = sad baker. Mix in vanilla and salt just until combined.

4. Assemble

Pour cheesecake batter over your crust. Spoon the apple-crumble mix on top – messy is fine, perfect is boring. Sprinkle remaining plain crumble over everything like you’re blessing it.

5. Bake

Wrap your pan in foil like you’re sending it to space – water cannot get in. Set wrapped pan in a bigger pan, fill outer pan with hot water halfway up the cheesecake pan. Bake 60-75 minutes until edges look firm but center jiggles like jello when you tap the pan. Turn oven off, crack door open, let it sit in there 1 hour. This slow cooldown prevents the dreaded canyon crack.

6. Chill

Take it out, unwrap, cool completely on counter. Then fridge it for minimum 6 hours but overnight is chef’s kiss. Patience sucks but melty warm cheesecake is worse.

Expert Tips

EVERYTHING ROOM TEMP OR ELSE: Cold cream cheese will never get smooth. Cold eggs make everything lumpy. Take them out 2 hours early or you’ll hate yourself later. Set a timer on your phone.

WATER BATH OR DEATH: Skip this and you’ll get the Grand Canyon across your cheesecake. The steam keeps everything moist and baking evenly. Just do it.

Personal Secret: Nobody tells you this but raw apples on cheesecake can be crunchy and weird. I sauté mine in butter with extra cinnamon for literally 2 minutes first. Game changer. Let them cool before mixing or they’ll melt your crumble.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Dry apple chunks = no soggy spots (paper towel them first)
• Hot knife + wipe between cuts = magazine-worthy slices
• Crumble falling apart? Squeeze it in your fist then break apart
• Got cracks? That’s what caramel sauce was invented for
• No springform? Make it in a pie dish but good luck serving it pretty

Flavor Variations

• Caramel Apple Bomb: Swirl caramel into the batter before baking
• Fall Spice Overload: Add nutmeg and allspice to everything
• Maple Nut: Half pecans instead of crumble + maple extract
• Tart & Sweet: Mix in dried cranberries with apples
• Extra AF: Salted caramel drizzle + sea salt flakes on top

Make-Ahead Options

Real talk – this cheesecake gets better after a day in the fridge. Make crust 2 days early if you want. Whole thing keeps 3 days covered in fridge. Freeze up to a month wrapped like Fort Knox in plastic and foil. Thaw overnight in fridge, not counter (food safety, people).

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

• Granny Smith = stays firm, Honeycrisp = flavor bomb, mixing both = perfection
• Beat too much after adding eggs = cheesecake soufflé (bad)
• Center should wiggle like a water bed, not splash like a pool
• That toothpick test you learned for cakes? Forget it exists for cheesecake

Serving Suggestions

Let it sit out 15 minutes before serving (cold dulls flavors). Top with warm caramel sauce that drips down the sides. Add cinnamon whipped cream if you’re feeling extra. Toasted pecans make people think you’re fancy. Vanilla ice cream because calories don’t count when dessert is this good.

Bring this to Thanksgiving and become the favorite relative. Make it for a dinner party and watch people forget about their diets. Or just make it because it’s Tuesday and you deserve something amazing.

Life’s too short for boring desserts. Make this cheesecake, watch faces light up, collect compliments, repeat. That first bite when the fork hits all the layers? That’s what happiness tastes like.

Sending you perfect slices and zero cracks from my disaster-prone kitchen to yours!

How to Store Your Apple Crumble Cheesecake

• Fridge life: 5 days covered tight (plastic wrap or sealed container)
• Freezer hack: Individual slices wrapped in plastic then foil = 1 month
• Defrost rule: Fridge overnight only (counter = bacteria party)
• Best temp: Cold from fridge but 15 minutes on counter before eating

Allergy Information

Contains: Dairy everywhere, eggs, gluten
Vegetarian: Yep
Make it work:

• Gluten-free: GF graham crackers + 1:1 GF flour works great
• Dairy-free: Not happening with real cheesecake texture, sorry
• Egg-free: Also not happening unless you want sweet cream cheese soup

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use a different pan size?
9-inch or chaos. 8-inch = too thick and raw middle. 10-inch = cheesecake pancake. Trust me on this.

Help! Giant crack down the middle!
Caramel sauce, whipped cream, or pile more crumble on top. Fixed. Still delicious.

Can I use canned apple pie filling?
You could but fresh apples taste 100x better. Canned is mushy sugar soup compared to real fruit.

Is the water bath really necessary?
A: Unless you enjoy disappointment and dry edges with raw middles, yes. Non-negotiable.

What about mini cheesecakes?
Muffin tin with liners, 20-25 minutes. Adorable and no fighting over the last slice.

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