Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake

This caramel apple pie cheesecake is a showstopper with layers worth swooning over: it begins with a crisp, buttery graham cracker crust, topped with a silky cheesecake filling sweetened with brown sugar, piled high with cinnamon-kissed apples, drizzled in rich salted caramel, and crowned with a golden, crumbly streusel. It’s the ultimate mash-up of apple pie, cheesecake, and crisp—messy, over-the-top, and completely irresistible.

Love More Apple Desserts Recipes? Try My Apple Crumble Cheesecake or this No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Balls next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Decadent combination of textures and flavors: a velvety cheesecake base, tender cinnamon-spiced apples, and a buttery streusel, all draped in glossy, homemade caramel that cascades down every slice. It’s indulgent, impressive, and the perfect marriage of cozy autumn comfort and bakery-worthy elegance—worth every bit of effort for the first bite alone.

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Ingredient List

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

• 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 crackers)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• Pinch of salt

For the Cheesecake Filling:

• 12 oz (339g) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the Apple Layer:

• 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
• 1 medium Honeycrisp apple, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the Homemade Salted Caramel:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, cubed
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

For the Streusel Topping:

• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Real talk: No graham crackers? I’ve grabbed those honey maid cookies from my kid’s lunch stash and crushed them up – worked like a charm. Greek yogurt instead of sour cream? My mom does this every time because she says it’s “healthier” (sure, Mom). And yeah, you can totally use store-bought caramel if you’re in a time crunch. I did this for my son’s birthday last minute and nobody complained.

Why These Ingredients Work

So I’ve made this disaster of a dessert about twelve times now, and here’s what I’ve figured out: cream cheese straight from the fridge is your enemy. I spent twenty minutes beating lumpy cream cheese once before I realized my mistake – not fun. The apple situation took me a few tries too. Too many Granny Smiths and it’s mouth-puckeringly tart. All Honeycrisp and it’s mushy city. My kids prefer more of the sweet ones, but I need those tart apples for structure or the whole thing falls apart. That lemon juice isn’t just for show either – learned that when my first attempt turned brown and looked unappetizing.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• 9-inch pie dish
• Electric mixer (hand or stand mixer)
• Medium saucepan for caramel
• Large mixing bowls
• Wire whisk
• Sharp knife for apple prep
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Pastry cutter or two forks for streusel

How To Make Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake

Step 1: Don’t Skip the Prep

Get your oven going at 350°F and grease that pie dish. I forgot this step exactly once and spent twenty minutes scraping cheesecake off the bottom of my dish.

Step 2: Crush and Mix

Crush up those graham crackers (I use a rolling pin in a ziplock bag when my food processor is dirty), mix with sugar, melted butter, and salt. Should feel like damp sand. Press it down hard in your dish and bake 10 minutes.

Step 3: The Cheesecake Part

Drop your oven to 325°F. Beat that cream cheese for ages – seriously, like 3-4 minutes until it’s completely smooth. Add sugar bit by bit, then eggs one at a time. Sour cream, vanilla, and flour go in last. Stop mixing once everything’s combined or you’ll get those annoying cracks.

Step 4: Apple Chaos

Peel and chop your apples (I do this while the crust bakes to save time). Toss with sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Your kitchen will smell like fall threw up in the best possible way.

Step 5: Crumb Topping

Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, cold butter chunks, and cinnamon with a fork until it looks crumbly. I always make extra because I eat half of it while I’m working.

Step 6: Assembly Time

Pour cheesecake mixture over your cooled crust. Scatter apples on top, drizzle with some caramel (save the rest for later), then sprinkle that crumb mixture over everything.

Step 7: The Waiting Game

Bake for 45 minutes. It’s done when the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly when you shake the pan – like barely-set jello.

Step 8: Practice Patience

Cool on the counter for an hour, then fridge for at least 2 hours. I know, I know, it’s torture. But trust me on this one.

You Must Know

Room temperature everything or bust! I cannot tell you how many times I’ve tried to shortcut this and ended up with chunky cream cheese disaster. Set everything out an hour before you start, minimum.

My weird trick: I run my knife under hot water and wipe it clean between every single cut. Makes the slices look like I actually know what I’m doing instead of like a toddler attacked it with a butter knife.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Stop mixing the second you can’t see streaks – I overmixed my third attempt and it cracked like the Grand Canyon
• The jiggle test saved my life – shake the pan gently and only the very center should wobble like jello
• Do NOT open that oven door for the first 30 minutes no matter how curious you get – temperature shock equals ugly cracks
• Make caramel when you’re not stressed – I usually do this the day before because attempting caramel while juggling everything else is asking for trouble

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

• Bourbon Caramel: Add 2 tablespoons bourbon to your caramel for grown-up vibes
• Pecan Praline: Fold chopped toasted pecans into the streusel
• Spiced Apple: Add nutmeg and allspice to your apple mixture
• Maple Twist: Replace half the sugar in the filling with maple syrup

Make-Ahead Options

Honestly? This thing tastes better after sitting in the fridge overnight. I make it two days ahead for parties now because all those flavors get cozy together and it cuts like butter when it’s properly chilled. Wrapped in plastic wrap, it keeps for days. I’ve even frozen the whole thing (skip the caramel drizzle until serving) and it thawed beautifully after a few hours on the counter.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

My biggest caramel disaster happened because I got impatient and cranked up the heat. Don’t be me – let that sugar melt slowly and evenly or you’ll get burnt spots that taste awful. When I add the cream and it seizes up (which still happens sometimes), I just keep stirring over low heat until it relaxes. And here’s something weird I do – I always taste each slice and add a tiny pinch of flaky salt right before serving. Sounds crazy but it makes everything taste more like itself.

Serving Suggestions

I serve this straight from the fridge with extra caramel sauce because people always want more. Sometimes I’ll whip up some cream if I’m feeling fancy, but honestly, it doesn’t need much help. Goes great with coffee in the afternoon or wine at dinner parties. When I want to show off, I dust each piece with cinnamon right before I serve it – takes two seconds but looks impressive.

This ridiculous dessert has become our family’s go-to for special occasions, mostly because my husband threatens to make it himself if I don’t (trust me, nobody wants that). Hope it causes as much delicious chaos in your kitchen as it does in mine!

How to Store Your Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake

Keep this covered in the fridge for up to 5 days – if it lasts that long in your house, you have more willpower than my family. The caramel sauce keeps separately for weeks in the fridge. Individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap freeze great for up to 3 months. Just move them to the fridge the night before you want them.

Allergy Information

Contains: Dairy, eggs, gluten – basically all the good stuff Need substitutions? Dairy-free cream cheese works fine, gluten-free graham crackers are easy to find, and I’ve seen people use coconut cream instead of regular cream. Just read labels if you have serious allergies.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I just buy caramel sauce from the store?

Yes! I do this when I’m running late. Get the good stuff from the ice cream aisle, not the pancake syrup section.

My cheesecake cracked. What did I do wrong?

Probably overmixed the batter or opened the oven door too early. Still tastes amazing though – just cover the cracks with extra caramel!

Do I really need a springform pan?

Nope! I use a regular pie dish and it works great. Actually easier to serve this way.

How do I know when it’s done?

Give the pan a gentle shake – only the very center should jiggle. Everything else should be set.

Can I freeze this thing?

Yep! Wrap it up good and freeze for months. Just don’t add the caramel until after it thaws or it gets weird.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I absolutely love hearing about your baking adventures and any creative twists you add!