Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Cheesecake Bars

Equipment: Standard 9 × 5-inch loaf pan

Apple Pie Filling

• 2 tablespoons (28g) salted butter
• 2 small apples, diced (approximately 300g; Granny Smith recommended)
• 2½ tablespoons (36g) brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons (40g) maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon (1g) cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon (1g) apple pie spice (optional)
• Pinch of salt
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon (3g) cornstarch
• ½ tablespoon (8ml) water
• 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract

Biscoff Cookie Crust

• 1 cup (150g) crushed Biscoff cookies (or graham crackers)
• ¼ cup (58g) salted butter, melted

Oat Crumble Topping

• ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (50g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 6 tablespoons (65g) brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons (85g) salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (2g) cinnamon

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Filling

• 16 ounces (2 blocks; approximately 500g) cream cheese, room temperature
• ⅔ cup (140g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup (120g) sour cream or Greek yogurt, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla bean paste or extract
• Pinch of salt

Easy Salted Caramel

• ¼ cup (85g) maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons (55g) smooth, creamy almond butter
• 2 tablespoons (25g) avocado oil or melted coconut oil
• Large pinch of salt

Prepare the Apple Pie Filling

1. Melt the salted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the diced apples, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, optional apple pie spice, salt, and lemon juice.
3. Cook for approximately 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Stir into the apple mixture and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until thickened.
5. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and set aside to cool completely.

Prepare the Biscoff Cookie Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly grease a standard 9 × 5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the long sides to lift the finished cheesecake out of the pan.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the crushed Biscoff cookies and melted butter until the crumbs resemble wet sand.
4. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan.
5. Bake for 8–10 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Make the Oat Crumble Topping

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
2. Add the softened butter and mix with a fork or your fingertips until the mixture forms coarse, buttery crumbs.
3. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Prepare the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Filling

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese until completely smooth.
2. Add the granulated sugar and mix until combined.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing gently after each addition.
4. Add the sour cream or Greek yogurt, vanilla bean paste or extract, and salt.
5. Mix until smooth and creamy, being careful not to overmix.

Assemble the Cheesecake Bars

1. Pour the cheesecake filling over the cooled Biscoff crust in the loaf pan.
2. Spread the cheesecake into an even layer using a spatula.
3. Gently spoon the cooled apple pie filling over the cheesecake, distributing the apples evenly without mixing the layers.
4. Sprinkle the oat crumble topping evenly over the apples.

Bake the Cheesecake

1. Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet. For gentler baking, place a separate oven-safe pan filled with hot water on the lower oven rack.
2. Bake at 325°F for 30 minutes.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 250°F and continue baking, about 20–40 minutes more, until the edges are set and the center has only a slight wobble when gently shaken.
4. Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and allow the cheesecake to cool inside for approximately 30 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for approximately 2 hours.
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until completely chilled and firm.

Prepare the Easy Salted Caramel

1. In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, almond butter, avocado oil or melted coconut oil, and salt.
2. Whisk until completely smooth and creamy.
3. If needed, warm gently to achieve a pourable consistency.

Slice & Serve

1. Once the cheesecake has chilled completely, use the parchment paper overhang to carefully lift it from the loaf pan.
2. Transfer to a cutting board and slice crosswise into approximately 6–8 thick bars.
3. Drizzle generously with the salted caramel sauce just before serving.
4. Enjoy chilled!

Choose the Right Apples: Granny Smith apples are an excellent choice because their tartness balances the sweetness of the cheesecake and caramel. Honeycrisp apples also work beautifully!

Chill Overnight: These bars are best prepared a day ahead. An overnight chill helps the cheesecake firm up and makes slicing much easier.

Perfect Layers: Baking in a loaf pan creates thick, beautiful layers of cookie crust, creamy cheesecake, spiced apples, and buttery oat crumble.

Clean Slices: Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts for neat, bakery-style bars.

Storage: Keep leftover cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store the caramel separately and drizzle over individual servings.

Extra Caramel: Leftover salted caramel is delicious over sliced apples, vanilla ice cream, pancakes, or warm apple desserts.