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Perfect Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars Easy Recipe

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These salted caramel apple cheesecake bars feature a buttery shortbread crust, creamy cheesecake filling, tender cinnamon apples, and a homemade salted caramel drizzle. They are simple enough for a weeknight but impressive enough for holiday gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 16 oz cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides.
  2. Make the shortbread crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and work into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or fingertips until coarse crumbs form with some pea-sized butter pieces. Press evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes until edges are just golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Prepare the apple layer: In a small bowl, toss diced apples with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Let sit while making the cheesecake batter.
  4. Make the cheesecake layer: In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Add eggs one at a time, beating on low after each addition until just combined. Mix in vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons flour until smooth.
  5. Pour cheesecake batter over the warm crust and spread evenly. Spoon cinnamon apples over the cheesecake layer, pressing them down gently.
  6. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes until edges are set and slightly puffed, but center still jiggles slightly. Cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
  7. Make the salted caramel sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar and heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly. Let bubble for 3-4 minutes until thickened and amber. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and flaky sea salt. Cool to room temperature.
  8. Once bars are fully chilled, lift out using parchment overhang. Slice into squares. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce and sprinkle with extra flaky sea salt.

Notes

Chill bars completely before slicing for clean cuts. Use cold butter for the crust. Do not overmix cheesecake batter. Room temperature ingredients matter. Watch caramel carefully to avoid burning. Bars taste even better after a day in the fridge.

Nutrition

Keywords: salted caramel apple cheesecake bars, apple cheesecake bars, fall dessert, easy cheesecake bars, caramel apple bars

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