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Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Caramel apple cheesecake bars with a golden graham cracker crust and a smooth, just-set cheesecake layer topped with sautéed cinnamon apples. Finish with caramel drizzle for clean bar slices from a 9x13 pan.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
chilling 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Graham cracker crust
  • 2 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 0.33 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake filling
  • 16 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
Apple topping
  • 3 apples peeled and diced
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 0.5 cup caramel sauce for drizzling

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and crust
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F and line a 9x13 pan with parchment, leaving overhang for easy lifting later.
  2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted unsalted butter, then press firmly into the pan to form an even crust layer.
Make cheesecake filling
  1. Beat cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth, scraping the sides so there are no lumps.
  2. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract and sour cream until the batter looks glossy and fully combined.
  3. Pour cheesecake filling over the prepared crust and spread into an even layer.
Cook apples and assemble
  1. Sauté diced apples with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon for 5 minutes until softened.
  2. Cool the apple mixture slightly, then scatter the apples over the cheesecake filling.
Bake, chill, and finish
  1. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 325°F until the center is just set with a gentle wobble.
  2. Cool completely at room temperature, watching for the top to stop steaming, then refrigerate for 3 hours to firm up for slicing.
  3. Drizzle caramel sauce over the chilled bars, then cut into bars for serving.

Notes

For clean slices, chill the pan fully before cutting and lift out using the parchment overhang; wipe the knife between cuts. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze bars wrapped airtight up to 2 months. For a lighter option, swap sour cream for plain nonfat Greek yogurt to keep the filling creamy with a tangy finish.