Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars perfectly capture the essence of fall. Apples, caramel, cream cheese… It doesn’t get better than this for fall desserts!

This recipe starts with sweetened cream cheese on a buttery crust. The apple layer adds a tangy burst of flavor with cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg adding warmth. Crunchy, caramel-covered streusel on top is the finishing touch, making this dessert a definite crowd-pleaser!
Si’s note: A few years ago, someone brought a dessert to a neighborhood gathering. I did not see who brought the dessert, but LOVED it. I asked around and no one claimed the dessert. I finally found out a couple years later that my friend Kim, who grew up in the same circle where we raised our kids in Bountiful, made the Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars! I asked her for the recipe, and the rest is history.
Si’s dear friend, Kim Goalen Bailey from Bountiful, shared this family recipe. It’s definitely become a fall favorite!

Tips for the best Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your dairy is at room temperature. This helps everything blend smoothly for a creamier cheesecake texture. The streusel also comes together easily when it’s not chilled.
- Cooling and Chilling: For best results, let the bars cool completely and chill before cutting with a serrated knife.
- Preventing Browning: Right after cutting the apples, coat in cinnamon sugar to keep them from browning.
- Bulk Cream Cheese: If you plan to make more than one batch, consider buying cream cheese in bulk from Costco to save money.
- Creating a foil “handle”: Make a handle to remove the cheesecake bars by lining the baking pan with a long piece of foil (see photo above). The bars can be removed from the pan in one piece, making it easier to chill and slice.
Why DO We Love This Dessert?
- We get to use our favorite fall kitchen tool – the Apple Peeler, Corer, Slicer! If you’ve never used one, check it out! It’s fun for kids of all ages.

2. Pan cookies and desserts are a huge time-saver! One pan makes 24 generous servings, eliminating the need to form and bake individual servings. Just bake, cut, and serve!
3. This dessert is a delicious mix of flavors and textures—creamy, tart, sweet, and crunchy. It’s a simple recipe, making it the perfect recipe for beginner bakers.

We know you’ll love this fantastic fall dessert. Some of our other favorite apple recipes are: Easy Apple Crumble Pie, Favorite Apple Crisp, and No Peel Instant Pot Apple Butter.
Leave us a comment when you try this recipe! Happy baking!
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
Cheesecake
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 3 Granny Smith apples, cored, and thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Streusel Topping
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg white
- ½ cup caramel topping, store bought or homemade
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in the center of the oven.
- Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil. Be sure the foil is long enough at each end to use as a handle for removing the bars after baking. Grease the foil.
Crust
- In a food processor or medium bowl, add flour, brown sugar, and butter. Using the food processor, mix until crumbly. If combining in a bowl, mix with a pastry cutter or fork.
- Using the back of a measuring cup, press the crust into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden.
Cheesecake
- In a medium bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese and ½ cup granulated sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Spread over hot crust.
- In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gently stir sugar mixture together with sliced apples until coated.
- Evenly layer sugared apples on top of cream cheese layer.
Streusel Topping
- In a small bowl, using a fork or a pastry cutter, mix together brown sugar, flour, oats, and softened butter until crumbly. Stir in egg whites until fully combined. Spoon over apples.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until filling is set and streusel is golden. Cool 15 minutes. Remove cheesecake bars from the pan using the foil overhang.
- Cool completely. Drizzle caramel sauce evenly over the top. Chill in the refrigerator until firm.
- Cut into 24 squares for serving.
Notes
- This recipe does not freeze well. Best served within a day of baking!
- Homemade caramel sauce will taste amazing in this recipe, however, we typically use Torani or Ghirardelli caramel sauce from the grocery store.
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. I’d love to see a photo, tag @abountifulkitchen on Instagram!
Mary Krusniak
This recipe did not turn out well
After baking at proper time using tge correct ingredients listed, this dessert turn out harder crust than expected and the spoon fulls of topping are hard clumps.
When cutting it falls apart
Not sure what I did wrong.
Maybe baked crust to long in the first step?
Can’t really takes cream cheese bc all the crust and topping oatmeal stuff over powers it
Rhe topping ingredients was not crumble it was lije pastey
I think some one should revise the amounts of ingredients.
Jillian
Hi Mary!
I’m sorry this recipe did not turn out for you! We will test the recipe again to make sure there are not errors in the ingredients or instructions.Thank you for letting us know. We wish you a great holiday season!
Best,
Jillian
ABK Team
Jonny
It was good. But I used less sugar and flower in crust and used cinnamon sugar gram crackers to replace them . The cheese cake did a TB. Of vanilla .
Jillian
Hello Jonny!
Thank you for sharing with us, we are so happy that it turned out good for you!
Best,
Jillian @ABK Team
Sharla Vanderbeek
I’m confused about the eggs and egg whites in the recipe. When I printed the recipe, no eggs showed up on the recipe ingredients, only in the instructions. But how many egg whites and how many full eggs do you use?
Jillian
Hi Sharla!
We recommend reprinting the recipe as it has recently been updated. We forgot to add 2 eggs to the cheesecake instructions and ingredients but it is fixed now! You will also use 1 egg white in the streusel topping. So excited for you to try this recipe!
Best,
Jillian @ABK Team
Juanita Foster
I will be making this soon and for Thanksgiving I will take a picture thanks beautiful Diva for sharing something new for me to make ❤️ luv u
Jane Kaylor
Can I make it with Graham cracker crust, and what does the egg white do?
Jillian
Hi Jane!
We recommend following the recipe as Si has explained for best results; however, graham cracker crust sounds delicious! The egg white helps add a softer texture to the topping.
So excited for you to try this recipe!
Best,
Jillian @ABK Team
Jillian
Hi Juanita!
We would absolutely love to see your pictures. Please share them with us on our cooking club Facebook page! We are also excited for Thanksgiving!
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/GXBKQiiXZ8MxfVMH/
Have a great day!
Jillian @ABK Team
Dory Judd
I can’t see how many eggs the recipe calls for
Si Foster
Hi Dory,
We apologize, the recipe has been updated to include the eggs! 2 eggs are needed for the cheesecake layer!
Thanks for your patience <3
love,
the ABK Team
Diry Judd
Thanks … I’m looking forward to trying this. I use several of your recipes and like each one.
Gloria Clark
How many calories per bar?
Jillian
Hi Gloria!
We typically don’t keep track of the calories. They sure taste yummy though!
Happy baking!
Jillian @ABK Team
Aimee Lunt
Can you make these ahead of time and freeze or do they become soggy?
Si Foster
Hi Aimee,
This recipe is best eaten on the day of baking, it does not freeze well!
happy baking!
ABK Team
Amanda
This sounds so good! How many eggs should go in the Cheesecake layer? And what’s the amount of vanilla? Thanks so much! I love your recipes!!!
Jillian
Hello Amanda!
2 eggs are needed, the recipe has been adjusted now. Thank you for your comment and kind words! We really appreciate it.
Best,
Jillian @ABK Team
Emily
What do you use for caramel sauce? Homemade or store bought?
Jillian
Hi Emily!
Homemade caramel sauce would probably taste amazing! However, we typically use Torani or Ghirardelli caramel sauce from the grocery store. So excited for you to try these.
Best,
Jillian @ABK Team