Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

I LOVE cheesecake and I'm a pretty big fan of fruit cobblers, too.  Guess what?  The Girl Who Ate Everything brings together the best of both of those worlds and it is delicious, if a bit time-consuming.  However, I really want to try this one with a cherry fruit layer along with the struedel.  Because who doesn't eat cherries on cheesecake?!

I made two mistakes when I made it though.  I didn't give it enough time to set up so cutting them into bars didn't really work.  You needed a spoon to eat it.  And two, I forgot to add the caramel on top for presentation. 

They were still amazing!

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apples:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Streusel topping, recipe follows
1/2 cup caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or 2 forks) until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!

Streusel Topping:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. I like to really combine it by using my clean hands to thoroughly combine the butter into the mixture.

Comments

Heather said…
Me! I don't eat cherries on cheesecake. SICK! I am not a fan of fruit fillings of any kind. You know me, I'll take the cobbler minus the fruit.

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