Caramel Apple Cheesecake

This caramel apple cheesecake recipe will bring memories of your childhood trips to the fair. It captures the flavors of those caramel apples you enjoyed as you walked the midway, taking in the sights and sounds (and probably getting caramel on that stuffed animal you won).

This apple cheesecake hits all of those happy, nostalgic notes in the form of a decadent and grown-up dessert. With a slice of this and a cup of strong coffee, your inner child and outer adult will be in caramel-apple heaven.

Ingredients for Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

• Cinnamon graham crumbs: Graham-cracker crumbs are widely used to make cheesecake crusts. Using the cinnamon-flavored version is a natural upgrade when making a cheesecake that showcases apples.
• Sugar: Sugar plays two roles in this cheesecake. It’s primarily a sweetener but also combines with the crumbs to make a crust that holds its shape.
• Butter: Butter binds the graham crumbs and sugar together to make the crust, adding rich flavor and mouthfeel.
• Caramels: The caramels bring a rich and complex sweetness to the cheesecake, complementing the apples’ acidity and hitting that nostalgic caramel-apple chord. On a practical level, the caramel also holds the pecans in place and helps keep the cheesecake filling from making the crust soggy.
• Evaporated milk: The evaporated milk (don’t use the sweetened condensed kind!) thins the caramels to a pourable consistency, and keeps the caramel layers in the finished cheesecake from sticking to your teeth.
• Pecans: The nuts provide an attractive, flavorful, high-protein garnish with a distinctive flavor.
• Cream cheese: Cream cheese gives the cheesecake its dense, lush texture, a mild tinge, and plenty of protein.
• Flour: The recipe does not use much flour, but it has a couple of roles to play. In the cheesecake filling, it acts as a gentle thickener and stabilizer and helps absorb the juices that cook out of the apples as the cheesecake bakes.
• Eggs: The eggs’ natural emulsifiers help make the cheesecake smooth and silky, and the protein in the egg whites makes the cheesecake filling set.
• Apples: The apples provide a textural contrast, and more importantly one of the cheesecake’s primary flavors.
• Cinnamon: Cinnamon and apples have a powerful affinity, to the point of being almost inseparable. They’re simply meant for each other.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the springform

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Grease a 9 inch springform pan generously. Center it on a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil, roughly 18 inches square. Raise the foil and wrap it around the pan, pressing it firmly to the sides to create a waterproof barrier.

Step 2: Parbake the crust

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Combine the cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a small bowl and mix them well. Press the crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom of the springform pan and about 1 inch up the sides. Place the filled pan on a baking sheet and bake it at 350°F for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Set it aside to cool on a wire rack while you prepare the filling.

Step 3: Make the caramel sauce

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

In a heavy saucepan, cook the caramels and evaporated milk over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the caramels are completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour a cup of the melted caramel over the prepared crust and sprinkle it with 1/4 cup of the pecans. Reserve the remaining caramel mixture.

Step 4: Mix the cheesecake filling

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, 1 tablespoon of the flour and the remaining sugar until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs, and beat on a low speed until they’re incorporated. Toss the apples with the cinnamon and a second tablespoon of flour and fold them into the cream cheese mixture. Pour the filling into the crust.

Step 5: Bake the cheesecake

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Place the filled springform in a large baking pan or roaster and add 1 inch of hot water. Bake the cheesecake for 40 minutes. Slide the pan to the front of the oven rack and spoon the remaining caramel sauce over the top of the cheesecake (you’ll need to reheat it slightly). Sprinkle the remaining pecans evenly over the top, then return the cheesecake to the oven.

Bake the cheesecake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the center is just on the verge of setting (it should still be slightly jiggly). Remove the pan from its water bath and transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cheesecake from the springform’s sides, then leave it to cool for another hour. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight, then remove the sides of the pan before serving.

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Recipe Variations

• Swap apples for pears: Apples and pears are close kin in the fruit world, and peak season for both fruits runs from late summer to autumn. You don’t need to change the recipe other than substituting pears for the apples. There are lots of pear varieties out there, but choose ones like Anjou, Bosc or Concorde that are suitable for baking.
• Switch up the caramel sauce: Melting store-bought caramels is the easy option, but you can give your dessert a more memorable flavor by making your own.easy If you’re up for a challenge, making caramel sauce from scratch is tricky but provides the most complex flavor. If you aren’t quite ready to tackle that difficulty, this salted caramel sauce is much simpler, doesn’t require a thermometer and is still a nice upgrade for your cheesecake.
• Make it party-friendly: If you’ll be hosting a party or other get-together you can make mini cheesecakes by reducing the proportions. Dice one large apple into small pieces and make the mini cheesecakes in a muffin pan. You’ll need to cut the baking time to 15 to 18 minutes (again, follow the “just slightly jiggly in the middle” rule). You can use this recipe for mini apple cheesecakes as a guide for the method.
• Bake cheesecake bars: This is another great option for social gatherings. Bake the cheesecake in a 13X9-inch cake pan instead of the springform (you can skip the water bath) and cut it into squares or oblongs for serving. You’ll need to double the crust ingredients except for the caramel sauce (skip the layer on the crust and use it all on the top of the cheesecake). Alternatively you can use a short crust, like the one from our apple caramel cheesecake bars recipe.

How to Store Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Keep the cheesecakes refrigerated as they’re highly perishable because of the eggs and cream cheese in the filling. Cover the cheesecake and refrigerate it to prevent it absorbing any unwanted flavors from the fridge. A plastic cake carrier with a tight-fitting dome is best, but an inexpensive cake dome (or one cleaned and kept for reuse after eating a store-bought cake) also works. In a pinch, simply tent the cheesecake with foil or slide it carefully into an oversized plastic bag.

Can I make this apple caramel cheesecake ahead of time?

Most baked cheesecakes need to be made at least the day before they’re served, so they have time to chill thoroughly and set to the correct texture. You can bake the cheesecake an additional one to two days ahead if necessary.

How long will the apple cheesecake last?

If you refrigerate it promptly after it’s served and return it to the fridge immediately after cutting, the cheesecake can last for four to five days in your refrigerator. If it sat out for an hour or two at room temperature, you should plan to eat any leftovers within two to three days at most.

Can I freeze the caramel apple cheesecake?

The most honest answer is “Yes, but…” The cheesecake itself will freeze and thaw just fine, but the caramel topping may become loose and runny after it thaws. That’s a cosmetic issue, not a food safety problem, so you can still eat it without any worries. If you’re making this cheesecake with the specific intention of freezing, leave off the caramel topping for now. You can add the topping and the pecans once the cheesecake is thawed and ready to serve.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Tips

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

What kind of apples should I use in this recipe?

A medium-tart apple that holds its shape as it cooks is best.  Granny Smiths are a bit too firm, but if those are what you have there are a couple of workarounds. One is simply to chop them small so they’ll cook more quickly. Another is to microwave them for a few minutes before adding them to the cheesecake filling so they’ll become softer. They won’t get as hot in your cheesecake as they do in a pie, so they’ll need this little bit of help in order to cook fully before it’s done.

How can I make this apple cheesecake prettier for company?

Well, you have lots of options. One is to use whole, unbroken pecan halves for the garnish and arrange them neatly around the top of the cheesecake in rings or a spiral. You might also stir caramel sauce into whipped cream and pipe that in rosettes around the edge of the cheesecake to mark the portions. Alternatively, piping plain whipped cream in rosettes and then drizzling each rosette with caramel sauce (and optionally, decorating it with a pecan half) would also make for an appealing presentation. If you want to be really over the top, you could make additional caramel sauce to drizzle over individual slices of cheesecake as you serve them.

Can I use other nuts?

Pecans have a natural affinity for caramel, but admittedly they can be pricey depending where you live. Lightly toasted walnuts are the best alternative, but hazelnuts and almonds are good options as well.