I have totally avoided all things cooking and baking for the majority of my life. I took absolutely no interest in the baking process and decided the eating process was wayyy more fun. I think everyone agrees on this one right?

Well, I think quarantine has made most of us rethink some life decisions. For me, it was sweeping baking under the rug. The best part about learning to bake is getting to eat all of the tasty treats afterwards. Oh, and hearing from family how amazing it was!

So, I want to share this Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bar recipe and how I made it work.

Let’s start with some ingredients and measurements first.

For your crust you’ll need: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1 cup butter (softened)

For your filling you’ll need: 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (softened), 3/4 cup sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For your apple topping you’ll need: 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For your crumbly topping you’ll need: 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup quick cooking oats, 1/2 cup butter (softened)

And to top it off, you’ll want some caramel to add to the top after baking. I used Hershey brand caramel topping.

To begin, you’ll preheat your oven to 350º. I always forget this step and have learned that you don’t want to start baking something until the oven is at the correct temperature. So, preheat your oven! While your oven is preheating, you’ll want to peel, core, and chop your apples.

After your apples are chopped, you’ll want to start by combining all of your crust ingredients (2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1 cup butter (softened))- but make sure to add the butter slowly. You should lightly grease a 9×13 pan, and press your mixture in. It should be pretty flat, but a little texture won’t hurt. You’ll bake your crust for about 12-13 minutes.

Once your crust is in the oven, season your apples with 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, making sure to coat each apple chunk. This will only take a couple minutes, so I would move onto making the crumbly topping. I almost forget about this step and I think it’s best to wait to make the filling in order for the crust to cool off.

For the crumbly topping, you’ll want to combine those ingredients (1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup quick cooking oats, 1/2 cup butter (softened)) in a medium size bowl. I found it works best with melted butter, but it’s up to you. I started working all the ingredients together with a spatula and then moved to my hands. It won’t feel well combined, as it shouldn’t- it’s crumbly. Make sure there are no chunks of butter if you choose not to melt it.

By now your crust will be done, so let that cool off on the side.

Now you should be ready to make the filling. I used a Kitchen Aid mixer to beat my ingredients together. You should start with 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (softened), 3/4 cup sugar. Make sure this is well combined and then add in your 3 large eggs and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Making sure this is well combined, pour this mixture evenly over your warm crust.

Once your filling is poured over the crust, add your apples over top and crumbly topping over the apples. This should bake for 40-45 minutes. I found it took about 50 minutes in my oven.

Once it’s done, make sure it cools off before drizzling caramel topping over top. Refrigerate until ready to serve!

I absolutely love this recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything. In fact, it was my one request on my birthday this past year! I promise that you’ll fall in love with this spin on a classic cheesecake sweet treat.

Until next time,

A wannabe baker