Apple Cheesecake Bars

This decadent fall Apple Cheesecake Bars dessert can be made year round thanks to a few packaged items paired with fresh whipped cream cheese. This dessert recipe comes together in under an hour.

Over the past ten years of blogging, I’ve learned that not all recipes have to be made from scratch! Sometimes you can use the help of a few boxed/canned ingredients to make the perfect dessert. This recipe for Apple Cheesecake Bars are one of them. They are a semi-homemade dessert that will have your friends and family coming back for more. Most importantly, begging you to divulge your secrets and share the recipe.

Why This Recipe Works

This dessert recipe is semi-homemade which means even the most beginner of cook can make this recipe.

Basic pantry and refrigerated ingredients are needed for this recipe.

Your house will smell amazing as these apple crumble cheesecake bars bake.

Ingredients

• Oatmeal Cookie Mix – I keep it simple and just use a pouch from the grocery store as the base of the cookie bars! I prefer Betty Crocker brand.
• Butter – Unsalted is best for this recipe, but I’ve also used salted too.
• Cream Cheese – Make sure you let the cream cheese sit out at room temperature for 1-2 hours so it softens in time for baking.
• Egg – Just like the cream cheese you will need the egg to sit out at room temperature. This prevents it from curdling in the room temperature cream cheese.
• All-Purpose Flour – This is to thicken the cream cheese mixture.
• Vanilla Extract – This will flavor the cream cheese base.
• Granulated Sugar – I add a little sugar to the cream cheese base. However, this is a very
• Apple Pie Filling – One can of apple pie filling is all you will need. Take the time to
• Spices – I like to use mainly cinnamon with a pinch of nutmeg, but you can also use apple pie spice if you have it on hand.

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 13×9 pan with cooking spray. Place cookie mix in large bowl. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly and coarse. Reserve 1-½ cups crumb mixture; press remaining crumbs in bottom of pan. Bake for 10 minutes. 

While the crumbs are baking; in a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla and egg with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. 

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over partially baked crust. Then pour pie filling over the cream cheese mixture, making sure to smooth out the filling so that it evenly covers the cheesecake mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg, then sprinkle reserve crumbs over the top of the apple pie filling (covering all the filling). 

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Cool for another 30 minutes then refrigerate to chill for about 2 hours. Cut the bars to desired size. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. 

FAQs

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks I’ve found helpful when making this recipe.

• Room temperature – Make sure the cream cheese and egg is at room temperature before creaming.
• Sugar – These bars are already very sweet. If you want to decrease the sugar in the cream cheese mixture by ¼ cup it works.
• Caramel – If you love caramel you can make these caramel apple cheesecake bars by pouring caramel on top before serving!
• Nuts – If you like nuts you can add chopped pecans on top of the streusel topping before baking.

Apple Recipes

Here are a few of my favorite apple recipes from breakfast, dessert, and even drinks!

• Apple Dump Cake
• Cranberry Apple Sangria
• Skillet Apple Crisp
• Apple Cinnamon Dutch Baby
• Skillet Cinnamon Apples
• Caramel Apple Oatmeal
• Cranberry Apple Yogurt Dutch Baby

If you make this apple cheesecake bars recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

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