Caramel apple cheesecake bars are so delicious and easy to make! They have a creamy, classic cheesecake filling topped with sweet cinnamon apples and a buttery oat crumble, set over a crunchy graham cracker crust. A drizzle of salted caramel takes these bars over the top!

For more fall desserts, try this caramel pecan cheesecake or for something easier, my pumpkin cheesecake bars.

Two caramel apple cheesecake bars stacked on top of one another.

Easy Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

These delicious caramel apple cheesecake bars are essentially my mini cheesecakes recipe layered with gooey homemade apple pie filling and the buttery crumble topping from these mini apple pies. It’s a simple fall dessert that’s creamy, cozy, and crunchy all at once! Plus, baking cheesecake bars is considerably less fussy than making a classic cheesecake. This is your sign to get your hands on some apples ASAP!

My Favorite Things About This Recipe

Easier than a traditional cheesecake. I love my homemade cheesecake recipe, but sometimes I just don’t feel like fussing with a water bath or waiting hours for it to cool. Apple cheesecake bars bake quickly without any of the fuss.
It’s full of fall flavor. Sweet, spiced cinnamon apples transform this dessert into something special. Every bite is packed with the flavors. If you were to marry together a cheesecake with apple crumble pie, this is what you would get. Plus a drizzle of salted caramel sauce really finishes it off nicely.
Perfect for sharing. I love making these caramel apple cheesecake bars when I’m feeding a crowd. They’re great as a Thanksgiving dessert and perfect for holiday potlucks. Just add a scoop of apple ice cream to really seal the deal.

Two caramel apple cheesecake bars stacked on top of one another, being drizzled with caramel sauce.

Key Ingredients You’ll Need

These are some quick notes on the important ingredients you’ll need to make these creamy apple cheesecake bars from scratch. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list with the full measurements and details.

Apple Pie Filling – I include the recipe for my homemade apple pie filling. You could use canned apple pie filling from the store in a pinch.
Crust – I use an easy graham cracker crust made from melted butter, crushed graham crackers, brown sugar, and cinnamon. You can replace with crushed Nilla wafers or Biscoff cookies if you prefer.
Cream Cheese – Full-fat cream cheese is best for cheesecake. Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before you start, this way it’ll combine more smoothly with the other ingredients.
Eggs and Sour Cream – Also at room temperature. If you don’t have sour cream, substitute Greek yogurt instead.
Rolled Oats – For the crumble topping. I combine old-fashioned rolled oats with flour, sugar, and cinnamon, and then cut in cold butter. Make sure that you’re not using instant or quick oats, which won’t have the right texture.
Caramel Sauce – Optional, but a drizzle of caramel makes the perfect ooey-gooey finishing touch on these bars. I use homemade salted caramel sauce but you can also use store-bought.

Which Apples Should I Use?

I recommend using green Granny Smith apples for the apple filling. They have a more tart flavor that pairs well with the sweeter cake. Honeycrisp would be the next best option. You’ll need 1½ to 2 cups of peeled and sliced apples (about 2 medium or 3 small apples). I don’t recommend using more than 2 cups of apples in the filling as it’ll weigh down the cheesecake.

Ingredients for caramel apple cheesecake bars with text labels overlaying each ingredient.

How to Make Apple Cheesecake Bars

Between the creamy filling, juicy cinnamon apples, and crumble topping, these bars take a bit of time to prep, but it’s totally worth it. You’ll see, as soon as you bite into a finished apple cheesecake bar drizzled with salted caramel! Follow the steps below, and scroll to the recipe card for printable instructions.

Make the apple filling. First, toss peeled and sliced apples with lemon juice, and then mix in the dry ingredients and maple syrup. Simmer the apples on the stovetop for 15-20 minutes until they’re saucy and tender.
Prepare the crust. Meanwhile, mix graham cracker crumbs with brown sugar and melted butter, and then press the crust mixture into a parchment-lined square pan.
Prepare the crumble topping. Cut cold butter into the dry ingredients to make a crumble. Afterward, pop that into the fridge to chill. In the below picture, you’ll see larger clumps of crumble, try your best to keep the crumble with smaller pieces to more evenly cover the cheesecake.

Cheesecake crust pressed into the bottom of a lined square pan. — Prepare the crust.

Crumble topping in a white bowl. — Prepare the crust.

Make the cheesecake filling. Beat the sugar with cream cheese until its smooth, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla, followed by the eggs. Do not overbeat the eggs as this caused the cheesecake to rise and then sink.
Assemble. Pour the cheesecake batter evenly over the prepared crust. Then add the prepared apple pie filling over top and do your best to gently spread it to the edges. Lastly, get out the crumble and sprinkle it over the apples.
Bake. Bake the cheesecake bars at 350ºF for 30-35 minutes until it’s just set in the center. After, leave the bars to cool in the pan before chilling them in the fridge for at least 2 hours. When serving, top the apple cheesecake bars with caramel sauce, and enjoy!

Overhead view of apple pie filling added over top of the cheesecake batter in a lined square baking pan. — Add the apple pie filling.

Overhead view of the crumble topping on apple cheesecake bars in a baking pan. — Add the apple pie filling.

Baking Tips and Pan Size Adjustments

Don’t overbake. The cheesecake bars should still have a slight jiggle when they come out of the oven, and they’ll continue to set as they cool in the pan. Avoid overbaking as it’ll dry out the finished cheesecake.
Use a 9” pan. If you use a 9” square pan instead of an 8” pan, you’ll need to reduce the baking time since the bars will be thinner. Check the cheesecake bars at 15 minutes and go from there.
Make single servings. If you want to make these as a single serving dessert, then I would follow this recipe for mini cheesecake, but before baking, add the apple filling and streusel on top. Alternatively instead of baking with the pie filling you can simply serve the mini cheesecakes with the apple filling on top after it’s cooled since the filling is already cooked.
Add nuts. For extra crunch in the crumble topping, cut in chopped pecans or walnuts.

A caramel apple cheesecake bar on a wooden cutting board with a bowl of green apples in the background.

How to Store

Keep these cheesecake bars stored airtight in the fridge for 3-4 days. Due to the apple topping, these bars aren’t great candidates for freezing. But they’re so delicious, that we usually have no issue polishing off a batch!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars