A Must-Bake Fall Dessert
I think you’re about to become obsessed with this apple pie cheesecake, hopefully as much as I am. It’s the perfect marriage of classic cheesecake and show-stopping Dutch apple pie. If you’re looking for a recipe that will knock the socks off your guests and dominate over every other dish on the dessert table (step aside, pumpkin pie), you’ve found it.
What makes this recipe so great:
No rolling out pie crust. Yes, I’ve got a great one for you right there, but honestly rolling out pie dough, flouring the counters, the whole ordeal is just a hassle I’m happy to skip here. No water bath needed. Not a surprise if you’ve been around here a while. Some recipes (creme brulee, anyone?) need a waterbath. Cheesecake, when prepared according to my instructions, does not, and you will still have smooth, creamy results (just follow my tips!) A great way to use up extra apples from apple picking. If you’re over-ambitious in the orchard (like me, there are about 8 lbs of excess apples sitting on my counter right now), here’s a great way to use up those apples (psst, try my apple butter and applesauce, too!). It’s truly just plain impressive. It’s a stunner even before you cut into it, but just wait til you reveal that gorgeous ripple of apple pie…! It’s satisfying. Between the flavor (who knew cheesecake and apple pie paired so beautifully — the tart apples, the subtly tangy sweet cheesecake!) and the texture (creamy cheesecake, crisp apples, crumbly streusel, oh my!) this cheesecake is going to be a showstopper on your dessert table and everyone is going to want the recipe. Great dessert option for the indecisive. Should you bring pie? should you bring cheesecake? Why not both! 😏
This recipe is, admittedly a labor of love and a bit of a project, but it’s worth every dish and every minute. Also none of the steps are particularly challenging, so as long as you can follow a recipe, you’ve got this!
What You Need
Yes, there are quite a few ingredients in this recipe, but that’s because apple pie cheesecake is over-the-top in the absolute best way. There are a few worth nothing before we begin though, so let’s briefly go over those.
Apples. Use a tart, firm apple (Granny Smith is my preference), peel them, core them, and dice into small pieces! I found that slicing them, like you would for a pie, makes for a weird texture and causes the apples to sort of slide out of the cheesecake unpleasantly when eating–so definitely stick with dicing! Cream cheese. As with my blueberry cheesecake and strawberry cheesecake, you need to use brick-style, full-fat cream cheese in this recipe (not the kind sold in a tub). Let your cream cheese fully soften to room temperature before starting, otherwise you could end up with a lumpy cheesecake. Sour cream. Sour cream is a non-negotiable in any good cheesecake–it creates that signature tang! If you don’t have sour cream, you could do full-fat greek yogurt instead. Eggs. Make sure to use room temperature eggs, as this will help prevent over-mixing. I also recommend lightly beating each egg before adding it to the batter, once again to prevent over-mixing. Walnuts. I love incorporating chopped walnuts into the crust (this is inspired by my favorite apple pie). If you, or anyone you’re planning on serving this to, are nut-averse, you can always leave them out with no other changes needed.
SAM’S TIP: Pre-cooking the filling is necessary to make the apples perfectly textured and flavorful; they stay too crisp if not pre-cooked and don’t have the same deep flavor. I promise I’ll never make you do extra work for no reason! 😊 Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Apple Pie Cheesecake
Prepare the Apple Pie Filling
The filling for this was carefully designed to work well in a cheesecake, I had many fails before I decided to try my apple turnover filling. And it worked like a charm ✨
Make the Crumble Topping
Make the Crust
For the crust I stick with my trusty graham cracker crust, only I mix in crushed walnuts for added flavor (feel free to toast the nuts first, for even more flavor). If you’re allergic or simply don’t have any on hand, you can leave them out.
Make the Filling
Assemble (& Bake!) the Apple Pie Cheesecake
SAM’S TIP: There are two easy mistakes that will ruin your cheesecake, and I don’t want you to make either of them! #1: Don’t over-mix your cheesecake batter, especially when adding the eggs. This makes it more likely to crack and to puff up and then fall. #2: Don’t over-bake the cheesecake! Opt for checking earlier rather than later. Over-baked cheesecake has an unpleasant, mealy textured cheesecake instead of a smooth and creamy apple pie cheesecake. Save this one for Thanksgiving–it will be the star of the dessert table! And if you’re enjoying these gourmet cheesecakes as much as I am, check out my salted caramel cheesecake, turtle cheesecake or peanut butter cheesecake next! Enjoy! Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Related Recipes
