Apple crumble cheesecake is the perfect showstopping dessert recipe for fall! It’s made with a creamy brown sugar cheesecake filling baked over a brown butter graham cracker crust. Cinnamon spiced apples and a crunchy crumble topping make the perfect topping!
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Apple crumble cheesecake is the combination of two favorite desserts: cozy apple crumble and creamy cheesecake! It has a luscious brown sugar cheesecake filling baked over a brown butter crust. It’s topped with cinnamon-spiced apples and a crunchy oat crumble!
Each layer of this cheesecake recipe is easy to make. You’ll need to plan ahead to give the cheesecake time to cool and set. It’s an excellent make-ahead dessert!
I adapted this recipe from my reader favorite caramelized pecan cheesecake! For more apple desserts, try my apple and cinnamon pop tarts and country apple fritter bread.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- It’s the best of both worlds—cheesecake and an apple crumble combined! If you love apple crumble, you’ll love this apple and strawberry crumble!
- Brown butter makes the graham cracker crust extra rich tasting! For more delicious recipes with brown butter, try my apricot filo strudel and chai dessert.
- The brown sugar cinnamon cheesecake filling brings out the warm flavors of the apple crumble topping and cinnamon graham cracker crust!
- The crumble doubles as the topping and decoration! No need to decorate it.
- It’s the perfect Thanksgiving dessert! Everyone will love it!
Ingredients
Below is some useful information about some of the ingredients for this baked apple crumble cheesecake.
- Unsalted butter: I prefer unsalted butter because it allows us to control the amount of salt. Brown the butter for extra flavor. You can also just use melted butter.
- Cream cheese: Use full fat, room temperature cream cheese. Use the blocks, not tubs of cream cheese. Take cream cheese out of the refrigerator at least least two hours before using.
- Sour cream: Use full fat, room temperature sour cream for the filling. If you have leftover sour cream, be sure to try my cornmeal blueberry cake and chocolate and lemon cake!
- Brown sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar. I recommend dark brown sugar for more fall flavor. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh and free of lumps.
- Eggs: Use 3 large, room temperature eggs.
- Graham crackers: Crush the graham crackers in a food processor. You can also use the precrushed graham cracker crumbs they sell in most grocery stores.
- Apples: I use 2 medium Granny Smith apples. I love their tart flavor and they hold their shape well. Wash, peel, core and finely dice apples into cubes no bigger than 1/4 inch. I recommend Granny Smith and/or Gala apples. Make sure to try my apple pie coffee cake and apple turnovers made with phyllo dough!
- Oats: I recommend rolled oats for the crumble.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds warm flavor to the crust, filling, and topping. It enhances the cozy smell and taste of the apples!
Please see the recipe card for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use quick cooking oats in place of rolled oats.
- Add extra cinnamon in place of the nutmeg if you prefer.
Instructions
Step 1 (Picture 1 above)– Melt or brown the butter. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor. Pour graham cracker crumbs into a mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in the butter. Spread mixture on the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 Fahrenheit.
Step 2 (Picture 2 above)– Peel, core and finely dice the apples no larger than 1/4 inch cubes. Toss with sugar and cinnamon.
Step 3 (Picture 3 above)– In a large bowl, use a fork to stir together all the ingredients for the crumble.
Step 4 (Picture 4 above)– Beat the cream cheese and sugars with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
Step 5 (Picture 5 above)– Add the sour cream, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Beat til combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Step 6 (Picture 6 above)– Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust.
Step 7 (Picture 7 above)– Pour the apples into a fine mesh sieve or use a slotted spoon to drain any liquid that may be in the bowl with the apples. Discard the liquid. Evenly place the apples over the cheesecake.
Step 8 (Picture 8 above)– Sprinkle the crumble over the apples. Place a roasting pan on the lower rack in the oven. Pour hot water in the roasting pan. Place the cheesecake on the middle rack. Bake for 60-75 minutes. Turn off the oven. Crack the oven door open slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, allow cheesecake to cool completely in the pan on a rack uncovered at room temperature. Once cooled to room temperature, refrigerate uncovered at least 4 hours.
Recipe FAQs
Use a 9 inch spring form pan to bake this pecan caramel cheesecake pie. Spray the bottom lightly with non stick baking spray and place a round of parchment paper on top. This will prevent the cheesecake from sticking to the pan.
Store leftover cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze individual slices in an airtight container for up to 30 days. Thaw at room temperature 1-2 hours.
Expert Tips
- Take the ingredients for the filling out of the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. Room temperature ingredients make it possible to for ingredients to get fully incorporated and makes your cheesecake nice and creamy. I like to leave my cream cheese out the night before I plan to make the cheesecake.
- Be sure to plan and allow time for both preparation and refrigeration of the cheesecake.
- Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl as you make the filling. This will make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Avoid overbeating. Beat the cheesecake mixture til the ingredients are just incorporated. Over beating creates air bubbles which can result in cracks in the baked cheesecake.
- Press the graham cracker crumbs into the pan just enough to give the crust shape. The crust should be compact but not packed too tight. This could make the crust hard when it bakes.
- Use a long, sharp knife to cut the cheesecake. Wipe the knife clean and run it under hot water in between slicing for extra neat slices.
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Apple Crumble Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter browned or melted* For brown butter, start with 9 tablespoons of unsalted butter. For melted butter, use 1/2 cup butter. See notes below.
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs from about 16 full sheets
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
Cinnamon Spiced Apple Topping
- 2 medium apples Granny Smith and/or Gala, peeled, cored, finely diced to no larger than ¼ inch cubes, about 2¾ cups
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar packed, light or dark
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Crumble Topping
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup rolled oats
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 32 ounces cream cheese brick style, full fat, room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream full fat, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Set one oven rack in the center position and place one rack below it for the roasting pan (for the hot water bath to be used while baking the cheesecake). Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
- Lightly spray the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with baking non stick spray. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the parchment paper.
- Melt or brown the butter. If melting (not browning the butter), use 1/2 cup butter. If browning the butter, start with 9 tablespoons of butter. To brown the butter, start by melting the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally at first. Once it begins to bubble, stir it constantly. It will start to foam. Continue stirring as you watch for it to turn a light, amber color and develop a nutty smell which should happen in about five minutes. Pour the brown butter into a heat safe bowl, making sure the scrape the bottom of the pan for all the bits.
- Use store-bought graham cracker crumbs or pulse graham cracker sheets. To make graham cracker crumbs, pulse the graham crackers in a food processor to finely ground crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg (if using). Pour in the melted or browned butter and stir til combined.
- Pour the graham cracker mixture into the prepared pan. Use your hands to spread it evenly on the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Pat mixture down with medium pressure with your hands or using a small flat bottom measuring cup. Be sure to press crumbs into place until compact and not loose or crumbly but avoid pressing too hard.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and place on a wire rack while you prepare the filling. Reduce oven temperature to 325 Fahrenheit.
Cinnamon Spiced Apple Topping
- Wash, peel and core the apples. Finely dice apples into ¼ inch cubes. Do not chop them larger than this or they may not bake thouroughly.
- Place apples in a medium bowl. Stir or toss with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Cinnamon Crumble Topping
- In a large bowl, use a fork to stir together the flour, rolled oats, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar and melted butter til crumbs form. Crumbs should vary in size from small to medium. Set aside.
Cheesecake Filling
- Fill a kettle with water and heat the water to boil. You'll need enough water to add about an inch of water to your roasting pan, so you'll probably need a full kettle. Take out a 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan or a roasting pan. Set aside. This will be for the hot water bath.
- Next, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand held mixer, beat the room temperature cream cheese and sugars on medium speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Beat til just fully combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat only to combine. Stop mixing as soon as the last egg has been mixed into the batter. DO NOT OVERMIX.
- Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust. Smooth the top of the cheesecake with an offset spatula or regular spatula.
- Use a slotted spoon to spoon the apples evenly over the cheesecake. Discard any liquid that may be on the bottom of the bowl.
- Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the apple layer.
- Place your empty roasting pan or 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan on the bottom/lower rack in the oven. Pour about an inch or a little more than an inch of hot water in the roasting pan. Close oven door for a couple minutes to allow oven to return to 325 degrees. Next, set the cheesecake on the middle rack and quickly close the oven door to keep the steam from the hot water in the oven.
- Bake for 60 to 75 minutes until the center is almost set. The center of the cheesecake should jiggle slightly when, with an oven mitt on, you gently shake the pan but the sides should be set. Turn off the oven. Crack the oven door open slightly and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, take the cheesecake out of the oven. Set the pan on a rack and allow cheesecake to cool uncovered til it's room temperature. Next, use an offset spatula or a small flexible rubber spatula and run it around the edges of the cheesecake. Press the spatula against the pan as you do this. This will make sure the cheesecake isn't sticking to the pan. Refrigerate the cheesecake uncovered for a minimum of 5 hours or overnight.
- Keep cheesecake in the fridge until you're ready to serve it. Use a long, sharp knife to cut the cheesecake. Wipe the knife clean and run it under hot water in between slicing for extra neat slices. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
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