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Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Caramel apple cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust, cinnamon cheesecake filling, and a thickened apple layer. Baked in a water bath until just set, then topped with an oat streusel crown and caramel drizzle.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Chill time (6 hours) 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For crust
  • 2 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 6 tbsp butter melted
For cheesecake
  • 24 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
For apple layer
  • 3 apples large, peeled and diced
  • 0.333 cup brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
For streusel
  • 0.75 cup oats
  • 0.5 cup flour
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 6 tbsp butter cold
For serving
  • 1 caramel sauce

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Bake the crust
  1. Preheat oven to 325F. Press graham cracker crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan.
  2. Bake the crust at 325F for 10 minutes, until set and lightly fragrant. (Visual cue: crust should look dry and firm at the edges.)
Cook and cool the apple layer
  1. In a saucepan, cook apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and cornstarch for 5 minutes until thickened. (Visual cue: juices become glossy and coat the apples.)
  2. Cool the apple layer completely. (Visual cue: mixture thickens further and is no longer hot.)
Assemble and bake the cheesecake
  1. Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, then add eggs one at a time until incorporated. (Visual cue: batter looks silky, with no visible lumps.)
  2. Mix in sour cream, vanilla, and cinnamon just until combined. (Visual cue: batter turns evenly speckled and thick.)
  3. Pour cheesecake filling over the baked crust. (Visual cue: filling settles into an even layer.)
  4. Top the filling with the cooled apple layer. (Visual cue: apples cover the surface without sinking too deeply.)
  5. Scatter streusel over the top so it forms an even oat crumble layer. (Visual cue: you should see pebble-like crumbs across the entire surface.)
  6. Bake in a water bath at 325F for 60-65 minutes until just set. (Visual cue: edges are set while the center still has a slight wobble.)
  7. Cool the cheesecake completely after baking. (Visual cue: it stops jiggling and reaches room temperature.)
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate for 6 hours. (Visual cue: the cheesecake slices cleanly and the topping firms up.)
  2. Drizzle caramel sauce over the top right before serving. (Visual cue: caramel runs slightly and creates streaks down the sides.)

Notes

For the smoothest cheesecake, mix only until the batter is uniform after adding eggs and don’t overbeat once the eggs are in. Refrigerate covered up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended because the apple topping can weep after thawing. For a lighter version, use reduced-fat cream cheese and swap sour cream for light sour cream; the flavor remains warm-spiced and spiced without changing the baking method.