Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake will be the most over the top indulgent dessert you have this holiday season! Spiced apple pie filling in between two layers of creamy cheesecake topped with cinnamon oatmeal streusel and homemade caramel sauce on a brown butter Golden Oreo crust.
I mean...what?! It is insanely delicious. It is packed with all the best fall flavors and it will blow your mind! Another apple caramel dessert I love is Taffy Apple Salad.
This is no regular cheesecake. It is definitely a dessert for special occasions, holiday events, the Thanksgiving table or Christmas time.
It is one decadent dessert that does take some time to make but totally worth it. It's a great make-ahead dessert because it needs to chill for 24 hours in advance.
If you're a cheesecake lover like I am then would also love The Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake, Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars, Strawberry Cheesecake Bars and Amaretto Cherry Cheesecake Bars!
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What is Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake?
It is a traditional cheesecake with apple pie filling in the middle. There is a layer of brown butter cookie crust, a cheesecake layer, a layer of thinly sliced apples that have been seasoned with sugar and spices, then another layer of classic cheesecake.
This Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake recipe is topped with an oatmeal cinnamon streusel and homemade caramel sauce. This is the cheesecake of all cheesecakes.
Recipe Ingredients
- Golden Oreos - I am a big fan of cookie crusts with cheesecake and this time it's a brown butter cinnamon Golden Oreo crust. My favorite Golden Oreo cheesecake combo for summer is Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake Cones. They make a wonderful no bake summer treat.
- Unsalted Butter - I prefer unsalted butter so I can control the salt level.
- Cinnamon - Use your favorite cinnamon. My favorite is Frontier CO-OP Korintje cinnamon.
- Kosher Salt - Salt brings out the flavor in all the ingredients.
- Cream Cheese - Cream cheese is the base of the cheesecake.
- Granulated Sugar - Sugar sweetens the cheesecake.
- Vanilla Extract - I prefer to use pure vanilla extract.
- Eggs - Your eggs should be room temperature for this recipe.
- Sour Cream - Let the sour cream come to room temp before mixing.
- Heavy Cream - Heavy cream helps give a luscious creamy texture to the cheesecake. Bring it to room temperature first. It's also used in the homemade caramel sauce.
- Honey Crisp Apples - I'm a huge fan of Honey Crisp Apples but you could also use Granny Smith. Try honey crisp apples in Kale Apple Salad!
- Brown Sugar - Brown sugar is part of the apple pie filling.
- Lemon Juice - This helps your apples from turning brown and gives a little punch of flavor.
- Allspice - I love the flavor of allspice with apple pie.
- Cardamom - Cardamom is a very powerful spice, you only need a little bit.
- Cornstarch - Cornstarch helps thicken any juice from the apples.
- All Purpose Flour - Flour helps make the streusel.
- Oats - Any type of oats will work just fine for this.
Special Equipment needed
- Water Bath - This can be any pan that is larger than your cheesecake pan. You will place the cheesecake into the pan, fill it halfway up the side of the cheesecake with warm water then bake. A large roasting pan works well.
What is a water bath?
A water bath is a cooking method used to help keep this cheesecake from cracking and help it bake evenly. Simply put, it's a pan larger than the cheesecake pan filled about an inch up with warm water.
Before baking your Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake you'll want to wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan with aluminum foil. This will prevent your cookie crust from getting wet and soggy.
Use a couple layers and make them tight.
Place the springform pan inside the larger pan (a roasting pan works well) then use a pitcher to pour warm water into the roasting pan going only about halfway up the cheesecake pan.
Then you'll bake the cheesecake inside the water bath until finished.
Substitutions
- Graham crackers can be subbed in for Golden Oreos. And if you've got extra graham crackers laying around, try making this pumpkin cheesecake cookie recipe!
- Store bought caramel sauce can be subbed for homemade but I really prefer the flavor of homemade.
- Granny Smith Apples can be subbed for Honey Crisp Apples, the same goes for this Apple Cranberry Crisp recipe.
How to make Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake
This recipe takes a little bit of time and has several steps but each step is easy. It's also totally worth it, this Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake is out of this world!
Making the crust
Preheat the oven to 350F. Brown your butter over low-medium heat in a sauce pan.
Blend the Golden Oreos in a food processor until you have a fine crumb. Add all of the crust ingredients to a medium bowl and mix well.
Firmly press the crust mix into the bottom of the 10" springform pan. I use the bottom of a measuring cup to help press down.
Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes until it is golden brown. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool.
Turn the oven down to 325°F
Making the streusel
Melt your butter in the microwave or a small sauce pan over low heat. While the butter is melting add remaining streusel ingredients to a medium bowl and mix well.
Pour the melted butter over the top and mix with a fork or your hands until there are no dry clumps left. Set aside until needed.
Making the apple pie mixture
Peel and slice the apples to between ⅛inch - 1/16 inch thick. Add them to a large mixing bowl and toss them with the lemon juice.
Add the brown sugar, spices and cornstarch then mix well to coat. Set aside until needed.
Making the cheesecake mixture
Mix the softened cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low-medium speed for 1 minute until smooth.
Add the granulated sugar and salt then mix on low until combined. Turn up to medium speed and continue mixing for 1 more minute.
Mix the vanilla in on low speed just until combined. Add the eggs then egg yolks one at a time while mixing on low-medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
Mix in the sour cream and heavy cream until fully incorporated on low-medium speed.
Assembling the cheesecake
Tightly wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan with 2 layers of aluminum foil. Spray the insides of the pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Pour half of the cheesecake mixture onto the cookie crust then spread it evenly with a rubber spatula. Remove the apples from the bowl, letting the juices drip down into the bowl before transferring.
Place the apple slices in an even layer over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Pour the other half of the cheesecake mixture over the top of the apples, smoothing it out into an even layer with a rubber spatula.
Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the top of the cheesecake. Place the Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake into the larger pan then fill the pan with warm water going only halfway up the side of the springform pan.
Transfer the water bath into the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 325°F. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 45 minutes with the door shut.
Remove the Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 2 hours before transferring it into the fridge.
Transfer it to the fridge and allow to chill for another 24 hours. I cover my cheesecake with plastic wrap after about 8 hours.
Make the caramel sauce.
Making the caramel sauce
You have a couple options here. You can either make the caramel sauce right before serving the cheesecake or you can make it ahead of time, chill it in an airtight container then reheat it before serving.
Place the granulated sugar into a medium sauce pot and turn the heat on low-medium. You don't want the flame too high or it will burn the sugar.
The sugar will begin melting and you can give the pan a swirl or lightly stir with a whisk.
Once all of the sugar is melted there will be no more little crystals or chunks and it should be a golden amber color. Turn the heat off immediately and whisk in the butter.
It is going to vigorously bubble and spit. This is normal. Once the butter is fully melted then add the heavy cream.
You will get the same reaction. Just continue stirring until smooth. Stir in the salt an you're ready to serve.
If you are storing the caramel in the fridge, make sure you let it full cool first.
Add this mini cheesecake recipe to your list for when you're craving cheesecake but don't want to do all the work. Perfect pop-able bites!
Serving the Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake
Serve the Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake cold, right out of the fridge. Drizzle warm caramel sauce over the top before serving.
This is one of my top favorite recipes at the Thanksgiving dessert table or Christmas dinner. Along with Dutch Apple Pie, Homemade Sweet Potato Ice Cream, Southern Pecan Pie, Southern Sweet Potato Pie and Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie.
These recipes will give you the best looking dessert table around!
Expert Tips
- Definitely use a water bath when baking your Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake! It's simple and it will prevent cracking and promote even baking.
- Make this cheesecake 1-2 day ahead of time. It needs to refrigerate for at least 24 hours to set well.
- Layer the apple slices in flat layers rather than mounding them. This will helps save space in the pan as it will be full to the top.
- You can make the caramel sauce up to 5 days in advance. That's one extra step out of the way to save time! Just heat it in the microwave 10-15 seconds at a time, stirring between each time until it's pourable.
- This cheesecake does take some time to make. It's not really a quick process. It has a lot of steps but none of them are really difficult so don't let that scare you off!
- Serve this stuffed cheesecake cold, right out of the fridge.
How to make brown butter
Melt your butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pot over low-medium heat. Once the butter melts it will become very bubbly and sputter a lot.
Give the pot a swirl or stir every once in awhile and when the butter "quiets down", it is ready to come off the heat. The bubbling will start to slow and eventually stop.
Remove the brown butter from the heat immediately when that happens. Pour it into a heat proof container, making sure to scrape all of the brown bits with it.
Storage
Store this Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake in the fridge in an airtight container or tightly wrapped with plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
You can also store it in the freezer tightly wrapped in plastic wrap then covered with aluminum foil. The cheesecake will last up to 30 days in the freezer.
Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to test if your cheesecake is done is to jiggle it. Give the pan a little shake. If it's set everywhere except the very middle then it's ready to come out.
The middle should have a slight jiggle to it but not be super loose.
Yes! If you want it to turn out well then a water bath is the way to go. Using a water bath helps create moisture and even baking which in turn helps prevent cracks.
Not using a water bath will result in a cracked and likely brown cheesecake. A water bath is super simple to create and use.
Nothing to be intimidated by! Simply find a pan larger than your cheesecake pan (a roasting pan works well), wrap your springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil around the bottom and the sides, set your springform pan in the larger pan then use a pitcher to fill the roasting pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the springform pan.
You sure can! Tightly wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap then wrap it with another layer or two of heavy duty aluminum foil.
You can store the Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw the cheesecake in the fridge overnight before serving.
More Apple Recipes
Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 aluminum foil
- 1 rubber spatula
Ingredients
Cookie Crust
- 28 golden oreos
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter browned
Streusel
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup oats
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ tsp allspice
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
Apple Pie Filling
- 3 honey crisp apples peeled, sliced ⅛ inch - 1/16 inch thick. about 1½ pounds
- 1½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
Cheesecake Mixture
- 32 oz cream cheese room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs room temp
- 2 egg yolks room temp
- 1 cup sour cream room temp
- 1¼ cup heavy cream room temp
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 7 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Making the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Brown your butter by heating it in a medium sauce pot over low-medium heat. Once the butter is melted it will start bubbling and sputtering. Give the pot an occasional swirl or stir. Once the butter becomes "quiet" and stops sputtering then it's ready. It should be a golden brown - amber color. Remove from the heat immediately and pour into a heat proof bowl, scraping all the brown bits with it
- Blend the golden Oreos in a food processor until you have a fine crumb
- Whisk the Oreos, salt and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Pour the brown butter over the top then mix until all crumbs are wet
- Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the springform pan firmly then bake for 10-12 minutes until crust is golden brown
- IMMEDIATELY TURN THE OVEN DOWN TO 325°F
- Allow the crust to cool on a wire rack
Making the Streusel
- Whisk the flour, oats, both sugars, cinnamon, salt and allspice together in a medium bowl. Pour in melted butter and mix until whole mixture is wet
- Set aside until needed
Making the Apple Pie Filling
- Toss apple slices in a large bowl with lemon juice
- Add remaining apple pie filling ingredients and toss well. Set aside
Making the Cheesecake Mixture
- Mix cream cheese on medium speed for 1 minute in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
- Mix in sugar and salt then turn up to medium speed for an additional minute
- Add vanilla on low speed
- Mix in the eggs and yolks one at a time, on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition
- Mix in the sour cream and heavy cream until fully incorporated
Assembling the Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake
- Wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan in 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil tightly. Spray the inside sides of the pan with non-stick cooking spray
- Pour half of the cheesecake mixture over the top of the crust and spread evenly with a rubber spatula
- Lift the apple slices out of the bowl and allow all access liquid to drain off. Layer the slices in an even layer over the cheesecake mixture
- Add the other half of the cheesecake mixture and spread evenly over the apples
- Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the cheesecake
- Place the cheesecake inside your larger pan then use a pitcher to add warm water into the pan. Only go about halfway up the side of the springform pan
- Transfer the water bath and cheesecake to the oven then bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional 45 minutes with the oven door closed
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven, out of the water bath and onto a cooling rack for 2 hours
- Transfer the cheesecake into the fridge to chill for 24 hours. You may cover the cheesecake in plastic wrap after it's been in the fridge for 8 hours
Making the Caramel Sauce
- Heat the granulated sugar over low-medium heat in a medium sauce pot until the sugar fully melts. You may give the pan a swirl every once in awhile or a light stir. Watch the sugar closely because it can burn easily. You want a darker golden brown color
- Once all the sugar granules are melted, turn the heat off immediately and whisk in the butter. The mixture will spatter up vigorously but keep whisking until butter melts completely
- Whisk in the heavy cream. The mixture will spatter again but continue to whisk until smooth
- Stir in the salt
Serving Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake
- Serve the cheesecake cold with warm caramel drizzled over the top
Notes
- Definitely use a water bath when baking your Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake! It's simple and it will prevent cracking and promote even baking.
- Make this cheesecake 1-2 day ahead of time. It needs to refrigerate for at least 24 hours to set well.
- You can make the caramel sauce up to 5 days in advance. That's one extra step out of the way to save time! Just heat it in the microwave 10-15 seconds at a time, stirring between each time until it's pourable.
Carolyn
Do you only use the cookie or the Oreo filling as well when making the crust?
Krista Stechman
Yes, the Oreos are only used for the cookie crust.
Courtney
Amazing recipe this was my first attempt at making a cheesecake and I nailed it thanks to your clear instructions!
admin
That is awesome!! So happy to hear that!
Amanda
How in the world did you fit all of the ingredients into a 9 in pan? I follow the recipe exactly except I only used 1 lbs of apples (what i had on hand). I have so much cheesecake batter left.
admin
I apologize, I just went and re-checked my pan. It's a 10" springform pan. I will get it changed in the recipe right now. Also, I layered my apples instead of mounding them, to save space. Not sure if you tried that or not but it's helpful. I will add that in the tips as well! I hope you were still able to enjoy it!
Star
This is amazing!!!
admin
Thank you!! This has become one of our new favorites, can't get enough!
Sara
Taste great only thing is their is a lot of liquid from the apples even after letting the liquid drain off so made the cheesecake kind of squishy
Krista Stechman
Thanks for trying the recipe, glad to hear you liked the taste! I would suggest either baking slightly longer or gently squeezing the apples to get most of the liquid out.