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.
3honey crisp applespeeled, sliced ⅛ inch - 1/16 inch thick. about 1½ pounds
1½teaspoonlemon juice
¼cupbrown sugar
1tablespooncornstarch
½teaspooncinnamon
¼teaspoonkosher salt
¼tsp allspice
⅛teaspooncardamom
Cheesecake Mixture
32ozcream cheeseroom temp
1cupgranulated sugar
½teaspoonkosher salt
1tablespoonvanilla extract
4eggsroom temp
2egg yolksroom temp
1cupsour creamroom temp
1¼cupheavy cream room temp
Caramel Sauce
1cupgranulated sugar
7tablespoonunsalted butter
⅓cupheavy cream
¼teaspoonkosher 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.