Apple cheesecake bars drizzled with caramel sauce

One of the best apple desserts you’ll try this summer. The creaminess of a cheesecake combined with the buttery crust and the tenderness of the apples make a great combination, and when you add caramel sauce on top, the explosion of flavors will leave you craving for more.

While the list of ingredients can be a bit long, don’t let it fool you. This delicious goodness will not take over 20 minutes of your time and is pretty easy to make.

Also, if you want a smaller cake, reduce the ingredients to half and use an 8X8 inches baking dish.

Ingredients:

Crust

1 cup (2 sticks-220g) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups (190g) flour

1/2 cup (100g) ground almonds

1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cream Cheese Mixture

16 oz (500g) cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (100g) sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 tsp lemon zest

Apples

3 cups apples (about 3-4 apples) - peeled, cored, chopped

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup (40g) rolled oats

1/2 cup (63g) flour

1/2 cup (100g) ground almonds

1/2 cup (1 stick-110g) butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Caramel Sauce

1 cup (200g) sugar

1/4 cup (60 ml) water

1/2 cup (120g) heavy cream

2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease with butter a 9 X 13 inches baking dish. Line with parchment paper.

2. Prepare the crust. In a large bowl mix flour, ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter, and using a pastry blender or simply a fork, cut in the butter until crumbles are formed.

3. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the baking dish and bake for about 15-20 minutes until lightly golden brown. Set aside and let cool slightly.

4. While the crust is baking prepare the apples. Peel and core the apples and cut into small pieces. In a medium bowl combine apples with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

5. Prepare the cheese mixture by mixing the cream cheese with sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Add eggs one at a time and mix until well combined.

6. Add the cheese mixture over the warm crust and spread evenly. Add the chopped apples on top of the cream cheese layer.

7. Prepare the streusel topping: In a large bowl mix rolled oats, flour, ground almonds, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the butter, and using a fork, cut the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples.

8. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until set.

9. While the cake is baking prepare the caramel sauce. Place the sugar and water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and cook without stirring until the sugar dissolves and gets a caramel color.

10. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cream. It will bubble a little bit.

11. Cook for about 1 minute while constantly stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Remove from heat and add butter and salt. Stir well until smooth. Pour into a small jar and set aside to cool until the cake is ready.

12. When the cake is ready, allow to cool at room temperature, cut into bars and serve drizzled with the caramel sauce.

Now you can enjoy your own apple cheesecake caramel bars. Share them with your family and friends, and let us know how satisfied they are.