This easy homemade apple crisp cheesecake is the perfect fall blend of creamy goodness and apples all in a graham cracker crust.
This cheesecake is cozy as your favorite fall sweater! It’s a luscious creamy cheesecake layered with warm apple cinnamon goodness on top, then you’ve got a comforting crumble over everything.
This cheesecake could also double as cheesecake bars, but whatever you want to call it, it’ll be your go-to fall treat.
Table of Contents:
This recipe is the easy way to make an apple crumble cheesecake as you don’t have to cut up apples to make it, yet it still turns out tasting completely homemade. Add a drizzle of caramel sauce on top and it’s the perfect way to cozy up and savor the season.
This recipe brings together familiar flavors in a way that’s both comforting and utterly scrumptious.
Ingredient Notes:
Now let’s talk a little about just some of the ingredients in this fall cheesecake. (The printable list of all ingredients are in the recipe card below.)
For the crust:
Graham Cracker Crumbs: This will form the base of the crust, providing a sweet and crunchy foundation.
Light Brown Sugar: This adds a subtle caramel note to the crust, complementing the apples beautifully.
Ground Cinnamon: Infuses a warm, comforting flavor into the crust.
Unsalted Butter: Binds the crumbs together, creating a sturdy, flavorful base.
For the cheesecake filling:
Cream Cheese: The creamy star of this dessert. It provides richness and a tangy contrast to the sweet apple topping.
Light Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: These sweeten and balance the cream cheese filling.
Vanilla Extract and Ground Cinnamon: These give the cheesecake a warm, aromatic flavor.
All-Purpose Flour: Helps stabilize the filling and gives it a smooth texture.
Eggs: Bind everything together, contributing to the creamy consistency.
For the apple topping:
Apple Pie Filling: This is what makes this dessert so super easy. You can just use canned apple pie filling and it’ll still taste amazing.
For the streusel topping:
All-Purpose Flour, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, and Quick Oats: Create a crumbly, spiced layer that adds the perfect crunchiness to the cheesecake.
Unsalted Butter: Binds the streusel ingredients together, forming delicious clusters.
(Make sure to check out the FAQ section below in this post for ingredient and substitution questions.)
How to make this cheesecake:
Let’s talk a little about how to make cheesecake apple crisp. (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Step 1:
First, you’ll want to make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
Step 2:
Use either boxed graham cracker crumbs or crush enough graham crackers to make 3 cups of crumbs.
Step 3:
In a large mixing bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Mix well and break up any large crumbs. If the mixture still feels a little dry, you can add in another 1/4 cup of melted butter and mix again.
Step 4:
Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared 13×9 inch pan and use clean hands or the bottom of a measuring cup to press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and part way up the sides.
Step 5:
Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and set on a cooling rack while you make the filling. Make sure to reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
Step 6:
Now you’ll make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, add the cheesecake filling ingredients and mix with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed until smooth.
Step 7:
Pour the cheesecake filling onto the crust you just pre-baked and set aside while you make the apple topping and the crisp.
Step 8:
Next, make the apple topping. Open both cans of apple pie filling and add to a bowl. First chop up the apple slices a bit.
Then pour the apple pie filling over the cheesecake filling that is in the baking dish.
Step 9:
Now make the crisp topping. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and oats and mix well.
Add the butter chunks and mix in with a fork or clean hands until crumbly, then add the crumb topping over the apple filling in the baking dish.
Step 10:
Check to make sure the oven temperature has gone down to 325 degrees F and bake the cheesecake for 35-40 minutes at 325 degrees F. The edges will set and the middle will still be a little jiggly.
Step 11:
Remove from the oven, and cool at room temperature for one hour. Cover, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight before serving so that it firms up enough to cut and serve.
(Remember that the instructions will also be in the recipe card below.)
Easy Apple Crisp Cheesecake (with canned apple pie filling)
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (may need to add an additional 1/4 cup)
For the cheesecake filling:
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, almost room temperature
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
For the apple topping:
- 2 (20 ounce) cans apple pie filling (use the apple pie filling, not just canned apples)
For the crisp topping:
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup quick oats
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cool temperature, cut into cubes
Instructions
For the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Use either boxed graham cracker crumbs or crush enough graham crackers to make 3 cups of crumbs. (I used a food processor to crush up the crackers.) You could also use two, pre-made graham cracker crusts to make two cheesecake pies.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Mix well and break up any large crumbs. If the mixture still feels a little dry, you can add in another 1/4 cup melted butter and mix again.
- Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared 13×9 inch pan.
- Use clean hands or the bottom of a measuring cup to press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and part way up the sides.
- Bake the crust at 350 degrees F, in the preheated oven, for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and set on a cooling rack while you make the filling.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
For the cheesecake filling:
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cheesecake filling ingredients and mix with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed until smooth.
- Pour the cheesecake filling onto the crust you just pre-baked and set aside while you make the apple topping and the crisp.
For the apple topping:
- (If you don't want to use 2 cans of the apple pie filling, feel free to use just one, but make sure to spread it evenly over the top of the cheesecake mixture. You will have less apple flavor, but it will still be good.)
- Open both cans of apple pie filling and add to a bowl. Chop up the apple slices a bit. I used a hamburger chopper (see video), since it was easy to do, but you could also use a knife or potato masher. Pour the apple pie filling over the cheesecake filling that is in the baking dish.
For the crisp topping:
- (Feel free to double the oatmeal crisp topping if you like more crunch on the top.)
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and oats and mix well.
- Add the butter chunks and mix in with a fork or clean hands until crumbly.
- If the butter is too warm, the mixture may end up all mashed together. It will still work, it will just take a little more time to add it to the top of the cheesecake as it'll be more clumped together.
- Add the crumb topping over the apple filling in the baking dish.
- Check to make sure the oven temperature has gone down to 325 degrees F.
- Bake the cheesecake for 35-40 minutes at 325 degrees F. The edges will set and the middle will still be a little jiggly, although it may be hard to tell with the apples and crumble on top. Just know that the cheesecake will firm as it cools.
- Remove from the oven, and cool at room temperature for one hour. Cover, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight before serving so that it firms up enough to cut and serve. (After the cheesecake cools, some of the butter might solidify on top, that's completely normal.)
- See notes section on how to store, serve and for other questions.
Notes
Nutrition
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Video:
Coming soon…
Tips & FAQs:
Sure! Pre-made crusts will work, but you’ll probably need to use at least two of them as this recipe makes a lot of cheesecake filling.
Yes, if you don’t have unsalted butter, you can use salted.
You’ll want to use apple pie filling, not just canned apples. The pie filling is ready to go and you don’t have to add any spices or thickening agents to it.
Sure, if you want, but you’ll need to add a bit of sugar to them and perhaps a thickening agent.
Yes, you probably can, however the crumble will be a bit more crunchy and chewy.
It’s best to have it almost room temperature so that you can mix it until smooth. If it’s still cold, it will form lumps in the cheesecake.
Yes, you can use either.
Well technically you can but it would be very hard and labor intensive.
The edges will set and the middle will still be a little jiggly, although it may be hard to tell with the apples and crumble on top. Just know that the cheesecake will firm as it cools.
I haven’t tried freezing this cheesecake. Cream cheese sometimes gets a weird texture once it’s frozen though, but you are welcome to try it out. Just make sure you wrap it in plastic wrap and foil or put it in an airtight container.
This cheesecake should be stored, covered well, in the refrigerator and can last up to 5 days.
This cheesecake can be served, cold, at room temperature, or warmed slightly in the microwave.
Yes, but you’ll probably need to use two deep-dish pie plates as this recipe makes a lot of cheesecake filling.
Feel free to add caramel chips on top, or drizzle caramel over the crips.
Supplies used for this recipe:
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- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Cookie sheet pan
- Silicone spatula
- Cooling rack
- 13×9 inch baking dish
- Food processor
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