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This Caramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake has a layer of apple spice blondie topped with no-bake caramel cheesecake. The cake is topped with cinnamon apples and caramel sauce for a taste of pure heaven! Perfect for Fall and Thanksgiving!
Why You’ll Love Caramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake
Bring on all the fall apple recipes! This blondie cheesecake is the perfect combination of flavors and textures and has become an absolute favorite over the years. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as my family does. Let me try to explain just how good this cheesecake really is.
- Chewy apple blondie. The first layer is an apple blondie. It’s got plenty of tasty spices and apples baked right in. It’s chewy, not too heavy and absolutely delicious. The perfect base for a cheesecake.
- Creamy caramel cheesecake. So smooth and creamy, with great flavor. Sometimes it can be difficult to really make caramel flavor come through, but it comes through perfectly in the cheesecake! The chewiness of the blondie with the smoothness of the cheesecake is a killer combo.
- Flavorful toppings. I wanted every bite of this cheesecake to be filled with apples and caramel flavor. So, I topped it with cinnamon apples and even more caramel sauce, because why wouldn’t you? It’s irresistible.
- Perfect for fall. This is a great celebration cake for the fall. You could whip it up for Thanksgiving, autumn birthdays or any time you need a show-stopping dessert!
This cheesecake recipe has been such a hit over the years that I got many requests for a baked version, so you can also make my Baked Caramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake!
Ingredient Notes
Ready to get started? Here are a few tips to keep in mind when gathering your ingredients. You can find full ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Apple Blondie
- Flour. Regular all-purpose flour is best for creating the base of the blondie batter. You want to be sure to measure it correctly, so that you don’t have a dry blondie. I always recommend a food scale.
- Leaveners. To get the perfect rise and chewy texture you’ll need baking powder and baking soda.
- Spices. I used a combination of cinnamon and apple pie spice to flavor the blondie.
- Butter and salt. When baking I like to use unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt. If you only have salted butter, make sure to omit the added salt.
- Brown sugar. For sweetness and extra caramel-y flavor, use light brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract. For flavor.
- Eggs. You’ll need 1 large egg and 1 large egg white. It’s important to use large eggs (not medium or extra large).
- Chopped apples. Use a firm, sweet-tart apple such as Granny Smith, Pink Lady or Honey Crisp for the best flavor.
Caramel Cheesecake Filling
- Cream cheese. Use full-fat, room temperature cream cheese. Low-fat cream cheese has a higher water content, so it won’t set as well. I also recommend using bricks instead of tub or whipped varieties that are thinner and might not set well.
- Sugars. I used a combination of regular granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Both add to the sweetness of the cheesecake, and the brown sugar adds additional notes of caramel flavor to the filling.
- Caramel sauce. I used my homemade caramel sauce for this recipe. It has the perfect texture and consistency. The recipe makes about 1 1/4 cups so you’ll have plenty for the filling and topping if you want to drizzle some on top.
- Apple pie spice. For warm fall flavor.
- Heavy whipping cream. Make sure to use cold heavy whipping cream so that it whips properly.
- Powdered sugar. Helps to sweeten and thicken the whipped cream/cheesecake filling, keeping it stable so it doesn’t wilt.
- Vanilla extract.
Cinnamon Apple Topping
- Chopped apples. Use more of the sweet-tart, crisp apples described above. You’ll need about 2 large apples to have enough chopped pieces for the blondie bar and the topping.
- Lemon juice. Helps to balance the sweetness of the topping and prevent browning.
- Spices. To give the topping spiced flavor use a pinch of ground nutmeg and some ground cinnamon.
- Light brown sugar. Adds sweetness and caramel flavor.
- Unsalted butter. Gives rich flavor to the topping.
Whipped Cream
- Heavy whipping cream. To make stable, easy-to-pipe whipped cream, make sure it’s very cold before you start whipping it.
- Powdered sugar. Helps to sweeten and thicken the whipped cream, and to keep it stable.
- Ground cinnamon. More flavor!
- Vanilla extract.
How to Make Caramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake
There are several components to this cheesecake, but each is simple to put together! Use these helpful step-by-step photos and directions to guide you through the process. More comprehensive directions can be found in the recipe card below.
Make the Apple Blondie
- Prepare to bake. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Combine dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, apple pie spice and salt and set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract, egg and egg white and mix together until well combined.
- Mix dry and wet ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined, but don’t over mix. Fold in the apples.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Cool. Allow blondie to cool for about 10-15 minutes, then remove from the springform pan and place it on a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Reassemble springform pan. Wash the pan, reassemble it and grease the sides of the pan. Add the cooled blondie back into the pan.
Make the Caramel Cheesecake
- Begin making the filling. In a large mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugars together until well combined and smooth. Add the caramel sauce and apple pie spice and beat until well combined and smooth. Set aside.
- Make whipped cream and fold it in. In another large mixer bowl, whip the cold heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Build the cheesecake and chill. Top the cooled blondie with the cheesecake mixture and spread into an even layer, then chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 4-5 hours.
Finish the Cheesecake
- Remove springform. Once firm, remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and place it on a serving plate.
- Cook the cinnamon apples. Combine the apples, lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar and butter in a medium size saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until at preferred softness. Allow apples to cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Make whipped cream. While the apples cool, make the whipped cream. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, cinnamon and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Decorate. Pipe the whipped cream around the outer edge of the cheesecake, then spoon the cooled apples onto the cheesecake. Drizzle with caramel sauce, if desired, then serve.
- Enjoy!
Tips for Success
Want to make the BEST Caramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake? Don’t miss my pro tips below to avoid common mistakes.
- Use a springform pan. It makes removing the cheesecake from the pan so much easier. On that note, be sure to grease the pan and add a parchment circle in the bottom. Both help the blondie and cheesecake not stick to the pan.
- Don’t over mix the blondies. Mix the batter for the blondies until just combined. Over mixing causes the gluten in the flour to become overdeveloped and can make the blondie dense and firm.
- Use softened cream cheese. Cream cheese straight from the fridge is pretty firm and won’t blend smoothly with the other ingredients. Giving it time to soften to room temperature will make it much easier to blend and will prevent lumps in your cheesecake. You’ll know it’s ready when you can press gently on the wrapping and leave a slight indent.
- Full-fat everything. Use heavy whipping cream and full-fat cream cheese. The higher fat content in the whipping cream will allow it to whip up thicker, which is needed to hold the filling together. The higher fat content in the cream cheese will also help to keep the filling nice and firm.
- Use cold cream: Be sure that the whipping cream used in the filling and in the whipped cream topping is cold. If it is not, it will not hold volume properly. This will give you a flat whipped cream topping and a potentially runny filling.
- Whip to stiff peaks. Whipped cream is added to the cheesecake filling to give it thick creamy texture. Make sure to whip the cream to stiff peaks. If you’re new to making homemade whipped cream that means that the cream will stand up in pointy peaks when the whisk is removed from the bowl.
- Don’t skimp on powdered sugar. Be sure to use the full amount of powdered sugar in the whipped cream. It stabilizes the whipped cream, therefore providing structure to the filling and topping.
- Use homemade caramel sauce. If possible, use my recipe for easy caramel sauce. It firms up in the fridge, which will also help the cheesecake filling firm up. Many store bought caramel sauces are soft and pourable when cold, meaning they won’t help your filling to firm up. If you use a store-bought sauce, look for one that is thick and firm when cold.
Storage Information
- Refrigerator. If you find yourself with leftovers, seal the cheesecake in an airtight cake carrier or wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap. If you use plastic wrap, I suggest using toothpicks to prop it away from the topping. You could also arrange slices in a single layer in an airtight container and store it that way. This cheesecake is best if eaten within 3-4 days.
- Freezer. I suggest freezing it before adding the apple and caramel toppings. Pop the cheesecake in the freezer for a couple of hours to firm up before wrapping it in a double layer of plastic wrap. Sliced it? Arrange the slices in a single layer in a freezer-safe airtight container. You can store the cheesecake in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge before adding toppings and serving.
More Caramel Apple Dessert Recipes
- Mini Caramel Apple Cheesecakes
- Caramel Apple Pecan Layer Cake
- Easy Caramel Apple Cheesecake
- Caramel Apple Cookie Cups
- Baked Caramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake
- Caramel Apple Pie Cake
Watch How To Make It
This post was updated 9/25/24, but the recipe is the same aside from that the apples on top used to be sliced are now chopped. If you’d like to reference the previous version, download the recipe PDF.
PrintCaramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Caramel Apple Blondie Cheesecake has a layer of apple spice blondie topped with no-bake caramel cheesecake. The cake is topped with cinnamon apples and caramel sauce for a taste of pure heaven!
Ingredients
Apple Blondie
- 1 1/2 cups (195g) all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp apple pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (224g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- 2/3 cup (79g) chopped apple (about 1/2 an apple)
Caramel Cheesecake Filling
- 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (104g) sugar
- 6 tbsp (84g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120ml) caramel sauce*
- 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
- 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 5 tbsp (44g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon Apples
- 2 cups (237g) peeled, roughly chopped apples (about 1 1/2 apples)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp (56g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Whipped Cream
- 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1/4 cup (29g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the blondie
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, apple pie spice and salt to a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Combine the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract, egg and egg white to large mixing bowl and mix together until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined, but don’t over mix. Fold in the chopped apples.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove blondie from oven and allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Wash the pan, reassemble it and grease the sides of the pan. Add the cooled blondie back into the pan.
Make the cheesecake
- When the blondie is completely cooled, make the cheesecake filling. In a large mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugars together until well combined and smooth.
- Add the caramel sauce and apple pie spice and beat until well combined and smooth. Set aside.
- In another large mixer bowl, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two parts until well combined.
- Top the cooled blondie with the cheesecake mixture and spread into an even layer, then put in the refrigerator until firm about 4-5 hours.
Make the cinnamon apples and serve
- Once firm, remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. Smooth out the sides of the cheesecake with an offset spatula, if needed.
- Make the cinnamon apples. Combine the apples, lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar and butter in a medium size saucepan. Stir to coat.
- Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until at preferred softness. Allow apples to cool for 15-20 minutes.
- While the apples cool, make the whipped cream. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, cinnamon and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe the whipped cream around the outer edge of the cheesecake (I used Ateco tip 844), then spoon the cooled apples onto the cheesecake. Drizzle with caramel sauce, if desired, then serve.
- Store leftovers well covered in the fridge. Best if eaten within 3-4 days.
Notes
- I definitely recommend this easy caramel sauce. It firms up in the fridge, which helps your cheesecake filling firm up. If you use a store bought caramel sauce, it’ll likely be soft and pourable when cold, meaning your filling won’t firm up as well.
- Instead of homemade whipped cream in the filling, you could use 4 oz of Cool Whip.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 47.8 g
- Sodium: 252.3 mg
- Fat: 26.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 60.6 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 84.2 mg
Hi, Lindsay! I LOVE your recipes! Your Funfetti Millionaire Cake was a hit at my best friend’s 2 year old’s birthday party! I want to make THIS for Thanksgiving this year. My dilemma is I will have to travel 4 hours to get to where I will be and once I get there, I don’t want to tie his mom’s kitchen up to bake because she will be cooking (mostly her oven). She does have refrigerator space for me. I have a cooler this will fit in for the trip. My question is, if I make it Tuesday night before the trip Wednesday AM, I am sure it will still be good for Thursday. To be safe, should I make it earlier and freeze it, then take it out Wednesday morning to pack to ship, or skip the freezer step? I have frozen cheesecakes before with good results. Should I do it ahead except for the apples and whipped cream put them on last minute? If I do that, could I make them ahead Tuesday night to transport too then put them on Thursday morning or wait til Thursday morning to make them at her house? We will be driving another hour from her house for Thanksgiving Day. Thank you so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the Funfetti Millionaire Cake – that’s definitely one of my faves. I’ve never frozen this cheesecake, but you could try it. If you have a cooler or something to keep it in, that’d work too. You could always leave it in the pan and then de-pan it there so you don’t have to worry about it getting shaken up while driving. I think you have the right idea to make the apples and whipped cream ahead and heat the apples before adding. Be sure to keep the whipped cream cold.
Hi! I plan to make this for Thanksgiving and have an hour drive. Should I put it all together and take in a cooler? Or should I put on the whipped cream, apples, and caramel drizzle right before serving? Also, are the apples supposed to be served warm? I just want to make sure I don’t melt the cheesecake and whipped cream with the warm apples….thanks for sharing your recipe! It looks soooo good!!!
It should be fine in a cooler for an hour. But if you want to be sure it travels well, you could definitely add the toppings when you get there. I’d say serve the apples room temp, or a touch warm. Maybe keep those in another container that you can warm up just before adding them to the cheesecake.
what apples do you use for this recipe?
I usually use Red Delicious, but any variety would work.
What kind of apples do you use for the apple blondie carmel cheese cake?
You should be able to use any. I usually use red delicious.
I’m in the process of waiting for the cheesecakes to cool and the house smells amazing! My friend gave me 2 pieces to try and it took me like a minute to eat both they were so good! And I just discovered your website and am so excited to look through all of your recipes. Thanks for all the yumminess! 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thanks for checking out the site – I hope you’ll get a chance to try some other things too.
I made this delicious cake yesterday, to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary and it was a succes! My husband totally loved it, so many, many thanks, dear Lindsay!
A big hug from Romania 🙂
Laura
Awesome Laura! I’m glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Happy anniversary!
Hello, I love your website and I wanted to know if you could do a chocolate brownie new york cheesecake with strawberries to top it ( brownie on the bottom new york cheesecake on top and strawberries to top that) I know you have some like it but not exactly what Im looking for.
Thanks Greenly! Great suggestion! I’ll add it to the queue.
WOW this sounds amazing! Could you substitute the flour for gluten free flour to make the blondie gluten free or would the recipe need altering? Thanks!
I have never tried it so I can’t say for sure. I’m sorry.
At what point though do you remove the parchment paper?
P.S. Just made the blondie and caramel sauce and i’m totally loving the smell of my kitchen!
From the sides of the cheesecake after you’ve added it to the blondie? Once it’s firm and you remove it from the pan, you can remove the parchment paper.
Question: could I use whipping cream whipped to stiff peaks instead of cool whip for the cheesecake portion? TIA
Yes, you definitely can.
You call this dessert a cheese cake. I was just wondering why u decided not to bake it like a traditional cheese cake?
Well it isn’t really a traditional cheesecake, but the top layer is a no bake cheesecake. It has no eggs, so it doesn’t need to be baked.
OMG!!!! This looks and sounds absolutely amazing I can’t wait to make it
Thank you! Enjoy it! 🙂
Hi! I’m making this for Christmas dessert tomorrow and was wondering how well the whipped cream holds up. Should I wait until right before serving to pipe it on or would it be fine to do today?
It should be fine if you do it today. It holds up well with the powdered sugar.
Hi!
I’m from the Netherlands and I would love to make this dessert for Christmas, it just looks so amazing! However in the Netherland we don’t have cool whip. Do you know what I can use as an alternative? Will the cheesecake set if I would just use normal whipped cream ? Thanks for this amazing recipe!
Hi!
I’m from the Netherlands and I would love to make this desserts for christmas. However in the Netherland we don’t have cool whip. What can I use as an alternative? I think the cheesecake won’t set properly if I would just use whipped cream would it? Hope you can help me with this!
Hi! Yes, you could use regular whipped cream instead. You’d probably want to use about 1/2 cup of heavy cream and add about 1/4 cup powdered sugar so that’s thick (like Cool Whip is).
What is your advice for baking the cheesecake instead of letting it sit in the fridge? I personally prefer the texture of baked cheesecake. Are there any ingredients I should add (eggs?)/ time for baking?
It might be hard to bake this cheesecake because of the blondie layer. I understand what you mean about texture – that’s big to me too. This cheesecake really is nice and thick though. If you give it a try, I think you’ll like it.
You could bake a crust less cheesecake separate from the Blondie layer and once cool place it on top of the Blondie layer then proceed with the recipe.
I am making this for my administrative assistant for his Christmas gift. It is well worth the time and extra steps.