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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
Hey I am making this for our Christmas party. Just have a quick question.. could I only do 1 cup of the brown sugar for the base or does it have to be the 1-1/2?
I’d recommend the full amount. Sugar adds sweetness, but it also adds moisture. If you reduce it, it change the outcome of the recipe.
I’ve been making this every Thanksgiving for a few years now! It’s a family favorite and always requested! I’ve made several different types of cheesecakes over the last 20 years and this one is by far the ABSOLUTE BEST!
This recipe is so delicious!!! I was just wondering if the cheesecake part suppose to be not as firm as traditional cheesecake or maybe I missed something? My cheesecake part came out more soft.
So glad you enjoyed it! Hard to know just how firm yours was, but I would say it should be as firm as normal. Maybe just bake it a few minutes longer next time if you’d prefer it to be firmer.
Whoops! I just realized you made the no-bake version and not the baked version. Yes, this will definitely be softer than a baked cheesecake.
Would this recipe fit a 9 x 13“ pan? Or would I have to double the recipe?
I haven’t tried it to be able to say for sure. It might fit but it also may be fairly thin. You may want to do one and a half recipes worth.
Made this yesterday as a test run for a fall party treat. It is delicious, although very rich. I left off the whipped cream topping because we aren’t fans of whipped cream, but replaced with vanilla bean ice cream scoop instead. Delicious 😋. Two things on negative side for me. It’s quite a long process making from start to finish. By the time I was making the apple topping I was wiped out! For me it took much longer than recipe states. Also, recipe doesn’t say how to store it.. … Keeping it in the fridge makes the Blondie part pretty hard but I think it has to be because of the cheese cake part? Should it be covered? I just wasn’t sure what kind of container to put it in after removing from spring pan. Suggestions? Anyway, it is a delicious fall dessert. 😁😋
thank you for sharing the amazing recepie of this amazing cake.i can assure that this cake is going to be lit anyone to try this amazing cake.
This is wonderful! I’ve made it several times and it’s always a hit. The no bake cheesecake keeps things simple and it looks so pretty too!
So glad to hear that!
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving, and while the flavors were all amazing, the apple topping didn’t turn out quite right for us, so I would change that a bit. I ended up doubling the apples and it still didn’t turn out quite right. Next time, I’ll chop the apples instead of slicing them, I think.
Hey Lindsay I’m going to try this I love blondes of any kind.
I have a question, I have struggled with this every time I cook a cheesecake
How do you take the cake off the springform plate or do you just serve it on it. I have tried it and mine wants to split suggestions please and tks love you recipes
For the cheesecake, it says 3/4 cup caramel, but the ingredients list only has it at 1/2 cup. I’ve made it before and it turned out amazing, but I forgot which amount was correct!
I’ve updated the instructions. Thanks!
Looks delicious and I am excited to try it!
this was amazing and so easy to follow! I was a little nervous about the cheesecake coming out soft, but came out perfect. We all enjoyed it. love all the recipes I have tried so far!
This cheesecake is my family’s #1 requested cake. It’s so delicious with your salted caramel sauce 😋
So glad to hear that!
What kind of apples do you recommend, going to make it tomorrow. It looks delicious!
Often a mix of two kinds of apples is nice. Like half Granny Smith and half Honeycrisp.
Not sure what I did Lindsay! But my cheesecake was so soft! I even left it in the fridge over night! So right now I put it in the oven to back! I’m hoping that by baking it at 350* for a hour will firm it up.
The Carmel Sauce taste so Good! I could eat it by the spoonful’s
I hope putting it back in the oven helps. It does just sound like it may be a little under baked. I’m sorry! There can be variation between ovens, so you may need a little more time next time.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it the last 3 Thanksgivings and it’s always a hit. But I have a question- I’d like to make it for Christmas too this year but maybe cut some corners/simplify where I can. I’m thinking of making this in a baking dish to make more along the lines of “squares” ultimately. Do you think this would work or have a similar, simpler recipe?
I’m so glad to hear that it’s always a hit! I think it would be fine cut into squares. The cheesecake isn’t as firm as a baked cheesecake, so you would just want to be careful with it. I have this recipe, which isn’t super similar but could work as an alternative if you wanted a baked version. https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/apple-streusel-cheesecake-bars/