Apple Crisp Cream Cheese Bars
These Apple Crisp Cream Cheese Bars are the ultimate fall dessert! 🍏🍂 With a creamy, tangy layer of cream cheese and a buttery, cinnamon-spiced apple filling, they combine the best of an apple crisp and cheesecake in one delicious bite. The crumbly oat topping adds the perfect crunch, making them an irresistible treat to enjoy with family or friends
Servings 10
Ingredients
Oat Crisp Crust & Topping
- ½ cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup butter melted
Cream Cheese Layer
- 2 8 oz packages cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
Apple Pie Layer
- 3 large Granny Smith apples peeled cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Caramel topping for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it for easy removal later.
Oat Crisp Crust & Topping
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Stir in the melted butter with a fork until the mixture becomes crumbly.
- Set aside 1 ¼ cups of the oat mixture for the topping.
- Press the remaining oat mixture into the prepared baking pan to form the crust.
- Bake the crust for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. While it bakes, prepare the cream cheese layer.
Cream Cheese Layer
- In another bowl, use a mixer to blend softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
- On low speed, add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Set aside.
Apple Pie Layer
- In a large bowl, toss the chopped apples with flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon until evenly coated.
Assemble the Bars:
- Spread the apple mixture evenly over the baked crust.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the apples, smoothing the top.
- Sprinkle the reserved oat mixture over the cream cheese layer for a crunchy topping.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is set and lightly browned.
- Let the bars cool completely, then refrigerate until firm and ready to serve.
- For easy slicing, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper.
- Optionally, drizzle with caramel sauce just before serving for extra indulgence.