Apple Crumble Cheesecake, the Fall Dessert That Combines Apple Pie and Creamy Cheesecake

Apple Crumble Cheesecake

This apple crumble cheesecake brings together a buttery spiced crust, a smooth and creamy filling, and a crunchy cinnamon apple topping, so every bite tastes like fall. It is the kind of fall dessert that merges apple pie and cheesecake in one bake, and it is adapted from the original apple crumble cheesecake recipe from Julie Marie Eats.

The cake is built from three parts: a cookie crust seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg, a creamy cheesecake filling, and a topping of cinnamon sugar apples with a generous crumble. The spiced crust lifts the cheesecake to another level, the apples add warmth, and the creamy filling ties everything together.

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You will bake it in a 22 cm (9 inch) springform pan, and the recipe serves 10 people. Prep takes about 45 minutes, the cheesecake bakes for roughly 1 hour 25 minutes, and then it cools and chills. The source recipe card lists 61 g carbohydrates, 9 g protein and 28 g fat.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Four details make this dessert worth baking:

• Diced apples covered in cinnamon sugar give the cheesecake a real burst of apple flavor.
• The cinnamon and nutmeg spiced crust takes the cheesecake to another level.
• The crumble topping adds crunch and plenty of flavor on top.
• The creamy, smooth cheesecake filling ties everything together.

Put simply, you get the best parts of an apple crumble and a baked cheesecake in one slice.

INGREDIENT NOTES

These notes explain the key ingredients, and the full list with amounts is right below. A few small choices make a big difference here.

Cookies for the crust. The source recipe uses digestive biscuits because graham crackers are not available in Denmark, but graham crackers work just as well and give you a classic graham cracker crust.

Cream cheese. Use full fat cream cheese and bring it to room temperature. Take it out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours before baking so it creams smoothly without lumps.

Sour cream. Measure it first, then let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. The recipe uses sour cream at 14 to 18 percent fat.

Eggs. Take them out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours before baking as well, since room temperature eggs blend into the batter more evenly.

Apples. Dice them into small cubes, and any variety works. Jonagold, Granny Smith and Pink Lady all do well here.

Cinnamon and nutmeg. Cinnamon appears in both the crust and around the apples to bring out fall flavors. Nutmeg adds extra fall notes to the crust, and you can replace it with cinnamon if you do not like it.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS, CRUST

Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF, conventional. Line the bottom of a 22 cm (9 inch) springform pan with parchment paper. You will need a food processor for the crust, and later a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer for the filling.

1. In a food processor, add the cookies, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Blend it all together until you have a fine, sand like texture.
2. Melt the butter, add it to the food processor, and blend it together with the cookie crumbs.
3. Tip the crumb mixture into the prepared pan. Press the crust down with the bottom of a glass, and up against the side of the pan, so it is well packed and flattened out.
4. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then let it cool down so that it is cool to touch.

Pressing firmly matters more than it sounds. A well packed crust holds its shape once the finished cheesecake is sliced.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS, APPELS AND CRUMBLE

While the crust cools down, prepare the apples and the crumble.

1. Dice the apples into small cubes and toss them in the granulated sugar and cinnamon.
2. Over time the sugar will draw some of the liquid out of the apples. Avoid adding that liquid to the cheesecake when you place the apples on top.
3. In another bowl, add the flour, brown sugar and butter. Mix it together by hand or with an electric hand mixer until it forms a crumble structure.
4. Set both toppings aside while you make the cheesecake filling.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS, CHEESECAKE

Keep the oven at 160ºC/325ºF, conventional.

1. With a hand mixer, or in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese for 1 minute on low speed.
2. Gradually add the granulated sugar. Once it is all added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and let it mix for 1 minute on low speed.
3. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and cornstarch together until smooth.
4. Add the sour cream mixture to the cream cheese along with the vanilla extract, and let it mix on low speed until combined.
5. Add one egg at a time and let it mix on low speed until combined. Once all the eggs are in, scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.
6. Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan. Gently divide the cinnamon sugar apples over the top of the cheesecake first, then follow with the crumble.
7. Boil water in a kettle. Place the springform pan inside a 25 cm (10 inch) cake pan, then place that cake pan inside another baking pan or roasting pan and fill it with hot water two thirds up the side of the pan. This method prevents water from getting into the crust. Alternatively, wrap a triple layer of aluminum foil around the cake pan to seal it from the water before placing it in the water bath, and make sure it is covered well because water can leak in.
8. Bake for 1 hour and 20 to 30 minutes.
9. Once the time has passed, give the tray a very gentle shake. The cheesecake should still be a bit wobbly in the middle.
10. Turn off the oven, leave the oven door slightly open, and let the cheesecake cool down in the oven for 1 hour.
11. Take it out of the oven and remove it from the water bath. Take off the aluminum foil, place the cheesecake on a cooling rack, and let it cool down fully for about 1 hour to room temperature.
12. Once it is at room temperature, place it in the fridge and let it set for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

One habit keeps the texture right: stay on low speed from the first mix to the last. Whipping air into the batter is what makes a cheesecake puff, crack and sink as it cools.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

A few small habits make this bake far more predictable.

• Weigh your ingredients. Use a kitchen scale. Grams are the default in this recipe and the most precise way to measure.
• Avoid over mixing. After everything is mixed, use a spatula for one final gentle fold, making sure anything at the bottom of the bowl is incorporated.
• Choose the right pan. Use a light aluminum baking pan greased with butter and lined with baking paper.
• Know what pan color does. Light colored pans attract less heat and bake more gently, which gives a softer cake. A black baking pan attracts more heat, gives a darker crust, and can result in a drier cake.

None of these steps is complicated, and together they are the difference between a cheesecake that slices cleanly and one that cracks while it cools.

WHY BAKE THE CHEESECAKE IN A WATER BATH

A water bath makes the cheesecake bake more gently. Without one, the cheesecake is more likely to overbake, which gives a curdled texture and a cracked, lopsided top. The hot water protects the cheesecake while it bakes and helps it come out smooth and creamy, so the filling stays soft instead of turning grainy.

STORAGE

Keep the apple crumble cheesecake in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap or sealed in an airtight container.

It is best enjoyed within 5 days, and covering it well keeps the crumble topping at its best.

More Cheesecakes

If this style of dessert is your kind of baking, two more recipes are worth trying next: creamy rhubarb cheesecake crumble bars and apple pie cheesecake bars. Both keep the same idea of a creamy filling under a fruit topping, just in a different shape.

For another comparison, you can also look at this apple crisp cheesecake recipe.

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Apple Crumble Cheesecake

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Apple Crumble Cheesecake This apple crumble cheesecake brings together a buttery spiced crust, a smooth and creamy filling, and a crunchy cinnamon apple topping, so every bite tastes like fall. It is the kind of fall dessert that merges apple pie and cheesecake in one bake, and it is adapted from the original apple crumble cheesecake recipe from Julie Marie Eats.

• Total Time: 130 min
• Yield: 10 people 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Cookie Crust
200 g digestive or graham crackers
0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1.5 tablespoon dark brown sugar
50 g butter, melted

Apples and Crumble
150 g apple, diced small (1–2 apples)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
100 g all-purpose flour
80 g dark brown sugar
70 g butter, room temperature

Cheesecake
600 g cream cheese, full fat, room temperature
200 g granulated sugar
150 g sour cream, 14-18% room temperature
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature

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Instructions

Cookie Crust
1-In a food processor, add the cookies,: In a food processor, add the cookies, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and blend it all together until a fine sand-like texture. Melt the butter. Add the melted butter to the food processor and blend it together with the blended cookies.
2-In a 22 cm spring cake pan: In a 22 cm spring cake pan add parchment paper to the bottom. Add the cookie crumble and press the cookie crust down with the bottom of a glass, and up against the side of the pan, so it’s well packed together and flattened out.
3-Bake it for 10 min: Bake it for 10 min. Then let it cool down so that it’s cool to touch.

Apples and Crumble
4-Dice the apples into small cubes and: Dice the apples into small cubes and toss them in granulated sugar and cinnamon. Overtime the sugar will drag out some of the liquid in the apples, avoid adding that to the cheesecake when placing the apples.
5-Add flour, brown sugar and butter to: Add flour, brown sugar and butter to another bowl. Mix it together by hand or with an electric hand mixer, until it forms a crumble structure. Set aside both toppings while making the cheesecake filling.

Cheesecake
6-With a hand mixer or in a: With a hand mixer or in a stand mix using the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese for 1 min on low speed. Then gradually add the granulated sugar. Once all the granulated sugar is added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and let it mix for 1 min on low speed.
7-In a small bowl, mix together the: In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream and cornstarch until smooth. Add it to the cream cheese with the vanilla extract and let it mix on low speed until combined. Then add one egg at a time and let it mix on low speed until combined. Once all the eggs have mixed in, scrape down the sides of the bowl and give it a final mix to make sure all the ingredients have incorporated.
8-Pour the cheesecake batter into the spring: Pour the cheesecake batter into the spring pan. Gently divide the cinnamon sugar apples first on top of cheesecake, followed by the crumble.
9-Boil up water in a kettle: Boil up water in a kettle. Place the springform pan in a 25 cm/10 inch cake pan. Place the cake pan in another baking pan or roasting pan and fill it with hot water ⅔ up the side of the pan. This method will prevent water from getting into the crust. Alternatively, add a triple layer of aluminium foil around the cake pan to safely seal it from the water before placing it in a water bath. There might be a possibility of water leaking in, so make sure it’s covered well if choosing this method. Bake for 1 hour and 20-30 min.
10-Once the time has passed, give the: Once the time has passed, give the tray a very gentle shake. The cheesecake should still be a bit wobbly in the middle. Turn off the oven and have the oven door slightly open and let the cheesecake cool down in the oven for 1 hour.
11-Then take it out of the oven: Then take it out of the oven and remove it from the water bath. Take off the aluminum foil and place the cheesecake on a cooling rack. Let it cool down fully for about 1 hour to room temperature. Finally, once at room temperature, place it in the fridge and let it set for at least 6 hours, preferable overnight.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 45 min
• Cook Time: 85 min
• Method: Preheat the oven at 160ºC/325ºF, conventional oven.

Nutrition

• Sugar: 41g
• Sodium: 368mg
• Fat: 28g
• Saturated Fat: 15g
• Carbohydrates: 61g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 9g
• Cholesterol: 120mg