This Caramel Apple Cheesecake is infused with rich caramel, topped with tender cinnamon-spiced apple filling, generously drizzled with silky caramel and nestled in a buttery Biscoff cookie crust!
Once September hits, I’m in full on FALL MODE.
Actually, to be completely honest, I’m already in fall mode when August arrives…
I can’t help it though! As a fall baby, it’s basically in my blood. And when you live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, it’s hard not to look forward to the perfectly mild temperatures, changing leaves, and crisp, clean air. Not to mention, fall does have some of the best flavors. Pumpkin, maple, cinnamon, toffee, caramel, and apple, just to name a few!
Speaking of caramel and apple…I think I might have the perfect dessert to welcome the most gorgeous season of all.
This Caramel Apple Cheesecake incorporates all of the flavors of a classic caramel apple and a rich and dreamy cheesecake. It starts with a creamy caramel-infused cheesecake filling that’s baked to perfection in a buttery Biscoff cookie crust. Then it’s topped with a tender cinnamon apple filling and generously drizzled in silky smooth caramel. Finally, it’s crowned with a beautiful border of whipped creamy and toasted pecans.
While there are a few different components involved in making this cheesecake, I can promise you that it is ALL worth it. And if you read through the handy dandy notes I have below, you should have no problem achieving the same delicious results!
Tips for Making Caramel
Use a Stainless Steel Pan – This is absolutely vital to preventing crystallization, AKA grainy caramel. I’ve made A LOT of caramel over the years, and whenever I’ve used nonstick pans, it almost always resulted in gritty caramel. The nonstick coating doesn’t allow the sugar crystals to bond with the pan, which causes them to crystalize. Stainless steel conducts heat better and will ensure even cooking.
Order Matters. Pour the water into the pan FIRST, then carefully pour the sugar into the center of the pan, making sure none of the sugar crystals cling to the sides of the pan. The reason being that those sugar crystals won’t dissolve, thus when reincorporated with the sugar syrup, it results in a grainy caramel. If you do see unmelted sugar on the sides of the pan, use a wet pastry brush to wipe them down.
Leave it alone. Once the sugar is poured into the water, leave the pan alone as it cooks. There’s no need to touch it until the color starts to turn yellowish, and you don’t want to risk any sugar crystals splashing up against the sides of the pan.
Swirl. DON’T stir. Once it goes from clear to yellowish, simply lift the pan by the handle and use your wrist to swirl the sugar liquid around. Swirling not only ensures even browning, but it also prevents the possibility of any sugar crystals from splattering onto the sides of the pan, thus resulting in crystallization.
Add corn syrup. For added insurance, stir in a little corn syrup. It helps to stabilize the sugar syrup and acts as an “interfering agent,” which means it prevents the sugar molecules from joining back together after it melts. A little bit of lemon juice also works great in preventing crystallization, aka, grainy caramel.
How to Make THE BEST Apple Filling
I don’t know about you, but I can’t stand hard or crunchy apples in apple pies. This apple filling has the perfect texture. It’s perfectly tender and not the least bit mushy. It’s also thicker and has a nice glazed finish. No runny apple filling here!
For this apple filling, I used Honeycrisp apples. Fuji and Gala would also be great options! Pretty much any sweet and slightly tart apple would work.
To get the perfect texture, the key is to cook the apples to just the right consistency BEFORE thickening the filling. Start by melting a couple of tablespoons of butter in a large pan set over medium heat, then add the peeled and thinly-sliced apples. I sliced mine about 1/4-inch thin. Toss the apples with the butter until evenly-coated, then stir in the sugars, spices, and salt. Bring everything to a simmer, and cook until the apples soften and become fork-tender. This can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes.
Once the apples have softened to your desired tenderness, stir the cornstarch into the water. Pour this mixture evenly over the cooked apples, and continue stirring until the filling has thickened. Immediately transfer the apple filling to a shallow dish to cool completely.
Once You Go Biscoff, You Never Go Back
Biscoff cookies are way more flavorful than your ho-hum graham crackers. They’re deliciously buttery and have the most addictive caramelized flavor that pairs so perfectly with cheesecake. That’s why I have no doubt that once you try a Biscoff cookie crust, you won’t want to go back to the boring ol’ graham cracker crust.
For this crust, you’ll want to finely crush about 35 Biscoff cookies. You can either use a food processor or seal them in a large gallon ziplock bag and “bulldoze” them with a rolling pin. Toss the crushed cookies with a few tablespoons of brown sugar and some melted butter, then firmly press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a springform pan. Bake it in a 325ºF oven for 8-10 minutes. Pre-baking the crust prevents the crust from getting soggy.
Tips for Cheesecake Success
Don’t Overmix the Batter – Overmixing creates too much air in the batter, which causes it to rise quickly, collapse, and then crack. Try to avoid the temptation to crank the mixer up to high. Low to medium speed will prevent excess air from getting whipped into the batter.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients – One of the biggest risk factors for cracked cheesecakes is a drastic change in temperature. That’s why it’s important to start with room temperature ingredients. Oftentimes, I’ll take the cream cheese and eggs out of the refrigerator about an hour before making the batter.
Don’t Overbake – The middle should still be slightly jiggly when the cheesecake is done baking. It’ll firm up as it cools since the residual heat will continue cooking it.
Cool It Slowly – A slow and gradual cooldown is best when it comes to cheesecakes. So rather than immediately pulling it out of the oven, turn off the oven, crack the door a couple of inches, and leave the cheesecake inside for an hour. Then, let it cool to room temperature on the counter (about an hour) before chilling in the refrigerator for 6 hours. Ideally, you want to make the cheesecake the night before serving, so that it has plenty of time to chill thorougly.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Ingredients
Caramel:
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
Biscoff Cookie Crust:
- 2 ½ cup crushed Biscoff cookies (about 35 Biscoff cookies)
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
Batter:
- 32 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup caramel (from recipe above)
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
Apple Pie Filling:
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 cups peeled and thinly-sliced apples (about 5 medium apples*)
- ⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅓ cup water
To Decorate:
- Caramel (from recipe above)
- Whipped cream
- ½ cup Chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
Make the Caramel:
- Pour the water into a medium stainless steel saucepan. Pour the sugar into the center of the pan, making sure none of the sugar crystals hit the sides. Add the corn syrup.
- Place pan over medium heat, leaving it alone for the first 5 minutes or until it the color begins to turn yellowish. Once you see some color, gently swirl the pan around occasionally as it boils. Continue boiling until the caramel reaches a golden amber color, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. Caramel will sizzle and bubble up. Stir in the salt, and continue whisking until caramel is smooth. If needed, return pan over medium-low heat, stirring until caramel is smooth. Transfer to dish or glass measuring cup to cool completely. Caramel will continue to thicken as it cools.
Make the Crust:
- Preaheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Using a fork, toss the cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter together in a medium bowl. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and cool slightly.
Make the Batter:
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on high until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add both sugars and continue beating for another 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the caramel and continue beating until smooth. Add the cornstarch, vanilla, and salt, and beat until incorporated. Beat in the eggs, two at a time, until combined--try not to overmix.
- Pour batter into the crust, smoothing out the top. Bake cheesecake for 60-70 minutes, or until center appears nearly set when shaken. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the cheesecake cool for 1 hour. Then, remove it from the oven and let it cool for another hour before placing it into the fridge. Chill for at least 6 hours (overnight is best).
Make the Apple Filling:
- Melt the butter in a large pan set over medium heat. Add the apples, and toss until evenly-coated in the butter. Stir in both sugars, spices and salt. Bring to a simmer, then cook until apples soften, about 10-15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together.
- Pour the cornstarch liquid over the softened apples and carefully stir. Continue cooking and stirring until filling has thickened. Cool completely.
To Assemble:
- Place cheesecake onto a serving dish or platter. Spoon apple filling evenly on top. Drizzle caramel over the top. If desired, pipe whipped cream along the border of the cheesecake and sprinkle pecans on top. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes