Apple Crumble Cheesecake

Where did apple crumble originate?

Apple crumble is a baked dessert that originated in the United Kingdom during the 1940s. It was a product invented from the efforts of the people trying to make a fun dessert out of their limited rations due to the ongoing World War II.

Known for its baked apple under a crumble topping made of brown sugar, melted butter, and flour, the apple crumble recipe was immediately well-loved. 

As years went by and the recipe was passed along, apple crumble easily became a mainstay in various cuisines and is currently used to elevate classic desserts such as cheesecakes.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This baked cheesecake recipe is packed with plenty of things to love.

• It easily fits autumn-themed parties. Thanks to its autumnal flavors and visuals, this cheesecake is a surefire way to impress guests at parties that happen during fall.
• The ingredients are grocery and kitchen staples. You probably already have them on your shelves.
• This apple crisp cheesecake is an aromatic delight. Your family or guests will be delighted to smell the caramel apple crumble cheesecake filling your home.

If you love the taste of apple crumble toppings and want to try a breakfast recipe, check out and try these Apple Crumble Muffins.

🥘 Ingredients

When I said the ingredients for this recipe are very easy to get, that statement was definitely not a joke. 

• Cookies: Prepare some shortbread cookies to make a strong base for this cheesecake.
• Butter: This baking staple adds the richness that binds your cookie crumbs together once you bake the crust.
• Cinnamon: Just a pinch of this spice offers a warm kick to the apple cheesecake filling, crumb topping, and crust that enhances the overall taste of this recipe.
• Brown sugar: This common baking ingredient gives a subtle caramel flavor to complement the creaminess of the cheesecake and to balance the tart flavor of the apple crisp.
• Cream cheese: This is the star ingredient in making the cheesecake filling. It’ll contribute a velvety texture and creamy taste that makes this cheesecake as good as it’s meant to be.
• White sugar: This ingredient sweetens the cheesecake batter and also contributes to its smooth texture and creamy consistency.
• Sour cream: You’ll need this to give your cheesecake a slightly tangy flavor.
• Vanilla: A perfect cheesecake recipe needs a touch of vanilla to give a richer depth to the overall flavor.
• Eggs: This kitchen staple binds the ingredients together so the cheesecake will keep standing stable. 
• Corn starch: A tablespoon of this enhances the batter’s smooth texture, allowing the cheesecake to be free of cracks once it’s done.
• Green apples: Get fresh apples to add the best tartness and a crispy texture to your dish.
• Oatmeal: The oat will provide an extra crisp and nutty flavor for the top of the cheesecake and apple slices.
• Wheat flour: This ingredient helps the apples and crumble stick together.

See recipe card for quantities.

🔀 Substitutions

Cookies: Crushing cookies isn’t exactly time-efficient, so you may replace them with ready-made graham cracker crumbs to make a graham cracker crust.

Green apples: If you don’t have green apples on hand, you can use other crisp and tart apple varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp.

🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins

Make your afternoon snacks more exciting with these delicious variations!

• Apple Crumble Cheesecake Bars: If you’re feeling up for it, you can make apple crumble cheesecake bars by using smaller molds. A heads up, though, this variation is more time-consuming, but the visual appeal is worth the time.
• Maple-Pecan Fun: Enhance the streusel topping by mixing in crushed pecan nuts and a generous drizzle of maple syrup. 

If you love these recipe variations, you should definitely try out this Maple Walnut Bread. It’s another heavenly dessert packed with a unique maple sweetness.

🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools

Most of the things you need to cook this recipe are already in your kitchen. Just get these out to ensure a problem-free baking experience.

• Springform pan: The removable bottom of this pan is going to be helpful for easily releasing the sidewalls without damaging the cheesecake. 
• Stand mixer: With all the mixing this recipe requires, a stand mixer with a paddle attachment will definitely come in handy. 
• Mixing bowls: This recipe requires a medium bowl and a small bowl for combining ingredients, making the crust, preparing the filling, and mixing the crumble topping.

🔪 How to Make Apple Crumble Cheesecake

This apple crumble cheesecake isn’t the easiest dessert out there, but trust me, once you taste it, you’ll realize that this recipe is well worth the effort.

Step 1: Make the crust mixture

Crush the cookies into crumbs using a rolling pin. Then, add the cinnamon, sugar, melted butter, and mix.

Step 2: Bake the crust

Use aluminum foil to cover your pan mold 3-4 times, ensuring that the foil also covers the side of the pan. After doing so, add the crust mixture so it covers the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 180°C or 350°F.

Step 3: Mix the filling

Put the cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and sour cream in a bowl and mix thoroughly. You should then add the starch and mix again. 

Once done, incorporate the eggs into the dough as well, but make sure you don’t beat when mixing.

Step 4: Pour the filling in

Pour the cheesecake filling into the mold on top of the formed crust you’ve finished baking. Make sure to flatten the top.

Step 5: Add the apples

The apples for this recipe need to be peeled and then sliced thin. Sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar before putting each slice on top of the cheesecake.

Step 6: Make the topping

Mix the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter all together until the mixture’s texture is similar to that of wet sand. Then, add the crumb topping over the apple slices. 

Step 7: Bake the cheesecake

Place your cheesecake mold in a large frying pan or baking sheet. Fill with boiling water added for a water bath, until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the pan. After that, put the cheesecake in the oven for 60 minutes at 350°F. You might need to cover the top with some aluminum foil but don’t cover it all the way. 

Step 8: Serve and enjoy

After baking, turn off the oven and open its doors to let the cheesecake cool down for an hour. Then, store the cake in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight before serving. 

Personal tip: It’s best to enjoy this cheesecake with some salted caramel drizzled on top!

👩‍🍳 Pro Tips

• Prevent cracks in your cheesecake by avoiding overmixing the filling after adding the eggs. Overmixing adds too much air that leads to cracks during baking.
• Bring your cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream out of the fridge for a while before mixing. Room-temperature ingredients blend more smoothly, resulting in a creamier filling.

❓ Recipe FAQs

🙏 Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Apple Crumble Cheesecake: