This caramel apple cheesecake pie has so many layers to love: it starts with a crisp and buttery graham cracker crust, followed by a creamy brown sugar cheesecake filling, sweet cinnamon-spiced apples, homemade salted caramel, and finished with a streusel topping. It’s like apple crisp meets cheesecake, and you’ll be very glad that they did!
I always love a good dessert mash-up, especially when it involves cheesecake. Have you seen this pecan pie cheesecake or these coconut cheesecake brownies before?
Today we’re talking all things apple. This recipe is as if I started making an apple crisp or salted caramel apple pie, then threw in a cheesecake. It’s very layered, textured, rich, and undoubtedly tasty. During testing and photography, my team and I made about 8 of these pies… and neighbors were literally leaving notes on our doors to bring them more. (Yes, that really happened!)
Why You’ll Love This Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
- A “people pleaser” dessert—satisfies the cheesecake lovers and apple pie lovers
- No water bath or pastry pie crust needed
- A magnificent use of dessert’s favorite condiment, homemade salted caramel
- Tons of texture in every bite
- It’s a lot of steps and layers, but each is quite simple to make
- A great make-ahead recipe because it needs time to chill
4 Layers to Love
This is a texture lover’s pie, for sure. Crispy, crumbly, creamy… oh my!
- Graham Cracker Crust: A classic crumb crust gets extra crispy from a longer bake time, just like in this s’mores brownie pie.
- Cheesecake Filling: Smooth, velvety, creamy, and lightly tangy cheesecake pie filling provides a perfect contrast to the textures in the layers above and below.
- Caramel Apples: Tart apples get the sweet treatment here. Tossed in cinnamon & brown sugar, then drizzled with salted caramel… is there a better way to get your apple a day? They bake long enough to soften but still maintain their texture, much like an apple pie.
- Streusel Topping: This crumbly topping is a scaled-down version of what we use on these salted caramel apple pie bars. I reduced the quantity down because, in testing, I found that too much streusel topping created a mushy layer on this pie.
Pie Testing (& Retesting)
My team and I tested many different versions to figure out the very BEST way to make caramel apple cheesecake pie. Some tests:
- We tried pre-cooking the apples before adding them to the pie, but not only was it an extra step (and an extra pan to wash), it made the apple layer a bit too soft and wet.
- Then we tried layering the caramel and apples directly on top of the crust, but the caramel adhered to the crust, making it nearly impossible to cut.
- We tried it without the streusel topping. Silly mistake. Our strategically selected panel of taste testers (i.e., neighbors who happened to be home—LOL) overwhelmingly preferred the versions with the streusel topping to the versions without.
All this recipe testing led to today’s truly delicious dessert—are you ready for it?
Start With a Graham Cracker Crust:
The recipe begins with this graham cracker crust. It’s just 3 simple ingredients: graham crackers, granulated sugar, and melted butter. If you’ve had trouble with graham cracker crust in the past, or if it’s not easy to get graham crackers where you are, read this How to Make a Graham Cracker Crust post for guidance and substitution suggestions.
Bake the crust by itself for 10 minutes, so it can set its shape before filling the pie. It’s ideal if the crust is still a tad warm when you add the filling (so it adheres nicely to the base).
Grab These Ingredients for Filling & Topping:
- Cream Cheese: Use 12 ounces (339g) of full-fat brick cream cheese. Make sure you’re buying the bricks of cream cheese and not the tubs of cream cheese spread.
- Brown Sugar: We’re using brown sugar in the cheesecake filling, like we do in this pecan pie cheesecake. Brown sugar also goes in the caramel apple and streusel layers.
- Sour Cream: Makes for a smooth and velvety texture, and gives it that lightly tangy flavor we all love in cheesecakes.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract adds flavor, especially homemade vanilla extract!
- Egg: The egg provides structure in this baked cheesecake pie.
- Apples: I like to use a mix of tart & sweet apples in baking, like 1 Granny Smith and 1 Honeycrisp or other sweet variety. Peel and slice them really thin, then chop the slices into bite-size pieces. If your apples are too thick, they won’t soften enough when the pie bakes.
- Lemon Juice: I usually include lemon juice in a cheesecake filling, but in this pie, let’s add it to the apples. Tossing the chopped apples in lemon juice helps prevent browning, but we also want to give them a head start on softening before we layer them in the pie.
- Cinnamon: Apple’s favorite spice!
- Homemade Salted Caramel: Have you ever made this liquid gold before? This recipe for salted caramel is surprisingly simple. Use some in the filling and then as much as you want when serving the finished pie. If you want regular caramel (and not salted), reduce the salt in the caramel recipe down to 1/2 teaspoon.
- Oats: Use old-fashioned whole rolled oats. If you don’t want oats in the streusel topping, try halving the crumble topping used on this apple crumble pie and use that instead.
- Flour: Just a little bit in the streusel topping, for structure.
- Butter: Cut cold, cubed butter into the dry streusel ingredients, until you have a crumbly topping. You also use butter in the crust. (And in the homemade caramel!)
Again, there are a lot of layers. Go slow, and read through the recipe and watch the video tutorial before you begin. I categorize this as an intermediate baking recipe.
Let’s Assemble the Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
In the printable recipe below, I encourage you to start with the crust, then move on to the toppings before you make the cheesecake filling. Make the streusel first, and then chill it in the refrigerator or freezer as you work on the other layers. The colder the streusel, the better it will hold shape in the oven. A pastry cutter makes this step easy, or you can try cutting in the butter using 2 forks:
After your streusel is in the refrigerator, peel, slice, and chop the apples. Mix them with a little brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. You can see the apples when I layer them onto the filling below.
The cheesecake filling is a snap. It’s a slightly reduced version of this cheesecake pie filling. I reduced the amounts because we’re topping it with so many layers.
Spread the filling into the slightly warm pre-baked crust, and then top with the apple layer, a couple Tablespoons of salted caramel, and then the cold streusel topping.
Here is the pie before & after baking:
The caramel apple cheesecake pie needs about 45 minutes in the oven. Around the 30 or 35-minute mark, I loosely tent it with aluminum foil to prevent the top and crust from over-browning. The pie filling may seem a little wobbly when it’s done, but it will finish setting up as it cools and chills.
Cooling, Chilling, & Serving
Cool the pie at room temperature for about an hour, and then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
Since you used only a few Tablespoons of the caramel sauce in the pie, you’ll have plenty leftover for serving. Besides this pie, the salted caramel is fantastic on ice cream, pancakes, oatmeal, and so much more—find 50 ways to eat salted caramel here. I love gifting jars of it around the holidays!
Totally worth all of the prepwork!
Even More Apple Desserts
- Homemade Caramel Apples
- Apple Cake
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Gluten Free Apple Crisp
- Apple Cinnamon Babka
See Your Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pies!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
PrintCaramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes (includes crust pre-bake)
- Total Time: 4 hours, 25 minutes
- Yield: one 9-inch pie
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This recipe uses prepared homemade salted caramel in the filling, and for garnish on the finished pie. You can make the caramel ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. I encourage you to make the crust first, and then prepare the toppings before you make the filling. So many layers to love in this caramel apple cheesecake pie!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheet graham crackers)
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted
Streusel Topping
- 1/3 cup (28g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats*
- 3 Tablespoons (24g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3 Tablespoons (40g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Apple Layer
- 2 cups (250g) peeled, thinly sliced, and chopped apples*
- 1 Tablespoon (13g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2–3 Tablespoons salted caramel (plus more for topping)*
Cheesecake Filling
- 12 ounces (339g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (45g) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Have your ingredients ready and salted caramel prepared.
- Make the crust: If you’re starting out with full graham crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. Stir the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl, and then stir in the melted butter. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 9-inch pie dish. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumby/crumbly. Tips: You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help press down the bottom crust and smooth out the surface, but do not pack down too hard. And run a spoon around the bottom “corner” where the edge and bottom meet to help make a rounded crust—this helps prevent the crust from falling apart. For more shaping technique tips, see the graham cracker crust recipe page.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Continue with the next steps as the crust bakes.
- Make the streusel topping: Whisk the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry cutter or 2 forks (or even with your hands) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Place the bowl of streusel in the refrigerator to chill while you continue with the next step.
- Prepare the apples: Mix the thinly sliced & chopped apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Set aside. (The caramel will be layered on top of them when you assemble the pie.)
- Make the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, and then beat until fully combined and very smooth. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed to combine—you don’t want any large lumps. Add the egg and beat on medium speed just until combined. If you still see some lumps at this point, switch to a whisk and whisk by hand just until you break up the large lumps. Some small lumps are OK.
- Assemble the layers: Spread the cheesecake filling into the crust. The crust can still be warm at this point. A small offset spatula makes spreading easy. Spoon apples in an even layer on top of the cheesecake filling. Drizzle salted caramel over the apples. Sprinkle cold streusel evenly on top.
- Lower the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C) and bake the pie for 45 minutes, or until the center is almost set (it will still be a bit wobbly in the center—that’s OK). To prevent burning the crust edges, tent the entire pie with aluminum foil or use a pie crust shield for the last 10–15 minutes of baking.
- Set the pie on a wire rack and cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Then place it in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days before serving. The pie will continue to set up as it cools and chills. (Cover if chilling it for longer than a few hours.) The topping softens the longer it sits.
- To serve, drizzle chilled pie with more salted caramel. Salted caramel solidifies as it cools, so warm it back up to drizzle it. For neat slices, use a clean sharp knife, and wipe the knife clean between each slice. Tip: The first slice is never pretty! Much easier to slice after that first piece is out.
- Cover and store leftover pie in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: This caramel apple cheesecake pie can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It’s best if the crust is still a bit warm when you pour in the filling, so I don’t recommend pre-baking the crust in advance. You can freeze the baked, cooled, and chilled pie. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Note that the streusel topping becomes very soft after freezing and thawing.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Apple Peeler | Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Pastry Cutter | Pie Dish | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Small Offset Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Oats: Whole oats are best, but you can use quick oats if needed. The crumble topping will just be a little more powdery. Use a 1:1 swap from whole oats to quick oats. For an oat-less topping, try halving the crumble recipe used on this apple crumble pie.
- Apples: For depth of flavor, it’s best to bake with a mix of sweet and tart apples. I usually use 1 small Honeycrisp apple and 1 small Granny Smith apple.
- Salted Caramel: If you prefer regular caramel and not salted, reduce salt in the caramel recipe down to 1/2 teaspoon.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring all cold ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients combine quickly and evenly, so you won’t risk over-mixing. Also, beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky cheesecake filling, hardly the way you want to begin!
- Non-US Readers: If graham crackers are not available where you live, use 200g ground digestive biscuit crumbs (about 2 cups; 13–14 biscuits), 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, and 6 Tablespoons (85g) melted butter. Pre-bake the crust for a bit longer, about 12–14 minutes. And from what I understand, spreadable cream cheese sold in a tub in countries outside of the US is a little different from the spreadable cream cheese in the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and more solid and should be OK to make this pie. I have no experience with it, but this is what I’ve heard from other non-US readers. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
For any reader who has doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9×13 share how long it took to bake?
I followed the recipe and idk what I did wrong but I feel like I should have doubled the recipe. I used the correct pan and followed every step. I knew it wasn’t right by the volume of the cream cheese filling. I followed directions. Not sure what went wrong. I make cheesecakes twice a year and never encountered this issue. Would love feed back. It seems like a solid recipe tho thank you ❤️
Hi Britt, what exactly seemed off? We’d be happy to help troubleshoot. Keep in mind that this cheesecake pie is thinner than a tall cheesecake. We haven’t tried it, but a few readers have doubled the recipe in a 9×13-inch pan with success, if you’d want to give it a try. We’re unsure of the bake time.
I really want to try this recipe, but will be baking for a larger group. How do you think it would turn out if I doubled the recipe and made it in a 9X13 like a slab pie?
Hi Heather, we have not tried this, but a few readers have doubled the recipe in a 9×13-inch pan with success. We’re unsure of the best bake time though. Let us know if you try it!
Thank you! I’ll let you know how it turns out. 🙂
This looks incredible! What are your thoughts on leaving out the sour cream?
Hi Chris, we don’t recommend it. Sour cream makes for a smooth and velvety texture, and gives it that lightly tangy flavor—otherwise the pie will taste like baked cream cheese. You could use the same amount of plain yogurt in a pinch. Hope you enjoy it!
Very good but quite sweet. Next time I’m going to cut back on the sugar. Thanks again for such a great recipe!
Hi Sally Love all your recipes. Is there anything you can put on your crust before baking to keep it from getting soggy? I love a graham cracker crust but it tends to get soggy. I am going to make 2 for Thanksgiving. Thanks for all the great recipes.
Hi Phyllis, we don’t have any tricks for this other than baking it for 10 minutes before adding the filling. You could try increasing the bake time a bit, to get it a little crispier, but then you run the risk of the edges of the crust getting too brown and tasting a bit burnt. You could also try making this pie with a Biscoff crust, and see if that works better for you!
Thanks Beth. I will give it a try.
I won my company’s bakeoff event by making this cake. Thank you for the amazing recipe! 🙂
I made cupcakes out of the recipe. It made 12 regular size & 24 small. However, I could/should have put more cheesecake mixture in each cupcake liner as the cheesecake doesn’t rise. I also added apple flavoring to the cheesecake mixture, but decided that didn’t taste as good as just adding vanilla as the recipe states. I also decided to put a small pitcher of caramel next to the cupcakes so folks could drizzle caramel on their cupcakes.
Was that 12 regular AND 24 small for 1 recipe? I’m going to make regular muffin sized ones for my work potluck and was wondering if I should double or not. Thanks!
This looks like heaven! I need to make it for a friend who is gluten-free. Do you think I could just omit the streusel topping or would the cheesecake be missing something really important? If you think the streusel is kind of a make it or break it, I will just save it for another time and make it as it is meant to be.
Hi Erin, without the streusel topping, the apples may dry out since nothing would be covering them. I would still make it and replace the all-purpose flour with a GF flour. And be sure to use certified GF oats, and GF graham crackers.
The flavors and concept of this recipe is amazing, but given there is so much sugar in each part, it’s extremely sweet. If you prefer less sweet desserts, I would cut down the sugar across the board, especially since the caramel topping adds an extra serving of sugar.
Would this work with no crust?
Hi Alexys, I’m sure it would bake up just fine, but I’m not sure how the texture would be. Let me know if you try it.
I made this dessert for my family tonight-a This was a hit with everyone in my family!!! My daughter kept saying “O mom this is so good! “ The pie was so delicious!!! It was definitely a home run!! Thanks for sharing!!!
I made this last year and it was delish!! I would love to make for a work party. Instead of making two pies, has anyone doubled the cheesecake part of recipe or made in a springform pan?
Hi Nikki, If you’re like to use a springform pan, we’d recommend using the brown sugar cheesecake base from this pecan pie cheesecake and then the apple + streusel topping from this recipe.
won a little baking contest with this recipe 🙂
Would a pie dish that is 2 inches in height be tall enough to accommodate the crust, filling and apple topping! My pie dish is 9 inches but I’m worried about the volume of the dish. I’m looking forward to making this recipe this Friday!
Hi Zarin, that will work—our go-to pie dish is 2-inches deep as well. Hope you enjoy the pie!
Just made this pie and it came together easily even with the various steps. I made the salted caramel and ground the graham crackers the day before. I’d recommend watching the video. I “thinly sliced and chopped” my apples like the written instructions. The video shows more uniform apple slices. I used dark brown sugar and the flavor was delicious. I had leftover caramel sauce that I froze to use later. I can’t wait to see what friends and family think of this after it is served.
Hey Sally & Sally’s team, the recipe sounds delicious and I would like to prepare this for Saturday.
After baking should I directly add the salted caramel and then let the pie cool down? Or should I add this after the hour and before putting the pie in the fridge?
Hi Fenia, you will drizzle salted caramel over the apples in Step 7, and then you can drizzle additional salted caramel on top of the baked and cooled pie. Hope you enjoy it!
Can I use a tart pan with a removable bottom instead of a pie plate?
Hi Mary, we fear that a tart pan is not thick enough, unless you use a rather large one (larger than 10 inches, at least). Let us know if you do try it.
This looks delicious! Can the apple topping be modified to use on an actual cheesecake?
Absolutely. No modifications needed… you can bake it right on top of a regular cheesecake. Some of it may sink down, so keep that in mind. (The apples here prevent it from sinking down too much.)
Hi! I had a question in regards to the texture of the apples in this pie since you indicate ‘slice thinly’. My personal preference is that the apples in the pie will have a “bite” to them and won’t be mushy. Do the Granny Smith/Honeycrisp here stay a bit crispy despite being sliced thin…? I think I would be inclined to keep the apples cut to around 1/4 inch to avoid mushiness. When you say thinly sliced, is that thinner than 1/4 inch..? Thanks-I’m gonna make this this weekend!
Hi Paula, if you’d prefer the apples to still have a little crispness to them, you can definitely slice them a bit thicker. 1/4 inch or even slightly thicker. Hope you love the pie!
This was a huge hit at a dinner I hosted. Everyone raved at how flavorful the cheesecake was, without being heavy. It is definitely on the list for Thanksgiving desserts now as well.
Can I substitute everything to make this gluten free?
Hi Savannah, We haven’t tested this gluten free, but can’t see why not!
Will it work in a springform pan?
Hi Cathy, While you could make this recipe in a springform pan, it would be a thin cheesecake. This cheesecake pie is thinner than a tall cheesecake. We’re unsure of the exact bake time. If you want a tall cheesecake, use the brown sugar cheesecake base from this pecan pie cheesecake and then the apple + streusel topping from this recipe.
As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it because it combines 2 of my absolute favorite desserts – cheesecake and apple crumble (with the addition of my favorite flavor, salted caramel). Like all of Sally’s recipes, this did not disappoint!! It is just as delicious as it sounds. Easy to make too!
I would like to make this recipe ahead of time, but I don’t want the streusel to be too soft. Would it be possible to complete steps 1-7 the day before and then bake the pie the next day? Or could I make the whole thing ahead of time and then toast the top by putting it in the oven on broil before serving? Thank you for your input!
Hi Marie! The full pie can be made up to two days in advance – we found the topping didn’t lose too much crunch. See recipe notes for details!
Made this recipe on a whim. Best cheesecake I have ever had. Made a second batch into cheesecake bites for a neighbor and they begged for the recipe. It’s worth the time and effort for this creamy melt in your mouth dessert
I have made homemade meals every day for the last 5+ years. This is the first time I am leaving a review. As soon as my bf and I took a bite, an “MmmMmMm” came from the deepest depths of our souls. His next words were “this is the best dessert I have had in this house (we were at his moms—whoops , maybe in my life.” With a loud request to “Make this for Christmas!!” It tastes like if fall gave you a hug. That’s the best way I can describe it. I recommend having it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream because the pie is super rich all on its own, but it was one of the best damn things I’ve tasted.
Could I use a regular pie crust on the bottom?
Hi Morganne, we don’t recommend it because we fear the pie dough just won’t cook through on the bottom underneath all of those layers, even if you partially blind bake it. Feel free to try it if you’d like though.
This has become me and my dads all time favorite cheesecake! I’ve made it four times now, it was a hit each time. Everything goes together beautifully. Sally – over the past few years your recipes, blogs, and tips have done wonders for my baking skills.
Hi Sally, my daughter has an egg allergy; is there a way to make the baked cheesecake pie without the egg? Do you have any suggested substitutes? Thank you!
Hi Tneshia, we haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes, so we’re unsure of what might work best. We fear the taste and consistency won’t be quite the same without it. If you’re interested, here are all of our egg-free recipes for browsing.
Hi Sally! I’m wondering if you can use this recipe to make individual servings in a muffin tin?
Hi Angela! We haven’t tried it but you absolutely can! What a fun idea. Use this recipe, but the baking instructions from these mini cheesecakes.