These caramel apple cheesecake bars stack four layers in one 9×13-inch pan: a buttery shortbread crust, a cream cheese filling, finely chopped cinnamon apples and a crumbly oat streusel, all finished with a caramel drizzle. This caramel apple cheesecake bars recipe is a good one to bring to a potluck, because one pan cuts into 24 bars.
The quantities on my card follow the version credited to Paula Deen, which many food blogs have adapted. I checked it against a Taste of Home version and a blog version with a thicker filling. I lay out the differences below, so you can pick the bar you like best.
Jump to the recipe card at the end of this page for exact quantities and a printable version.
What’s in It
The crust is flour, brown sugar and butter, cut together until crumbly and pressed into the pan. The filling is cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla. On top go three Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely chopped, tossed with a little sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, followed by a streusel of brown sugar, flour, quick oats and butter. A caramel ice cream topping goes over the finished bars. You’ll need a 9×13-inch baking pan, foil or parchment paper to line it, a pastry blender or two forks, and a hand mixer.
Is This Really Paula Deen’s Recipe?
Many pages online call this Paula Deen’s recipe, and several copies say it came from her website and from Food Network. I couldn’t open her original page, so I’m going by those copies, and they agree on the quantities. A Taste of Home version credits Katherine White and shares almost the same core: 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, two 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese and three tart apples. One reviewer there says it is the same as Paula Deen’s. I can’t tell who wrote it first, so I won’t guess. What I can do is show you where the versions differ.
Choosing the Apples
Use Granny Smith apples. They are tart, and the rest of this recipe is sweet from the filling, the brown sugar and the caramel, so the sharp flavor balances it. They also hold their shape in the oven better than many soft apples, so you get small pieces instead of mush. If you can’t find them, Golden Delicious apples bake well too, though the bars will taste sweeter.
Peel the apples, because peel stays chewy in a 30 minute bake. Then chop them fine, about 1/4 inch. That size is my own rule of thumb, based on the short bake time. Big chunks stay firm in the middle. Three apples come to about 3 cups when chopped, according to one published version of this recipe.
How I Make It
- Heat the oven and line the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C, 160°C fan, gas mark 4). Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil or parchment, leaving a little hanging over the two long sides, and grease it lightly. The overhang lets you lift the whole slab out later, which makes clean cuts much easier.
- Make the crust. Stir the flour and brown sugar together. Cut in the softened butter with a pastry blender, two forks or your fingers until the mixture looks like damp crumbs. Press it into the bottom of the pan in an even layer. The bottom of a flat measuring cup helps.
- Bake the crust. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Taste of Home says 15 to 18 minutes, so go by color. Leave the oven on. The filling goes onto the crust while it is still warm, and a set, lightly browned crust gives the wet filling something firm to sit on.
- Mix the streusel. While the crust bakes, combine the brown sugar, flour, quick oats and softened butter for the topping. Use your hands until it forms clumps with some pea-sized crumbs. Skip the food processor, since one published version warns that it grinds up the oats. If your kitchen is warm and the mixture feels greasy, chill it while you make the filling.
- Beat the filling. Beat the cream cheese and 1/2 cup of the sugar on medium speed until smooth, with no lumps. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, then the vanilla, and stop as soon as everything is combined. My reading is that fast beating whips in extra air, which can puff the filling and crack it. Pour the filling over the warm crust and spread it level.
- Add the apples. Toss the chopped apples with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, the cinnamon and the nutmeg. Spoon them over the filling right away and leave any juice behind in the bowl. Sugar pulls water out of fruit as it sits, and extra liquid can loosen the top of the filling.
- Top with streusel. Scatter the streusel evenly over the apples. It looks like a lot, and it settles as it bakes.
- Bake until set. Bake for 30 minutes. The filling is done when the edges are set and the center barely jiggles when you nudge the pan. An instant read thermometer is more exact. Cook’s Illustrated gives 150°F as the doneness point for cheesecake, so push the probe through a gap in the apples and streusel. If the streusel browns too fast, cover the pan loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Add the caramel. Drizzle the caramel topping over the hot bars. For a crisper streusel, wait and drizzle just before serving. My reading is that caramel slowly soaks into the streusel as the bars sit in the fridge.
- Cool, then chill. Cool the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Lift the slab out by the foil, set it on a board and cut it into 24 bars. Wipe the knife clean between cuts.
The Version Differences Nobody Mentions
The copies of this recipe look alike, but they are not the same. This table shows only the parts that change. I’m comparing the published versions here, not testing them.
Here is how I read the differences. The thicker version bakes longer because it has a filling layer about 50 percent deeper, and a deeper layer takes longer to set. The Taste of Home crust has a quarter less butter than the Paula Deen crust. Using standard weights (227 g of butter and 120 g of flour per cup), I worked out about 170 g of butter to 240 g of flour in one and 227 g to 240 g in the other. So I’d expect the Paula Deen crust to be richer and softer, and the Taste of Home crust to be firmer. That comes from the numbers, not from side by side baking.
My card uses the Paula Deen quantities. If you want a thicker cheesecake layer, use the third column.
The Bar Count Nobody Explains
Copies of this recipe online say it makes anywhere from 15 to 36 bars, and the pan is always 9×13 inches. Only the knife changes. A 9×13 pan has 117 square inches of surface (9 times 13). I divided that by each cutting grid to see what size you really get.
I used 24 on the card. A square of about 2 inches is plenty with the streusel and caramel on top.
Pan Sizes, Scaling and Conversions
I scaled the recipe by pan area. This is my own arithmetic, and I haven’t baked every size, so go by the doneness cues and not only the clock. Half a batch in an 8×8-inch pan (64 square inches) makes layers about 9 percent thinner than the full recipe in a 9×13, so start checking a few minutes early. A 9×9-inch pan (81 square inches) would make them about 28 percent thinner, so I’d skip it. A 13×18-inch half sheet pan has 234 square inches, which is exactly double the area of a 9×13, so a double batch should keep the same depth. Use a pan with sides at least 1 inch tall.
For the half batch, halve every ingredient. For the thicker filling, only the filling changes: 24 oz of cream cheese, 3/4 cup of sugar, 3 eggs and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla.
Conversions. 350°F is 180°C, which is 160°C in a fan oven or gas mark 4. A 9×13-inch pan is about 23×33 cm, and an 8×8-inch pan is 20×20 cm. King Arthur lists 1 cup of all-purpose flour as 120 g, packed brown sugar as 213 g, butter as 227 g and cream cheese as 227 g. Published flour weights range from 120 g to 141 g per cup, so weigh your flour if you can.
Common Mistakes and How I Fixed Them
The crust is soft. The likely cause is a crust that was pressed unevenly or came out of the oven too pale. Press it evenly, bake it until the edges turn light brown, and pour the filling on while the crust is still warm.
The center is wobbly after chilling. The filling was underbaked. Ovens vary, so check for a barely jiggling center, or use a thermometer and look for 150°F. Next time, add a few minutes.
The apples are crunchy. The pieces were too big for a 30 minute bake. Chop them to about 1/4 inch.
The top looks puffed or cracked. Fast mixing and overbaking are the usual causes. Beat the eggs in on low speed and pull the pan once the center barely moves. The streusel hides small cracks, as Taste of Home points out.
The streusel is pasty. The butter was too soft, or the mixture was worked too long. Stop mixing when it forms clumps, and chill it for about 15 minutes if your kitchen is warm.
The cuts are messy. The bars were cut while still soft. Chill them fully, lift the slab out on the foil, and wipe the knife between cuts.
The caramel disappears. A thin sauce soaks into the streusel. Use a thicker caramel topping, or drizzle it just before serving.
Variations and Substitutions
- Thicker cheesecake layer. Use the quantities and bake time in the scaling section above.
- Cookie or graham cracker crust. Taste of Home says you can crush cookies or graham crackers for the base. The crust and the streusel will taste different from each other, but it works.
- Pears instead of apples. Taste of Home suggests firm baking pears such as Bosc.
- No caramel. One blog version notes the bars are still good without the drizzle, which helps if someone at the table doesn’t like caramel.
What to Serve With It
Cold milk, hot coffee or a mug of chai all work well. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of lightly whipped cream turns a bar into a plated dessert. For a holiday table, set the pan out next to a pumpkin pie and let people choose.
Make Ahead, Storing and Freezing
Make ahead. These bars need 3 hours of cooling and chilling anyway, so I’d bake them the day before. A night in the fridge also means no rushing at cutting time.
Fridge. Cover the pan, or put the cut bars in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Recipe sites say 4 or 5 days. I went with 4 because that is the USDA’s advice for leftovers.
Out on the table. The bars contain eggs and cream cheese. My reading is that the USDA two hour rule for perishable food applies, so put them back in the fridge within 2 hours, or 1 hour if the room is above 90°F.
Freezer. Cut the bars, freeze them on a tray for about an hour, then wrap each one tightly or layer them with parchment in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. The USDA says food kept at 0°F stays safe indefinitely, but quality drops over time, and it gives 2 to 6 months for best quality in leftovers. Recipe sites say 3 or 4 months, which sits inside that range. Freeze the bars without the caramel and drizzle it on after thawing. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.
FAQs
Do I have to use Granny Smith apples?
No, but they are the best fit. Their tartness balances the sweet filling and they hold their shape. Golden Delicious apples also bake well, though the bars will taste sweeter.
How do I know the cheesecake layer is done?
The edges should be set and the center should barely jiggle when you nudge the pan. A thermometer reading of 150°F in the middle is the standard cheesecake doneness mark. It will finish setting as the bars cool and chill.
Can I make caramel apple cheesecake bars in an 8×8 pan?
Yes, with half the recipe. Use 8 oz of cream cheese and 1 egg, and start checking the bars at about 25 minutes, since the layers come out a little thinner.
Should I serve these bars warm or cold?
Cold is best for clean cuts. They need at least 2 hours in the fridge after the 1 hour cooling. Some people like them slightly warmed, but they will be soft and harder to lift.
What kind of caramel should I use?
Use a caramel ice cream topping, not the wrapped candy kind. A thicker brand stays on top in neat lines, and a thin one soaks into the streusel.
Can I freeze caramel apple cheesecake bars?
Yes. Freeze them for up to 3 months without the caramel, wrapped well. Thaw them in the fridge overnight and add the caramel before serving.
How long do the bars last in the fridge?
Up to 4 days in an airtight container. Some recipe sites say 5, but 4 matches USDA advice for leftovers.
Can I use old-fashioned oats for the streusel?
I’d stick with quick oats, since the recipe was written with them. Taste of Home notes that quick oats are smaller and mix more evenly into the flour and sugar. Rolled oats are chunkier, and I haven’t tried them here.
One Last Thing
Chop the apples small, bake until the center barely jiggles, and chill the bars fully before you cut them. Those three steps decide how the bars turn out. Everything else on the page is there to help you pick the size, the thickness and the storage plan that suit your table.
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat oven. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C, 160°C fan, gas mark 4). Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil or parchment, leaving an overhang on the long sides, and grease lightly.
- Mix crust. Stir the crust flour and brown sugar together. Cut in the butter until the mixture looks like damp crumbs.
- Bake crust. Press the crumbs evenly into the pan. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Keep the oven on.
- Make streusel. While the crust bakes, combine the streusel ingredients by hand until they form clumps. Chill for 15 minutes if the kitchen is warm.
- Beat filling. Beat the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, then the vanilla. Pour over the warm crust and spread level.
- Add apples. Toss the apples with 2 tbsp sugar, the cinnamon and the nutmeg. Spoon over the filling, leaving any juice in the bowl.
- Add streusel. Scatter the streusel evenly over the apples.
- Bake bars. Bake for 30 minutes, until the edges are set and the center barely jiggles (150°F in the middle). Cover with foil for the last 10 minutes if the top browns too fast.
- Drizzle caramel. Drizzle the caramel over the hot bars, or wait until serving for a crisper streusel.
- Cool and chill. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour, then chill for at least 2 hours. Lift out by the foil and cut into 24 bars, wiping the knife between cuts.
Notes
- Pan and oven: a 9×13-inch pan is about 23×33 cm. 350°F is 180°C, 160°C fan, gas mark 4.
- Thicker filling: use 24 oz cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, 3 eggs and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla in the filling, and bake 40 to 45 minutes.
- Weights (King Arthur conversions): crust 240 g flour, 106 g brown sugar and 227 g butter. Filling 454 g cream cheese. Streusel 213 g brown sugar, 120 g flour and 113 g butter.
- Half batch: halve everything, use 1 egg and an 8×8-inch pan, and start checking at 25 minutes.
- Doneness and cutting: the edges are set and the center barely jiggles. Chill fully before cutting for clean bars.
- Storage: refrigerate up to 4 days. Freeze without the caramel for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition note: Values are approximate per bar, based on 24 bars per pan. Includes caramel drizzle and assumes salted butter. Excludes ice cream and whipped cream. Calculated from typical ingredient nutrition values and intended as a guide, not a verified laboratory analysis.
Made this? Leave a star rating and a comment below, it’s how this recipe gets found by other people searching for it, and how future versions get better. If you try one of the variations above, let me know how it turned out.
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