These cool, creamy Apple Cheesecake Bars have three flavorful layers packed with warm spices for an autumnal treat. The base is a Graham cracker crust spiked with cinnamon and nutmeg. The smooth cheesecake layer has cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and sweetened condensed milk for a rich texture. The apple swirl is made with applesauce and more spices and couldn't be prettier when marbled with the cheesecake. These cheesecake bars will be a hit all season long, from backyard fire pit sessions to Thanksgiving dessert.
We love a dessert bar and nothing beats the combination of a Graham cracker crust and a cool, creamy cheesecake filling. Try our Lemon Curd Cheesecake Bars, Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Bars, or Cranberry Cheesecake Bars and you can have a tasty treat for every season!
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Ingredients
I include ingredient notes here when I think they'll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!
- Graham Crackers - Use your favorite brand of Graham crackers here, the recipe requires two "brick" packages, or 10 ounces of crumbs.
- Sugar - Plain granulated sugar sweetens the crust as well as the applesauce filling.
- Salted Butter - This recipe was developed with salted butter. If you only have unsalted butter on hand, add about ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt to the crust mixture before processing.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg - This combination of warm pie spices perfectly complements the applesauce.
- Applesauce - Use an unsweetened applesauce in this recipe to avoid doubling up on the sugar in your apple swirl.
- Lemon Juice - A splash of lemon juice brightens up the applesauce filling.
- Cornstarch - Cornstarch helps to thicken the apple filling so that it marbles well with the cheesecake and bakes up well. Be sure to mix it into the cold applesauce completely before heating to avoid any lumps.
- Cream Cheese - Use standard cream cheese for this recipe. It isn't necessary to bring the cream cheese to room temperature before preparing the filling, the food processor will effectively blend all of the ingredients well.
- Greek Yogurt - Greek yogurt helps to lighten the filling a bit, adds tangy bright flavor, and improves the texture of the final dessert.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk - This magical ingredient gives a silky smooth texture to the bars without any additional eggs. It's a canned pantry staple that you can always have on hand.
- Vanilla - Adding vanilla makes your cheesecake filling have a greater depth of flavor and plays well with the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Prepare the Graham Cracker Crust
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9" x 13" baking pan with parchment paper, leaving extra draped over the sides to use as handles once the bars bake.
Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or in a small saucepan on the stove.
Use your hands to roughly crush the Graham crackers and place them into the bowl of a food processor. Process them until they are finely ground, resembling sand.
Add the melted butter, granulated sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon to the Graham cracker crumbs.
Process the crumb mixture until it is uniformly mixed. Stop halfway and scrape down the sides of the processor bowl to ensure all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Transfer all of the crust mixture to the prepared pan. Spread it out in an even layer and then use the flat bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup to press the crumbs into a firm, flat layer.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes. The edges will take on a bit of golden color and the crust will be set. Set the pan aside to cool a bit.
Make the Apple Filling and Cheesecake Base
Add the apple sauce, nutmeg, cinnamon, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch to a small saucepan. Mix this together well so that the cornstarch and spices are evenly distributed.
Heat the applesauce mixture over medium high heat, stirring constantly. After 4-5 minutes, the mixture will come to a boil. Take care to avoid any of the mixture bubbling out of the pan, it will burn! Set the pan aside to cool a bit.
Brush the crumbs from the food processor bowl (a few won't hurt anything!) and add the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and sweetened condensed milk.
Process the cheesecake mixture until it is completely smooth. Pause the processor midway to scrape down the sides so that everything is well-incorporated.
Pour the cheesecake filling over the Graham cracker crust. Use an offset spatula to spread it out into an even layer.
Spoon the applesauce filling onto the cheesecake layer in several lines.
Use a butter knife and drag it through the lines of apple filling. Try going perpendicular to the apple filling first, then drag horizontally or diagonally until the marbled swirl looks the way you want it to!
Bake, Chill, and Slice the Cheesecake Bars
Bake the bars for 22-25 minutes, until the center of the bars doesn't juggle and the edges have a light golden color.
Cool the bars for 30 minutes on the countertop and then move them to the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours. Pull the bars from the baking pan using the parchment paper and move them to a cutting board. For extra precise edges, trim off about ½ an inch from all edges. Those are chef's snacks.
Slice the rest of the apple cheesecake into 24 even pieces. Serve them chilled or at room temperature.
Ensure Bold Spice Flavors
Check your spices! If you haven't cracked open your nutmeg or cinnamon since last year's holiday baking, give your spices a gentle sniff before adding them to the apple cheesecake bars. If they don't have a lovely aroma (or any scent at all), toss them and buy fresh.
Substitutions and Variations
The substitutions listed below have been tested in this recipe and work well. If you successfully make any other ingredient substitutions, let us know in the comments!
- Use Cinnamon Grahams - If you already have cinnamon Graham crackers on hand, use them! You can still add the ground nutmeg and even extra cinnamon to the crust mixture.
- Swap in Sour Cream - Full fat sour cream can be used in place of the Greek yogurt for an even richer filling.
- Use Apple Pie Spice Blend - Keep things simple and swap your cinnamon and nutmeg for an apple pie spice blend. They will typically contain the nutmeg and cinnamon plus have additional spices like allspice, clove, or ginger. Use the same amount of apple pie spice blend as you the recipe calls for both the nutmeg and cinnamon together, e.g. ¾ teaspoon in the crust mixture and 1 ½ teaspoon in the apple filling.
Equipment
Here are the kitchen tools that help you make these tasty apple cheesecake bars with ease. Check out the recipe instructions below for tips if you don't have a food processor handy.
- Food Processor - The filling is extra smooth when you use a food processor with at least a 9-cup capacity. Alternatively, you can use a standard blender with a pitcher large enough to accommodate the filling ingredients. If you allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature, an electric mixer and a large bowl will also do the trick.
- Offset Spatula - Offset spatulas have an L-shaped bend near the handle. They allow you to smooth frostings, fillings, and batters completely flat without running your fingers through things accidentally. It's a great tool for spreading the cheesecake filling layer.
- Chef's Knife - An 8- or 10-inch chef's knife is an essential tool in any kitchen. It's exactly what you need to cut the cooled apple cheesecake into squares. To get the cleanest slices, use a large chef's knife. Rinse the blade with warm water and dry it in between slices
Serving Suggestions
Chilling overnight is perfectly fine and may give you an even easier time when slicing the bars. The bars are terrific right from the refrigerator (this is my favorite!), but can be served at room temperature as well. Serve them with a cup of coffee, tea, or glass of milk.
Storage
If you are going to chill the bars for longer than 3-4 hours, cover them with a clean kitchen towel instead of plastic wrap or foil. Condensation can form on the plastic and then drip onto the bars, making things soggy.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Place a sheet of parchment paper between any layers and your bars will be saved from crumbs from the top layer sticking to the tops of the bottom layer.
FAQ
There are no eggs in these cheesecake bars. The sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, and Greek yogurt bake up into a dense and creamy cheesecake without any eggs needed.
You can use homemade applesauce in the recipe, just make sure it is unsweetened or only lightly sweetened. There is additional sugar added to the filling mixture so you want to avoid a too-sweet filling overall.
Yes! Freeze your baked and sliced cheesecake bars in a single layer in a large zip-top bag. Remove as much air as possible and freeze them flat. When you want to thaw them, transfer them to the refrigerator overnight.
More Apple Recipes
Apples are popular all year long, but you can get some delicious local varieties in the fall here in Michigan. Try one of the recipes below to take advantage of their crisp, sweet flavor:
Pairing Ideas
Serve these cool, creamy cheesecake bars as the conclusion to a tasty dinner. Here are a few recipes that make a perfect dinner party menu:
Try It and Share
I hope you try these Apple Cheesecake Bars and enjoy the recipe as much as we do. I want to see your results! Tag your photo with #planeatpostrepeat and mention me @planeatpostrepeat on Instagram or Facebook. I can give you a virtual high five and thank you for cooking one of my recipes! Comment below with any questions and please leave a review so others can find this recipe more easily.
Recipe
Apple Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- 9x13 baking pan
- food processor
Ingredients
Cinnamon Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 sleeves Graham crackers (10 oz. or 300g)
- 6 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup salted butter
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (ground)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
Applesauce Filling
- 1¼ cup apple sauce (about 300g)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg (ground)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Cheesecake Base
- 12 oz. cream cheese
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
Prepare the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9"x13" baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving extra draped over the long edges for "handles" to remove the bars after baking.
- Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove.
- Crush the graham crackers into pieces by hand and add them to the food processor. Process until the crumbs are fine. Add the sugar, melted butter, ½ tsp. cinnamon, and ¼ tsp. nutmeg and process until the crumbs are moistened an the mixture starts to come together. Scrape the sides of the processor and pulse a few more times to fully incorporate the ingredients.
- Without a food processor, place the graham crackers in a zip bag and crush with a rolling pin or mallet. Combine the crushed graham crackers, butter, spices, and sugar until well mixed.
- Pour out the graham cracker mixture into the prepared pan and pack the crumbs tight into a smooth layer. Use your hands or the bottom of a flat glass or measuring cup.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F and then set aside.
Make the Applesauce Filling
- Add the apple sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice to a medium sauce pan. Stir everything together well before heating.
- Heat over medium high heat, stirring often until the mixture boils, about 5 minutes. Set the pan off the heat to cool slightly.
Prepare the Cheesecake Base
- Brush out the crumbs from the food processor after making the crust. Add the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and sweetened condensed milk to the food processor.
- Process until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse a few more times to make sure everything is fully incorporated.
- Without a food processor, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and the sweetened condensed milk. Mix until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl once to get all ingredients mixed well.
Bake the Bars
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the baked graham cracker crust and turn the pan to coat the crust evenly.
- Using a spoon, make lines of the apple filling along the short side of the pan. Use a knife to swirl and marble the apples into the cheesecake filling by dragging the knife through the lines of filling (along the long sides of the pan) and then in the opposite direction (along the short sides of the pan).
- Bake the bars for 22-25 minutes, or until the center of the bars doesn't jiggle and the edges are very lightly browned.
- Cool the pan for 30 minutes on the countertop and then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 3-4 more hours to completely chill.
- Remove the bars from the pan using the parchment paper handles and place them on a cutting board. For the cleanest edges, slice about ½-inch from the edges. Slice, using a sharp knife, into 24 pieces. To keep slices free of crumbs, rinse the knife off in warm water after every slice.
Nutrition facts are sometimes provided below and are calculated using an online calculator. With specific brands of ingredients and additions, omissions, or substitutions the nutrition facts may change. We encourage you to use your own nutrition facts calculator to obtain the most accurate nutrition facts for your meal.
Cassie Waltman says
We love the warm spices in these apple cheesecake bars!