Apple Cheesecake Bars

Apple Cheesecake Bars have an easy cheesecake base swirled with a nutmeg and applesauce filling layered over a spiced graham cracker crust.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Chilling 4

Total Time 5 5

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.

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