Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars

Hello Friends!! It sure has been feeling an awful lot like fall this week! I’m so excited to share this recipe with you today, as we gear up and get ready for fall! I made these for a BBQ this past weekend, and they were such a hit, and I think you will like them too!

I’m so excited to be joining in with some other blogging friends, who are also sharing apple inspired recipes, so be sure to scroll to the bottom for even more yumminess! And a huge thank you to my friend Kristen from Ella Claire & Co. for hosting todays recipe hop tour!

Nothing symbols the arrival of fall more to me than the smell of warm apple pie or apple crisp baking in the oven! Growing up in New England, where apple picking is a fall ritual, you can’t help but feel nostalgia whenever you smell the warm blend of apples baking and spices.

I clipped this recipe from a magazine more than 15 years ago, and taped to the inside of my cookbook, and it has become a fun twist on a classic fall staple. Of course I made a few modifications, but I think one of the key pieces that makes this recipe unique is the gingersnap crust!

This recipe is perfect for any fall get-together, when you cut the bars into bitesize pieces, making it easy for others to grab a piece without the fuss of serving everyone individually.

The creamy cheesecake paired with all the comforting flavors of apple pie on top paired with the sweet spice of gingersnaps used in the crust will have you reaching for more than one!

You can use either a 13×9 or an 8×8 baking dish, depending on what type of bars you are craving. I’ve used both, a 13×9 for thinner bars, and this particular time I used an 8×8 for thicker, fluffy cheesecake bars. *please note the baking time difference at the end of the directions.*

Apple Pie Cheesecake Bar Recipe

• 30 Gingersnap cookies
• 3 Tbl + 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 2 pkgs (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 Tbl cornstarch
• 5 green apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 1/4 apple juice
• 1 Tbl cinnamon

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In food processor, break up cookies and pulse with 3 Tbl of sugar until combined. Transfer to bowl and combine with 5 Tbl of butter, mix well. Line a 8×8 baking dish with foil, grease and press cookie mixture into the bottom of pan.
3. Beat cream cheese, sour cream, egg and confectioners sugar until smooth. Spread over crust in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
4. Melt remaining butter in large skillet over medium heat.
5. Add apple pieces and saute’ 5 minutes. In a small bowl blend apple juice and cornstarch. Add remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 Tbl of cinnamon and cornstarch mixture to skillet and cook to bubbly and thick.
6. When cheesecake bars are done, pour apple mixture on top and spread evenly. Return to oven and back 5 more minutes. Refrigerate until chilled and cut into bars.
7. Garnish with confectioners sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on top just before serving.

** If using a 13×9 baking dish, only cook for 25 minutes. **

Be sure to stop by and see what my friends cooked up for more Apple Inspired Recipes ~

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins by Ella Claire & Co. | Puff Pastry Apple Strudel by Inspired by Charm | Apple Crumb Pie Bars by Tidy Mom | Stovetop Applesauce by Tidbits | Apple Cheesecake Tart by Rooms for Rent Gluten/Dairy Free Apple Crisp by Zevy Joy | Apple Pie Chocolate Chip Cookies by Anderson + Grant | Easy Apple Dumpling Dessert by Happy Happy Nester | Gluten Free Apple Fritters by Home Made Lovely | Sheet Pan Apple Crumble by My Sweet Savannah Salted Caramel Apple Tart by Shabby Fu Fu | Cinnamon Apple Bread by Julie Blanner | Apple & Blackberry Topped Waffles by French Country Cottage | Sugar Free Apple Butter by Farmhouse on Boone | Puff Pastry Apple Pie by Jenna Kate at Home Apple Walnut Bread by On Sutton Place | Apple Cake with Homemade Caramel Sauce by Town and Country Living | Mini Apple Pies by My 100 Year Old Home | Apple Scones by Boxwood Avenue