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!
Thank you for all your amazing recipe, what is the size of the pan?
Hi Roaa, use a 9-inch pie dish.
I don’t have salted caramel, can I use caramel topping? Thank you
Absolutely.
Hi Sally and team. This cheesecake can be freez only for 5 days? Just wondering since most of your bakes up to 3 months.
Hi Irina, you can try to freeze this for longer. I will say that this pie is best when it has not been frozen—the topping gets a little soft and mushy after thawing.
Can I use a pre-made graham cracker crust? If so, do I still need to bake for 10 mins at the beginning?
You can, Elizabeth. You will still want to pre-bake the crust.
Hi there! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’m thinking of trying it for a dinner party I’m having soon – but it’s a party of about 10 people. How should I adjust the measurements and how big of a pie dish should I use? Any suggestions would be super appreciated, thank you! :))
Hi Sera, we haven’t tested a larger version of this cheesecake pie. Your best bet is likely to make two separate pies. You can cover and store leftover pie in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 5 days. Or send some home with your guests!
Thanks so much for this! I have a 30cm (11.8inch) pie dish, would that work?
can I use a pie crust instead f the graham cracker crust?
Hi Abbygail, 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.
Do we need to butter the pie dish before blind baking?
Hi Vrinda, no need to grease your pie pan when par-baking a pie crust. Happy baking!
Could this be made in a springform pan?
Hi Tiffany, 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.
Can the cheesecake batter part be made an hour in advance?
Hi Deb, If you cover it and keep it at room temperature it should be ok.
The best thing I’ve ever eaten. Will be making again!
5 star amazing recipe!!! I wonder if it would be possible to double it & make this in a 9×13??
Hi Rachel! 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.
This is by far one of the best desserts I’ve ever made. The salted caramel was delicious and so easy to make. The whole cheesecake pie was loved by everryone that tasted it. Sally’s recipe makes it so easy to make as well!
We all loved this recipe, and I would definitely make it again! Even with the multiple steps/layers, it still comes together pretty quickly. So flavorful. The salted caramel was amazing
I discovered Sally’s Baking Addiction in early November, and have been hooked ever since! Being an avid home cook who was looking to jumpstart their journey into the realm of baking, no other guide has compared to Sally! I’ve made Sally’s “Pecan Pie Cheesecake” in addition to this (and many, many more delicious recipes you will find here), and after comparing, love the differing textures! Though this recipe IS a cheesecake, it more so has the texture of a pie! I’m a texture person; trust me, it’s good. And, ya know, it tastes incredible. It’s an incredible combination worthy of any Thanksgiving spread!
made the Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie for our family Thanksgiving (In addition to your Great Pumpkin and Pecan Pies) and it was absolutely delicious. I usually make two more traditional pies and one a little different or new each year for Thanksgiving and this was a hit! There were a lot of steps but each was worth it and not difficult. I had never made salted caramel before and was slightly intimidated. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be and couldn’t be more delicious. It was hard not to eat by the spoonful. Thank you for the step by step instructions. We have an oat allergy in the family, so I subbed the topping with the Apple Crumble one you suggested. Thank you for that note!
I turn to your website for all my baking recipes because I know they are thoroughly tested and your instructions, videos, and notes are the absolute best. Family always asks about recipes and I say “Oh, it’s Sally’s recipe. She knows her stuff.” I think they all think I have a friend named Sally. 🙂
Lots of steps, but yummy!!!
I made this recipe today! Made the caramel sauce weeks ago storing it in the fridge. Then today I halved the recipe for 4 ramekins (6oz size I think) — prepping each step then pre-baked the crust (crushed digestives and biscoff biscuits in place of graham crackers) for 5 mins then layered the cheesecake mixture + sliced and chopped red Braeburn and half Granny Smith, drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with crumble streusel then baked for 20 minutes (checking at 16) (using your Mini cheesecake recipe for guidance)
After baking setting and chilling wait might be the true challenge
It tastes really delicious! Thank you for your helpful notes! Happy week 🙂
Loved this!! Can multiple pies be placed in oven at the same time to bake? Or is it best to bake one at a time?
Hi Deb, they can both be in the oven at the same time. If they are one different oven racks, we recommend rotating them half way through the bake time. Enjoy!
This was a definite labor of love in the amount of steps and organization involved, but it was well worth it! The instructions are very clear and easy to follow. And you end up with showstopper dessert without the angst of dealing with a water bath. We’re already talking about how to make a cranberry compote version for Christmas.
Made 3 of these for various Thanksgiving events last week, and they were a hit! It could have just been the size of my pie plates, but it seemed like there was about twice as much crust as there needed to be – I had to scrape a bunch out before filling otherwise there’s no way all the other layers would’ve fit. Will definitely use a deep dish pie plate next time. But other than that, great recipe!
I made this and ate the whole thing!!! My husband doesn’t like cheesecake so it was all me. 🙂 I made additional topping as I didn’t think it was enough.
I’ve never had a cheesecake-apple-pie before and wow it was delicious! Made it twice in a week and got tons of complements–company loved it! 🙂
Never commented on a recipe before but I had to for this one because WOW!!! This was one of the best things I have ever eaten in my life and all my family and friends agree!
The recipe was very easy to follow and everything came together quickly and smoothly. I was even very distracted with a friend in the kitchen while I was baking this and it still came out perfect.
Thank you so much for this kind review, Aly! We’re so glad you enjoyed this cheesecake pie recipe.
I knew this was a hit when my health-conscious sister-in-law went for a second piece! I’ve never seen her do that before, despite all my best efforts
I knew this was a hit when my health-conscious sister-in-law went for a second piece! I’ve never seen her do that before, despite all my best efforts 🙂
This recipe turned out great! We especially liked the caramel sauce, that would go well just on its own! I had to stop my husband from eating it with a spoon!
yummy recipe, looking forward to december challenge!
I made this for my family for thanksgiving and it was a huge success! I’m not a very experienced baker but was able to follow this one without a problem. 100% recommend if you love apple pie and cheesecake!
Really tasty cheesecake! All the components worked so well together, I especially loved the salted caramel.
As others have said, don’t be scared away by the multiple steps to make this pie. Awesome awesome awesome.
This recipe was absolutely amazing!! Don’t be deterred by the numerous steps, because once it comes together, it’s amazing!!
This was perfect! Made the homemade salted carmel and some whipped cream. The cheesecake with apple and topping along with caramel and whipped cream. Incredible!
Excellent recipe! I have already made it twice (once for fun, the second time for Thanksgiving) and I’m thinking of making it a third time later this week. The recipe looks complicated at first because of all the different layers, but if you start by getting all the ingredients out as suggested it actually comes together fairly quickly. I love that this is a relatively easy way to make a “flavored cheesecake” without a springform pan.