This Apple Crumble Cheesecake is everything you want in a fall dessert, from the cinnamon graham cracker crust and layers of spiced apples to the creamy cheesecake filling and buttery crumble topping. It's the perfect cozy treat to share with loved ones
Start off the fall season just right by making this delicious seasonal cheesecake. This Apple Crumble Cheesecake is everything you want to spice and cozy up your home for autumn. It starts with a delicious cinnamon graham cracker crust, topped with a creamy cheesecake filling, spiced apples, and finished with a buttery and delicious crumble topping.
The process is a little time-consuming, but it's so worth it! It's the perfect dessert to bring to your Thanksgiving dinner, or to have on a cozy fall night just because. If you'd like a simpler version, try my Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars recipe.
If you're a big fan of apple desserts, I highly recommend trying out some of my other recipes like these Brown Butter Apple Blondies, Salted Caramel Apple Bars, Easy and Rustic Apple Galette, Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake, and a reader favorite: Apple Cheesecake Brioche Buns.
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🫶 Featured Review
"The most delicious cheesecake I've ever had!"
- Abby.
♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Fall flavors: Nothing says fall like spiced apples with crumble topping. Add Cheesecake, and you have the most amazing dessert, with warm fall spices.
Creamy cheesecake: The cheesecake layer is so creamy, with notes of spices, and pairs perfectly with the apples and crumble topping. Try my Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars for another delicious fall cheesecake.
Make-Ahead: Make this dessert one or two nights before your party or your event and let it chill in the fridge.
Party favorite: This fall, this recipe could be the talk of the party. I made this recipe so many times, and it's always raved about!
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
There are four elements to this cheesecake: Crust, cheesecake filling, spiced apples, and crumble topping.
Graham Cracker Crust
- Graham crackers: I like using graham crackers for the crust, but you can also use digestive cookies.
- Sugar: Brown sugar for the crust, dark or light works fine.
- Cinnamon: A little cinnamon to create flavor.
- Butter: Unsalted butter, melted.
Cheesecake Filling
- Cream cheese: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature, and use full fat blocks of cream cheese.
- Sugar: Brown sugar for this recipe. Both dark or light work.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg. If you like, you can add a pinch of other fall spices like allspice, cloves.
- Flour: Just a little all purpose flour for the filling.
- Eggs: Large eggs, and make sure they're at room temperature so that they can incorporate well into the batter.
- Vanilla extract: Love adding vanilla extract for flavoring.
- Sour cream: For a little tang. You can substitute with greek yogurt as well.
Spiced Apples & Crumble Topping
- Apples: I love using honeycrisp because that's what I typically buy because I love the taste. Feel free to use an apple variety that you enjoy in baking.
- Sugar: Brown sugar for both the crumble and the apples.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg to create a fall flavor.
- Flour: All purpose flour for the crumble topping.
- Oats: I love using quick oats because I usually buy that to eat for breakfast, but if all you have is old fashion, you could use that, or you could pulse it a few times before adding it to the crumble.
- Butter: Melted butter for the crumble topping.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Special Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Loaf Pan: You'll need a 9x5 loaf pan.
Mixing bowls: I love using glass Mixing Bowls when making batters and doughs.
Mixer: You can use a stand mixer, or a handheld mixer for the cheesecak filling.
Roasting pan: A large roasting pan to place the cheesecake pan into for the water bath.
Springform pan: You'll need a 9 inch springform pan for the cheesecake. It's best to line with parchment paper for easy removal.
Aluminum foil: You need to cover the pan with aluminum foil so that no water gets into the cheesecake.
Crockpot liner: This is optional, but highly recommended. Once I started using crockpot liners to place over the pan, I never had an issue with water seeping into my cheesecake. See image below for how I use it.
⇄ Substitutions
Digestive cookies: In place of graham crackers, use digestive cookies if you can't find any graham crackers.
Brown sugar: You can use either dark or light brown sugar for this recipe.
Greek Yogurt: If you don't have any sour cream, use greek yogurt.
Cornstarch: Instead of flour, you can use cornstarch.
✨ Variations
Biscoff Crust: You can jazz things up by making a biscoff cookie crust instead of a regular graham cracker crust, like my Biscoff Cheesecake Bars recipe.
Caramel sauce: Drizzle your cheesecake with caramel sauce. You can find a wonderful recipe for homemade caramel sauce on my blog.
Nuts: Add pecans or walnuts to the crumble for a bit more of a crunch.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Step 1
Make the crust: Using a food processor, pulse the pulse the graham crackers until crushed, then add the melted butter. Pour crushed graham crackers into the pan and press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and and up the sides. You can use a spoon, offset spatula, or flat measuring cup to create a smooth, flat bottom and sides. Don't press too hard. Just until it's compact. Bake for 10 minutes. Once baked, remove and let cool.
💡 Hint: Line your pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
Step 2
Prep water bath: Boil water. Once cool enough to handle, cover the Sprinform pan with aluminum foil very well, making sure no water can seep through. I like to cover the aluminum with a slow cooker liner and tie it or clipping the bag closed. This helps it from getting any water, and this trick works perfectly every time. Place the pan inside a large roasting pan.
Step 3
Make the crumble: In a small bowl, mix together the flour, quick oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then add the melted butter. It should be pretty crumbly. Set aside.
Step 4
Prep the apples: Peel and dice the apples, then mix them with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. As the apples sit, they will release juices (we won't be using the juices). Set aside until ready to use.
Step 5
Make the cheesecake: in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth, about 2-3 minutes, then add the brown sugar and flour, and cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix until incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure they are well incorporated before adding the next one. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract, then sour cream and mix until smooth. Pour cheesecake batter into the prepared pan.
Step 6
Top the cheesecake with the apples (making sure to leave out the juices).
Step 7
Top with crumble. Place the springform pan in the roasting pan (if not already). Place the roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven, then pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches half way up the Springform pan.
Bake the cheesecake for 65-80 minutes until the center has a slight jiggle.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the cheesecake cool while still in the roasting pan.
Once cooled, refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
💬 FAQ
Yes, as that will ensure it cooks evenly with a creamy texture. It will also help prevent cracks from forming on the top of the cheesecake.
If the crust gets wet and soggy during baking, it means the bottom of the pan was not protected against the water bath. For this reason, I love using both aluminum foil and crock pot liners. This method creates beautiful results!
For this cheesecake I've used honeycrisp, gala, and red delicious apples and I loved them all. If you have an apple that you love baking with, use it!
To know if your cheesecake is baked, it should jiggle in the center, like jello. If you're still unsure, the internal temperature of the cheesecake should be around 150℉.
It can sometimes contain oats. I love the texture oats give the crumble. With the addition of the oats, it can also be considered an Apple Crisp Cheesecake.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Line Springform pan: It's not a deal breaker or a must, but lining the springform pan with parchment paper will help if you want to remove the entire cheesecake from the base. It's a little harder to do if you don't line the pan.
Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure to start with room temperature ingredients for best results, as it will help the batter incorporate more smoothly.
Avoid over mixing: When mixing the cheesecake batter, stop once all ingredients are incorporated. This will help prevent adding air bubbles into the batter.
Full Fat Cream Cheese: Use full fat cream cheese that comes in blocks and not the tubs.
Water bath: Don't skip the water bath. This will prevent cracking, but it will also create a creamy cheesecake.
Cool to room temperature: Once baked, make sure to cool completely at room temperature.
Refrigerate overnight: For best results, refrigerate at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
❄ Storage
Store cheesecake covered and refrigerated for 4-5 days.
📖 Recipe Card
Apple Crumble Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 9 inch springform pan
- 1 large roasting pan
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1½ cups (180 g) graham crackers Crushed (About 12 sleeves)
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoon (84 g) (85g) unsalted butter melted
Apples
- 2 cups peeled and diced apples about 2-3 apples (see notes about apples)
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅕ teaspoon nutmeg
Crumble Topping
- ½ cup (60 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (40 g) quick oats
- ⅓ cup (66 g) brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake
- 20 oz. cream cheese softened to room temperature (full fat block cream cheese)
- 1¼ cups (250 g) brown sugar packed
- 1½ tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (65 g) sour cream room temperature
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325℉
- Prepare a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper and set aside
- Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until crushed, then mix in the brown sugar and cinnamon, then add the melted butter.1½ cups graham crackers, 2 tablespoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 6 tablespoon (85g) unsalted butter
- Pour crushed graham crackers into the pan and press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and and up the sides. You can use a spoon, offset spatula, or flat measuring cup to create a smooth, flat bottom and sides. Don't press too hard. Just until it's compact. Bake for 10 minutes. Once baked, remove and let cool.
Water bath prep
- Boil a pot of water and prep a roasting pan (or a large pan that will fit the springform pan), and set aside.
- Once cool enough to handle, cover the Sprinform pan with aluminum foil very well, making sure no water can seep through. I like to cover the aluminum with a slow cooker liner and tie it or clipping the bag closed. This helps it from getting any water, and this trick works perfectly every time.
Apples
- Peel and dice the apples, then mix them with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. As the apples sit, they will release juices (we won't be using the juices). Set aside until ready to use.2 cups peeled and diced apples, 3 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ⅕ teaspoon nutmeg
Crumble Topping
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, quick oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then add the melted butter. It should be pretty crumbly. Set aside.½ cup all purpose flour, ½ cup quick oats, ⅓ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
Cheesecake
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth, about 2-3 minutes, then add the brown sugar and flour, and cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix until incorporated.20 oz. cream cheese, 1¼ cups brown sugar, 1½ tablespoon all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Add the eggs one at a time, making sure they are well incorporated before adding the next one. Scrape down the bowl as needed.3 large eggs
- Add the vanilla extract, then sour cream and mix until smooth.¼ cup sour cream, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Assemble
- Pour cheesecake batter into the prepared pan. Top with apples (make sure to avoid the juices), then top with crumble topping.
- Place the springform pan in the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven, then pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches half way up the Sprinform pan.
- Bake the cheesecake for 65-80 minutes until the center has a slight jiggle.
- Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the cheesecake cool while still in the roasting pan.
- Once cooled, refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- Serve with ice cream, caramel sauce, or plain. Keep refrigerated.
The most delicious cheesecake I've ever had!
Thank you so much for the review, Abby! I'm so glad you liked the cheesecake! 🙂