My favorite time of the year, Halloween is right around the corner, and so are the holidays. Fall is my favorite season because I love the crisp, cool air seeping into my lungs when relaxing on the porch with a cozy sweater, watching the leaves change colors. I enjoy drinking pumpkin spice coffee and eating all the sweet treats with pumpkin or apple in them. Last year, I made pumpkin sugar cookies and a pumpkin chocolate cheesecake, so I wanted to try something new this year. My mom and I were watching Noah Cappe on Carnival Eats taste a cheesecake stuffed with apple pie filling topped with a crumble. It looked so delicious; I had to try to make one.

This week, I would like to share my take on an apple pie cheesecake from my kitchen to yours. It’s a New York-style cheesecake with a graham cracker crust layered with apple pie filling and topped with maple-flavored granola and a caramel drizzle. It’s crunchy from the granola and crust, creamy from the cheesecake, and gooey and sweet like when you eat apple pie. It’s sitting in my refrigerator right now, setting up, and I can’t wait to dive into a piece. If you love cheesecake and apple pie, you will love this fall cheesecake recipe. The following recipe makes a nine-inch round cheesecake.

Photo by Destiny Constantin

Gluten-Free Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake Graham Cracker Crust:

• I used a pre-made gluten-free graham cracker crust for this recipe, but it’s simple to make.
• 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (about 12–14 full sheet of gluten-free graham crackers)
• 1/3 cup of light brown sugar
• 8 tbsp of salted butter, melted

No-Bake Cheesecake:

• 1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 (8-ounce) blocks of cream cheese softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Apple Pie Filling:

• 4 ½ cups diced peeled apples (I used six Golden Delicious apples.)
• 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
• 6 tbsp packed light brown sugar
• 6 tbsp granulated sugar
• ½ stick of salted butter
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups water

Toppings:

• Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Maple and Sea Salt flavored Granola
• Richardson’s Caramel Sauce

Instructions For Making The Apple Pie Filling

1. Peel and dice six to eight apples. Drizzle the lemon juice over the apples and toss to coat. Set the apples aside.
2. In a large saucepan, stir together the sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk in the water until everything has dissolved.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for about three minutes.
4. Add the apples and increase the heat to medium-high heat to bring the mixture to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low heat and simmer. Stir in the butter and let the mixture cook for about ten to twelve minutes. Make sure the apples are tender before turning the stove off.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool.
6. Refrigerate the filling in an airtight container for four to six hours to thicken.

Graham Cracker Crust Instructions From Sally’s Baking Addiction

1. In a medium-sized bowl, stir the graham cracker crust ingredients together. (I like to add a teaspoon of cinnamon into my graham cracker crusts.)
2. Pour into a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan and pack it very tightly. The tighter it’s packed, the less likely it will fall apart when cutting the cheesecake. I recommend using the bottom of a large spoon to pack it into the bottom and up the sides.
3. Freeze for 10-20 minutes as you prepare the filling.

Photo by Destiny Constantin

No-Bake Cheesecake Instructions

1. In a liquid measuring cup, measure out the heavy whipping cream.
2. Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
3. Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until perfectly smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
   

   Photo by Destiny Constantin

4. Add the sour cream and lemon juice. Beat for 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth and combined. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth.
5. In the bowl of the stand mixer, add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract. Mix on medium-low speed until the ingredients are incorporated. Be careful not to overwhip your cream.
6. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your rubber spatula. Combine slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.
   

   Photo by Destiny Constantin

7. Remove crust from the freezer and spread filling into crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth down the top.
8. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. For best results, 12 hours is best. For about two hours, I chill mine, place the toppings, then put back in the refrigerator overnight. The longer it’s refrigerated, the nicer the no-bake cheesecake will set up.
   

   Photo by Destiny Constantin

9. Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the springform pan’s rim, then remove the rim. Using a clean, sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. If you are using a pre-made crust, you don’t have to worry about removing the cheesecake from the pan.

Finishing The Cheesecake

1. Pull out your chilled cheesecake and apple pie filling from the refrigerator.
2. Before topping the cheesecake with the apple pie layer, place filling in the microwave for about three minutes, stirring after each minute.
3. Place the jar of caramel sauce in the microwave for thirty seconds to warm up a little bit and to help you spread it on the cheesecake.
4. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread some of the caramel sauce on top of the cheesecake.
5. Place a few spoonfuls of the apple pie filling on top of the caramel. Spread-out, filling evenly.
6. Sprinkle a few handfuls of granola on top of the apple layer.
7. Drizzle caramel sauce over the whole cheesecake.
8. Chill the cheesecake for a few hours before diving in to eat it, but overnight will give you a better result.
   

   Photo by Destiny Constantin

   

   Photo by Destiny Constantin

I hope you enjoy making this recipe as much as I had fun making it. Put on your cozy pajamas, grab a slice of cheesecake and a cup of coffee. Sit down on your sofa with a blanket and enjoy your sweet treat while watching your favorite Halloween movie. I love taking a recipe from one of my favorite bloggers and giving it my own magical twist.

Photo by Destiny Constantin

*Recipes adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction and Life, Love and Sugar.