Featured Recipe
Apple Cream Cheese Bars
By Kate
"
A layered bar with a grainy shortbread base, dense cream cheese filling, tart-spiced apples, and a crumbly streusel topping. Crunch meets creamy. The crust’s edges golden brown, the apples tender but holding shape, streusel clumps slightly sticky from cream. Cook and chill thoroughly to slice clean bars. Parchment paper saves the scrape; lemon juice on apples keeps color. Brown sugar swapped for coconut sugar for deeper flavor. Heavy cream cut by ¼ cup replaced with Greek yogurt for tang and slight firmness. Watch crust color; butter temperature affects crumb. Timing is guideline, trust the golden cues and crackly streusel.
"
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
Total:
Serves:
16 servings
baked goods
desserts
fruit desserts
cheesecakes
American recipes
Introduction
Dense but not heavy cheesecake inside a slightly crunchy shortbread base. Apples spice things up, rustic chunks bubbling under streusel topping. A slow bake builds layers of texture; steam escaping caramelizes apples while streusel crisps. Getting the crust right is critical—too thin means soggy, too thick overwhelms. Cold butter pulses quickly for clumps that bake crunchy. Mixing cheesecake layers carefully avoids runny filling or cracks. Apples go in last to keep brightness, tossed quickly with lemon juice or they brown fast. Patience after baking is key—cool slow, slice neat. Swap brown sugar for coconut sugar to add a cooked caramel hint. Heavy cream cut with Greek yogurt firms cream cheese layer slightly and adds tang. Precise but forgiving, a bar you can master.
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust===
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups peeled and diced apples (about 3 medium)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Cheesecake Layer===
Apple Layer===
Streusel Topping===
About the ingredients
Butter temp matters; cold butter for crust and streusel creates crumbly texture, not greasy paste. Use coconut sugar here for deeper flavor and browning but brown sugar swaps fine. Greek yogurt in cheesecake layer firms the custard, reducing risk of cracks and adding brightness. Replace sour cream with crème fraîche if available for richer tang. Flour dusting on apples stops excess juice leaking into cheesecake layer. Use tart-firm apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Heavy cream reduces richness but use ¼ cup Greek yogurt to cut some fat without drying out the filling. If fresh apples unavailable, frozen diced with extra flour and lemon juice works but skip thawing to prevent soggy texture. Finally, parchment paper liner key for easy bar removal—greasing works but expect stickiness. Don’t rush chilling; underchilled bars crumbles when sliced.
Method
Shortbread Crust===
- Heat oven to 345°F. Line 9×13-inch pan bottom with parchment, let sides overhang for easy lift.
- Combine flour and coconut sugar in food processor. Cube cold butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, pea-sized clusters fine.
- Firmly press into pan evenly. Should stick and form solid layer. Edge thickness crucial; too thin leads to soggy bar bottom.
- Bake 18-22 mins until light golden and edges start to firm but center still soft. Tap surface, it should yield but not collapse.
- In mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy, no lumps. Scrape sides. Add sugar, blend thoroughly.
- Add vanilla, sour cream, cream, and yogurt. Mix on low. Incorporate flour, mix just till no flour streaks remain.
- Add eggs one by one, folding gently with spatula to preserve airiness. Overbeating creates cracks during bake. Pour over hot crust, spread evenly.
- Toss diced apples, cinnamon, sugar, flour, and lemon juice immediately before arranging.
- Apple pieces should glisten and separate; clumpy apples trap moisture and weigh down layers.
- Distribute in single layer, not piled. Allows even baking and prevents soggy texture.
- Pulse flour, baking powder, brown sugar in food processor.
- Add cold butter cubes. Pulse until crumbly but some larger clumps remain for texture.
- Sprinkle heavy cream, stir with fork gently or 1-2 quick pulses. Should hold together loosely but break apart. Clumpy streusel is goal.
- Scatter streusel evenly over apples. Covers but doesn’t bury fruit underneath.
- Bake all layers at 345°F for 43-48 minutes. Top should bubble lightly, streusel dark golden and crisp. Center may jiggle a bit but not liquid.
- Turn oven off. Keep door closed 18-22 minutes for gradual cooling. Avoid sudden temperature drop to prevent cheesecake cracks.
- Open door halfway, cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate min 3 hours or overnight before cutting.
- Use the parchment overhang as handles to remove bars. Cut into squares with a serrated knife in gentle sawing motions.
- Optional: drizzle with warmed salted caramel for added richness. Bars keep well covered in fridge for 3 days.
- Coconut sugar darkens crust and adds mild caramel notes. Brown sugar can substitute but expect softer streusel.
- Replacing part heavy cream with thick Greek yogurt firms cheesecake texture, adds slight tang. Skip if you want ultra creamy layer.
- Keep butter cold for streusel and crust; warm butter leads to greasy, dense crumb. Work quickly when pulsing.
- Lemon juice on apples not just color keeper; enhances tartness balancing sweetness from sugars.
- Parchment paper lift unsurpassed for clean bars. If unavailable, grease well and dust with flour but expect stickiness.
- Cooling slowly inside warm oven post bake reduces cheesecake stress points—avoid cracking.
- Toss apple mixture right before layering to prevent mushy fruit. Apples release water quickly.
- Check crust readiness visually: too pale crunches, too dark tastes bitter. Adjust oven temp slightly if needed.
Cheesecake Layer===
Apple Layer===
Streusel Layer===
Notes and Tricks===
Technique Tips
Crust must be baked prior to cheesecake layer for structure—hot crust when spreading cheesecake prevents soggy bottom. Beat cream cheese until no lumps but don’t overbeat or fill bubbles rise, cracking. Add eggs one at a time, folding gently to keep air for a light texture. Apples tossed last before layering—too early leads to browning and mush. Streusel needs butter cold but some larger clumps when pulsed to bake crumbly clusters. Add cream last to bind; too wet streusel sags, too dry crumbles off. Bake at moderate temp; watch for golden crust edges and gently bubbling apple topping, streusel deeply golden. Off once set but slightly jiggly center; residual heat finishes cheesecake cooking inside. Keep door closed to prevent sudden temp drop; cracking develops with rapid cool. Thorough chilling essential to slice neat bars; warm bars crumble. Serrated knife best for clean cuts through layered textures without squashing.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Use cold butter; ensures crumbly crust. Too warm, paste not solid. Pulsing flour and sugar should create good clumps. Don't overwork.
- 💡 Watch crust; edges should turn light golden. Not too dark. Tap it; it should yield. Center should jiggle slightly while remaining firm.
- 💡 Chill bars at least three hours. Warm bars crumble. Use a serrated knife for clean cuts. Clean the edge with each slice.
- 💡 Parchment paper is key; lifts bars without sticking, buttery mess. Roll with it for ease. You can also grease and flour, but tricky.
- 💡 Apple mix toss right before layering. If done early, apples get mushy. Use tart firm apples; they retain shape while baking.
