It’s apple time!! With about 16 kg apples eaten per year per capita, apples are by far the most popular fruit in Switzerland! So this is my version of combining the love for fresh apples with a bit of the American influence I’ve taken on over the years; I made Apple Crumble Cheesecake Bars! Creamy, streusely and topped with gooey caramel – they were such an instant hit that I will definitively make them part of my heavy rotation for potlucks or family feasts.
You can make the recipe below with any kind of apple you like, this time, I opted for an autumn apple that is a bit more on the tart side, the Elstar. And for the topping you can opt for storebought caramel sauce or you can make your own with my easy, crowd-favorite homemade Caramel Sauce.
Ingredients (33 x 23 cm baking tray):
Crust
- 100g brown sugar
- 250g flour
- 230g butter
Filling
- 3 eggs (organic, large)
- 150g sugar
- 680g of cream cheese (Philadelphia nature)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder
- pinch of salt
Topping & Streusel
- 5-7 apples (depending on their size)
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 200g brown sugar
- 125g flour
- 115g of butter
- 50g oatmeal
Preparation:
Prepare a Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
For the crust, mix the flour, the sugar and the butter. Line the baking tray with baking paper and press the mixture evenly onto the bottom. Bake 13-15 minutes.
For the filling, combine cream cheese with sugar, eggs, vanilla and a pinch of salt and mix until even. Spread over the warm crust.
For the topping, chop the apples into ca. 1cm pieces (I peeled them but that is optional), add 2 tablespoons of sugar, cinnamon and whatever spice you like to add, for instance a pinch of nutmeg, and mix. Spread over the cream cheese mixture.
For the streusel, combine brown sugar, flour butter and oatmeal. I always do this part by hand so as not to deconstruct the oatmeal. Once combined, form little bits of dough and spread them over the apples. Bake for ca. 45 minutes and let cool completely before removing from the tray and cutting square bars before serving.
Decorate with a bit of icing sugar and top with caramel sauce – and enjoy!
