Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
I don’t make or eat caramel apples during any other time of year, but once the chilly weather rolls in, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into them! Along with the avalanche bark that my husband and I picked up at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory last Friday, we also snatched up a buckeye caramel apple. The combination of apples and caramels is such a natural marrying of flavors, and one that I cannot resist in any baked form. I’ve seen tons of salted caramel apple bars, caramel apple pies, and the list goes on and on. This one, however, stopped me in my tracks.
Apples… salted caramel sauce… CHEESECAKE… nuts… fresh whipped cream.
It’s the holy grail of caramel apple desserts, and I couldn’t go another day without making it.
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While this dessert has a long name and a seemingly endless list of ingredients, it’s actually rather simple to make. A classic graham cracker crust is pressed into a springform pan (or into a large, deep-dish pie dish). Then, a general layer of homemade salted caramel is spread on the bottom of the crust and sprinkled with chopped pecans. Thinly sliced Granny Smith apples are sauteed in a mixture of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, cooked down until they are incredibly soft. Add those to the pan, then mix together the cheesecake layer and pour it over top. Once it’s cooled to room temperature, the pie should be refrigerated for at least a few hours, preferably overnight, allowing the flavors to set and meld together.
The result is an insanely delicious pie that tastes like a combination of some of the best fall desserts. The caramel and pecan layer on the bottom has a similar flavor to pecan pie, followed by apple pie, then cheesecake, then a cream pie topping with the fresh whipped cream. It’s utterly amazing and a dessert not to be missed. This is perfect if you’re looking for something a little outside of the box when it comes to Thanksgiving dessert!
One year ago: Sweet Potato Pie
Two years ago: Pumpkin Pie
Three years ago: Fallen Chocolate Cakes
Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1½ cup (126 g) graham cracker crumbs, about 12 full graham crackers
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup (75.67 g) unsalted butter, melted
For the Caramel-Pecan Layer:
- ¾ cup (169.5 g) salted caramel sauce
- 1 cup (99 g) chopped pecans
For the Apples:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
For the Cheesecake:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Whipped Cream:
- ¾ cup (178.5 ml) heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
For the Garnish:
- Salted caramel sauce
- Chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Make the Crust: Whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and use a fork to toss the mixture together until all of the crumbs are evenly moistened. Dump the crumbs into a 9-inch springform pan or a 10-inch pie plate and press them into an even layer over the bottom and two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Pour the salted caramel sauce over the bottom of the crust, gently spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over top of the caramel layer. Place the pan in the refrigerator while the apples are prepared.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Make the Apples: Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet, then add the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, stirring to combine. Cook the mixture until it is gently bubbling, about 1 minute. Add the apples to the pan and toss to coat with the butter mixture. Cook until the apples are very tender and just about all of the liquid has been evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then add to the pan on top of the caramel-pecan layer, spreading the apples into an even layer. Return the pan to the refrigerator.
- For the Cheesecake: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until completely smooth. Add the egg and beat until completely combined. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract, and beat until completely smooth, another 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the cheesecake batter over the apples in the pan, smoothing it into an even layer. Bake until the cheesecake is set and doesn’t jiggle in the middle, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Make the Whipped Cream: Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip together the heavy cream and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Garnish and Serve the Pie: Remove the sides of the springform pan. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the cheesecake layer. Dollop spoonfuls of the caramel sauce on top of the whipped cream and, using a butter knife or offset spatula, gently swirl the caramel into the whipped cream. Sprinkle additional chopped pecans on top. Serve immediately. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I have been wanting to try making cheesecakes for years but am stumped on how to get the cheesecake off of the bottom springform pan. Can you please explain this to me ? Thank you
Simply amazing! The way you wrote and gave explicit directions was amazing! I am a baker and even the most untrained baker could follow this to a “T”. I crushed “Ginger snaps” for my crust in place of graham crumbs! Simply the best the “ginger” in the snaps gave it an amazing kick! Thanks so much for sharing !!
Love it!
I made this for Thanksgiving yesterday. The flavor was wonderful. The only problem I had with it was the crust hardened so much it was very difficult to cut. It seemed it was the caramel on the bottom. The caramel itself was not over cooked. Do you have any suggestions? It was so good I would like to make it again.
Been making this for years!
I made this for Thanksgiving 2021. I used an Eagle Brand cheesecake recipe for the cheesecake layer since people felt the cheesecake portions needed to be doubled. I used packaged chopped pecans but feel I needed to chop them a bit finer for the bottom layer. The recipe is very well written and the cooking times given were spot on when I was cooking the apples and caramel. I did have to cook the entire cheesecake longer than time given but that was because I doubled the cheesecake layer. I’m confident if the cheesecake was made as written the temps and times would work. I was extremely happy with the dessert and everyone loved it. The given homemade caramel recipe was excellent, too.
It was a big hit with my family at thanksgiving
Big bold flavours especially if you’re a fan of 🍎 🥧 absolutely delicious 😋
Thank you for sharing!
I made this last year for Thanksgiving and definitely will make again. Best apple pie I ever had, hands down! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi! I cannot believe there aren’t more reviews on this. I found this recipe a few years ago, tweaked it a bit to make it gluten-free (celiac disease) and it has become a holiday tradition. I have been making this every year for the last five years for Christmas and look forward to it all year. Thank you for sharing it!
I made this a few years back and it was a hit …. can it be made a few days before thanksgiving? I am thinking make on Tuesday –refrigerate and serve on Thursday ? I would add whipped cream “day of “
Hi Laura, Yes, doing it the way you describe would work just fine!
I was wondering when you say five Granny Smith apples about how many cups does that make because I got five but they are big and so it is a lot of Apple
Hi Michelle, It’s about 4 cups of sliced apples. I hope that helps!
OMG…this looks amazing.
This looks amazing. Just wondering how far ahead I can make the caramel as well as the crust? Could I make that layer together a day or two ahead of time, or even separately ahead? I’m not overly confident in my baking skills and would find it helpful to do some steps ahead of time.
Thanks!
Hi Jenn, Yes, you could make both a day or two ahead of time! If you complete that first layer, I would do it the night before assembling the rest. Enjoy! :)
ALL THE HEART EYE EMOJIS!!! This is one of our favorite treats-we make it often and LOVE it!! I’ve made it as stated above and I have also made it in cupcake form-both always turn out delicious and impressive. For the cupcakes, I half the apple portion and cut the apple pieces a little smaller. I use liners and it makes 12 cute little “cupcakes.”
Made this for a family holiday get together. I usually only make chocolate desserts but dared to be different this year. Everyone loved this cheesecake. I did have to cook the pie about 20 minutes longer than the recipe, the only problem was my caramel hardened up a bit more than I would have liked (my fault as I’d over cooked the caramel in the first place). I enjoyed it so much I’m making it again this weekend for my birthday. Fifty-three year streak of some version of a chocolate cake is over.