Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Today, I’m participating in a fun blogger event — the Secret Recipe Club. How does it work? Every blogger is secretly assigned another blog + chooses a recipe from that blog to make. On reveal day (today!), all of our posts go up at the same time, + everyone gets to see who was assigned to their blog, which recipe they chose, + how it turned out. Fun, huh?

I was thrilled to be assigned Confessions of a Cooking Diva, a fabulous blog full of comfort food recipes + amazing-looking desserts – my favorites! I decided to go with something autumn-ish, and make her Apple-Pecan Cheesecake, but with a few changes. I skipped the nuts, since Fearless Baby doesn’t love ’em, + added a rich caramel drizzle instead, because apples + caramel = SO good. I made it in a 9×9 dish (instead of springform pan), opting to make cheesecake bars/squares instead of traditional slices. So, how did they turn out? AMAZING! There’s a buttery graham cracker layer, a divine cinnamon cheesecake layer, + a topping of tender cinnamon-sugar apples + sweet caramel. This is seriously one of the most delicious fall desserts I’ve had – y’all must give it a try soon!

Thank you to Julie for introducing me to this incredibly tasty cheesecake + to the Secret Recipe Club for connecting me, yet again, with fantastic bloggers + amazing recipes! For all my previous Secret Recipe Club recipes, click here – there are TONS of awesome ones!

And if you love cheesecake bars as much as I do, check out these Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars, Skinny Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars, or Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars – all are SO fantastic.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

serves 9-12, adapted from Confessions Of A Cooking Diva and Kraft

Ingredients

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
2 small apples (I used gala apples), peeled, cored, + diced into 1/2″ cubes
2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
15 caramels
1 tablespoons water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a 9×9 baking dish with tin foil with a slight overhang on two sides (which makes for easier removal of the cheesecake).

Combine the graham cracker crumbs + melted butter in a small bowl, then press evenly onto the bottom of the 9×9 baking pan/dish.

Mix 1 Tbsp. sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl; toss with the diced apples + set aside.

Beat cream cheese with remaining 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over the crust. Top cheesecake evenly with the cinnamon-sugar diced apples.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until the center is just barely set. Cool for 15 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator + chill for at least 4 hours.

Microwave caramels and water in microwaveable bowl on high 45 sec. or until sauce is smooth when stirred. Drizzle over cheesecake. Use foil to lift cheesecake out of the pan and onto a cutting board, cut into either 9, 12, or even 16 bars (depending on how hungry you’re feeling), + serve!

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