Gluten-Free Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Our Gluten-Free Caramel Apple Crumble Cheesecake recipe combines layers of caramel cheesecake, cinnamon apples, buttery brown sugar streusel & caramel sauce. It's like apple crisp, cheesecake & caramel apples, all in one!
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Servings: 1 (9-inch) cheesecake
Ingredients
Equipment:
- 9-inch Springform Pan
- Parchment paper cut to fit 9-inch pan
- A Slow Cooker Liner Bag or Oven Bag
- Large Pan For Hot Water Bath
- Optional: piping bag + piping tip for whipped cream*
For The Graham Cracker Crust:
- 2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs 240 grams
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- 5 Tablespoons butter melted (71 grams)
For The Cinnamon Apples:
- 2 cups finely diced apples about 2 medium apples
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For The Streusel Layer:
- ½ cup gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend* 60 grams
- ½ cup gluten-free quick oats* 50 grams
- ½ cup brown sugar 100 grams
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter melted (57 grams)
For The Cheesecake Filling:
- 4 8-ounce blocks full-fat cream cheese,* softened to room temperature (907 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature (226 grams)
- ⅓ cup caramel sauce*
- 1 ½ Tablespoons cornstarch 16 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup caramel sauce for serving*
Instructions
First, Start The Crust & Toppings:
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
- Make The Crust. In a food processor, combine gluten-free graham crackers, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Pulse to combine until the crumbs are well coated and the mixture looks like wet sand. Pour the crust mixture out into the springform pan and use the back of a measuring cup or the bottom of a glass to gently pat the crust into an even layer and a bit of the way up the sides of the pan.
- Bake The Crust. Next, bake the crust for 8-10 minutes, until it's fragrant and just starting to turn golden brown. Set the crust aside on a wire rack to cool while you work on the other components.
- Make The Apple Topping. In a small mixing bowl, combine diced apples, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix until evenly coated and set aside. (The sugar may start to pull some liquid out of the apples. This is fine!)
- Make The Streusel Topping. In a medium mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour, gluten-free oats, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Use a fork to blend until evenly combined and clusters are starting for form. Set the streusel aside
Next, Make The Filling & Layer The Cheesecake:
- Start With Room Temperature Ingredients. Before you begin the cheesecake filling, keep in mind that you MUST use room temperature ingredients for a smooth filling!
- Combine Cream Cheese & Sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), combine softened cream cheese and 1 cup sugar. Beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment or electric mixer 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and evenly blended. Stir through with your spatula to check for any lumps!
- Finish The Filling. Next, add sour cream, 1/3 cup caramel sauce, the cornstarch, and the vanilla. Mix on LOW speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add eggs one at a time, mixing on LOW speed until just incorporated. (Keep in mind that you don't want to add any extra air to the cheesecake, so mixing by hand or on low speed at this point is very helpful!)
- Prep Pan For A Hot Water Bath. If Using A Hot Water Bath (Recommended), wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan with foil. To fully waterproof the pan (*highly recommended*), place the springform pan into a slow cooker liner bag or an oven bag/turkey bag. Pull the oven bag up the sides of the springform pan, then gather the excess to one side and knot tightly to keep the bag secure to the sides.
- Create Hot Water Bath. Carefully pour 3/4 to 1-inch of boiling water into the bottom of the roasting pan. Carefully lower the prepared & wrapped springform pan into the water so the water comes about 1-inch up the sides of the springform pan. (See notes for modified hot water bath instructions)
- Build Layers. Pour filling on top of the graham cracker crust and smooth surface with a spatula. Top with an even layer of cinnamon apples (leave any extra liquid behind!), then sprinkle the brown sugar streusel on top of the apples.
Bake & Decorate The Cheesecake:
- Bake. Transfer pan to the oven and bake cheesecake 60-70 minutes or until the edges are just set and the center gently wobbles (like Jello or gelatin). If the center still seems sloshy and liquid, add 3-5 minutes to the bake time and check again. (Err on the side of under-baking rather than over-baking)
- Cool 1-Hour In The Oven. When the cheesecake is finished baking, turn OFF the oven heat and crack the oven door open 2-3 inches. Let the cheesecake cool IN the oven for 1 full hour. (To help prevent cracks, you can run a thin knife around the edges of the springform pan before letting it cool.) Remove springform pan from the hot water bath and the slow cooker liner/oven bag.
- Chill Cheesecake Uncovered in The Fridge AT LEAST 4-6 Hours (up to overnight) before decorating. Drizzle with more caramel sauce and cut into slices.
- Decorate & Serve. Drizzle the top of the cheesecake with more caramel sauce and cut into slices. Feel free to top with dollops of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (Though it gets rich fast!) Store leftover cheesecake covered in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days. Note that the crust will soften each day.
Notes
Ingredients + Tips:
- SOFTEN INGREDIENTS FASTER. Do NOT microwave any of the ingredients to soften them! Instead, fill a bowl with warm (not hot!) water and place eggs, closed container of sour cream and sealed packages of cream cheese in the bowl. They'll come to room temperature in about 15-20 minutes, rather than about 1 hour it'll take just sitting at room temperature.
- GRAHAM CRACKERS. Regular graham crackers are NOT gluten-free. To keep this gluten-free, you must buy the Gluten-Free graham crackers, such as Pamela's, Schar, or Kinnikinnick. Our favorite are Pamela's for taste and texture.
- CREAM CHEESE. We only recommend blocks of full-fat cream cheese for cheesecake. Do not use cream cheese spreads. Our go-to brand is Philadelphia cream cheese for taste and texture.
- APPLES. We love Honeycrisp apples for this cheesecake, but other baking apples like Granny Smith & Fuji apples will work.
- OATS. Use certified gluten-free oats for this cheesecake! We use quick oats, but rolled oats will also work.
- CARAMEL SAUCE. We highly recommend our homemade caramel sauce for this cheesecake, but if you need to use store-bought, pick an old-fashioned or thick caramel sauce rather than a thin, drippy caramel.
Hot Water Bath Instructions:
- For Traditional Water Bath: Follow instructions above in recipe card.
- For Modified Hot Water Bath: If you don't have a pan large enough to fit a 9-inch springform pan, you can place a 9x13 pan on a rack below the center rack in the oven. Fill 9x13 pan with boiling water before placing the springform pan on a sheet pan on the center rack in the oven above the 9x13. The steam coming from below will help you prevent cracks and help control browning. It's not as effective as a traditional water bath, but is better than skipping it entirely!
- If You Choose NOT To Use A Hot Water Bath, just keep in mind your cheesecake will brown more than mine and may form cracks as it bakes or cools. This is purely cosmetic, but it will impact the look of the cheesecake.
Video
Find the recipe:
sweetsandthankyou.com/gluten-free-caramel-apple-cheesecake/