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These Caramel Apple Sourdough Cheesecake Bars are the ultimate fall treat, combining the best of apple crisp and cheesecake in one decadent bite. They feature a buttery sourdough crust, creamy tangy cheesecake, spiced apples, a crunchy cinnamon-oat streusel, and a drizzle of caramel for layers of cozy fall flavor.
Fall is filled with gatherings, from casual family dinners to Thanksgiving feasts, and these cheesecake bars are a crowd-pleaser for any occasion. They’re easy to slice, simple to serve, and bring together classic fall flavors in a dessert that feels both festive and comforting.
If you love these flavors, you will also love this Sourdough Apple Fritter Bread, Sourdough Apple Cake, Sourdough Apple Muffins, Apple Crisp Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls, or Sourdough Caramel Apple Focaccia.
Why you will love this recipe
- Fall Flavors: These bars combine the flavors from apple crisp with creamy cheesecake for a delicious fall treat.
- Easy, Make-Ahead Dessert: Since the bars need to cool down and chill in the fridge, this is a great make-ahead recipe! It is perfect to take to a holiday gathering and would be a fun replacement for apple pie this thanksgiving.
- Perfect Blend of Textures: These bars have four layers of flavors and textures that are easy to make and come together so well.
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sourdough discard – The discard adds moisture and flavor to the base. If you do not have a sourdough starter, you can make one with this Easy Sourdough Starter recipe with just flour and water!
- Whole wheat flour- This could be swapped for all-purpose flour.
- Cream cheese – You will need one and a half packages of 8 oz cream cheese (12 ounces total). Use softened cream cheese so that it will blend together more easily. I like full fat cream cheese for the texture and richness.
- Apples – To prep your apples, dice and peel them. You can use your favorite type of apples, such as Honey Crisp, Gala or Granny Smith apples.
- Spices –Cinnamon and nutmeg flavor the apples and give it an apple pie flavor.
- Oats – I recommend using rolled oats for this but any kind should do the trick.
- Caramel- A drizzle of caramel to top the cheesecake bars once they are baked.
See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
Instructions to make Sourdough Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Step 1: Make the base by creaming butter and honey together with an electric mixer in a medium bowl or stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add in the sourdough, discard, and mix until combined. Add in the flour and cinnamon and mix until combined. The dough shouldn’t be sticky. If it is, add a little extra flour until it is no longer sticky.
Next, line an square 8″ baking dish with parchment paper so that the bars can be easily removed and sliced. Press the graham cracker dough into the bottom of the pan, making an even, thin layer. Add to a preheated 350°F oven for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Meanwhile, prepare the remaining layers for the cheesecake. Beat together the softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth (I’m never patient enough for it to become completely smooth and it is fine in the end). Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
Step 3: Pour the cheesecake mixture over the warm crust in an even layer.
Step 4: Dice and peel apples and stir with spices and sugar in a mixing bowl.
Step 5: Spoon the chopped apples over the top of the cream cheese mixture.
Step 6: Next, prepare the streusel topping. Chop up the butter and add to a small bowl. Using your fingers, two forks, or a pastry blender, incorporate the butter with the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and oats until the mixture is crumbly.
Step 7: Sprinkle the streusel on top of the cheesecake and apples.
Step 8: Bake for 40-45 minutes until the topping is browned. Typically, the crumble topping will split at the top, indicating it is baked through. The cheesecake filling may still have a jiggle but will set in the fridge.
Step 9: Let cool completely in the pan before covering and placing in the fridge for at least an hour or two to finish setting. After it has completely cooled, drizzle caramel sauce on top. Pull the bars out of the pan by lifting up on the parchment paper and then cut with a sharp knife into slices.
Recipe Tips
- Pre-baking the base of the cheesecake bars will help set the bottom before adding the rest of the ingredients so that they will stay together.
- Let the cheesecake bars cool completely and then cover and add to the fridge for at least two hours before slicing into them to ensure that the cheesecake layer has set. If you cut into it too soon, the layers will not stay intact.
- Serve the cheesecake bars cold. They can be eaten with a fork, or they are also sturdy enough to pick up and eat with your hands.
- Use parchment paper to line the baking dish so the cheesecake bars are easy to remove from the pan. You can also use heavy-duty foil to line it.
Storage instructions for Apple Sourdough Cheesecake Bars
To store the Apple Sourdough Cheesecake Bars, cover them with plastic wrap or add them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge. The bars are best eaten cold and will last for 5-7 days if properly stored.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, either active starter or discard will work in this recipe.
Yes, if you want to use a 9×13 pan, I recommend doubling the recipe.
The whole wheat flour adds flavor that is similar to graham crackers, but you can substitute for all-purpose if you prefer.
More sourdough Apple Recipes
Fall Sourdough Recipes
Apple Crisp Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Fall Sourdough Recipes
Sourdough Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
Sourdough Bread Recipes
Sourdough Caramel Apple Focaccia
Sourdough Discard Recipes
Sourdough Discard Apple Cake
Tried this Sourdough Apple Cheesecake Bars or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!
Caramel Apple Sourdough Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Base:
- 57 grams butter, ¼ cup
- 30 grams honey, 2 Tablespoons
- 60 grams sourdough discard, ¼ cup
- 105 grams whole wheat, ¾ cup
- 2 grams cinnamon, 1 teaspoon
Cheesecake:
- 340 grams cream cheese, 1½ cups (1½ 8 ounce packages)
- 100 grams Sugar, ½ cup
- 2 Eggs, 100 grams
- 5 grams vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
Apple Filling:
- 250 grams apples, diced and peeled, 2 cups
- 15 grams granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon
- 2 grams cinnamon, 1 teaspoon
- 1 gram nutmeg, ½ teaspoon
Streusel Topping
- 60 grams butter, ¼ cup
- 30 grams oats, ⅓ cup
- 70 grams all-purpose flour, ½ cup
- 110 grams brown sugar, ½ cup
- 2 grams cinnamon, 1 teaspoon
- 80 grams caramel topping, ⅓ cup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Make the graham cracker base by creaming butter and honey together. Add in the sourdough discard and mix until combined. Add in the flour and cinnamon and mix until combined. The dough shouldn’t be sticky if it is add a little extra flour until it is no longer sticky 57 grams butter, 30 grams honey, 60 grams sourdough discard, 105 grams whole wheat, 2 grams cinnamon
- Line an 8×8” pan with parchment paper. Press the graham cracker dough into the bottom of the pan making an even, thin layer.
- Bake for 15 mins at 350F degrees.
- Beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Pour over warm crust.340 grams cream cheese, 100 grams Sugar, 2 Eggs, 5 grams vanilla extract
- Dice and peel apples and mix with spices and sugar. Sprinkle over top cream cheese mixture. 250 grams apples, diced and peeled, 15 grams granulated sugar, 2 grams cinnamon, 1 gram nutmeg
- Chop up butter and add to a small bowl. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients, oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon, until the mixture is crumbly. 60 grams butter, 30 grams oats, 70 grams all-purpose flour, 110 grams brown sugar, 2 grams cinnamon
- Layer on top of the cheesecake and apples.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until the topping is browned. Typically the crumble will split at the top, indicating it is baked through. The cheesecake filling may still have a jiggle but will set in the fridge.
- Let cool completely in the pan before covering and placing in the fridge for at least two hours to finish setting.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce and cut into 16 slices. 80 grams caramel topping
Notes
- Scales can be off by a few grams so for the spices I recommend just using teaspoons or tablespoons to measure them.
- Be sure to let these set in the fridge and serve cold.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
In this recipe, what do you mean by whole wheat?Is that whole wheat flour? Thank you
Correct but you could easily replace with all purpose flour.
Can these be frozen & then defrosted in refrigerator when ready to eat?
Can these be frozen & then defrosted in refrigerator when ready to eat?
I haven’t tried it but after looking at similar recipes for cheesecake bars many say they freeze well. I would freeze without the caramel topping and store up to 3 months.
Can I sub the whole wheat for oat flour?
I haven’t tried it, but I think with this specific recipe it should be fine to swap out.