I both love and dread how many apples I have in my kitchen every fall: a few for snacking, a few I meant to bake with, and honestly, no real plan for either. This cheesecake is what I make with them instead of a pie, and it gives me everything I want from apple pie without a second crust to roll out.
When I do want the classic, my Dutch Caramel Apple Pie with Buttery Crumble is the one I turn to.
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake is a New York-style cheesecake with a Biscoff crust, a flour-stabilized batter, and a center layer of cinnamon apples, baked in a double-pan water bath for 105 to 120 minutes, chilled at least 8 hours, then topped with more apples, crumble, and salted caramel.
My hands-on time is about 45 minutes. The rest is water bath, cooling, and an overnight chill. I like to test-run my Thanksgiving desserts early, and this one has earned a spot on the Thanksgiving table next to my Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce, which uses the same Biscoff crust. If you only have an afternoon and a few apples left over, my Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip gives you the same flavors with no oven.
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake Summary
- 🍪 Press a spiced Biscoff crust into a springform pan and bake until set
- 🍎 Cook down two batches of cinnamon apples - one goes inside, one goes on top
- 🧁 Beat a flour-stabilized cheesecake filling and layer half of it over the crust
- 🥧 Spoon the cooled apple filling in the center, then cover with the rest of the batter
- 💧 Bake low and slow in a double-pan water bath until just barely wobbly
- 🌙 Cool it in the oven with the door cracked, then chill it overnight
- 🍮 Finish with more apples, a buttery crumble, and a warm salted caramel drizzle
Jump to:
🍎 Why This Cheesecake Holds Its Shape When Others Don't
🧱 Flour instead of cornstarch. This is a New York-style base, which gives it the structure to support a layer of apples without the center going soft or collapsing.
🌊 A double water bath barrier. The wrapped springform pan gets set inside a slightly larger round cake pan before it ever touches the roasting pan of water - one more layer between your batter and a leak.
🔥 A slow, gentle bake. Water bath heat means the edges never race ahead of the center, even with the extra apple layer adding to the total bake time.
🧈 Main Ingredients
- Biscoff cookies. Crushed into the crust, they bring a deeper, caramelized flavor than a standard graham cracker base - and because Biscoff has more fat, the crust may release a little butter while baking. That's normal, not a mistake.
- Full-fat cream cheese and sour cream. Both need to come to room temperature before mixing, or the batter will never smooth out completely no matter how long you beat it.
- All-purpose flour. The structural difference-maker. It's what lets this cheesecake carry a layer of apples through a 105-to-120-minute bake without the center turning soft.
- Cornstarch slurry. Used twice - once in the apple filling that goes inside the cheesecake, and again in the apple topping that goes on top. It's what turns simmered apples into a thick, glossy, jam-like layer instead of a watery one.
- Brown sugar and heavy cream. The base of the salted caramel, built low and slow so the sugar fully dissolves before the cream goes in.
🕰️ Can I Make This Ahead?
Yes - in fact, you have to. Between the 8-hour chill and the overnight set, this cheesecake needs a full day of lead time before it's ready to slice. Bake it the day before you plan to serve it, let it cool completely, then refrigerate overnight so it sets fully and cuts into clean, bakery-style slices instead of collapsing under the knife.
How to Make Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake
A lot of parts, none of them hard - you're just working in stages and letting things cool along the way. Here's the breakdown.
🍪 Step 1: Build the Crust
Preheat to 325°F. Line the springform pan and wrap the outside tightly in two layers of foil - this keeps the water bath from sneaking in later. Blitz the Biscoff cookies, mix with melted butter, and press firmly into the pan, slightly up the sides. Bake 8 minutes, then cool completely before adding batter.
🍎 Step 2: Cook the Inside Apple Filling
Melt butter in a pan, add apples, cider, brown sugar, and spices. Cook about 8 minutes until softened but still holding shape. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook 1-2 minutes until thick and glossy. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and cool completely. If it looks separated after the slurry, a splash of water and a gentle reheat brings it back smooth.
🧁 Step 3: Make the Cheesecake Batter
Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, scraping the bowl well. Mix in flour, sour cream, vanilla, and spices on low speed. Beat eggs separately, then add in two additions, mixing just until combined - overmixing here is what causes cracks later.
🥧 Step 4: Assemble the Layers
Pour half the batter into the cooled crust. Spoon the cooled apple filling on top in a thin layer, keeping it away from the edges. Cover with the rest of the batter, smooth the top, and tap out any air bubbles.
💧 Step 5: Bake in a Water Bath
Set the wrapped pan inside a slightly larger cake pan, then place both in a roasting pan. Add hot water about an inch up the sides. Bake 105-120 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has a gentle wobble (around 150°F if using a thermometer). Turn the oven off, crack the door, and let it sit inside for an hour - this slow cooldown prevents cracking.
🌙 Step 6: Chill Overnight
Remove from the water bath, run a knife around the edge, and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, ideally overnight, for clean slices.
🍁 Step 7: Make the Crumble and Topping Apples
Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, then rub in cold butter until crumbly. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes and cool. For the topping, cook the apples the same way as the inside filling, but leave them slightly chunkier since this layer doesn't need to support anything.
🍮 Step 8: Make the Salted Caramel
Melt butter and brown sugar together, letting it bubble 1-2 minutes to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat, stir in the cream slowly, and simmer 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in a pinch of flaky salt and let it cool until pourable - it thickens more as it sits.
🍎 Step 9: Bring It Together
Once fully chilled, top the cheesecake with the apple topping, crumble, and a generous drizzle of caramel. Finish with extra flaky salt if you like the contrast. Slice with a clean knife, wiping between cuts, and let each piece sit 10-15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9-inch deep springform pan
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
- Large roasting pan
- Round cake pan (slightly larger than the springform, for double-pan water bath protection)
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Large saucepan
- Small mixing bowls
- Instant-read thermometer (optional)
Ingredients
For the Apple Filling
- 2 large apples peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon water
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
For the Biscoff Crust
- 38 Biscoff cookies crushed
- ½ cup salted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 32 ounces full-fat cream cheese room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temp
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
For the Crumble Topping
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup cold salted butter cubed
For the Apple Topping
- 4 medium apples peeled and sliced
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
For the Salted Caramel
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream room temp
- pinch flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the base of a deep 9-inch springform pan and lightly grease the sides. Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with two layers of foil.
- In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sliced apples, cider, brown sugar, and spices. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are softened but still holding their shape.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the water, then stir it into the apples. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes thick, glossy, and jam-like with no loose liquid remaining.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside to cool completely. If the mixture thickens too quickly or appears slightly separated after adding the slurry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and gently warm over low heat, stirring until smooth and cohesive again.
- Blitz the Biscoff cookies into fine crumbs and mix with the melted butter until evenly coated.
- Press firmly into the base of the prepared pan, bringing the crumbs slightly up the sides.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then allow to cool completely.
- In the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until completely smooth, scraping the bowl thoroughly to ensure no lumps remain.
- Add the flour, sour cream, vanilla, and spices, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then add them in two additions, mixing on low speed just until combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour half of the cheesecake batter into the cooled crust and smooth the surface.
- Spoon the cooled apple filling over the batter in a thin, even layer, keeping it slightly away from the edges.
- Gently pour the remaining batter over the apples and smooth the top. Tap the pan lightly on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Place the cheesecake into a pan larger than it, then put both pans inside a large roasting pan. Pour hot water around the pan until it reaches about 1 inch up the sides.
- Bake for 105-120 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center has a gentle wobble. If using a thermometer, the internal temperature should be around 150ºF.
- Turn the oven off, crack the door open, and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour.
- Remove from the water bath, run a knife around the edge, and allow to cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating overnight.
- In a bowl, mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Rub in the cold butter until a crumbly texture forms.
- Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes until golden. Cool completely.
- In a pan, melt the butter and add the apples, sugar, cider, and spices. Cook for about 8 minutes until softened. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened but still slightly chunky. Allow to cool.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together, stirring constantly until smooth and fully combined. Allow the mixture to gently bubble for 1-2 minutes to dissolve the sugar and develop flavor.
- Reduce the heat to low and slowly add the cream, stirring continuously. Return to low-medium heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Remove from the heat, stir in a pinch of flaky salt, and allow to cool until pourable.
- Once the cheesecake is fully chilled, spoon the apple topping over the surface, followed by the crumble. Drizzle generously with salted caramel and finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt if desired.
🔪 Tips and Tricks
🍏 Keep the apple layer thin. Apples keep releasing liquid as they bake, so a thin layer inside the cheesecake sets properly instead of turning the center soft.
🧂 Fix separated apple filling fast. If the mixture looks a little split after adding the cornstarch slurry, it just reduced too far. A splash of water and a gentle reheat over low heat brings it back to smooth and glossy.
🥣 Mix on low speed the whole way through. Overbeating the batter adds air, and air is what causes cracks once the cheesecake starts to cool.
🌡️ Watch for the wobble, not the clock. The cheesecake is done when the edges are fully set and the center has a gentle jiggle, or when it hits about 150°F - usually around 115 minutes, though ovens vary.
🕯️ Cool it slowly, in the oven. Turning the oven off and cracking the door for an hour before pulling the cheesecake out prevents the sudden temperature drop that causes cracking or sinking.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days, tempered 10-15 minutes before slicing.
- Freeze individual slices tightly wrapped for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.
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