Apple Walnut Cheesecake

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Published: 10/07/2020 | Updated: 03/27/2024

This Apple Walnut Cheesecake is topped with all your favorite fall flavors- cinnamon, cooked apples and crunchy walnuts. An easy cheesecake recipe that serves a crowd!

Doesn’t that cheesecake just scream fall! I know everyone is all about pumpkin this time of year, but I’m a die hard apple fan in the fall.

Those crisp apples pair perfectly with cinnamon and chopped nuts over the creamiest cheesecake you’ll ever taste. This is a recipe that looks impressive enough to serve to guests but is easy enough for you to make for just your family!

You don’t even need to worry about a water bath when you’re cooking your cheesecake or anything tedious like that. Just an easy cheesecake recipe that slices beautifully!

What Types of Apples are Good for Baking?

There are two main types of apples- cooking and dessert which means it should be eaten raw. A cooking apple is usually larger and has a firmer flesh which is great in baking because it won’t break down as much. You can tell in my cheesecake topping how the little pieces of diced apple really hold their shape.

My go to cooking apple is the Granny Smith, mostly just because it’s the easiest to find. You can also cook with Jonathan, Cortland, Braeburn or Honeycrisp.

For this recipe, you’re going to want to peel your apples and then dice them into small pieces so that you can make sure they cook the whole way through.

I use the apple corer/slicer in the picture to help speed up the process. Then I just diced each slice into smaller pieces.

How to Make Cheesecake Bars

The Crust

For these cheesecake bars, it will be easier to remove them if you line your 13×9 pan with foil first. I leave extra foil hanging off the two short sides so I can use them as handles to lift the whole thing out once it’s cooled.

For the crust, in a small bowl add your graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Mix it up really well and then press it into the foil lined pan. Make sure you push those crumbs down really well so they aren’t crumbly when you’re trying to eat it later.

Then set the pan aside.

The Filling

This is probably the easiest cheesecake filling recipe! In a stand mixer, beat softened cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.

Then add the sour cream and mix well. Finally, add your eggs one at a time, mixing well between each one. Be sure to scrape the sides of your bowl every once in a while so it’s all getting mixed in. You don’t want to end up with a lumpy cheesecake.

Then pour the filling evenly over the crust.

The Topping

One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is that none of the layers need cooked on their own. You don’t need to cook the crust for 10 minutes first, and you don’t need to cook the apples for the topping first. It’s all just so easy to throw everything together and cook once!

For the topping, in a medium bowl, combine the diced apples, cinnamon, chopped walnuts and brown sugar. Toss it around to mix it really well.

Then, spoon evenly over the cheesecake filling.

Baking the Cheesecake

Bake the cheesecake for about 55 minutes or until the center is almost set. It will still have a little jiggle to it, but it will be set to the touch.

Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack. Then refrigerate for about 4 hours before cutting to give it time to set.

When you’re ready to cut it, use the foil that’s hanging over the sides to lift it up out of the pan and set it on a cutting board to cut.

A couple quick notes…

• This cheesecake is amazing on its own, but if you want to really elevate it, you can drizzle caramel sauce over the top after it’s cooled.
• You can replace the walnuts with chopped pecans if you prefer.
• You can reduce calories by using reduced fat sour cream and cream cheese.
• The graham cracker crumbs can be replaced by Nilla Wafer crumbs.

Looking for more desserts recipes:

Looking for more dessert recipes? You’ve come to the right place! Here are some delicious dessert recipes that will have you coming back for more.

• Easy Blueberry Crumble Bars
• Cranberry Cheese Bars
• Holiday Turtle Fudge
• No Bake Strawberry Pie
• Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Coconut Mousse Napoleons
• Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispy Treats
• Butterscotch Pudding Cake in the Slow Cooker

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