This Apple Crumble Cheesecake is one of the best autumn desserts: a buttery biscuit base, creamy vanilla cheesecake swirled with cinnamon-spiced apples, a crunchy oat crumble topping and a drizzle of salted caramel. It’s cosy, indulgent and perfect for seasonal entertaining.
Crumbles feel comforting and homely—think apple and blackberry crumble or rhubarb and ginger crumble served with warm custard or cream. Cheesecakes are a classic special-occasion dessert, whether baked or no-bake. Combining both into this apple crumble cheesecake creates a show-stopping dessert that’s rich, textured and full of autumn flavour.
Why you will love this recipe:
- Deliciously autumnal—ideal when apples are in season.
- You can make the cheesecake ahead of time, which is great for stress-free entertaining.
- A guaranteed crowd-pleaser that’s likely to become a family favourite.
Ingredients:
Full recipe details are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Digestive biscuits (use Graham crackers in the US) for the base.
- Eating apples—I prefer sweeter eating apples for this recipe; cooking apples can be too tart.
- Full-fat cream cheese—don’t use low-fat varieties, they won’t set properly.
- Full-fat sour cream for a smooth, tangy finish.
- Plain (all-purpose) flour for the crumble.
- Double (heavy) cream for the salted caramel.
Substitutions and Variations:
Biscuits: swap digestives for gingernuts, Lotus biscuits or Hobnobs to change the flavour of the crust.
Spice: replace cinnamon with ground ginger or mixed spice if you prefer.
Fruit: use pears or a mixture of apples and pears in place of only apples.
Nuts: add chopped or blitzed almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts to the crumble for extra texture; they will toast in the oven as the cheesecake bakes.
How to make Apple Crumble Cheesecake
Overview: Make the biscuit base and chill, cook the cinnamon-spiced apples, prepare a smooth cheesecake filling, make the crumble topping, assemble and bake, then finish with salted caramel.
Step 1: Make the biscuit base
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) / 160°C (320°F fan). Grease the sides and line a 20–23 cm (8–9 in) springform tin with baking paper. Blitz the digestives in a food processor to fine crumbs, mix with melted butter until it resembles damp sand. Press into the base and slightly up the sides, then chill while you make the filling.
Step 2: Make the cheesecake filling
For the cinnamon-spiced apples: melt butter in a large non-stick pan over low–medium heat, add cubed apples, sugar and cinnamon, stirring to coat. Cover and cook gently for about 10 minutes until tender; taste and adjust sugar or spice, then set aside.
For the filling: beat cream cheese until smooth, add caster sugar and beat again. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Fold in vanilla, sour cream and cornflour until smooth—avoid overmixing.
Step 3: Make the crumble topping and assemble
For the crumble: combine plain flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Rub in cold cubed butter until you have a crumbly texture. Remove the chilled crust from the fridge, pour in the cheesecake filling and smooth the top. Spoon over the cinnamon-spiced apples, distribute evenly, then sprinkle the crumble topping.
Bake and cool
Bake for about 35–40 minutes until just set and the centre no longer wobbles. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door slightly ajar for at least 1 hour to cool slowly, then remove and cool completely. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, until firm.
Step 4: Make the salted caramel sauce
In a heavy-based saucepan, melt caster sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it liquefies. Once melted, allow it to bubble until it turns a deep amber—watch closely to avoid burning. Remove from heat, quickly whisk in the butter until smooth, then add room-temperature double cream and whisk until glossy. Stir in vanilla and flaky sea salt. Cool, then cover and chill—reheat gently before serving.
To serve, remove the cheesecake from the tin, slice and drizzle with warm salted caramel sauce.
Cooking Tips:
- Use full-fat ingredients: full-fat cream cheese and sour cream give the proper texture and flavour.
- Cold butter for crumble: keep butter cold and cubed when rubbing into the flour to ensure a crisp, non-greasy topping.
- Taste the apples: apples vary in sweetness—adjust sugar or add a squeeze of lemon if needed.
- Cool slowly: leaving the cheesecake to cool in the oven helps prevent cracks; if it does crack, it will still taste great.
- Room-temperature cream for caramel: prevents vigorous bubbling when adding cream to hot caramel.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the US, apple crumble is commonly called “apple crisp.” Both refer to soft spiced apples topped with a crunchy streusel-style topping.
Yes—this cheesecake is ideal to prepare a day ahead. Chill overnight for best results. The salted caramel sauce can also be made ahead and reheated gently before serving.
Place biscuits in a sealed plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin until fine crumbs form. Mix with melted butter in a bowl until the texture resembles damp sand.
A water bath isn’t necessary. If you often get cracks, you can place a tray of hot water on the lower rack while baking and remove the cheesecake when the centre is still slightly wobbly.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Try easy desserts like apple beignets or glazed applesauce fritters, or explore apple tarts and fruit puddings for more seasonal baking ideas.
If you try this Apple Crumble Cheesecake, please leave a comment to share how it turned out!
Apple Crumble Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the biscuit crust:
- 300 g digestive biscuits
- 115 g unsalted butter, melted
For the cinnamon-spiced apples:
- 20 g unsalted butter
- 500 g eating apples, peeled and diced
- 60 g soft light brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the cheesecake filling:
- 500 g full-fat cream cheese
- 100 g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 60 ml sour cream
- 1 tsp cornflour
For the crumble topping:
- 100 g plain flour
- 60 g soft light brown sugar
- 50 g oats
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch flaky sea salt
- 80 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
For the salted caramel sauce:
- 200 g caster sugar
- 90 g unsalted butter, diced (room temperature)
- 110 ml double cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) / 160°C (320°F fan). Grease and line a 20–23 cm (8–9 in) springform tin.
- For the crust: blitz biscuits to fine crumbs, mix with melted butter, press into the tin and chill.
- For the apples: melt butter in a pan, add apples, sugar and cinnamon, cook gently for about 10 minutes until tender; set aside.
- For the filling: beat cream cheese until smooth, add sugar, then eggs one at a time. Fold in vanilla, sour cream and cornflour; don’t overmix.
- For the crumble: mix flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt, rub in cold butter to form crumbs.
- Assemble: pour filling into chilled crust, top with apples, sprinkle crumble over the top.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes until just set. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door slightly ajar for at least 1 hour. Cool completely, then chill at least 6 hours or overnight.
- For the caramel: melt sugar until amber, remove from heat and whisk in butter, then whisk in room-temperature cream until glossy. Stir in vanilla and salt. Cool and chill if making ahead.
- Serve slices drizzled with warm salted caramel sauce.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Make the cheesecake a day ahead for best texture. Caramel keeps up to 3 days in the fridge; reheat gently.
- Apples vary in sweetness—adjust sugar and spice to taste.
- Nutritional info excludes the caramel sauce unless stated.
Nutrition
Calories: 750 kcal; Carbohydrates: 83 g; Protein: 11 g; Fat: 43 g; Saturated Fat: 23 g. (Approximate.)