Layered with juicy apples, cheesecake, a crumb crust, and TONS of streusel on top, these Gluten Free Apple Cheesecake Bars are the perfect fall bite!
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Man, oh man, are these the most addictive little treats! I recently got a shipment of my favorite baking apples (more on that below) and was making apple desserts galore! At one time, there were three different apple desserts in my kitchen at once and my husband told me "NO MORE"! He LOVES apple anything and was trying to resist eating them all himself, haha! I told him I'd give 'em away, but he begged me not to.
what are the best baking apples?
By far, the BEST apples for baking are Rome apples. If you've never heard of Rome apples, they may not be available in your area. Luckily, they ARE available online through some growers. The one I've used is honeycrisp.com, and the apples come directly from the orchard. My mom and her mom before her always used Rome apples because they truly are the "baker's buddy" for their ability to keep their shape but soften when baked.
I will NEVER recommend using Granny Smith apples in anything baked (they're great for my easy homemade caramel apples, though!) as they remain overly crunchy after being baked. Why chefs and other home bakers recommend them I will never know. Rome apples are sweet-tart so not only do they have the right texture, but they also have the perfect taste, too! This is the hill I'm choosing to die on and you'll never convince me otherwise.
Sadly, Rome apples have a very short growing season. But that's okay because we can prep them for the freezer so that ANY time we want an apple pie (or turnover, fritter, etc), we can have one! Peel and slice (or dice) apples and place them in some cold water with lemon juice added to keep them from browning. Drain and pat them dry on layers of paper towels and then place them in one layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze until solid, at least 3 hours. Then place them in a ziploc bag or a food saver bag (I LOVE my Food Saver), remove as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 6 months!
what you'll need for apple cheesecake bars
- Gluten Free Golden Oreos - we're taking a little shortcut and making the crust semi-homemade. Make sure to remove the filling first (you can eat it by itself if you so desire or add it to buttercream maybe? I just tossed it).
- Apples - see above for the BEST baking apples ever.
- White chocolate chips - mixed with cream, this makes something like a thin ganache that goes into the cheesecake filling.
- Sour cream - sour cream adds tang and softens the texture of cheesecake filling.
- Quick oats - oats offer texture and heartiness to the crumble topping.
making gf apple cheesecake bars
Crush cookies into a fine crumb. Combine with melted butter until a wet sand texture forms.
Add crumb mixture to prepared pan and press into bottom using the bottom of a drinking glass. Bake for 8 minutes, or until very lightly golden brown around the edges.
Microwave white chocolate chips and heavy cream until smooth.
Beat cream cheese with sugar, cornstarch, and spices.
Add eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and white chocolate mixture. Beat until smooth.
Pour batter into baked crust.
Top with diced apples.
Make oatmeal crumb topping and sprinkle all over apples. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the center still jiggles slightly. Cool and then refrigerate.
Cut chilled cheesecake into squares.
Drizzle with caramel sauce.
Prefer Video?
Cheesecake Bars FAQs
Yes, but I would recommend leaving them in the baking pan and wrapping the entire pan, first with plastic wrap and then with foil. I would not add the caramel sauce to the top until thawed and ready to serve.
I wouldn't recommend using a smaller square pan, but you could use a 9 by 13-inch rectangular baking dish. Your cheesecake will need to be in the oven for slightly less time, so begin checking at 30 minutes.
They can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes, you can use any cookie you'd like for the crust. A graham cracker crust would be fabulous for cheesecake bars, as would a shortbread crust!
more gluten free apple recipes
- Amazing Gluten Free Apple Pie
- Gluten Free Apple Turnovers
- Gluten Free Apple Dumplings
- Gluten Free Apple Crumb Pie
- Gluten Free Apple Crumb Muffins
- Gluten Free Dutch Apple Cheesecake
- Gluten Free Apple Bundt Cake
- Bakery Style Gluten Free Apple Fritters
- Easy Homemade Caramel Apples
- Instant Pot No Sugar Added Applesauce
Gluten Free Apple Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 11 oz (about 3 cups or 312g) gluten free golden Oreos, filling removed
- ½ cup (113g) butter, melted
Cheesecake Layer
- ⅓ cup (80g) heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup (84g) white chocolate chips
- 2 8oz pkg (16oz or 452g) cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 cups peeled and diced apples
Streusel
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (68g) quick cooking oats
- ¾ cup (105g) Kim's gluten free all purpose flour blend (a store bought blend may be substituted, but has not been tested)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup (113g) butter, softened
- ¼ cup (82g) caramel sauce (store bought is what I use)
Instructions
Prepare Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square springform pan or baking dish with parchment and set aside.
- In a gallon-sized ziploc bag (or in a food processor), crush cookies into fine crumbs (I use a rolling pin for the ziploc bag method). Add crumbs to small bowl and pour in melted butter. Mix until completely. Press into the bottom of the prepared square pan (I like to use the bottom of a drinking glass for this).
- Bake crust for about 8 minutes or until very light golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool while preparing the cheesecake filling (it doesn’t need to be completely cooled).
Make Cheesecake Layer
- Add the white chocolate chips and heavy cream to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for one minute. Stir and continue to heat at 15-30 second intervals until chocolate chips are melted and smooth; set aside.
- In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine cream cheese with sugar, cornstarch, and spices and beat on medium low until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and white chocolate mixture. Pour over prepared crust and top with diced apples; set aside.
Make Streusel Topping and Bake
- In a medium bowl, combine streusel ingredients and mix with hands until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake cheesecake for 40 minutes. The center should still be slightly jiggly when you remove it from the oven. Cool completely on a wire rack and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight).
- When ready to serve, cut into squares and drizzle with caramel sauce.
Notes
Adapted from Shugary Sweets' Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
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