Recently I was searching for a dessert which would be saying ‘Good-Bye!’ to summer, while – at the same time – it would be welcoming the upcoming fall season.
I was searching and now I am searching no more because I’ve found all that I was looking for in this delicious treat.
In case you wondered, I will describe all the lovely levels of this dessert for you: it all starts with a lovely cookie-like layer on the bottom, then it continues with a creamy and delicious cream cheese filling with chunks of delicious cinnamony apple scattered here and there, then there’s a crumbly and crunchy topping, and finally – a good portion of luscious caramel on top.
Sounds quite good, right?
And this is how it all comes together…
It all begins with all these ingredients.
And then…
1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C).
2. In a bowl, combine the flour (1 cup – 140 grams) and brown sugar (1/2 cup – 100 grams). Cut in the butter (1 cup – 230 grams) with a pastry blender (or a fork) until the mixture is crumbly, kinda.
3. First with your fingertips, then with the bottom of a cup (or a glass), press the dough evenly into a 13 × 9-inch (33 x 22 cm) baking pan or a cookie sheet with edges. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. In the meantime, in a larger bowl, beat the cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time (beat about 20 seconds after each addition). Next add the vanilla and mix until combined.
Make sure not to over-beat the cheesecake batter as this will lead to excess air being incorporated in and may cause cracking later on.
5. Pour the cream cheese batter over the warm crust.
6. Peel the apples and chop them into 3/4-inch (2 cm) chunks.
Mix the apple chunks with the cinnamon and two tablespoons white sugar.
7. Spoon the apple chunks evenly over the cream cheese mixture.
8. In a smaller bowl, combine the flour (1 cup – 140 grams), oats (1/2 cup – 60 grams), and brown sugar (1/2 cup – 100 grams) for crumb topping. Cube the butter (1/2 cup – 115 grams) and using a pastry blender (or a fork), create a crumbly mixture.
9. Crumble over the cream cheese mixture.
10. Bake 30 minutes, or until the filling is set. Reduce the temperature to 300 °F (150 °C) for the last 5 minutes.
11. Cut into bars (3 x 3 inches/7 x 7 cm).
12. And drizzle with the caramel topping.
Enjoy!
I know you will.
Love,
Petra
(This recipe was adapted from allthingsmamma.com. It makes 12 bars. Store the dessert in the refrigerator.)
I hate you so much. This is terrible… I have no apples in my fridge. You suck. Why would you do this to me Petra… I have never seen something more delicious…
hehe, you have to make this soon, leah, it is really yummy!
Petra
It looks unbelievable to me, like these bars can’t come from this planet!!!
thanks Alina!
Petra
these looks awesome,can’t wait to try it…
thanks Farwin, I am sure you will like them.
Petra
Petra these look DIVINE! I recently made an apple tart that tasted summery yet perfect for comforting autumn evenings too, so i think your bars would fit the bill perfectly for a transition dessert indeed. Plus they just sound so goddarn yummy that im simply going to havvveee to try them! Gorgeous
Enjoy Sasha!
Petra
Wow perfect fall gorgeousness. The caramel is mouth watering!
Mmm these look amazing! The first picture drew me in but the pic of the cream cheese filling being poured over the crust sold me! Can’t wait to make them
It’s like my favourite TGI Friday’s dessert!! I have to try this!!! It seems so perfect, and homemade!! It must be even more delicious than the TGI’s one.
Thanks for the recipe!
OMG, these look amazing! I’m practically drooling from my office desk right now. I could eat these everyday! I love the combination of apples and cinnamon!
OMG, the picture make me drool, i feel like bitting my monitor off! May I know if you uses red or green apple?
Hi Calista! I am glad you like it. I have used green apples – Golden Delicious, peeled. Enjoy!
Petra
Oh wow! Please tell me you are kidding with these?! I cannot be trusted around a batch of these. They look way to good!! Beautiful!!!
Well don’t these just look terrible
What a great way to start off the Fall. Can’t wait to try these!
Petra, dalsi skvely recept, vyzera uzasne. Prosim Ta, aky cream cheese tu na Slovensku kupujes? Dakujem.
Ahoj Zunicka. Rada ta znova vidim. A dakujem za pochvalu. Kupujem obycajny tvaroh s nizkym obsahom tuku.
Petra
Ahaaa, ze jaka finta:) Super, dakujem.
you have no idea how in love I am with your blog! you are so sweet and your recipes – wow. I just copied like 20 of them to my notebook because I have to try them! I’m 15 and I love to bake, especially sweets. Thank you so much for this blog and for your amazing recipes
Hi Marianne! I am glad you’ve found this little place and I am even more happy that you like it. Welcome to our almost zero calorie zone. Enjoy!
Petra
Glad to be your newest follower!
Hi Jess, I am glad you are my newest follower! Enjoy! : ) Petra
I made these for a co-worker’s birthday and they were a huge hit around the office!! Perfect way to put a twist on apple pie/crisp. Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome, dear Erin! Glad you liked them.
Petra
Oh.My.Word.
Thank you for this recipe! My kind of dessert!
Petra, i also love to cook and taking pictures of it. however, there are a couple of times when it’s a total failure. it wasn’t the case with this recipe. i came through your website by browsing tastespotting.com and immediately felt the urge buying ingredients for this delicious cake. i am gluten allergic so instead of flour i used brown rice flour. since it is not as ‘powdery’ as regular flour i had to use a little less butter. so…. i just sliced it – even it was still hot – and we L.O.V.E. it! i will definitely pass it on to my family and friends!
I saw this picture on foodgawker.com and the picture looked amazing. So of course I saved it to my favorites, and I had a chance to make them today! A few friends are coming for dinner tonight, and with a picture like that I know they wont disappoint. Thank you so much for the recipe, I can hardly wait to try them! (Beautiful directions too!)
–Dayna
I tried these and they were wonderful! Personally, I don’t like ultra sweet so the caramel topping was a bit much for me, but I loved the bars without the topping.
I didn’t know you could put so many delicious things into one dessert! Definitely going to be making these soon!
Wow, I’m totally speechless. These look perfect!
This has all of my favourite desserts in one! Looks amazing!! I was just wondering, where to get the caramel topping. Thanks!!
Hi Nadia! I’m glad you like it. Try the ice cream section of you grocery store, or the confectionery aisle. Hope you will find it.
Petra
These look amazing. They are a must try.
These look delicious! GREAT post! I’m glad you were able to use them! : )
Hi Kasey! Thank you for the inspiration. These are heavenly!
Petra
Hey Petra!!
I am currently on my second batch of the bottom “cookie” part. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong but the dough is very gooey. I used a fork to cut the butter in but it’s still gooey. Yours doesn’t look that way. Tip? Advice?
HELP!
BTW, Love love love your blog!!!! I found it by accident but cannot quit hanging out on here!!
Thanks, Veronica
Hi Veronica! My bottom cookie part was pretty gooey too, so I don’t think that you are doing anything wrong. But you can reduce the amount of butter, and prepare the bottom part that way – it will still work, but it will be firmer.
Petra
Found these on Foodgawker today and have my first batch on the oven!! Can’t wait to taste them in 13 minutes
I had the same problem as Veronica with the dough. I couldn’t press it down with a measuring cup because it stuck to the bottom. Do you think it is because I used margarine instead of butter?
Hi Dianna!
Welcome to our sweet food club! I am happy to see you here.
I hope you liked the cake. I pressed down the dough with my fingers, I used the measuring cup only to smooth out the surface.
Petra
I made a gluten and dairy free version of these for a baby shower on the weekend. They were sooo incredibly tasty that nobody even complained I was feeding them soy – what a delicious recipe! I doubled the amount of flour in the bisuit base, as on my first attempt it was so buttery that it was boiling in the oven, and it came out beautifully
Mmm, I love it!
i CANNOT wait to try this recipe! these look like little drops of heaven.
the only downfall…. i’ll probably eat them all in the first day!!!!!
Oh my goodness! What lusciousness!
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I just made this! it looks soo delicious!! but do i let them cool efore eating? or eat them warm? lol
Made these today as a little pre-christmas dessert and they are absolutely delicious! Also great to serve with caramel ice-cream when it’s still warm. Will definitely make it again.
Also, about half of my christmas-dinner consists of your recipes! Love your blog!
I have been looking for the all-in-one bar cookie that incorporates our favs; apples, cheesecake & caramel! Guess what? I’ve found it on your site.
Your pics are unbelievable, and if this cookie is as good as it looks my hubby will be in heaven!
Thanks for sharing!
O. MY. GOD….This is just cruel… MUST. MAKE. NOW. please tell, do u serve this hot or cold? wh/ way is more knee-wobblingly delicious? Oh i think im about to cry.
Hi i have a question
i live in sweden and its really hard to fing all-purpose flour, but can I use baking powder and flour instead?
Hi Diana! All-purpose flour basically means ‘regular’ flour. There’s no baking powder in all-purpose flour. So your regular flour will be perfectly okay.
Petra
The flour to butter ratio in this recipe doesn’t make sense… that’s too much butter to have a “crumbly” mixture…. I made it and it was more like a batter.. regardless, it worked out.. I just had to sop up the excess grease with a paper towel after the crust baked. Next time I would make it with far less butter.
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I made this recipe this afternoon and it was delicious, my parents were fighting over it!! lol
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should the baking pan be lined?
These were made and readily devoured by my entire immediate and extended families. Absolutely fantastic recipe, and highly versatile. This is already a go-to recipe. Thanks a million!
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These bars are amazing and very easy to make. Thank you!
I made these for family and we loved them, but I thought the crust was too putsy and will use a simple graham cracker crust next time. Otherwise was quick, easy and a great way to use up those last couple apples in the fridge. It keeps well, too. We metered them out to last a week and they were as good on the last day as the day they were baked.