Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake has pieces of apple and pockets of cinnamon filling layered into it. The incredible combination of smooth cheesecake, cinnamon, and lightly crunchy apples is something you won’t want to miss!

Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake - A cinnamon cheesecake layered with apples and cinnamon filling! Topped with even more apples and cinnamon! Absolutely to die for!

Creamy Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake

This post is sponsored by KitchenAid, but all opinions are my own.

I don’t know about you, but I am really starting to get excited for fall. Apple baking always seems to get me in the mood. I start breaking out the cinnamon, nutmeg and caramel and just can’t wait to devour it all over some delicious apples!

Enter this cheesecake. While I left out the caramel, I absolutely considered drizzling some over the top of it and you should consider it too.

But even without it, the cinnamon and apples are pure fall heaven.

Making the cheesecake takes some time, but really is easy to put together. That’s one of the great things about cheesecakes. Once it’s baked, you’re pretty much done. No fuss, just put it in the fridge to cool and top it with something tasty – cinnamon apples in this case.

To make the crust, I started with vanilla wafer cookies. I love the extra sweetness from using them, but graham crackers would absolutely work too if you have them on hand. I added some brown sugar and cinnamon to the crust to the extend the fall flavors into the crust and I loved it!

Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake - A cinnamon cheesecake layered with apples and cinnamon filling! Topped with even more apples and cinnamon! Absolutely to die for!
Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake - A cinnamon cheesecake layered with apples and cinnamon filling! Topped with even more apples and cinnamon! Absolutely to die for!

The cheesecake filling is fairly straightforward, it just has a little cinnamon in it. The real fun comes from layering the filling with the cinnamon filling and apples. OMG!

How to Assemble Your Cheesecake

To start the layering, you’ll top the crust with some chopped apples and drops of the cinnamon filling, then add about half of the cheesecake filling. Layer in more cinnamon and apples, then the rest of the cheesecake filling. Top it off with the remaining apples and cinnamon, then try not to eat it all before it even goes into the oven. The smell is wonderful!

Once baked and cooled, the cheesecake is topped with more cooked apples. The process for making the apples on top of the cheesecake is pretty similar to the ones inside, except you add a little butter and cook them for about 10 minutes. You could skip this step, but the additional apples really finish off the cheesecake nicely.

You’ll want to chop the apples, add them to the pan with the brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter, then cook them until they reach the right consistency. I say about 10 minutes, but you could cook them for more or less time depending on how soft you want them.

Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake - A cinnamon cheesecake layered with apples and cinnamon filling! Topped with even more apples and cinnamon! Absolutely to die for!
Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake - A cinnamon cheesecake layered with apples and cinnamon filling! Topped with even more apples and cinnamon! Absolutely to die for!
Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake - A cinnamon cheesecake layered with apples and cinnamon filling! Topped with even more apples and cinnamon! Absolutely to die for!

And to spice up your fall even more KitchenAid and The Food Network have teamed up to host the Apple Challenge!

That’s right – Food Network Kitchens will select the top 4 recipe submissions and the 4 finalists will win a trip for 2 to NYC for a live cook-off to cook their dish to be judged by Food Network chef Geoffrey Zakarian. One winner will receive the grand prize of a suite of KitchenAid Black Stainless Steel Appliances and a private cooking lesson with Geoffrey Zakarian.

Um, I just died. How fun!

And did you know that KitchenAid just came out with black stainless steel appliances? They sent me some information about them and a sample of what the black stainless steel is like, and I’m in love. We have black appliances in our kitchen and I’ve always wanted stainless steel, but like the black color. These are the perfect solution! Clearly I need to win that contest and update my kitchen.

KitchenAid Black Stainless Steel Appliance sample

The contest ends September 14, so you better get on it! Submissions can be uploaded through Twitter or Instagram (with the hashtag #KitchenAidContest), FoodNetwork.com/applechallenge or food.com/applechallenge. And if you win, let me know so I can be super jealous.

And if you don’t win, don’t worry. We can drown our sorrows together in this amazing cheesecake. I’m pretty sure all the apples in it make it healthy, so win-win right there. 😉

Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake - A cinnamon cheesecake layered with apples and cinnamon filling! Topped with even more apples and cinnamon! Absolutely to die for!

Print
clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon facebook facebook icon print print icon squares squares icon
Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake on white plate close up
Recipe

Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 14-16 Slices
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake has pieces of apple and pockets of cinnamon filling layered into it. The incredible combination of smooth cheesecake, cinnamon, and lightly crunchy apples is something you won’t want to miss!


Ingredients

CRUST

  • 1 1/2 cups (201g) vanilla wafer crumbs
  • 1/4 cup (56g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 5 tbsp (70g) butter

CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup (207g) sugar
  • 3 tbsp (24g) all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup (230g) sour cream
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

APPLE CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • 2 large apples, peeled and chopped
  • 1/4 cup (56g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch ground nutmeg

CINNAMON CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • 5 tbsp (70g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp (24g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp (42g) unsalted butter, melted

APPLE GARNISH, ON TOP OF CHEESECAKE

  • 1 large apple, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tbsp (28g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch ground nutmeg
  • sprinkle of lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter

Instructions

CRUST

1. Heat oven to 325°F (163°C).
2. In a small bowl, combine crust ingredients and mix well.
3. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
4. Bake crust for 10 minutes then remove and set aside.
5. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil and set aside.

CHEESECAKE AND CINNAMON FILLING

1. Reduce oven to 300°F (148°C).
2. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour until combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
4. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Beat on low speed until well combined. Set aside.
5. In another medium sized bowl, toss together apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until apples are coated. Set aside.
6. In another medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Stir in melted butter until combined.
7. Add about 1/3 of the apples to the bottom of the crust.
8. Break apart cinnamon mixture and sprinkle pieces over the apples, about 1/3 of the cinnamon mixture.
9. Spread about 1/2 of the cheesecake filling over the cinnamon mixture.
10. Add another 1/3 of the apples and cinnamon mixture to the top of the cheesecake filling.
11. Spread remaining cheesecake filling over cinnamon and apples.
11. Sprinkle remaining apples and cinnamon mixture over top of cheesecake.
11. Place springform pan (covered with aluminum foil) inside another pan. Fill outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
8. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
9. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 30 minutes.
10. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
11. Remove cheesecake from oven and chill until completely cool and firm.
12. To make the apple garnish for the top of the cheesecake, add chopped apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and butter to a pan. Stir together until apples are well coated.
13. Cook apples on medium heat until at desired tenderness, about 10 minutes.
14. Remove cheesecake from springform pan and place on serving plate. Add apples to the top of the cheesecake and drizzle remaining sauce from pan over cheesecake.
15. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 327
  • Sugar: 29.8 g
  • Sodium: 262.5 mg
  • Fat: 16.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 39.2 g
  • Protein: 6.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 87.3 mg

Filed Under:

Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake - A cinnamon cheesecake layered with apples and cinnamon filling! Topped with even more apples and cinnamon! Absolutely to die for!

Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake - A cinnamon cheesecake layered with apples and cinnamon filling! Topped with even more apples and cinnamon! Absolutely to die for!

From the first-ever black stainless steel to the first-ever five-door refrigerator, KitchenAid pushes the limits with our appliances, so our home cooks can do the same with their cooking. See the revolutionary new line of KitchenAid appliances or visit the Kitchenthusiast™ blog for recipes, tips and more.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of KitchenAid. The opinions and text are all mine.

Share a Comment

Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love hearing from you and seeing what you made!

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

83 Comments
  1. Shonny

    Love this recipe! Did you happen to change it I remember the cinnamon cheesecake filling requiring 1/2 cup brown sugar vs 5tbs ?






  2. Summer

    Wanted to love this however it seems way too wet! Is it the addition of apples? Made tons of cheesecakes and none are like this one. Scrapping and trying again.

  3. Heather

    I made this and it’s my first time making a cheesecake. The flavor is amazing. I did have an issue, after baking and chilling, my crust was mushy. Not sure what I did wrong.






  4. Josh

    This is my go-to cheesecake recipe. I’ve probably made over 10 of them over the last several years. I actually just put one in the oven for Thanksgiving desert tomorrow. It always gets compliments and turns out great. I double the topping recipe and am generous with the cinnamon, but otherwise it is perfect as is!






  5. Jasmina

    Hello, your receipts look delicious and amazing. I was just wondering if the apples won’t let too much moisture when cooked inside the cheesecake. I really want to make the cheesecake but wasn’t sure if it will set properly

    1. Lindsay

      I know that can often be an issue with other things, but I’ve never had that issue with cheesecake. And I certainly didn’t have that issue with this cheesecake.

    1. Lindsay

      You can use your favorite apple, but common ones are granny smith, fuji, gala, honeycrisp. You could also use a combination of a couple types.

  6. Tina Flaherty

    Hi Lindsay! Made the apple cinnamon cheesecake and followed the recipe exactly. I had leaky water bath and therefore soggy crust. I went back through the recipe to find any help to prevent that and true to Murphy’s Law, I found the tutorial about using a crockpot liner before you put on the tinfoil! Great idea!! At any rate, my cheesecake looked like the picture and tasted great – soggy crust and all!

  7. Sonji Black

    I love this cheesecake and everyone who has tasted it loves it too! My nephew told me he didn’t like cheesecake until he tasted this apple cinnamon one. The second time I made it for a function at my church and the ladies loved it! My Grandma’s cookbook has stars by the recipes that are good or better than good. This is one with a star in my cookbook. Thank you for this experience to my taste buds!






  8. Jessie

    Can you make this in a 4″ springform pan instead? If so, what changes do you recommend as far as ingredients or baking time?

  9. Stacey

    My husband has chosen this for his birthday dessert but wants a streusel topping instead of the garnish since there are apples and cinnamon throughout…and the streusel topping is his favorite part of a Dutch apple pie (his normal bday dessert). Other recipes I use that include a streusel topping only bake about 45 minutes to an hour. I’m afraid the 90 minute bake time may burn a streusel topping if I just add it to this recipe, but I figure that I will flop and ruin the cheesecake if I remove it from the oven mid-bake to add the topping. Any suggestions??

  10. Evelyn Jennerich

    Lindsay, i love your recipes. I have made quite a few of them. I was wondering if you could help me when it comes to removing my cheesecake from the bottom of the pan (plate). Or can you do a tutorial? I would love to serve my cheesecake on a glass serving plate. I Always have to ask for the plate back, when I surprise someone with one of your recipes. Thank you in advance.

    1. Gwen

      To Evelyn Jennerich, I cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of springform pan. i then use it to slide cake off the bottom of springform onto plate then remove the parchment paper.
      One of the best things I do is find a plate/serving dishes from thrift stores, garage sales etc. and use those. If I get the dish back okay otherwise I don’t worry about losing a favourite dish. 🙂

  11. Elizabeth Bleeke

    Perfect recipe! I don’t usually like water baths for cheesecakes, but even without the bath it turned out perfect! An awesome fall dessert! I also made a caramel sauce for the top:)






  12. Jenny

    I made your apple garnish today for a topping for a classic cheesecake and it was delicious! I can’t wait to try this apple cheesecake because if it tastes as good as your apple garnish it will be out of this world. Plus I’m very excited to put some of the apple garnish in my oatmeal tomorrow for breakfast…..Yum. Thanks for the great recipe!






    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t tried it before to say for sure. You could try it, but it’ll have extra liquid pie filling so that might be a lot for the cheesecake filling to hold.

  13. Sabrina

    Best cheesecake I’ve ever made. Everyone loved it. 

    I was wondering if you could freeze it? I had a request to make it again but my time is limited and was hoping I could make it in advance (except for the Apple garish on top, that I would make the day off and place it on top once it defrosts).

    Thanks!






  14. Chelll

    Will the apples soften just from being in the batter? I will be using granny smith so am worried about cooking time. Thanks!

  15. Catherine

    Hi, can I use a 6-inch pan instead of a 9-inch one? It’s the only pan I have and I prefer not to buy another one. This is my first cheesecake so I’m very excited! It looks so good! Hope it comes out well when I make it.

    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t ever made that size cheesecake. You could try to cut the recipe down by maybe half and see how it does. I’m sure it would bake fine, I’m just not entirely sure how much filling you need and how long it needs to bake.

  16. Rita

    Hi after cheesecake is cooled in fridge, you put cake on a plate and drizzle cooked apples on top! Question do you wait until apple mixture is cool before placing on cheesecake?






    1. Lindsay

      You could do it either way. If the idea of warm apples appeals to you, then use them warm. But they’d also be fine cooled.

  17. Sunny Holley

    Hi Lindsay! What are your thoughts on using pears instead of apples? I have yet to find a pear cheesecake recipe I like and I always have luck with your recipes!

    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t tried it before and pears are certainly softer than apples. But if you account for that while cooking your pears, I would think it would be fine.

  18. Greg G. Graf

    I am collecting Cheesecake recipes and any you post would be greatly appreciated. I’m up to over 900 so far.

  19. Crystal

    I made this cheesecake for Christmas and it was absolutely perfect! It was a huge hit and possibly the best cheesecake I’ve ever had.






  20. Rosslyn

    Since I’m low carb, I tweaked this recipe to make it low carb by omitting the graham cracker crust and just used sliced apples as the crust, and about 1 tbsp of honey in the cream cheese mixture. Everything else was the same (no sugar). It was absolutely delicious! 






  21. Renee Blathers

    Wonderful cheesecake! I’ve been asked to make a gluten free version of this cheesecake so I’m planning on doing this without the crust but can I use cornstarch instead of the flour in the cheesecake filling?






  22. Jen

    This recipe looks great and cannot wait to make it! The water bath part has me a little anxious. Is that a step I can skip or will it do harm if I do? Thanks again!

    1. Lindsay

      I always recommend the water bath. It’s a few extra steps, but it’s worth it. Without it, you’ll often have a cheesecake that cracks, falls in the middle and browns a good bit around the edges. Here’s a tutorial for how I set mine up that might be helpful.

  23. Beth Landrum

    This looks and sounds amazing! My hubby has asked for chocolate also, so I’m thinking of either adding it to the cheesecake filling as chips, or melting it into the mixture – which (if either) do you think would work best?

    1. Lindsay

      It depends on how much of a chocolate flavor you want to add. Chocolate chips will be a little more subtle if added as chips. If you want to mix chocolate into the batter, melting chips would require quite a bit in order to actually taste it. You’d be best to add in some powdered cocoa.

  24. Dana

    Can this cheesecake go into the freezer? Made it and now company not coming for a month. I have not put cooked apples on top yet. Thought maybe freeze it then when it’s thawed then could add the hot apples before serving. Do you think that would be ok? Hate to ruin It! It’s that or eat it all myself!

    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t ever frozen a whole cheesecake, but it should be fine. I wouldn’t freeze it for longer than a month though. Just wrap it well and thaw it in the fridge.

  25. Britae

    Hey!

    How far ahead can you make this? Could I bake it on a Thursday night and keep in the fridge until Monday? Should I keep the apple topping off until ready the day of serving?

    I’ve never ever made a cheesecake (only phony non bake kids….), and would love to make this for Thanksgiving. Any tips would be great!!

    THANKS!

    1. Lindsay

      You could keep it that long, but it would not be quite as fresh. I would recommend 2-3 days ahead at most. And Yes, I would wait to add the apple topping until the day of.

  26. Heard about Ipe Decking information

    This cheesecake was excellent, made it exactly as the recipe says. I will definitely make this one again, my husband wants it for his birthday.

  27. Patrica Shim

    I truly love your website.. Great colors & theme. Did you build this website yourself? Please reply back as I’m attempting to create my own personal site and would love to find out where you got this from or just what the theme is called. Cheers!

  28. Marsha

    Hi! Wonderful and flavorful recipe! I was wondering when you take it out of the oven is it still jiggly? I’m hoping it will firm up in the fridge. It’s for Christmas dessert so we are anticipating a good outcome. Thanks so much!

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      Yes, cheesecake usually is jiggly in the center until it’s been refrigerated and cooled. I hope you enjoyed it!

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      I did peel them. And I usually use red delicious since they are my fave, but feel free to use whichever you prefer.

      1. Gaby

        I ended up using a couple varieties of apples… VERY VERY tasty!!!! Wonderful recipe! Thanks so much! And I LOVE your website!! My favorite above all others!!!

      2. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

        Thanks so much Gaby! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and enjoy the site – that’s wonderful 🙂

  29. Beth @ bethcakes

    Omg this cheesecake! It made me so happy when I saw it. I’m so ready for fall baking and cinnamon apple is totally my favorite. Wish I had a big slice of this right now! 🙂

  30. Joan Hayes

    Lindsay, this cheesecake looks incredible, and I love that you used Nilla Wafers for the crust! Also, I’m totally right there with you, so, SO excited for fall! 🙂

  31. Mir

    Um, are you allowed to enter the contest? Because this cheesecake is for the WIN. It looks like the best possible way to use apples!

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29