If you like baked apples, cheesecake, and caramel sauce (come on, who doesn’t?), you’ll love this tart, sweet, and gooey dish of pure comfort on a dreary winter’s day. Oh ya – this dessert will put a smile on the glummest face. This recipe is very forgiving! You can substitute many of the ingredients and there are shortcuts to keep your stress level registering RELAXED on the Stress-O-Meter. When topped with luscious caramel sauce and poof of whipped topping, the Impress-O-Meter needle will surely hit in the WOW range.
I like using bright, green Granny Smith apples. The refreshing tart taste wakes up the taste buds and balances the cheesecake filling and caramel’s sweetness. Other apples that will work include Braeburn, Gala, Jonathan, Cortland, and Honey Crisp. The recipe calls for cinnamon and nutmeg spice. If you have Pumpkin Pie Spice or Apple Pie Spice leftover from the holidays, use it in their place. Yes, they have other spices than just nutmeg and cinnamon, but those extra flavors will only enhance the overall taste. On that note, if you like to be creative and have a stocked spice rack, feel free to add a pinch of ginger or cloves, along with the cinnamon and nutmeg.
This is a great way to serve cheesecake – in a baked apple! The cream cheese can be full-fat or lower fat (Neufchâtel). Whipped cream cheese will NOT work in this recipe. The cream cheese works best when softened to room temp. If you put it in a bowl (as directed in step one), it will sufficiently soften by the time you need it. The “crust” and topping for the cheesecake is crushed vanilla wafers (because that’s what I had in my pantry!) Graham crackers, ginger snaps, Oreo cookies, or even sweet, crunchy cereal can be used. You only need a half-cup (after it’s crushed), so don’t go out and buy anything special just for this recipe. It’s all good!
Hollowing out the apples for the cheesecake mixture, can be a little stressful. Relax! Consider it learning a new skill. A cookie scoop works great for this task. It makes it very easy. No cookie scoop? A regular tablespoon will also work. It just requires a little more care and effort. You want to hollow out enough of the apple, so the cheesecake has ample room to puff up while it bakes. Be careful so that you don’t puncture the sides or bottom of the apple. (If you do, no worries. If it’s just a small break, it will still be fine. The worst-case scenario is the cheesecake seeps through, but as the mixture is thick – you will probably be fine.)
After the apples are prepared, a spoonful of the crushed cookie crumbs goes inside to make the “crust”. The cream cheese mixture goes in next. Filling to 1/2-inch from the top of the apple. The cheesecake mixture will expand while it bakes. If you load too much, the cheesecake will overflow. It’s no big deal if this happens. It may not look pretty, but that’s the beauty of whipped topping. You can easily cover up any flaws with whipped cream and caramel sauce! Speaking of caramel sauce, making your own is super simple and tastes scrumptious! It’s included in the recipe. However, store-bought is just fine if you are short of time or patience. Don’t stress it!
The apples will ooze on the baking sheet. Lining your pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper will prevent the apples from sticking and make clean-up a breeze. Allow the apples to cool to room temperature. Serve with caramel sauce and whipped topping. This is a very filling and substantial dessert that will delight in every bite.
Cheesecake-Stuffed Baked Apples with Homemade Caramel Sauce
Course: INS Living Blogs, INS Living Recipes, INS Living: DessertsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Moderate4
servings30
minutes35
minutes
Tart green apples stuffed with a light ad airy cheesecake filling, smothered with a gooey caramel will awaken your taste buds with deliciousness. You’ll forget all about
Ingredients
• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 large apples (Granny Smith, Braeburn, Gala, Jonathan, Cortland, Honey Crisp)
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, divided
• ½ cup vanilla wafers crushed (about 15 wafers)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
o 1 packed cup brown sugar
o ½ cup half-and-half
o 4 tablespoons butter
o Pinch salt
o 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Optional: Whipped Topping
Directions
- Place cream cheese and egg in a large bowl and let sit at room temperature, while preparing the apples, until the cream cheese is softened. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with silicon mat or parchment paper and set aside.
- Cut 1/4 inch off the top of 4 apples. Use a small cookie scoop or fruit baller to hollow out the inside of the apples, leaving 1/2 inch of flesh around the bottom and edges.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small bowl, add 1/8 teaspoon of the ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of the ground nutmeg, and stir to combine. Generously brush the inside flesh of each apple with this mixture. Transfer the apples to the baking sheet.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and add to ½ cup vanilla wafer crumbs. Stir until combined. Sprinkle a heaping teaspoon of mixture into each apple. Set aside the remaining mixture.
- Add ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, remaining 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and remaining 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg to the cream cheese and eggs and beat together until smooth. Carefully spoon the filling into each apple until filled to 1/2-inch from the top.
- Bake until the apples are softened and the filling is golden brown on top, 30 to 35 minutes at 350
- While apples are baking prepare caramel sauce
- Mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Cook while whisking gently for 7 to 10 minutes, until it gets thicker. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further.
- Turn off the heat, cool slightly
- Let cool apples completely before serving. When ready to serve top, sprinkle with the remaining graham cracker mixture and a drizzle of caramel sauce
Notes
- I like using bright, green Granny Smith apples. The refreshing tart taste wakes up the taste buds and balances the cheesecake filling and caramel’s sweetness. Other apples that will work include Braeburn, Gala, Jonathan, Cortland, and Honey Crisp.
- The recipe calls for cinnamon and nutmeg spice. If you have Pumpkin Pie Spice or Apple Pie Spice leftover from the holidays, use it in their place. Yes, they have other spices than just nutmeg and cinnamon, but those extra flavors will only enhance the overall taste. On that note, if you like to be creative and have a stocked spice rack, feel free to add a pinch of ginger or cloves, along with the cinnamon and nutmeg.
- The cream cheese can be full-fat or lower fat (Neufchâtel). Whipped cream cheese will NOT work in this recipe. The cream cheese works best when softened to room temp. If you put it in a bowl (as directed in step one), it will sufficiently soften by the time you need it.
- The “crust” and topping for the cheesecake is crushed vanilla wafers (because that’s what I had in my pantry!) Graham crackers, ginger snaps, Oreo cookies, or even sweet, crunchy cereal can be used. You only need a half-cup (after it’s crushed), so don’t go out and buy anything special just for this recipe. It’s all good!
- Hollowing out the apples for the cheesecake mixture, can be a little stressful. Relax! Consider it learning a new skill.
- Hollowing out the apples for the cheesecake mixture can be a little stressful. Relax! Consider it learning a new skill. A cookie scoop works great for this task. It makes it very easy. No cookie scoop? A regular tablespoon will also work. It just requires a little more care and effort. You want to hollow out enough of the apple, so the cheesecake has ample room to puff up while it bakes. Be careful so that you don’t puncture the sides or bottom of the apple. (If you do, no worries. If it’s just a small break, it will still be fine. The worst-case scenario is the cheesecake seeps through, but as the mixture is thick – you will probably be fine.)
- The cheesecake mixture will expand while it bakes. If you load too much, the cheesecake will overflow. It’s no big deal if this happens. It may not look pretty, but that’s the beauty of whipped topping. You can easily cover up any flaws with whipped cream and caramel sauce! Speaking of caramel sauce, making your own is super simple and tastes scrumptious! It’s included in the recipe. However, store-bought is just fine if you are short of time or patience. Don’t stress it!
- The apples will ooze on the baking sheet. Lining your pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper will prevent the apples from sticking and make clean-up a breeze. Allow the apples to cool to room temperature. Serve with caramel sauce and whipped topping. This is a very filling and substantial dessert that will delight in every bite.
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