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These Apple Cheesecake Bars are so good this time of year! Like an apple pie…but with cheesecake!
Since when are squats the new black? I mean, jeez. It used to be you could go to the gym, run a little, maybe do some bicep curls, and be done. Now?
Now you gotta do squats. Lots of them. With kettle balls. Have you ever seen a kettle ball? They’re labeled in kg so when the ball looks small, it really isn’t. I just thought I’d warn you so you don’t to go up to the rack thinking “oh this thing is light, I’ll pick up the bigger one” and then your arms pulls out of its socket. {Not that that happened to me or anything…}
And it doesn’t end there, oh no.
Did you know you’re supposed to hold the kettle ball out in front of you perpendicular to the ground while you do squats? Or, swing it between your legs? It’s like Go Go Gadget arms!
And in classes, it’s even worse. Squats, lunges, one legged squats, weights over head on one legged squats. These ladies must either have iron glutes, or they have permament grab bars in their bathrooms. Just sayin’!
So, in honor of my tons and tons of squats, and because I can’t sit down on my own, I made you Apple Cheesecake Bars.
I know, like with squats, there are 5,432 versions of these bars floating out there on the internet. But these are different, I promise.
Because of the crust. It’s always the crust!
The crust on these bars is a combo of Nilla Wafers and Graham Crackers. It gives the bars so much depth! Then it’s topped with an amazing cheesecake mixture (do you use sour cream in your cheesecakes? I almost always do, I think it gives such a creamy, delicious texture!) and apples with cinnamon and sugar.
And there’s crumble.
Lots of crumble.
Oh, crumble. It’s worth 3,245 squats with kettle balls, don’t you think?
You know what would be a great way to serve these bars? Topped with caramel sauce. Salted caramel would be even better. But, uh, I forgot in the photos.
They were good even without the caramel.
Apple + Cheesecake + Crust = my favorite Fall dessert! (Well, in addition to these. And these. And this.)
Do some squats, then make these to reward yourself. If you use a kettle ball, you can have 5. Right?
Apple Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 12 Graham Cracker Sheets
- 50 Nilla Wafer Cookies
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 12 tablespoons butter melted
For the Cheesecake
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
For the Topping:
- 1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/2 cup butter softened
Instructions
- Line a 9x13” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the Crust: Pulse graham crackers and Nilla Wafer cookies in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. Place in a bowl and stir in cinnamon and melted butter. Press into prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes, while preparing filling.
- Beat cream cheese, eggs, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla with a hand held or stand mixer. Place apples in a small bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon.
- Make the topping by mixing all topping ingredients in a medium bowl with a hand mixer.
- Pour cream cheese mixture over hot crust. Sprinkle with apples. Sprinkle evenly with topping. Bake for 40-45 minutes (mine took 43). Cool to room temperature and then chill for at least 3 hours before cutting.
Recipe Video
Other Apple Goodness:
Sweets from friends:
Caramel Apple Poke Cake by What’s Cooking Love
Biscoff Caramel Apple Cider by Something Swanky
Applesauce Cupcakes by Bakeaholic Mama
Last Updated on May 13, 2020
Your experience with squats and kettle balls is like when Jillian Michaels told me I had to start doing walking push ups in the 30 Day Shred. Yep, walking push ups. I’m sorry, but that is just plain wrong 🙂 Luckily we have these bars to drown our sorrows in because they look gorgeous and glorious!
LOL – walking??? No thanks!! 🙂
um these sound amazing!!!
Thanks Katie!
Your crust is hands down the best part. Who would’ve thought to combine those two? I can’t wait to try that – its like the epitome of fall in crust. Amazing. And its a given that I adore the filling:)
Thank you Mary Frances!! It’s my favorite crust so far, I think!
I think I will just skip the squats and go right for the pan of cheesecake bars! I’m loving all those apple chunks!!!!
Ha! Thanks Jocelyn!
Oh, Dorothy! These look amazing! Pinning! 🙂
Thanks Carrie!
I’m sorry, I always laugh a little when I see someone with a kettle bell. I don’t know why it’s funny to me? It’s probably just nervous laughter as I’m trying to devert attention to the fact the I am just standing around NOT working out! Truth is I’d rather just eat bars like these. I love all those big apple chunks!
Oh, me too Tanya! A kettle ball just seems so…serious, lol!
See . . . This is why I don’t go to the gym . . . I’d immediately be called out for the weakling I am :). These look so good Dorothy . . .i probably should go to the gym 🙂
I wish we could work out together, that’d be so much more fun!
This combines my husband’s two favorite things. He would die if i made them for him. But that would be bad. Treats after a hard gym session is the right training program for me.
Gotta bulk up after a workout, replace those calories lost! 😉 Thanks Emily!
These look so, so good! Hooray for the start of apple season!
I know. I now want apple and pumpkin everything!
This would be worth nine thousand kettle bell squats- especially since the swing-between-your-legs kettle bell thing scares me that I really WILL rip my arm out of its socket! (And you’re right- that crust looks incredible)
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