Egg Free Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars are an excellent fall dessert. This decadent dessert has a layer of eggless vanilla cheesecake with a buttery shortbread crust, topped with cinnamon spiced apples and crisp streusel. Perfect for sharing with family and friends!
Can’t decide between cheesecake, apple pie, or apple streusel? Why not have it all! 😉 The flavor and texture combination works great together, and is an excellent way to use those orchard apples.
Try my other egg free cheesecakes!
- Baked Egg Free Cheesecake
- Egg Free Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Eggless Mini Oreo Cheesecakes
- Egg Free Lemon Cheesecake
There are four components to this eggless apple streusel cheesecake bars recipe: shortbread crust, egg free vanilla cheesecake, cinnamon apples, and streusel. This means it does take some time to make (and your hands will get dirty), but it can be in the oven in about an hour if you plan your time well.
Each component/layer of these egg free apple streusel cheesecake bars is fairly simple, which makes it a fun job for kids to help out with! My 4 year old daughter helped me make the last one. She enjoyed helping me make the crust, combining the streusel ingredients, and stirring the butter and cinnamon into the apples.
My egg free apple streusel cheesecake bars are baked in a 9×13″ pan – a great way to make sure everyone gets a slice! Just size the squares according to the event. If it’s paired with other desserts or for a crowd, cut them into smaller pieces to get more. Since it’s a rich dessert, smaller squares work out nicely.
Cheesecake without Eggs
You’ve probably noticed that this cheesecake is made without eggs. All of my desserts here are egg free and nut free (unless they’re in the baked egg category), and allergy-friendly for those with egg and nut allergies.
My son is allergic to eggs and nuts, and the reason I began my recipe blog. My mission was to create egg free recipes to support other families and individuals who cannot eat eggs. I’ve been baking cheesecakes for many years, and have simply adapted my recipes to be egg-free. Honestly, I can’t tell the difference!
Summary: How to Make Eggless Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars
- Preheat Oven – First, preheat oven to 325F. Tip: set cream cheese and butter out ahead of time. Having it room temperature makes it easier to work with. Otherwise, you can warm it a little by placing it on the stovetop while your oven is on (depending on your kitchen set-up) or in the microwave.
- Make Shortbread Crust – in a medium bowl, stir together butter, sugar, and vanilla. Then stir in the flour and salt until combined. Press into a greased 9×13″ pan and bake for about 12 minutes. While crust is baking, prepare the streusel and/or apples. When crust is done, set pan on a cooling rack until the rest of the cheesecake layers are ready to be assembled.
- Prepare Apples – Peel and dice apples (leaving out the core and seeds). Stir in butter, then lemon juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside until ready to use.
- Prepare Cinnamon Streusel – Stir sugar and cinnamon into softened butter. Stir in flour just until consistency resembles wet sand (don’t over-mix, or it can become pasty). You should be able to crumble it easily with your fingers. Set streusel aside until ready to use.
- Prepare Egg Free Vanilla Cheesecake Layer – With a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar together until creamy and combined. Add vanilla, milk, and lemon juice, and mix again until incorporated. Finally, mix in cornstarch. Your cheesecake mix should be fairly thick.
- Assemble Cheesecake Layers – Spread your cheesecake mix evenly onto shortbread crust. Sprinkle cinnamon apples evenly on top. Finally, top with streusel, crumbling with your fingers as you go. For best results, make a combination of larger and smaller streusel pieces.
- Bake Cheesecake – Bake your assembled cheesecake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes at 325F. It will look a little puffy when it comes out of the oven, but will set flat as it cools.
- Cool/Chill Cheesecake – Allow bars to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack before covering and moving to refrigerator. For best results, chill for at least 8 hours (it’s great made a day in advance!).
Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars (Egg Free, Nut Free)
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 10 1/2 Tbsp butter, softened (1 1/3 sticks)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cheesecake Layer
- 24 oz brick-style cream cheese (3 8-ounce bricks)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp milk
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Apple Layer
- 3 medium apples
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional – I add it if using sweeter apples)
Streusel Topping
- 4 Tbsp butter, room temperature or softened slightly
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2/3 cup all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F, and spray a 9×13" glass baking dish with cooking spray (or line with parchment paper).
- See "Crust" ingredients list – In a bowl, stir together butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add flour and salt, and stir to combine. Press evenly into bottom of pan, and 1/2 inch up the sides. Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer pan to cooling rack.
- Prepare apples and streusel. Peel, core, and dice apples into about 1/3-1/2" cubes. Stir in remaining Apple Layer ingredients–butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice (optional), until evenly coated. Set aside.
- Prepare streusel layer – Stir sugar and cinnamon into butter, then add flour. Stir until crumbly and consistency resembles wet sand. It should form easily, and not be too dry. If mix is too moist, add flour 1 tsp at a time until consistency is right. Set aside.
- Prepare cheesecake layer – Use a handheld mixer on medium to combine cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add remaining cheesecake ingredients (milk, lemon juice, vanilla, cornstarch, and salt), and mix again until all ingredients are incorporated. This mix will be fairly thick.
- Assemble – Spread cheesecake mix evenly onto prepared and baked crust with a spatula. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon apple mix over top. Finally, top with streusel by crumbling evenly over the top.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes at 325F. Cool on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour at room temperature. Then cover pan and transfer to refrigerator. Chill for at least 6 hours (overnight is best) before cutting and serving.