Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars (Egg Free, Nut Free)
Egg Free Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars are an excellent fall dessert! A layer of egg free vanilla cheesecake with a buttery shortbread crust is topped with cinnamon spiced apples and crisp streusel. The flavor and texture combination works great together, and is an excellent way to use those orchard apples.
Servings: 24
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 10 1/2 Tbsp butter, softened (about 1 1/3 sticks)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cheesecake Layer
- 24 oz plain cream cheese (3 8-ounce bricks)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 Tbsp milk
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Apple Layer
- 3-4 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)
- 1 tsp all purpose flour
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 9x13" 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. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Transfer pan to cooling rack.
- Prepare Apples: Peel apples and dice into about 1/3-1/2" cubes (removing cores). Stir in remaining Apple Layer ingredients – butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice (optional), until evenly coated. Stir in flour, and set aside.
- Prepare streusel layer – Stir together cinnamon, sugar, and butter. Add flour, and stir until crumbly and consistency resembles wet sand (a fork works well for this step). It should form easily, and not be too dry. If 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 until all ingredients are well-incorporated and creamy. This mix will be fairly thick.
- Assemble – Spread cheesecake mix evenly onto baked crust with a spatula. Evenly sprinkle apples over top. Finally, top with streusel by crumbling evenly over the top with clean hands.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes at 325F. Cool on a cooling rack for at least 1 hour at room temperature. Cover pan and transfer to refrigerator. Chill for at least 6 hours before cutting and serving.
Notes
This recipe can also be halved and baked in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan, or full recipe divided evenly into 2 square pans. Reduce bake time to 30-40 minutes.