Bursting with a buttery shortbread crust, vanilla bean cheesecake, and apple pie filling, this 9” Apple Pie Cheesecake will be your new go-to summer time treat.
It’s nearly summertime, and a favorite treat for many of us is a good old apple pie. Now I love apple pie, and I have an apple streusel pie coming at the end of the month for the annual red, white, and blue festivities of July! But what I love even more than apple pie is cheesecake. This 9” Apple Pie Cheesecake has a buttery shortbread crust and is filled with layers of vanilla bean cheesecake and apple pie filling. It is topped with homemade vanilla bean ice cream and warm caramel sauce. This is IT, your new summer time cheesecake. Let’s make it.
What you'll need to make this 9’ apple pie cheesecake:
Shortbread cookies of choice (I’ve used Lorna Doone, Walker, or Pepperidge Farm)
Salted butter
Cream cheese
Granulated sugar
Heavy cream
Vanilla bean paste
Large eggs
Apple pie filling (I used Lucky Leaf brand)
Half and half (for the ice cream)
Sweetened condensed milk (for the ice cream)
The Crust
This glorious shortbread crust is thicker than my other 9” cheesecake recipes. It boasts three full cups of shortbread crumbs mixed with melted salted butter. That’s it. The ratio is perfect; the crust holds the filling without crumbling, and is super flavorful.
Begin by mixing the crumbs and the melted butter in a medium bowl with a fork until fully combined. The texture should be like wet sand. Press the crust into the 9-inch spring-foam cheesecake pan lined with a circle of parchment paper on the bottom. (You can line the sides with parchment if you wish, but I take my crust up the sides enough to form a good barrier and as such, this extra parchment isn’t needed).
Using the back end of a measuring cup or glass, ensure that the crust is firmly and evenly packed against the bottom of the pan and the sides. Line the outside bottom of the pan with foil and ensure that it is fully covered three inches up the sides. This should be able to withstand the bath and not get water into the cheesecake. Alternatively I love this reusable easy bath cheesecake wrap. It’s perfect for keeping all of the water out and saving a bunch of tinfoil being tossed.
Set your wrapped crust aside while you make the filling.
The Filling
This creamy vanilla bean cheesecake is an offshoot of this funfetti cheesecake. Simple, perfectly proportioned cheesecake is then layered with premade apple pie filing, and the result is such a nostalgic taste of pie but enrobed in an indulgent cheesecake.
Beat the cream cheese and the sugar on medium for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste, mixing until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Add each egg at a time, and mix until just incorporated. Do not over-mix the eggs into the batter.
Pour half of the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust pan. Spoon half of the apple pie filling onto the top, ensuring that you leave about an inch between the pie filling and the side of the cheesecake. Repeat with the remaining batter and apple pie filling. Crumble 3-4 shortbread cookies and sprinkle over the top.
Bake at 350° for for 2 hours and 15 minutes (you might need to go about 10 minutes longer if you feel that the cheesecake is too jiggly still). Cover the cheesecake gently with a tinfoil dome at the 1 hour mark to keep it from browning too quickly.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven. It should be mostly set and golden on the edges and top but still slightly jiggly in the middle. It will set up further as it cools. Let it rest in the water bath for thirty minutes. Remove the cheesecake pan from the water bath and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill for 3-4 hours or overnight. Cheesecake should be fully chilled and set before cutting.
The Toppings
The vanilla bean ice cream is creamy dreamy perfection! I wrote a book that was released last summer called Easy No-Churn Ice Cream. This book has over 100 combination of no-churn ice cream and cookies, and is perfect for all of your summertime dessert making! Most of it is no-bake, except for the cookies and a handful of mix-ins.
For this blog post, I’m letting you in on the recipe! It’s super easy, and trust me when I say you will not want to buy store bought ice cream again. There are only a handful of ingredients, you can choose all dairy free ones if you like as well, and it’s comes together in about five minutes.
You’ll want to make this ice cream the night before you make the cheesecake if you plan to have the cheesecake the same day (for that to work, it would be best to make the cheesecake first thing in the morning and enjoy it well after dinner).
Begin by whipping the heavy cream with an hand mixer or standing mixer until still peaks form, about 1-3 minutes. In a small bowl, add the sweetened condensed milk, the half and half, and the vanilla bean paste. Whisk to combine, about 20 seconds. Add the sweetened condensed milk mixture to the whipped heavy cream, and gently mix until combined, about 30-60 seconds. You can gently whisk the ice cream batter if you feel like there are too many lumps left.
Pour the ice cream into a freezer safe tupperware or an 8x8 baking dish. Freeze for 3-4 hours or overnight. The ice cream should be completely solid before serving.
For the caramel recipe, head over to my Three Ingredient Homemade Caramel Sauce. I always, and I do mean always, have a jar of this lurking in my fridge for any opportune dessert needs that may arise (like this apple pie cheesecake!). To serve the cheesecake: Heat the caramel sauce for 20 seconds on high in the microwave (in a safe container) so it is warm but not too hot. Place several scoops of ice cream onto the cheesecake (ideally you can pull the cheesecake out of the fridge about 20 minutes prior to serving), and drizzle the warm caramel sauce over the ice cream and onto the cheesecake. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Best served without the ice cream or caramel sauce.
Products Used
Here is one link to all of the products I used in making this cheesecake. I linked the 9-inch springform pan (which comes with pre-cut parchment liners!), and the water bath liner (in 6-inches and 9-inches, I have both and love them).
Peruse my entire storefront for the items that I bake and style with daily! My promise to you is to never share a product that I don’t personally use and love.
The Dietary Substitutions
I love providing gluten and dairy free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either used and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest.
As always, here is a list of tried and true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy.
Walker makes a Gluten Free Shortbread that would be neigh identical in this crust. Simply sub in at a 1:1 ratio and continue as instructed.
Due to the nature of the butter cookies in this crust, it would not be possible to make the crust dairy free. If you desire a dairy free crust, I suggest subbing in my Graham cracker crust and choosing dairy free grahams crackers.
Miyokos butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but it’s taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it at a 1:1 ratio in this recipe.
Miyokos also makes a wonderful cream cheese that would be an excellent dairy free base in this cheesecake.
Silk Dairy Free Heavy Cream is a great option for both the cheesecake and the ice cream.
Silk Plant Based Half and Half Alternative is a great alternative to dairy based cream.
Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk is a perfect dairy-free substitute in the ice cream.
If you loved this 9” Apple Pie Cheesecake recipe, I’d be so grateful for you to leave a 5 star rating + review.
Tag @heathershomebakery on Instagram if you upload a pic too, because I want to see your creations.
Lastly, post this recipe to any of your boards by tapping the Pinterest icon and clicking on your favorite photo. Save and enjoy!
XO,
Heather
PS- Try my Easy Apple Cheese Danish for more apple cheesecake goodness.
9” Apple Pie Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 3 Cups Shortbread Crumbs (like Lorna Doone or Walker)
- ½ Cup Salted Butter, melted
For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 24 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ Cups Granulated Sugar
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
- 3 Large Eggs, room temperature
- 1 21-Ounce Can of Apple Pie Filling (I used Lucky Leaf)
For the Vanilla Bean Ice Cream:
- 1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream, whipped to stiff peaks
- 1 14-Ounce Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
- ½ Cup Half and Half
- 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
Additional Topping:
- Caramel Sauce (see blog for recipe link)
Instructions
- For the crust: mix the crumbs and the melted butter in a medium bowl with a fork until fully combined. The texture should be like wet sand. Press the crust into the 9-inch spring-foam cheesecake pan lined with a circle of parchment paper on the bottom. You can line the sides with parchment if you wish, but I take my crust up the sides enough to form a good barrier and as such, this extra parchment isn’t needed. Using the back end of a measuring cup or glass, ensure it is firmly and evenly covering the pan and the sides. Line the outside bottom of the pan with foil and ensure that it is fully covered three inches up the sides. This should be able to withstand the bath and not get water into the cheesecake. Set this aside while you make the filling.
- For the cheesecake filling: Beat the cream cheese and the sugar on medium for about 2 minutes. Cream cheese should be light and fluffy. Add the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste, mixing until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Add each egg at a time, and mix until just incorporated. Do not over-mix the eggs into the batter. Pour half of the cheesecake batter into the prepared pan. Spoon half of the apple pie filling onto the top, ensuring that you leave about an inch between the pie filling and the side of the cheesecake. Repeat with the remaining batter and apple pie filling. Crumble 3-4 shortbread cookies and sprinkle over the top. Bake at 350° for for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Cover the cheesecake gently with a tinfoil dome at the 1 hour mark to keep it from browning too quickly.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven. It should be mostly set and golden on the edges and top but still slightly jiggly in the middle. It will set up further as it cools. Let it rest in the water bath for thirty minutes. Remove the Cheesecake pan from the water bath and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill for 3-4 hours or overnight. Cheesecake should be fully chilled and set before cutting.
- For the ice cream: With a standing or hand mixture, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, 1-3 minutes. In a medium size bowl, make the ice cream by whisking together the sweetened condensed milk, pure vanilla extract, and half-and-half until the mixture is smooth. Gently fold the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the cream that has been whipped. You will want this to be a smooth and lump-free as possible. Pour the ice cream into a freezer safe Tupperware or 8x8 baking dish. Using a spatula, spread the ice cream evenly throughout the pan. Freeze the ice cream uncovered for 3 to 5 hours or overnight, until firm.
- To serve up the cheesecake, top it with the homemade vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of warm caramel sauce. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Best stored without the ice cream or caramel toppings.
Leave a Comment