9” Apple Pie Cheesecake

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.

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple, apple pie, cheesecake, shortbread

Servings: 12

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.

Notes

See blog for dietary substitutions on dairy and gluten.