No Bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake
This No Bake Apple Cheesecake has a homemade graham cracker crust filled with an apple pie flavored cheesecake then drizzled with a gorgeous caramel apple topping!
A FALL INSPIRED NO BAKE CHEESECAKE
This No Bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake is the perfect dessert for any occasion! A creamy cheesecake layer is combined with a sweet apple topping and drizzled with homemade caramel sauce. It’s easy to make, requires no baking and tastes simply amazing. Serve this delicious treat at your next gathering and watch it disappear!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I find it is easiest to cut up the apple pie filing while it’s still in the can. Just take a sharp knife and put it into the can and saw back and forth until the apples are in smaller chunks. I do this for my Crescent Apple Danishes and it works perfectly rather than trying to dump them out and cut them and making a mess. 
Using a springform pan just makes this so much easier to slice and serve. You could use a 9-inch deep dish round pan, it’ll just be a little bit more of an effort to slice and serve.
Yes. This is the perfect make ahead dessert because it needs a good bit of chill time in the refrigerator.
Yes. One can of apple pie filling will work for this whole recipe. After you cut the filling into chunks and measure out what you need for the cheesecake part, just put the rest in the fridge and cover it up until you’re ready to make the caramel topping. Depending on how small or large you cut up the chunks, you may find that you have slightly more or slightly less than 1 1/4 cups that is called for in caramel topping layer. It’s fine – just use what you have leftover, it will still be great.
You can find the Caramel Bits (not a paid link) made by Kraft in the baking aisle of the grocery store. They’re usually by the chocolate chips. These are easier than having to unwrap the individual Caramel pieces (not a paid link.) But if that is all you can find, you can use them. You’ll just have to measure out the pieces until you get a cup of caramel pieces before melting them.
This usually happens if you didn’t let the crust set before adding the filling. I suggest letting the crust chill in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes before adding the cheesecake filling layer to it.
To cut nice, clean slices of cheesecake, use a hot knife technique: dip a sharp knife blade in hot water, and thoroughly dry it before slicing.
Store the cheesecake in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Make sure to cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and it will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Additionally, you can freeze it by covering with plastic then foil before placing in the freezer for 2-3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before serving it chilled. The texture of the topping may change once thawed.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- cinnamon graham crackers – you can use regular honey graham crackers.
- light brown sugar – for a deeper molasses flavor, try dark brown sugar.
- salted butter – you want to use real butter here, not margarine. You can use unsalted if you like.
- cream cheese – it needs to be fully softened to room temperature (not melted). If it’s not full softened, you’ll end up with lumps in your cheesecake.
- apple or pumpkin pie spice – either one actually works just fine. I used apple pie spice. Alternatively, you can make your own Homemade Apple Pie Spice or Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice.
- sour cream – this is going to give you a wonderful creamy texture so don’t skip it. You can substitute for plain Greek yogurt.
- apple pie filling – you will need to purchase one can of apple pie filling.
- whipped topping (Cool Whip) – whipped topping comes frozen so you’ll need to put it into the refrigerator to thaw before using.
- caramel bits – as I stated above you can use the wrapped caramel but I just find these much easier to work with.
- heavy cream – milk is not a good substitute here, it will make it too runny.
- pecans – if you don’t like nuts just leave them out. Personally, I would not substitute walnuts here, I don’t think the flavors go well together but that is completely up to you.
HOW TO MAKE NO BAKE CARAMEL APPLE CHEESECAKE
In a food processor or blender, add in the graham crackers and brown sugar. Process until the graham crackers are finely crushed. Then pour in the melted butter and pulse a few times. The graham crackers should start to look like wet sand. Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. I like to take the bottom of a glass or measuring cup and press it down so it gets compacted. Note: you do not have to spray the pan with any non stick spray, there is plenty of butter in the graham cracker crust to keep it from sticking. However, if you want to spray it, it won’t hurt anything.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer to set while making the cheesecake filling. In a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) mix the softened cream cheese, light brown sugar, and apple pie spice with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until thoroughly combined. Mix in the sour cream until smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the chopped apple pie filling.
Then add the whipped topping and mix until combined. Pour the cheesecake filling into the chilled crust. Spread it out evenly and smooth out the top. Cover again with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours or overnight. This is really important to make sure the cheesecake sets up properly.
When ready to serve the cheesecake, prepare the topping. In a microwave-safe bowl, add the caramel bits and heavy cream. Heat for 30 seconds, then stir. Continue heating and stirring in 15-30 second increments until the caramel is completely melted and smooth. Stir in the apple pie filling and pecans until combined.
Remove the cheesecake from the springform rim. Spread the apple topping evenly onto the top of the cheesecake. Cut the cheesecake into slices and serve.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
No Bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 sleeves cinnamon graham crackers (about 18 sheets)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) salted butter, melted
Cheesecake:
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons apple or pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup apple pie filling, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 8 ounce tub whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip)
Topping:
- 1 cup Kraft caramel bits
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 ¼ cups apple pie filling, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ¾ cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- First, cut the apple pieces up first to be used in the recipe. You will use one can of apple pie filling for this entire recipe (it will just be divided between the cheesecake filling and the topping). While waiting for the cheesecake to set. Just cover the remaining apples and put them in the refrigerator until it is time to make the caramel topping.
- In a food processor or blender, add in the graham crackers and brown sugar. Process until the graham crackers are finely crushed.
- Then pour in the melted butter and pulse a few times. The graham crackers should start to look like wet sand.
- Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. I like to take the bottom of a glass or measuring cup and press it down so it gets compacted.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer to set while making the cheesecake filling.
- In a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) mix the softened cream cheese, light brown sugar, and apple pie spice with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until thoroughly combined.
- Mix in the sour cream until smooth and creamy.
- Gently stir in the 1/2 cup chopped apple pie filling.
- Then add the whipped topping and gently stir until combined.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the chilled crust. Spread it out evenly and smooth out the top.
- Cover again with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours or overnight. This is really important to make sure the cheesecake sets up properly.
- When ready to serve the cheesecake, prepare the topping. In a microwave-safe bowl, add the caramel bits and heavy cream. Heat for 30 seconds, then stir.
- Continue heating and stirring in 15-30 second increments until the caramel is completely melted and smooth.
- Stir in the apple pie filling and pecans until combined.
- Remove the cheesecake from the springform rim. Spread the apple topping evenly onto the top of the cheesecake.
- Cut the cheesecake into slices and serve.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions. Most all answers to your questions can be found there.
- You will purchase one can of apple pie filling for this recipe. You will use it all, just in different steps. Just make sure you cut it up into bits. Open the can, stick a sharp knife in and just saw the knife up and down to cut up the apple (see my image above).
- You do not have to spray the pan with any non stick spray, there is plenty of butter in the graham cracker crust to keep it from sticking. However, if you really want to do that, it won’t hurt anything.
- Slice the cheesecake easier by using a sharp knife that you run through hot water and dry before slicing with it.
- Use the caramel bits instead of the individual pieces if you can. They’re by the chocolate chips in the baking aisle of your grocery store.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
When you copy this recipe, make a note for those of us that bake by weight: 1 cup of caramel bits is equal to about 25 Kraft caramels. 25 Kraft caramels weigh about 5.5 ounces, therefore 1 cup of unwrapped caramel bits weighs about 5.5 ounces. So if you can’t locate the bits locally, just go by weight with the caramels – quick and easy. No cutting caramels – just melting!
This recipe has to be delicious just by reading the ingredients my mouth is watering. I will make this for Christmas for sure. Thank you for posting this recipe.
This sounds delicious! Could you use a premade crust?
I suppose you could. I haven’t thought about it really. The main thing is you don’t want it to go over the edge at all. Maybe getting the larger graham cracker crust would be more suitable. Let me know if you try it!
I already have graham crumbs in my pantry. How much would I use?
About 2 cups
Haven’t made this yet but am giving it 5 stars anyway, as it looks easy to make with ingredients that I usually have or can get quickly/easily. I also like the idea that I can make it well in advance. I am always looking for ideas for desserts when we have our best friends over – they are all about the dessert, main course could be wieners and beans but the dessert HAS to be something special. This will be perfect. Thanks for posting this!
Hope you love it!!
No Bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake is a must try recipe. Thanks whole bunches for including total nutrition information. I have a family member that has sodium limitations. Keep cooking!