Apple Butter Cheesecake
This creamy apple butter cheesecake has generous swirls of apple butter throughout, and is topped with a cinnamon whipped cream. This cheesecake has just a hint of spice and is the perfect fall dessert!
Servings 14 slices
Calories 459kcal
Ingredients
Apple Butter
- 1 pound apples
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
- pinch ground nutmeg
- pinch ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cheesecake Crust
- 1¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar packed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 24 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar loosely packed
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Apple Butter
- Peel, core, and chop apples into ½" pieces. Place apples in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves to the saucepan and stir to combine with the apples.
- Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil. Lower heat to simmer, and cook for 20 minutes until apples have softened.
- Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree the apples. Alternately, pour mixture into a regular blender and puree, then pour back into the saucepan.
- Simmer puree over low heat until mixture has thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cheesecake Crust
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan with butter.
- Add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, salt, and melted butter to a medium bowl, and stir to combine.
- Press crust mixture into the bottom and slightly up the inside sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes and then remove the pan to cool while you make the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (150°C).
- Add cream cheese and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat until well combined.
- Add flour, sour cream, and vanilla and mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then add eggs, one at a time, until fully mixed in.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the springform pan. Place dollops of the apple butter all over the top of the cheesecake. Use a knife and swirl the apple butter throughout the top of the cheesecake.
- Place the springform pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the foil to the outside sides of the pan. Place the springform pan in a crockpot liner or chicken bag. Tighten the bag so that it covers more than halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
- Place springform pan into a larger baking dish. Pour water in the large baking dish until it comes about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Do not let the water line go over the crockpot liner.
- Place large baking dish carefully into the oven. Bake for 1 hour, 40 minutes. Then turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 20 minutes. Then crack open the oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Cover, then cool it in the refrigerator for 6 hours, or overnight.
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
- Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.
- Remove cheesecake from the refrigerator and unmold from the springform pan. Place cheesecake on a serving plate. Pipe whipped cream on top before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- I used McIntosh apples for this recipe. Other apples you could use are Golden Delicious, Gala, or Fiji. You could use a combination of two kinds if you want as well!
- Substitute the unsalted butter for salted if you wish. Just omit the extra salt in the crust recipe.
- I highly recommend baking cheesecakes in a water bath. It helps them bake evenly and helps against cracks.
- Slowly cool the cheesecake down by leaving it to cool in the oven. This helps against cracks as well.
- Instead of making homemade apple butter, use store bought!
Nutrition
Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 1165IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 1mg