Gluten-free Apple Crisp Cheesecake
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A cinnamon-spiced cookie crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and a buttery apple crumble topping come together in one cozy fall dessert. It’s the best of apple crisp and cheesecake in every bite.
Every fall I end up torn between making an apple crisp or a cheesecake, so this year I stopped choosing and made both at once. This apple crisp cheesecake starts with a cinnamon-spiced cookie crust, gets filled with a rich and creamy cheesecake layer, and is topped off with tender diced apples and a buttery brown sugar crumble. It tastes like your favorite cozy fall dessert, just dressed up a little.
It looks impressive, but it’s honestly pretty straightforward once you break it into steps. The main thing is letting your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs come to room temperature so the filling bakes up smooth and creamy. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving, a fall get-together, or just a weekend baking project when you want something special.
What You’ll Need to Make This Recipe
- Graham Crackers or Digestive Biscuits – Crushed into crumbs, they make a sturdy, buttery base with a classic cookie crunch.
- Butter – Melted into the crust to hold it together, then worked into the crumble topping for those golden, crispy clusters.
- Dark Brown Sugar – Adds a deep, caramel-like sweetness to both the crust and the crumble.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg – The cozy fall spices that make every layer taste like apple pie.
- Apples – Diced small so they soften into sweet, tender bites throughout the topping.
- All-Purpose Flour – The base of the crumble that bakes up into a buttery, crisp streusel.
- Cream Cheese – Full-fat and room temperature for the richest, silkiest cheesecake filling.
- Granulated Sugar – Sweetens the filling and gives the apples a light glaze as they bake.
- Sour Cream – Adds a subtle tang and keeps the cheesecake extra creamy and smooth.
- Cornstarch – A little insurance that helps the filling set up and keeps it from cracking.
- Vanilla Extract – Rounds out the filling with a warm, sweet flavor.
- Eggs – Bind everything together and give the cheesecake its rich, custardy texture.
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Gluten-free Apple Crisp Cheesecake
- Servings:
- 10
- Prep:
- 30 minutes
- Cook:
- 1 hour 35 minutes
- Total Time:
- 2 hours 5 minutes
Ingredients
Cookie Crust
- 1 ⅔ cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs
- 1 ½ tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 ½ tablespoons butter melted
Apples and Crumble
- 1 ¼ cups apple diced small (1 to 2 apples)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 6 ½ tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter room temperature
Cheesecake
- 21 ounces cream cheese full fat, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup sour cream full fat, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and melted butter until it looks like wet sand. Press firmly into the bottom of a springform pan and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a separate bowl, toss the diced apples with the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Let them sit for 30 minutes so the sugar draws some of the water out of the apples.
- To make the streusel, combine the flour and dark brown sugar, then work in the room temperature butter with your fingers or a fork until it forms coarse, crumbly clusters. Set aside.
- For the cheesecake filling, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Mix in the sour cream, cornstarch, and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing just until combined after each so you don’t whip in too much air.
- Pour the filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top.
- Strain any liquid from the apples, then gently spoon them in an even layer over the filling.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the apples.
- Fill a large, deep baking pan with boiling water and place it on the lower rack of the oven. Set the cheesecake on the rack above it.
- Bake at 325°F for 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly but doesn’t ripple like liquid.
- Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the cheesecake cool inside for 1 hour. Then cool completely at room temperature and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight before slicing.