Description
Paula Deen’s apple caramel cheesecake blends rich cream cheese with buttery caramel and spiced apples. Delightful dessert layers crunch and sweetness for an irresistible southern-style treat you’ll crave.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 packages cream cheese (8 oz/226 g), at room temperature
- 1 graham cracker crust (9 in/23 cm)
- 1 can apple pie filling (21 oz/595 g)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sugar (100 g)
- ¼ cup caramel topping (60 ml)
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 14 pecans, chopped and halves
Instructions
- Preparation: Calibrate oven to 180°C / 350°F for optimal baking environment.
- Crust Assembly: Uniformly distribute apple pie filling across prepared graham cracker crust, reserving a portion for final garnish.
- Cheesecake Mixture: Whip cream cheese until velvety smooth, gradually integrating granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Blend meticulously to ensure silky consistency without overmixing.
- Baking Process: Pour cream cheese mixture over apple-laden crust, creating an even layer. Bake 30-35 minutes until center sets with minimal jiggle, demonstrating perfect custard texture.
- Cooling Technique: Allow cheesecake to reach room temperature naturally, enabling structural stabilization and flavor development.
- Caramel Transformation: Warm reserved apple pie filling with caramel sauce in saucepan, creating a luxurious glossy topping with rich, complex flavor profile.
- Final Presentation: Lavishly drape warm apple-caramel mixture across cheesecake surface. Garnish perimeter with whole pecan halves and scattered chopped pecans for sophisticated textural contrast.
- Chilling Protocol: Refrigerate completed dessert, allowing flavors to harmonize and achieve ideal serving temperature and consistency.
Notes
- Chill for Perfection: Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight to enhance flavor melding and achieve an ideal, firm texture.
- Smooth Cheese Technique: Ensure cream cheese is at room temperature and beat thoroughly to prevent lumps, creating a silky-smooth cheesecake base.
- Prevent Cracking Wisdom: Avoid overbaking by removing the cheesecake when the center still has a slight jiggle; it will continue setting during cooling.
- Caramel Drizzle Hack: Warm caramel sauce gently to create a glossy, pourable topping that beautifully coats the apple-studded surface without overwhelming the delicate cheesecake.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg