Ingredients:

  • 2 cups (250g) All-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (100g) Light brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 cup (170g) Unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/2 cup (45g) Old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 16 oz (450g) Full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (100g) Granulated sugar
  • 2 Large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
  • 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
  • 2 tbsp Light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup Store-bought or homemade salted caramel sauce

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C. Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Cut in the cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter or forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture in a separate bowl and mix it with 1/2 cup rolled oats to create the streusel topping. Set aside.
  4. Press the remaining flour/butter mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes until the edges are just barely a pale mahogany color.
  5. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla and nutmeg, mixing just until combined.
  6. In a small bowl, toss the sliced apples with 2 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon until evenly coated.
  7. Spread the cheesecake filling over the par-baked crust. Arrange the spiced apples in an even layer over the filling, then sprinkle the reserved streusel mixture on top.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes until the cheesecake is set. Remove from oven and let cool completely at room temperature.
  9. Drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the bars. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight) before slicing into 16 bars.