Apple Crumble Cheesecake (Oven or Air Fryer!)

Apple Crumble Cheesecake with a creamy apple filling topped with crunchy crumble topping and tender cinnamon apples. The perfect marriage of cozy apple crumble and decadent rich cheesecake!

Apple Crumble is one of my all-time favorite desserts and cheesecake is my daughter Anya’s one true love. We decided to combine the two to create this magnificent Apple Crumble Cheesecake recipe for a recent dinner party.

This truly is the ultimate fall dessert with a crumbly crust, luxuriously creamy cinnamon apple filling and irresistible crumble and apple topping. A symphony of complementing flavors and contrasting textures. It looks spectacular and tastes even better, yet is surprisingly easy to make.

Best news yet – this apple cheesecake can be baked in the oven or your air fryer and doesn’t require a water bath – woo-hoo! Just make sure you prepare the cheesecake a day ahead of serving so it has plenty of time to chill and set properly.

Apple Crumble Cheesecake Ingredients

This recipe has three distinct stages. First you prepare and bake the cheesecake and chill it for 6–8 hours until set. The crumble topping and apples can be made the following day or prepped in advance – they need to cool down before you assemble the cheesecake.

• The base: you can use graham crackers, digestives or Biscoff cookies (<–– my preference) plus melted unsalted butter.
• The filling: full-fat cream cheese or mascarpone, sour cream, sweetened condensed milk, applesauce, eggs, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
• Crumble topping (streusel): unsalted butter, all-purpose flour (plain flour), brown sugar, rolled oats, baking powder and spices.
• Apple compote: diced apples, lemon juice, butter, water, cornstarch (cornflour).

How to Make Apple Crumble Cheesecake

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

1. Mist a 7 inch (18cm) loose-bottom cake pan (or a springform pan) with cake release. Line the bottom and sides with parchment paper (baking paper). Use a food processor to pulse the cookies until you have fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.

1. Tip the crumbs into the prepared pan and press down firmly to create an even base. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.

1. Place the mascarpone or block cream cheese into a mixing bowl. Add the condensed milk, sour cream, applesauce, vanilla bean paste, spices and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth using a hand mixer, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula.

1. Add the eggs and beat them in on a low setting – you don’t want to incorporate too much air as this will cause the cheesecake to rise and possibly crack.

1. Strain the cheesecake filling through a fine sieve for perfectly smooth filling and pour over the crust. Tap the pan gently to release air bubbles.

1. IN THE OVEN Preheat the oven to 285°F (140°C). Bake for 45 minutes (or up to an hour) until the cheesecake is set but still has a bit of a jiggle in the center. Allow the cheesecake to cool down gradually in the oven for a couple of hours with the door partially open.

1. IN AN AIR FRYER Place the cheesecake into the basket of your Air Fryer. Bake for 20 minutes at 285°F (140°C) then lower the heat to 250°F (120°C) and continue to bake for a further 30–40 minutes, or until the cheesecake is set with a slight jiggle in the middle. Turn the air fryer off and leave the cheesecake to cool inside the basket before chilling.

1. Once the cheesecake has cooled down, cover and place in the refrigerator to set for at least 8 hours or overnight.

1. Measure the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl and briefly stir to combine. Add cold cubed butter and rub between your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly and starts to stick together in small clumps.

1. Spread the crumble on a shallow baking sheet (tray) and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10–12 minutes, or until the crumble is golden. Cool before adding to the cheesecake and store in a jar at room temperature if not using straight away.

1. Peel and dice the apples into even bite-sized pieces. Place in a saucepan with the lemon juice, water, granulated sugar and spices. Cook over low heat, stirring, for 10 minutes or until the apples have softened. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and heat through until the apple compote has thickened. Transfer the apples to a bowl and cool down completely before using.

1. Release the cheesecake from the pan and transfer onto a plate or stand. Pile the apple compote in the middle of the cheesecake and sprinkle with the crumble. Add a drizzle of caramel sauce and serve.

Recipe Notes

• Always use full-fat dairy ingredients in cheesecake recipes for best results. Low-fat cream cheese may curdle and will ruin the creamy texture of the filling.
• Allow the cream cheese or mascarpone to come to room temperature before beating to avoid lumps.
• Baking at a low temperature and cooling gradually helps the cheesecake to cook gently without cracking or the need for a water bath. Avoid opening the oven door as changes in temperature may also contribute to the top cracking.
• The apples and crumble can be prepared ahead. Store the apples in the fridge and the crumble in an airtight container. This recipe makes more crumble than you need but we always eat half while it’s cooling down!

You Will Also Enjoy…

• Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake (Oven or Air Fryer)
• Air Fryer Apple Cake (Easy Applesauce Cake)
• Apple Crumble with Oat Topping
• Pumpkin Apple Bread with Streusel Topping
• Apple and Blackberry Crumble
• Easy Apple Scones

If you loved my Apple Crumble Cheesecake recipe, please give it a star rating! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #Nusde – don’t forget to tag me @supergolden88