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Apple Crisp Cheesecake with Cookie Crust

Apple crisp cheesecake with cookie crust: a buttery biscoff cookie base, cinnamon apples inside a dense vanilla cheesecake, and a golden oat streusel top. Baked until the center still wobbles, then chilled for clean slice layers and a crunchy, shattering crumble.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
chill + cool 6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 9 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie Crust
  • 2 cup biscoff cookie crumbs about 32 cookies
  • 0.25 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 0.25 tsp fine salt
Cinnamon Apple Layer
  • 3 cup Granny Smith apples peeled and diced, about 3 medium
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 0.33 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1.5 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
Cheesecake Filling
  • 24 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup sour cream room temperature
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 0.25 tsp fine salt
Oat Streusel
  • 0.75 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.33 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter cold, cubed
  • 0.25 tsp fine salt
To Serve
  • 0.33 cup caramel sauce warmed
  • 0.25 tsp flaky sea salt

Equipment

  • 1 springform pan
  • 1 skillet

Method
 

Prep & crust
  1. Heat the oven to 325°F. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan in two layers of foil and line the bottom with parchment.
  2. Stir the biscoff cookie crumbs, light brown sugar, melted unsalted butter, and fine salt together, then press firmly into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides.
  3. Bake 10 minutes and cool 15 minutes.
Cinnamon apple layer
  1. Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add diced Granny Smith apples, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and lemon juice.
  2. Cook 6–8 minutes, until the apples soften and the juices turn syrupy.
  3. Stir in the cornstarch and cook 1 minute more, until the liquid thickens and coats the apples, then cool completely.
Oat streusel
  1. Rub the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, cold unsalted butter, and fine salt together with your fingers until clumpy.
  2. Chill until needed.
Cheesecake filling & assembly
  1. Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar on medium for 3 minutes, scraping twice, until perfectly smooth.
  2. Beat in the sour cream, then the eggs one at a time on low, mixing just until each disappears.
  3. Stir in the vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, and fine salt.
  4. Pour half the cheesecake batter over the cooled crust, spoon the cooled apples over it in an even layer, then top with the remaining batter and smooth.
  5. Scatter the chilled streusel evenly over the surface and press lightly so it adheres.
Bake, cool, and serve
  1. Bake 65–75 minutes, until the edges are set and the center 3 inches still wobble slightly.
  2. Turn the oven off, crack the door, and leave the cheesecake inside 1 hour.
  3. Cool to room temperature, then chill at least 6 hours or overnight.
  4. Run a thin knife around the edge, release the springform, and serve each slice with warm caramel sauce and a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Notes

Pro tip: use room-temperature eggs and sour cream so the batter stays silky and doesn’t overmix. Store the cheesecake covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days (caramel can be added per slice). Freezing is not recommended for best streusel crunch. For a lighter option, swap sour cream for full-fat Greek yogurt while keeping the rest unchanged.