Apple Cream Cheese Pie with Cinnamon-Caramel Apples

Apple Cream Cheese Pie

A tall graham cracker crust holds a baked cream cheese filling, with glossy cinnamon-caramel apples mounded on top. The apples are cooked separately and added after the filling has chilled, so the pie cuts into distinct layers. Leave a pale border around the apples for spaced whipped-cream dollops. Allow at least four hours of refrigeration before topping and slicing.

Ingredients for Apple Cream Cheese Pie

Graham cracker crust

• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (200g)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cream cheese filling

• Three 8-ounce blocks full-fat cream cheese, softened (680g)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs

Apple topping

• 4 medium firm apples, about 1 1/2 pounds before peeling (680g)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (about 65g)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup prepared caramel sauce (80g)

Whipped-cream finish

• 3/4 cup cold heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• Optional: 2–3 whole star anise pods for removable decoration

How to Make Apple Cream Cheese Pie

Yield: One 9-inch pie, about 10 slices. Active prep: About 35 minutes. Cooking: About 65–80 minutes. Total: About 7 hours, including cooling and chilling.

1. Prebake the crust: Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Press firmly across the base and about 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any butter drips. Bake uncovered for 8–10 minutes, until dry-looking and lightly golden. Reduce the oven to 325°F (165°C).
2. Mix the filling: Beat the softened cream cheese and 2/3 cup granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing just until incorporated; avoid beating the batter until foamy. Pour into the crust.
3. Bake and chill: Keep the pan on the rimmed sheet and bake uncovered at 325°F for approximately 50–65 minutes. Begin checking at 50 minutes. The edges should be set, with a slight wobble in the center when the pan is gently moved—not a liquid slosh. Cool for about 1 hour at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before topping or slicing.
4. Cook the apples: While the pie chills, peel, core, and slice the apples. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring gently, for about 10–15 minutes, until the slices are tender but still hold their shape; start checking after about 8 minutes. Stir the cornstarch and water together, add to the skillet, and cook until the juices thicken and coat the slices. Stir in the caramel sauce and let the topping cool completely.
5. Top and decorate: Unmold the chilled pie. Spoon the cooled apples into the center, leaving a visible border of cream cheese filling. Whip the cold cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks hold their shape, then pipe spaced dollops around the border. Add whole star anise only if desired for presentation.
6. Slice and serve: Cut into chilled wedges, wiping the knife between cuts as needed to show the crust, filling, and apple layers. Remove any whole star anise before eating.

How to Tell When the Filling Is Baked

Do not wait for the center to become rigid in the oven. Set edges and a slight center wobble are the cues; if the middle sloshes like liquid, bake it longer. The filling firms as it cools and needs at least four hours in the refrigerator for neat slices.

Keep the Apple Topping from Running

Stir the apples gently so the slices stay distinct. After adding the cornstarch slurry, cook until the sauce clings to the apples rather than pooling thinly in the skillet. Let the topping cool completely before mounding it on the chilled pie; warm apples can soften the filling and melt the whipped cream.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Bake and chill the plain pie the day before serving if convenient. Keep the cooked, cooled apples separate, then add them and pipe the whipped cream close to serving for the clearest border and neatest dollops. Refrigerate the finished pie, covered, because it contains cream cheese filling and whipped cream. Do not reheat the assembled pie.

For a crumb-topped apple dessert, try Dutch apple pie with streusel topping. For a pastry-topped option, see this double-crust caramel apple pie.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per slice, based on 10 slices: 635 calories, 8g protein, 43g fat, and 59g carbohydrates. Per 100g: approximately 290 calories, 4g protein, 19g fat, and 27g carbohydrates. Values are estimates; slice size, apple yield, and caramel sauce will affect the totals.