Apple Cheesecake Bars

Elevate your dessert table with these delectable Apple Cheesecake Bars made with apple butter and fall spices. These low-sugar dessert bars have a light shortbread-style crust with a rich cheesecake layer swirled with apple butter.

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These apple cinnamon cheesecake bars are the perfect dessert for fall parties or holiday gatherings! They are bursting with flavor but have less sugar than the average cheesecake dessert because they’re made with zero-calorie sweetener and maple syrup instead of sugar.

Using apple butter instead of whole apples also reduces the amount of prep work without sacrificing any apple flavor. Take them to a dinner party, or keep them in the freezer for when you want a little sweet treat.

If you like healthy cheesecake recipes, you will love these healthier strawberry cheesecake bars and this low-calorie cheesecake!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Deep, Concentrated Apple Flavor: Apple butter packs more flavor into every bite of these bars. It’s made by slow-cooking apples with warm spices, which reduces their moisture and intensifies their naturally sweet flavor.
• No Peeling, Coring, or Slicing: Since we’re using premade apple butter, there’s no need to spend time coring, peeling, or slicing a bunch of apples for dessert. 
• Lighter Than Classic Cheesecake, But Just as Good: Rather than using gobs of processed sugar, low-sugar cheesecake uses zero-calorie sweetener and a touch of maple syrup. You won’t be able to tell this dessert has less sugar!

Ingredients

• Apple Butter: This spread is made from slow-cooking apples with various spices, then blending them and cooking them again to create a concentrated apple flavor without loads of excess moisture. It’s typically found in the section of the grocery store with jams and other fruit spreads.
• Egg Whites: Rather than making a buttery shortbread crust, this apple cheesecake bars recipe uses whipped egg whites as the crust binder. They contain fewer calories than butter and add a bit of protein to the crust.
• Zero-Calorie Granulated Sugar: Use your favorite zero-calorie granulated sweetener, like Truvia. You cannot substitute with a liquid zero-calorie sweetener.
• Cream Cheese: Low-fat cream cheese is best for these cheesecake bars. You could also use Greek cream cheese or a dairy-free alternative.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

Variations & Dietary Modifications

• Try with Pumpkin Butter: Grab a jar of pumpkin butter and use that instead of apple butter for a fun spin on these bars. You could also use pumpkin puree and make my low-calorie pumpkin bars instead.
• Add More Spices: This recipe uses cinnamon and nutmeg in addition to the spices already in the apple butter, but you can increase the fall flavor by adding a pinch of cardamom or cloves to the filling as well.
• Create Texture: These apple cream cheese bars are creamy and soft with a slightly chewy crust. You can add more texture by topping them with fresh apples or a streusel topping, like the one on my healthy apple pie bars.

How to Make Apple Cheesecake Bars

These delectable apple pie cheesecake bars are the perfect fall dessert, filled with warm spices and flavorful apple butter.

Line an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. One sheet should lie horizontally across the pan, and the other should be vertical across the pan. The paper should hang over the edges so you can easily lift it out of the pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F before you get started.

1. Step 1: Whip Egg Whites. Use a hand mixer and beat the egg whites together until they form stiff peaks. 

2. Step 2: Add Sugar and Wet Ingredients. Add the sugar, vanilla, applesauce, maple syrup, and oil to the eggs and fold them together until just combined. 

3. Step 3: Fold In Spices and Flour. Fold the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour into the batter. Then transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and use a spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Bake the crust at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until the edges brown.

4. Step 4: Mix Cream Cheese Layer. While the crust bakes, add the cream cheese and 3 teaspoons of zero-calorie sweetener to a bowl and whisk them together.

5. Step 5: Spread Cream Cheese. After you remove the crust from the oven, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over it. The cream cheese should spread easily over the warm crust.

6. Step 6: Add Apple Butter. Add dollops of apple butter all over the top of the cheesecake. Then use a toothpick to swirl the apple butter into the cream cheese. Chill it covered in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight, then slice the cold cheesecake into bars.

Serving Suggestions

These healthy apple cheesecake bars will be the star of your dessert table this fall! They make the perfect sweet treat for a tailgate party, holiday dinner, or evening by the fire pit.

You can prepare them the day before any event for an easy, no-stress dessert to round out a delicious meal. 

• Since these cheesecake bars need to chill for 8 hours, they are a great dessert to serve with a healthy crockpot dinner, like a hearty and healthy ragu.
• The warm flavors of the apple butter are perfect for fall parties. Serve your apple cheesecakes with this protein buffalo chicken dip next time you entertain in the fall. Perfect for game day watching!
• If you can’t get enough apple, make this delicious bacon apple Brussels sprouts salad too.

Apple Cheesecake Bars Recipe FAQs

More Delicious Apple Dessert Recipes

Desserts

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Desserts

Almond Flour Apple Pie

Cookies

Apple Peanut Butter Cookies With Flax & Chia

Breads

Zucchini Apple Spice Muffins

If you tried this Apple Cheesecake Bars recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.