Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars

Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars Recipe by Maddison Koutrouba – thesqueakymixer.com Ingredients Crust 2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour 1⁄2 cup light brown sugar 1⁄4 tsp. salt 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature Cheesecake Layer 24 ounces cream cheese, softened (three, 8 ounce packages) 1 cup sugar 3 eggs, room temperature 2 tsp. vanilla extract Apple Layer 3-4 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped 3 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon Crumb Topping Layer 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup light brown sugar 3⁄4 cups oats 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9″ x 13″ pan with parchment paper enough that there is extra hanging over the sides for an easy removal later. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl, use a fork to mix together the flour and brown sugar and salt. Once combined, use the same fork to cut the butter into the mixture. You can also use your hands for this step to create the dough for the cookie base. Once the dough comes together nicely, press it into the bottom of our prepared pan. Be sure to distribute the dough evenly to create a level base for our bars. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until just golden brown on the sides. While the cookie base bakes, we can prepare the cheesecake layer. In a large bowl, use an electric mixture or a whisk to combine the cream cheese and sugar until nice and smooth. There should be no lumps. Add the eggs and vanilla to the cream cheese mixture. Set the cheesecake filling aside until the cookie base is finished baking OR pour it right over the cookie base if it is already out of the oven. Then set aside while we prepare the apple filling. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the chopped apples and the cinnamon & sugar. Once combined evenly, set aside while we prepare the crumb topping. In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients together using a fork or your hands to distribute the butter evenly. Now that all of our layers are prepared, the order in which they should go are, baked cookie base, cheesecake filling, apple mixture, crumb topping. For each of these layers be sure to distribute each layer evenly for the best results. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the center of the cake does not jiggle too much when tapped. Allow these to cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours before slicing and enjoying! These delicious Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars can be kept in the fridge sealed for up to one week or kept frozen for up to 3 months.