Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

You had me at Caramel Apple.  Caramel is probably my number one, favoritest dessert flavor.  I love apple desserts as well.  Pair them up, throw in some cheesecake a little crust and streusel topping and you've pretty much just made the most perfect dessert.  Trust me.  You're going to love this!

Crust:
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
Cheesecake Filling:
3 (8oz) packages Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Apple Layer:
3-4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

Streusel Topping:
1 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 cup whole grain Oats
1/2 cup Butter, softened
Caramel Ice Cream Topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For the crust, In a medium bowl, combine flour, and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a knife and stir as you go so that the butter doesn’t all stick together. Press evenly into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. For the cheesecake filling, in a large bowl use an electric mixer to beat softened cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add vanilla and blend until combined. Pour over warm crust. For the apple layer, in a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. For the streusel topping, in a small bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and butter. Use a fork to blend in butter until evenly distributed, then mix in oats. Sprinkle evenly over apple layer. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is just set and streusel topping is lightly browned (don’t over cook, it’s okay if the center is still a tad bit soft, it should harden up in the fridge). Let cool on counter for 1 hour. Then refrigerate for at least 3 more hours. Drizzle each serving with caramel ice cream topping and serve.

Source:  Whisked Away