I found this recipe in a notebook from someone who wrote measurements in quarter-pounds and 70-gram eggs. No cups, no tablespoons. Just weight. The pastry is butter beaten with icing sugar until creamy, mixed with egg and flour into a soft dough, chilled for thirty minutes, then pressed into a rectangle tray and blind baked.
The filling is cream cheese beaten with more icing sugar, two eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, whipping cream, flour, and lemon zest. Sliced green apples go on the crust first, then the cheese mixture pours over them. It bakes twice: once at 356°F (180°C) for fifty minutes, then lower at 284°F (140°C) for another ten until golden. The tart apple against the sweet cream cheese is a combination you keep coming back to.
Tips for Making Green Apple Cheesecake Bars
Blind bake the crust first
The pastry base bakes for 15 minutes before any filling goes on. Prick it evenly with a fork so it does not puff up.
If you skip the blind bake, the crust stays raw and soggy under the heavy cheesecake filling. It needs to be firm and lightly golden before the apples go on.
Slice the apples thin
Thin slices, about 3mm (1/8 inch), bake through evenly and soften into the cheesecake. Thick slices stay hard and create air pockets underneath.
Use tart green apples. They hold their shape during the long bake and contrast with the sweet cream cheese filling.
Green Apple Cheesecake Bars
Total Time: 80 minutes
Yield: Serves 12
Diet: Omnivore
Description
Tart green apples and a creamy cheesecake filling make these bars irresistible. Perfect for a casual dessert or special occasion.
Ingredients
Units
- 1/4 lb Butter
- 1/3 lb Plain flour
- 2 tbsp Beaten Egg
- 1/4 lb Icing sugar
- 2 Green applies
- 1/2 lb Cream cheese
- 1/4 lb Icing sugar
- 1/4 lb Whipping cream
- 2 Eggs (70g each)
- lemon zest from one lemon
- 1/2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Plain four
- 1.5 – 2 Green apples
- 1/4 lb Raisins
Instructions
- Beat butter and icing until light and creamy. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Add plain flour and mix to a soft dough. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Place the cold pastry evenly into a rectangle tray (9x7x2, greased and lined with baking paper). Prick evenly with a fork. Bake at 356°F (180°C) in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove to cool.
- Beat cream cheese and icing sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add lemon juice and vanilla extract, mix well. Add whipping cream. Add plain flour and lemon zest, mix well. Set aside.
- Wash green apples and slice thinly. Arrange sliced apples onto the pastry base. Pour the cheese filling over the apples.
- Bake at 356°F (180°C) in a preheated oven for 50 minutes. Lower the temperature to 284°F (140°C) and bake for another 10 minutes, or until golden.
Notes
- To prevent soggy bars, ensure the pastry base is fully baked before adding the apple and cheesecake filling.
- For a sweeter filling, increase the icing sugar in the cheesecake mixture by 1-2 tablespoons.
- Store leftover cheesecake bars in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; cover loosely with foil to prevent drying.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 100
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 60
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this recipe bake at two different temperatures?
The higher temperature at 356°F (180°C) sets the cheesecake filling. The lower temperature at 284°F (140°C) for the last ten minutes finishes it gently without overbrowning the top. Cheesecake cracks when the oven is too hot.
Can I use a different fruit instead of green apples?
Pears or plums work well. Both hold their shape during baking. You need a firm fruit that will not dissolve into mush over an hour in the oven. Soft berries would disappear.
What are the raisins for?
The raisins go in with the apples on the pastry base before the cheesecake filling pours over them. They add pockets of sweetness and a chewy texture throughout the bars. You can leave them out if you prefer.
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