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A close-up view of a cream cheese apple bar with pecan streusel topping sitting on a white dessert plate.

Cream Cheese Apple Bars with Pecan Streusel

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Cool: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 752kcal
Author: Kris Longwell
These Cream Cheese Apple Bars with Pecan Streusel are the quintessential fall dessert to fall in love with.  So heartwarming and a little decadent...they are simply divine.  You can serve them warm, but we love them chilled with a little warmed caramel sauce drizzled over the top. Heavenly. 
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • 9"x13" baking dish

Ingredients

For the Pecan Shortbread Crust

  • 1 cup pecans chopped
  • ½ cup brown sugar light or dark
  • 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoon butter softened, for greasing the dish

For the Cream Cheese Filling

  • 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese softened, room temperature
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Apple Filling

  • 3 large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and chopped
  • 3 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Pecan-Oatmeal Streusel

  • 1 cup brown sugar light or brown
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • ½ cup toffee bits we use Heath bar bits
  • ½ cup pecans chopped
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter softened, room temp
  • 1 cup caramel sauce, warmed purchased or homemade, optional

Instructions

Make the Pecan Shortbread Crust

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a food processor, pulse together the pecans and the sugar for 30 seconds.
    1 cup pecans, ½ cup brown sugar
  • In a mixer, on medium speed, beat the butter, vanilla, and pecan/sugar mixture until creamed and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the flour and salt until just combined.
    1 cup unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • Press the shortbread into the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish that has been well-greased with butter, shortening, or cooking spray.  Use a fork to puncture the crust all over.
    2 tablespoon butter
  • Bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. 

Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling

  • In a medium bowl, mix (stand mixer our hand-held mixer) beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
    2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, ¾ cup sugar
  • One at a time, add the eggs, beating well after each addition.
    2 large eggs
  • Add the lemon zest and lemon juice along with the vanilla and beat until combined.  
    ½ teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Spread the filling over the cooled shortbread. 

Prepare the Apple Filling

  • In a separate bowl, stir together the apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
    3 large Granny Smith apples, 3 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon allspice, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, ½ teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Spread the apple mixture over the cream cheese mixture. 

Prepare the Pecan-Oatmeal Streusel

  • In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour, oats, toffee bits, pecans, and salt.  Carefully fold in the butter with a fork, until incorporated. The mixture will be a bit crumbly. 
    1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup old-fashioned oats, ½ cup toffee bits, ½ cup pecans, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • Sprinkle the streusel over the apples. 

Finish Off the Bars

  • Bake until set, about 30 minutes.  Let cool for 30 minutes on a rack.
  • Serve warm, or cover and chill in the refrigerator.  Serve with warm caramel sauce, if desired. 
    1 cup caramel sauce, warmed

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 
Remember to set your butter and cream cheese out at least 2 hours before you start preparing the bars. 
The bars can easily be cut after the dish has completely cooled. You can serve them warm out of the oven, but the cream cheese filling will ooze a bit.
The bars will keep covered in the fridge for up to 7 days. They can be frozen for several months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 752kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 248mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 1085IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg