Apple Pie Cheesecake Jars

This post could more aptly be named “Apple Pie Cheesecake Jars, naturally sweetened, with a Salty Date Caramel Pretzel Crust” and you’d be like “holy moly…” This recipe is gluten free, totally naturally sweetened, makes 2 giant double-serving jars of no-bake cheesecake, and is one of my favorite desserts during apple season!

To say I’ve eaten my weight in cheesecake lately is not an overstatement. Like, seriously, I’ve eaten more than my fair share. I made these Apple Pie Cheesecake Jars the morning before I went to a dinner out with a massive group of ladies…to the Cheesecake Factory. And you can bet your buns I ordered the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake to go and ate it for lunch the next day.

To vouch for how amazing this jar of Apple Pie Cheesecake is, just look at my husband who is currently on the couch, spoon-deep in his jar.

Before we dive in, because this is the last recipe I made with all of my apple picking apples, I wanted to give you a quick list of ideas… Basically, what to do when you frolic through the apple fields and come home with 30 pounds of apples and you realize you actually have to do something with them!

Ready?

Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Apple Pie Cheesecake Jars
Apple Crisp (using the Berry Walnut Oat Crisp recipe)
Maple Apple Crisp
Apple Pie Oatmeal
Baked Apple Harvest Oatmeal for two
Make freezer bags of cut/seasoned apples for future pies (I made enough for 2 pies)
Homemade Applesauce – basically, the apple butter recipe without the sugar!

Hope that list helps!! 

So lets break down this cheesecake, shall we?

Notice that bottom layer? What is that? It’s a Salty Date Caramel Pretzel Crust layer. No joke. So it isn’t firm like a crust, it’s soft like a caramel, but has a few perfectly crunchy salty bites from the gluten-free pretzels I’ve broken up in there.

If you want a crispier crust instead of a soft caramel layer, I’d recommend swapping more of the nuts for the pretzels (as in, more pretzels, less nuts…). But I like the buttery-ness the mix of walnuts and pecans give to this layer, and that salty pretzel hit too. I just quickly pulsed this all in my Blendtec using the Twister Jar attachment, but you could use a personal-sized blender or a food processor.

Next is that super creamy cheesecake layer! This layer is embarrassingly simple and so perfect. It’s literally just cream cheese, maple syrup and a splash of vanilla. The key is to make sure your cream cheese is truly at room temperature when you’re mixing it (I used a hand mixer because it was such a small amount). Naturally sweetened, this is practically health food!

And then that apple layer! So here’s where the apple pie comes in. I’ve sautéed sliced apples with ALL the flavors you’ll find in apple pie. The gang’s all here! Cinnamon, allspice, sweetness from maple syrup, a splash of vanilla…butter…all here. You’ll layer these apples right on top of the cheesecake layer, and you’re done!

I think the most important step is to refrigerate the cheesecakes for a few hours. The cheesecake layer will firm up a bit more when it’s cold and so will that caramel crust layer. The apples will remain tender but with a bite to them and I love that!

Each jar is actually two servings, the way I’ve made it. If you use jelly jars, you’ll probably end up with 4-5 jars of cheesecake, which is totally fine.

Now let’s get to actually making and eating these cheesecake jars, shall we?

Apple Pie Cheesecake Jars
Recipe by Melissa @ Treats With A Twist
Recipe serves 4 (or 2…no judgment)

INGREDIENTS
For the crust:
8 soft Medjool dates
½ cup toasted pecan pieces
¼ cup walnut pieces (I used raw)
¼ + 2 Tbs. cup gluten free pretzel pieces
pinch of Kosher salt
For the cheesecake:
8 ounces cream cheese (I used full fat)
¼ cup maple syrup
½ tsp. vanilla extract
For the apples:
3 very small apples or 2 medium apples
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. maple syrup
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of Kosher salt

METHOD
First make the crust. Pit all of the dates and place all of the crust ingredients except for the additional 2 Tbs. of pretzel pieces into your high-powered blender or food processor. Pulse until it all comes together. Then add the rest of the pretzel pieces, pulsing just a few more times to ensure they stay a little bigger in the crust.
Divide your crust between your jars (I used two Weck 1/4 L jars, but you can use standard jars or jelly jars or the larger tulip jars too). Press into an even layer.

Next make the cheesecake. In a bowl, start mixing the cream cheese until it is silky smooth. Add the maple syrup and vanilla and blend until completely combined and smooth, 1-2 mintues. Divide the cheesecake between the jars and smooth the top. Place the jars in the fridge.

Finally, make the apples. Core then slice the apples in even layers and cut them into quarters (I used the spiralizer attachment to my KitchenAid mixer, which cores the apples and slices them into rings, then I just use a knife to cut each stack of rings into quarters).
Place the butter in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, add your apples, maple syrup, cinnamon and allspice. Stir around until the apples are tender but still have a bit of firmness, like the center of apple pie (around 10 minutes). Add the vanilla and pinch of salt last, stirring it all in then turning off the heat. Let the apples cool then divide them between the jars.
Return the jars to the fridge for at least 2 hours to firm up the layers and let the flavors develop.
Dig in, enjoy!

TO PRINT this recipe, just copy and paste the text into a new document on your computer and press print. I’m sorry if this is inconvenient, but I haven’t heard any complaints yet…so…

 

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