This creamy apple streusel cheesecake is the perfect autumn cheesecake made with apples and topped with lots of sweet crumbs.
Incredibly creamy apple streusel cheesecake with soft and aromatic apple cubes and topped with crunchy, sweet crumbs.
I couldn't resist another cheesecake. I know I've already posted lots of them in July: fruity ones like the No-Bake Blueberry Lemon Curd Cheesecake or the Cherry Cheesecake Bars, others full of chocolate like Nigella's Chocolate Cheesecake and the White Chocolate Apricot Cheesecake, and so on.
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Ingredients
Cookies for the crust: Crushed cookies or graham crackers. I used the very common German butter cookies, which are crisp, sweet, and very easy to get around here. They are very similar to Petit Beurre. However, any regular cookies available in your area will be perfect as well. For instance, graham crackers.
Quark is a fresh dairy product that is traditional in the cuisines of German-speaking, Scandinavian, and Slavic countries. It is protein-packed (½ cups have 11 g of protein in them) and super healthy, especially the low-fat kind.
- If you cannot find any quark, but you would still like to try this apple crumb cheesecake recipe, try substituting quark with blended cottage cheese and cream cheese in a 1:1 ratio, so a total of 500 g/ 1.1 lbs/ 2 ½ cups.
Cream cheese Philadelphia style and heavy cream.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Use more quark to make amazing Crustless Cheesecake, Quark Muffins, or Cheesecake Maracuya.
How to make apple streusel cheesecake?
This apple streusel cheesecake is super quick to make, especially if you have a stand mixer or a food processor.
Make the crust and the streusel
Crust: Process the biscuits or crackers and the melted butter in the food processor until combined. Press the mixture on the bottom of a springform pan and bake for 10 minutes.
Streusel: Blend cookies or crackers, cold butter cubes, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor until crumbly. Transfer to a bowl and scrape the processor well so it won't need to be washed before making the filling.
Make the filling
Attach the paddle attachment to the food processor. Beat the quark and cream cheese until fluffy. On low speed, add the sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix to combine, then add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Finally, pour in the heavy cream and mix until smooth.
Assemble the cheesecake
Peel and chop the apples into small cubes, then mix with lemon juice.
Brush the sides of the springform with butter.
Spread the chopped apples evenly on the base of the cake. Carefully pour in the filling, stirring gently to avoid pushing the apples to the edges. Sprinkle the streusel evenly on top.
Bake
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The streusel should be quite brown, and the middle of the cake should still be a bit wobbly.
Turn off the heat, but keep the cake in the oven. Place a wooden spoon in the door to keep it slightly open and leave the cake for 2 more hours. Remove the cake and let it cool completely.
How to make it without the food processor?
Crust: Crush the biscuits or crackers in a bag with a rolling pin. Mix with melted butter and press into the bottom of the prepared springform.
Streusel: Crush the remaining biscuits or crackers and mix with flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in cold butter with a knife until the mixture forms crumbles. Set aside.
Filling: Beat the cream cheese and quark with a hand mixer until fluffy. On low speed, add the sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix well, then add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, mixing thoroughly between additions. Finally, mix in the heavy cream.
Good to know!
Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking (the Amazon link opens in a new tab); it guarantees the best results.
Like any other cheesecake, the apple streusel cheesecake is best served the next day. Let it cool completely, cover it with foil, and refrigerate it. Let it come slightly to room temperature before serving.
How to store it?
You can refrigerate the apple streusel cheesecake, covered, for another 3 days after the first day it needs to spend in the fridge.
You can also freeze the leftovers for about 2 months. Once thawed, the streusel topping will no longer be crispy, but the cheesecake will still taste good.
Apple Streusel Cheesecake
Equipment
- Food processor or stand mixer optional OR
- springform 26 cm/ 10 inches diameter
Ingredients
Crust (Note 1):
- 200 g crushed butter cookies or graham crackers 7 oz/ 2 ⅓ cups
- 100 g unsalted butter 3.5 oz/ scant ½ cup
Streusel:
- 60 g unsalted butter 2 oz/ ¼ cup, cold
- 50 g crushed butter cookies or graham crackers 1.7 oz/ ½ cup
- 75 g all-purpose flour 2.5 oz/ ⅔ cup
- 50 g brown sugar 1.7 oz/ ¼ cup
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Filling:
- 400 g cream cheese 14 oz/ 1 ¾ cups
- 250 g quark 9 oz/ 1 ¼
- 100 g granulated sugar 3.5 oz/ ½ cup
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 eggs large (medium in Germany)
- 1 egg yolk
- 200 ml heavy cream scant 1 cup
- 2 small apples
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F. Line the base of the springform with parchment paper.
- Crush cookies: Place the butter cookies/graham crackers in a food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. Alternatively, you could place them in a freezing bag and crush them with a rolling pin.200 g crushed butter cookies or graham crackers/ 7 oz
- Melt the butter and mix it with the crumbs. Press the mixtures into the prepared springform.100 g unsalted butter/ 3.5 oz/ scant ½ cup
- Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
Streusel:
- Make the streusel now, so you will not have to clean the food processor twice. Place the cold butter and butter cookies/graham crackers, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the food processor. Process until the mixture starts forming large crumbs. Alternatively, mix with your hands until you get the crumbs. Transfer to a bowl.Scrape the food processor as well as you can; there is no need to wash it before making the filling.60 g unsalted butter/ ¼ cup 50 g crushed butter cookies or graham crackers/ 1.7 oz/ ½ cup + 75 g all-purpose flour/ ⅔ cup + 50 g brown sugar/ ¼ cup + ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Filling:
- To make the filling attach the paddle attachment to the food processor. Alternatively you can use a hand mixer.
- Mix the quark and the cream cheese until very fluffy. Continue on the lowest speed and add the sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and salt.400 g cream cheese/ 1 ¾ cups + 250 g quark/ 1 ¼ + 100 g granulated sugar/ ½ cup + 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract + 1 pinch of salt
- Add eggs: Mix to incorporate, then start adding the eggs and the egg yolk, one by one, mixing well in between. Pour in the heavy cream and combine.2 eggs + 1 egg yolk + 200 ml heavy cream/ scant 1 cup
Assemble and bake:
- Peel the apples and chop them into small cubes. Mix with lemon juice.2 small apples + 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Brush the walls of the springform with some butter. The form is hot so that the butter will melt, and brushing will be very easy.
- Fill: Place the chopped apples on the base of the cake and carefully pour in the filling. Stir gently to make sure that the apples don't get pushed towards the walls of the springform. Sprinkle the cake with the streusel.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The streusel should be pretty brown, and the middle of the cake is still a bit wobbly.
- Let rest in the oven: Turn off the heat but leave the cake inside the oven. Place a wooden spoon in the oven door to prevent it from closing and leave the cake for another two hours in the oven.
- Cool: Take it out and let it cool completely. Best served the next day.
Notes
- Measurements: Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking (the Amazon link opens in a new tab); it guarantees the best results.
grace says
this is a cheesecake that has pretty much everything going for it! streusel topping?! yes please! what a delightful concoction. 🙂
Rosa says
Hi Adina! Wow! I am honoured! Thank you for the mention! Your cheesecake looks so perfect and mouthwatering! I'm drooling ... 🙂
Anca says
It looks delicious. I didn't use quark in cheesecake, I imagine it's lighter. Yum!
Sissi says
Your beautiful apple cheesecake reminds me of a fantastic dessert I once had in a small restaurant in Bern and tried to reproduce... in vain. It was definitely without US cream cheese (I suspect only quark because it was very light), but it looked very rich while the taste was so light! I must try to copy it once more (or go back and ask for the recipe).
Chris Scheuer says
This is a wonderful combination. I love both cheesecake and apple desserts so this is right up my alley!