Today, I’m excited to share with you one of the most quintessentially fall recipes I have ever created. It’s got apples. It’s got maple syrup. It’s got pecans. It’s got gingersnaps. It does not have pumpkin, but there are more pumpkin recipes in the works, so worry not! I’ve been planning out the details of these apple maple pecan cheesecake bars ever since our trip to the apple orchard a few weeks ago, and they are everything I imagined they would be and more—your taste buds won’t be disappointed, I promise!
We went out to dinner directly before I made these bars, and armed with the knowledge that there was luscious, decadent cheesecake in my near future, I became one of those people. You know, the ones who substitute broccoli in place of French fries. On National Potato Day, no less.
It was so worth it.
These apple maple pecan cheesecake bars are a bit time-consuming—I won’t lie—but there’s nothing very complicated about any given step. First, you crush up some gingersnaps and make a crust, which goes into the oven for a few minutes. Next, you cook up a mixture of pecans and maple syrup and pour that on top of the gingersnap crust, and it goes back into the oven for a bit longer. Then, once the maple pecan layer has cooled, you sauté a bit of diced apple and whip up some no-bake cheesecake (which, by the way, is like heaven in a bowl), spread the cheesecake into an even layer on top of the pecans, pop the whole thing into the fridge, and you’re done!
See? Nothing too fancy. Once they’re chilled and cut into bars, however, they look pretty fancy, if I do say so myself!
And now I have a very important question for you: how do you pronounce the word “pecan”? Do you say pee-KAHN, pick-AHN, PEE-can, or PEE-kahn? According to a geographic study, as a native Californian, I most likely grew up pronouncing it pee-KAHN, but apparently I’ve lived in other regions of the country long enough that I now go back and forth between different pronunciations, sometimes even in the same conversation!
Luckily, these apple maple pecan cheesecake bars are ridiculously delicious no matter how you pronounce their name. After all, a rose by any other name…
- 8 ounces gingersnap cookies (I like Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Snaps)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped pecans (I used roasted and salted pecans)
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 1 apple, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 package (8 ounces) light cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3/8 cup (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing extra paper to extend up two sides. Coat the bottom and sides with baking spray.
- In a food processor, pulse the gingersnap cookies until they are finely and evenly ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until mixed. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and press down firmly with your fingers. Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, prepare the maple pecan filling. Melt 4 1/2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the brown sugar and maple syrup and stir until the brown sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring periodically. Once it has reached a boil, cook for 1 minute, then remove the pan from the heat.
- As soon as you remove the pan from the heat, add the heavy cream and stir until mixed. Stir in the chopped pecans. Once the crust is out of the oven, pour the pecan mixture over the crust and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake for 25 minutes. Once it is done baking, turn off the oven – you won’t need it for the cheesecake layer! Allow the maple pecan layer to cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
- When the maple pecan layer is nearly cool, start to prepare the cheesecake filling. Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan or skillet. Mix the diced apple with the sugar and cinnamon, then sauté over medium heat until easily pierced with a fork, 5-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Place 1 tablespoon cold water in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set aside.
- Place 1/3 cup heavy cream in the bowl of a mixer. Whip until stiff peaks form, then transfer the whipped cream to another bowl. Place the room temperature cream cheese in the mixer bowl and beat until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix until it is fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Stir in the Greek yogurt and vanilla extract.
- Microwave the gelatin/water for 20-25 seconds (note: mine looked like the gelatin had absorbed all the water before I microwaved it, but the mixture turned to liquid again afterward). Stir the mixture for 1 minute, then let it sit for 2 minutes – if you leave it too long, it will start to congeal, and you don’t want that! Slowly stir the gelatin into the cream cheese mixture and stir until smooth. Gently fold in the whipped cream and sautéed apples until just combined. Spread the mixture evenly over the cooled maple pecan layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 3 hours or up to overnight. Once the bars are completely chilled, cut into 16 2-inch squares.
- I use Fuji apples, but feel free to use any variety you like. If you choose a tart variety, you may want to increase the amount of sugar slightly.
- Maple pecan filling adapted from If You Give A Blonde A Kitchen
- Cheesecake layer adapted from Cooking Classy
You had me at apple, but apple maple pecan cheesecake looks even better! Hope I can make these soon.
You really should! They’re not that complicated, I promise 🙂
Beautiful!
Thanks, Meg!
Oh my goodness does this look yummy!!!
Super yummy! I hope you get a chance to try them sometime 🙂
Oh my gosh, do these look good! You created an amazing dessert. So many flavors going on that I love. Your pictures make me feel like I could just reach in and grab one. I wish I could! 🙂
I wish *I* could too, but alas, there are none left in the fridge. Thanks so much for your kind words!
Thanks for the great side-view photo with arrows pointing out the tasty layers. Shown on a large monitor screen, I can almost imagine that I can bite into one….
I’m glad you liked that graphic! I wasn’t sure if I should include it or not…
I can’t decide which one of these layers I love the most!
Me neither! I suppose that’s a good problem to have, right?!
Oh wow those look like the perfect fall dessert! So many layers to love 🙂
I’m so glad you agree! Thanks 🙂
These look amazing!! Apple!! Maple!! Pecans!! CHEESECAKE! it’s everything I love in like in one little bite 🙂
I love (and equal) your enthusiasm about these cheesecake bars! I hope you get a chance to try them sometime 🙂
These look perfect for fall and utterly delicious! How did you decide to make a no-bake cheesecake layer after the others were baked?
Thanks! Good question – it came down to a matter of confidence. My oven is kind of wonky and I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to time things correctly so that both the cheesecake and the maple pecan layer would be fully baked (and I didn’t want to have to go through several trial batches – pecans aren’t cheap, after all!). I figured that a no-bake cheesecake layer would be the most foolproof way to go, and sure enough, it turned out wonderfully!
Oh, wowzers! This is amazing looking and sounding! I’m going to have to save to my favourites and make soon – maybe for Thanksgiving or for, you know, a random day!
Thanks, Maggie! Please let me know what you think if you make them – I hope you enjoy them as much as we do 🙂
Oh. My. Goodness. These look completely incredible! And get more incredible with each layer. YUM.
I’m so glad that these caught your eye! These are so fun, both to make and to eat!
These bars look amazing!
Thanks! And they taste even better than they look!
They look so yummy. Almost drooled on my phone. I am going to have to make these… But I gotta find no bake cheesecake without the gelatin ;). After that… Definitely making these!
Thanks! I tried to find a no-bake cheesecake recipe that didn’t use gelatin, but the consensus seemed to be that it would have a softer, more pudding-like consistency. If you find one you like, please let me know!
Holy amazing bars, Batman…these look amazing! You’ve got everything I could possibly want all rolled up into one nice little package. I think I need these to make magically appear in my kitchen this weekend. And then watch them magically disappear, too!
They *do* have a tendency to disappear rather quickly! 😉
Oooooooh these look so fabulous!!!! I pronounce it pick-AHN and I’m from the Midwest… I love how different areas pronounce it differently 🙂
Thanks! I currently live in the Midwest and, sure enough, that is one of the pronunciations I’ve started to adopt. Thanks for weighing in on the “debate”!
“pee-can” (no emphasis on either syllable) for me, here in Ontario! Thanks for bringing these to Fiesta Friday. These look SO good and I love your layout and the fact that you’ve attributed your sources. What great bars and what a great blog!
Interesting – I’m not sure if I’ve heard that pronunciation in person. Thank you so much for your kind words! Your comment brought a little cheer to my morning 🙂
Ohhhh! These look amazing! I love the gingersnap level. That is the best touch in my mind. And, of course I love any dish with fresh apples. I pronounce it “pee-can” in Massachusetts.
Happy FF, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
I *love* using gingersnaps in place of graham crackers for crusts…especially since I get to snack on any leftover cookies! I’m glad these caught your eye, and I hope you have a great weekend as well!
They look so delicious. love the combination!
Thanks! I wasn’t sure at first whether perhaps there would be too many flavors going on…but I think it’s just the right amount!
Awesome photos and delicious bars. 🙂 Have a lovely weekend. Happy FF!
Thanks so much! I hope you have a great weekend as well.
I love the three layers of your dessert – some of my favorite Fall ingredients 🙂
Thanks! I had a lot of fun making these 🙂
Now I’m trying to figure out how I say “pecan” haha But what’s important are these bars; they look delicious!
Oh I know, I think it might be one of those things (like breathing) where as soon as you really think about it, you can’t do it normally anymore. I’m glad these bars caught your eye! They’re already one of my favorite recipes.
These look wonderful! And I’m a pick-kahn girl, here 🙂 I think we missed our apple-picking window. Here in So Cal, it’s so hot I could hardly imagine fall activities until, like yesterday.
Ooh yeah, I heard So Cal has been having a brutally hot fall. I hope it cools down soon! If it doesn’t, just make the no-bake apple cheesecake layer by itself…I’d eat that stuff by the spoonful!
These look perfect for the holiday table this year!
Definitely! I was thinking about possibly bringing these to Thanksgiving dinner. I hope you get a chance to try them!