Greek Yogurt Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Last year, the incredibly decadent apple caramel cheesecake bars I made won first place in our sister bake off. These bars had almost 3 sticks of butter in them and were drizzled with store bought melted caramels. Lets just say, the calories in those bars are out of control. Still, if you have never made them I suggest you try the original version once in your life. They're that amazing. 

My goal though, was to create a delicious though slightly less decadent version that I could make more than once in a lifetime! I've been curious about Greek yogurt cheesecake because I am a lover of both cheesecake and Greek yogurt. It just makes sense to combine these two great loves. 

The Greek yogurt cheesecake was not quite as smooth and creamy as a cream cheese based cheesecake. However, it still had excellent flavor and decent texture considering it is entirely yogurt! 

One of the other major changes I made to the original recipe was making a homemade caramel sauce. This caramel sauce is not as thick as a store bought version but still has a rich flavor that complemented the tartness of the apple and yogurt. 

Give it a try, folks!

Greek Yogurt Apple Caramel Cheesecake

Shortbread Crust-
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt 

Cheesecake Layer-
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp flour
3 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 cup sugar

Streusel Layer-
3 apples (Macintosh or Granny Smith)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp coconut oil
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of nutmeg

Caramel Sauce-
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup almond milk
2 tsp arrowroot powder



First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a 9X13 with tin foil. Spray the tin foil with cooking spray.
Pulse the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until crumbly. Press into the foil lined pan and put in the oven for 15 minutes, or until set. 
For the cheesecake layer, beat together the eggs and sugar. Add the vanilla and flour and mix thoroughly. Gently fold in the yogurt.
Pour the cheesecake mixture evenly over the warm crust. 
Dice the apples and sprinkle over the cheesecake mixture. 
Mix together the rest of the streusel ingredients and sprinkle over the apples. Place in the oven for 25 minutes or until the cheesecake is just set and lightly browned. 
While your cheesecake is baking, make the caramel sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar and maple syrup and bring to a boil, then simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the almond milk and arrowroot powder and return to heat for several minutes and continue to stir while the mixture thickens. 
Let the cheesecake bars cool for an hour or so and then drizzle the caramel sauce onto the bars. Place in the fridge for 4-8 hrs (hardest part!) and serve chilled!