Description
Sweet and creamy apple butter cheesecake brings together classic autumn flavors in a luxurious dessert. Silky cream cheese mingles with warm spices, creating an irresistible treat that delivers comfort and elegance with each delectable slice you savor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 (8 ounces) packages cream cheese, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup apple butter
- 1 cup sugar
Crust Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
Spice and Flavoring Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Whipped cream (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by lightly greasing and set oven temperature to 325F (163C).
- Crush graham crackers and blend with sugar and melted butter, firmly pressing mixture into pan bottom to create a compact crust.
- Using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese until silky and smooth, gradually incorporating sugar and vanilla until achieving a creamy consistency.
- Gently fold in eggs individually, ensuring thorough mixing after each addition to maintain a uniform texture.
- Introduce apple butter, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg into the cream cheese mixture, stirring until evenly distributed and color is consistent.
- Carefully transfer cheesecake batter over prepared graham cracker crust, smoothing the surface with a spatula.
- Slide pan into preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, watching for a slight jiggle in the center indicating proper doneness.
- After baking, switch off oven and allow cheesecake to rest inside with door slightly ajar for one hour, facilitating gradual cooling.
- Extract cheesecake from oven and permit complete cooling to room temperature, then refrigerate for minimum 4 hours or overnight to set.
- Optional: Embellish with delicate dollops of whipped cream before serving for an elegant presentation.
Notes
- Achieve a silky-smooth texture by ensuring cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing to prevent lumps.
- Prevent cracks by avoiding overmixing the batter and using a water bath during baking for even, gentle heat distribution.
- Customize the spice profile by adjusting cinnamon and nutmeg quantities or adding ground ginger for extra warmth and depth of flavor.
- Make it gluten-free by substituting graham cracker crumbs with almond flour or gluten-free cookie crumbs, maintaining the same rich, buttery crust texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 347 kcal
- Sugar: 29 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg