I thought a dessert would be the perfect way to wrap up this week. Since I made that Apple Butter Roasted Chicken, I was in the mood for apples. That made trying these Cheesecake Stuffed Baked Apples an easy choice. How good do they sound? I’m imagining a mix of apple pie and cheesecake and wondering why I didn’t think of the combo. Let’s find out if it’s as good as it looks and sounds!
The only thing better than a juicy harvest apple is a baked apple filled with rich cheesecake! Top it off with caramel sauce, graham cracker crumbs, and pecans for the ultimate no-fuss Autumn dessert!
The Ingredients
As usual, I had a few ingredients in my pantry and refrigerator. That’s almost always the case with basics like sugar, vanilla, and spices. I even had an extra egg.
The recipe suggested Gala apples, and I found them at my usual grocery store. I also picked up a few toppings: caramel sauce, pecans, and graham crackers. I almost missed them since they aren’t on the ingredients list. Instead, they are mentioned in the last step.
The Process
I had a few false starts with this Cheesecake Stuffed Baked Apples recipe because I kept forgetting to set the cream cheese out to soften. Once I did, it was easy!
I began by using a melon baller to core the apples. I tried not to remove too much of the fruit for a couple of reasons. First, it tastes good. And second, I wanted the apples to keep their shape once baked.
It only took me about 5 minutes to core the apples and set them out on a parchment-lined sheet pan. I have to admit I expected it to be difficult (I don’t know why), but it was really easy to do.
I prepared the cheesecake filling next using my stand mixer. It came together even faster than the apples, and I had it poured into the apples about 6 minutes later. Then it was into the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
I let the apples cook for an hour before topping them with crushed graham crackers, caramel sauce, and a pecan. There was still enough room in the apples for a generous amount of toppings, and I’m happy to say the apples held their shape.
Timing
The times listed on the recipe are in parentheses:
- 11 minutes to prep (5 minutes)
- 25 minutes to bake (25 minutes)
- 1 hour to cool
- 2 minutes to top
- 1 hour 38 minutes total (30 minutes)
The recipe notes do say the times listed do not include cooling. Not counting that, my time is 38 minutes. Still a bit longer than the 30 minutes listed, but not by too much.
