Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts in existence. When I die, I want cheesecake to be served at my funeral so I can bask in its delicious fattening glory. I find its cold deliciousness more appealing than even the most tempting tarts and pies, and cheesecake adds a level of class to any homemade meal.

Although it’s fairly common to see strawberry or raspberry cheesecakes, I thought I’d let you in on a little autumn cheesecake recipe to add a delicious twist to this already flavorful dish.

Prep Time: 30 Min
Cook Time: 1Hr 10 Min
Total Time: 4 Hours

Ingredients

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apple Topping
4 cups apples – peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Optional
Mix a handful of brown sugar, flour, and small chunks of butter and spread over top of apples for baking. This creates a light crumb crust which can improve the appearance of the cheesecake.

Directions

1. Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees F.

2. To create the crust, stir graham cracker crumbs, pecans, sugar, cinnamon, and butter into a large bowl. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. If you wish, you can omit the pecans in the crust and replace with additional graham cracker crumbs. Bake for 10 minutes.

3. To create the filling, mix cream cheese and sugar at a medium speed. Mixture should be smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then blend in vanilla. Pour filling into baked crust.

4. To create the finishing layer, stir sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Soften apples in microwave for a few minutes, and then toss in mixture to coat. Spoon over cream cheese filling and then sprinkle with pecans. Add crumb crust if desired.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 1hr to 1hr 10 minutes.

6. Loosen cake from rim of pan with a knife and then allow cheesecake to cool. Refrigerate before serving.

Autumn apples are amazingly cheap during the fall season, making this recipe a delicious and affordable way to use up your apple store while impressing friends and family with your cooking. Although it’s no 10-minute dessert, Autumn Cheesecake is well worth the wait.