Layers of the fluffiest vanilla bean cheesecake batter and gooey brown sugar apples make up this ridiculously easy vegan apple crumble cheesecake with crunchy cinnamon crumble!! The best of autumn in cheesecake form, and it’s entirely vegan too! Top with a thick drizzle of homemade vegan caramel sauce, and it’s quite literally the best apple dessert you’ll make all season!

Okay, that or my vegan apple fritter cake and vegan apple spice cake too 🙂

slice of vegan apple crumble cheesecake on a white plate with an apple and caramel jar in the background all on a wooden table.

Why this vegan apple crumble cheesecake works:

If you’re not much of a pumpkin person (or maybe you are, but need a bit of a break…although my vegan pumpkin cheesecake is quite lovely 😉 ), then you need to try this apple crumble cheesecake. 

Okay, and my brown sugar maple mascarpone cheesecake, but let’s focus on this one.

It’s strictly for cheesecake lovers, though I can guarantee that anyone would love a bite of this cheesecake. Because this is no ordinary cheesecake, not even for an apple crumble one!

It’s like apple pie meets cheesecake, and it is what autumn dreams are made of. 

And honestly, with a drizzle of homemade salted caramel sauce on top, it’ll all be worth it! Especially for a show stopping unbelievably vegan Thanksgiving dessert or perfect fall dessert.

Apple Crumble Cheesecake Ingredients:

apple crumble cheesecake ingredients on a marble slab.

Let me tell you in full about this deliciously rich and creamy autumn cheesecake:

  • Graham cracker crust: Only 2 ingredients, this crust is comprised of just vegan graham crackers and vegan butter. We’re keeping it simple to let the other components shine!! You can also use Biscoff cookies or vegan digestive biscuits!
  • Gooey apple filling: The key to a soft and gooey apple filling that’s perfectly sweet is using gala apples (or another sweet apple variety like Honeycrisp or fuji), cinnamon a touch of brown sugar, water, and cornstarch. Much like my vegan apple crisp recipe, the apples become SO soft, gooey, and caramelized that add the perfect finishing touch to the cheesecake!
  • Crisp cinnamon vanilla crumble: Like any crumble, it’s all about the ratio of sugar to flour to butter, and this crumble has it down pat. With a touch of cinnamon to bring in those fall flavors, a sprinkle goes in the actual cheesecake AND as the perfect topping. But if you’re a serious crumble topping fan, then you MUST try my apple crumb cake as well!
  • Vanilla bean cheesecake batter: Then we have the most lush and rich cheesecake batter that gets its flavor from vegan caramel and brown sugar. Based on my classic vegan cheesecake, it’s quite literally jaw dropping how delicious it is. Silky, nutty, and just so creamy!! The ingredients consist of vegan cream cheese (my homemade vegan cream cheese is amazing!), dairy-free yogurt, cornstarch, vegan heavy cream (or cashew cream), vanilla extract, and granulated sugar.

And if you’re a fan of all of these flavors but want more of a yeasted bake, you MUST check out my apple cheesecake brioche buns!! ALL vegan!

Can I make this vegan cheesecake gluten free as well?

Absolutely! You’ll need to use gluten free vegan graham crackers as well. Sometimes, I’ll make my homemade vegan graham crackers gluten-free when needed for any guests that are gluten-free (and the flavor is identical!).

Additionally, you’ll need to swap out the flour in the crumble for gluten free all purpose flour (one containing xanthan gum). I like King Arthur measure for measure gluten free baking flour for that!

Then that’s it! Your apple crumble cheesecake will be completely gluten free!

How to make the best vegan apple crumble cheesecake:

  1. First, we’ll start with the crumble. Simply mix all of the crumble ingredients together in a bowl, then set aside to make the apple filling.
  1. Next, we’ll sauté the apples until just soft and set aside. This is also the same technique I use for my apple pie cinnamon rolls! A MUST this fall season!
  1. When the oven is preheated, we’ll blend the graham crackers until they reach a fine crumb and add in the vegan butter.
  1. Press the crust into the pan, then bake for 10 minutes at 400F. Once baked, reduce the oven temperature to 325F.
  1. Next, we’ll make the cheesecake batter. I recommend using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or bowl and hand mixer. We’ll cream everything but the vegan heavy cream together, then pour in the heavy cream and whisk again until fluffy.
  1. First, start by pouring in half of the cheesecake batter. Top with half of the cooked caramelized apples
  1. Spoon the remaining cheesecake on top and spread to the edges of the pan
  1. Top with the remaining apples and crumble the crumble topping on top.
  1. Bake for 75-80 minutes at 325F, then let the cheesecake cool in the TURNED OFF oven for 1 hour. After that, we’ll cover the cheesecake and refrigerate overnight to set. It MUST be refrigerated overnight.
  1. When ready to serve the next day, drizzle with caramel and enjoy!

Why we’re NOT using a water bath:

I’ve been over this more in depth with my classic vegan cheesecake, but yes, the water bath is important in order to achieve a super creamy cheesecake filling! So what happens during a water bath for a cheesecake? Well the water evaporates, keeping the oven nice and moist, which prevents too much moisture evaporating from the cheesecake itself. 

But with this particular cheesecake? Already has TONS of moisture, so we can actually skip this step! The apples provide so much moisture, it will keep the cheesecake nice and moist yet firm once set.

sliced vegan apple crumble cheesecake on the cutting board with the full cheesecake next to it and a jar of caramel sauce.

Because there are no eggs…do I have to bake this cheesecake?

Technically, you could make this a no bake apple crumble cheesecake, but you need to do a few work arounds:

  • Omit the cornstarch & dairy-free yogurt. Because the cheesecake isn’t being baked, we don’t need the cornstarch to bind everything together. We also need less “liquid” ingredients, as there’s no heat to dissolve the water content!
  • Heat treat the flour. Whether you’re using gluten free flour or regular flour, you’ll need to heat-treat the flour first in order for it to be edible as a no bake dessert.
  • You’ll still need to cook the apples. You don’t want raw apples going in there!
  • Chill the cheesecake in the fridge. It will need to set overnight.

However, if you’d rather start with a cheesecake recipe already designed to be no bake, I would recommend checking out my vegan no bake cheesecake bars.

bitten slice of apple crumble cheesecake on a white plate with apples in the background as well as the sliced cheesecake and caramel jar on a wooden table.

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slice of vegan apple crumble cheesecake on a white plate with an apple and caramel jar in the background all on a wooden table.

Salted Caramel Vegan Apple Crumble Cheesecake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 6 reviews
  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 45
  • Cook Time: 85
  • Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 16 1x
  • Category: Cheesecake
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

Layers of the fluffiest vanilla bean cheesecake batter and gooey brown sugar apples make up this ridiculously easy vegan apple crumble cheesecake with crunchy cinnamon crumble!! The best of autumn in cheesecake form, and it’s entirely vegan too! Top with a thick drizzle of homemade vegan caramel sauce, and it’s quite literally the best apple dessert you’ll make all season!

Ingredients

Scale
  • Vegan Caramel Sauce:
  • 1 batch vegan caramel sauce
  • Graham Cracker Crust:
  • 1 package (250 g) vegan graham crackers or Lotus Biscoff Cookies
  • 1/3 cup (87 g) melted vegan butter
  • Crumble Topping:
  • 1 1/4 cup (150 g) all purpose flour*
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup (87 g) vegan butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • Apple filling:
  • 1 tbsp vegan butter
  • 2–3 (600 g) large gala or honey crisp apples, peel removed and sliced into 1″ chunks
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup (57 mL) water
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • Cheesecake filling:
  • 36 ounces vegan cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240 mL) vegan heavy cream or cashew cream, room temperature
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 9 tbsp (90 g) cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) dairy free yogurt or vegan sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Instructions

  1. Prep: We’ll make this cheesecake in a few stages. First, we’ll want to prep the pan. I suggest making sure the apples are prepped (peel removed and sliced thickly). Line a 9″ springform pan with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 400F.
  2. Make the crumble: While the oven is preheating, we’ll make the crumble, followed by the apple filing. In a small bowl, use a fork to mix together the melted vegan butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Once all the dry ingredients are wet from the butter, set this aside.
  3. Make the apple filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the vegan butter until it begins to brown slightly on medium heat. Then add in the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix together the water and cornstarch to make a cornstarch slurry, then pour over the apples. Lightly toss to evenly coat the apples, then cover the pan and cook on low for 5-7 minutes until the apples are slightly tender and soft. Then remove from heat.
  4. Make the graham cracker crust: The oven should be preheated by now, so now we’ll make the graham cracker crust! In a large food processor, pulse the graham crackers until they reach a crumb. Then add in the vegan melted butter and pulse until the graham cracker crumbs are wet. Pour the crumbs into the prepared springform pan and use the flat bottom of a measuring cup or bowl to press the crust into the bottom of the pan and up the sides of the walls.
  5. Bake the graham cracker crust: Place the springform pan into the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Once it bakes, remove the crust from the oven and lower the heat to 325F. Set the crust aside.
  6. Make the cheesecake batter:  In a stand mixer with whisk attachment or large bowl with a hand mixer add in all of the cheesecake ingredients EXCEPT for the vegan heavy cream. Whisk until creamy and fluffy. Then add in the vegan heavy cream and whisk again until fluffy and voluminous.
  7. Assemble the cheesecake: Once the cheesecake batter is made and the crust is baked, it’s time to assemble the cheesecake. Pour half of the batter into the cheesecake crust, followed by half of the apples, making sure the apples are not all pooled in the middle of the cheesecake. Then pour the remaining batter on top. Spread the remaining apples on top of the batter, and sprinkle the crumble topping on top.
  8. Bake the apple crumble cheesecake: Place the cheesecake onto a baking sheet, then open the oven again, and place the baking sheet with the cheesecake on it onto the middle rack. Close the oven door quickly. Bake the cheesecake for 75-80 minutes.
  9. Cool the cheesecake in the oven: Once baked, turn OFF the oven but leave the cheesecake INSIDE. Crack the oven door just slightly, and let the cheesecake cool down for 1 hour in the oven.
  10. Chill the cheesecake: Once cooled, you can remove the cheesecake from the oven. Carefully wrap it and place it into the refrigerator to chill and set overnight, or overnight.
  11. When ready to serve: Make a batch of the vegan caramel sauce. Carefully remove the walls of the springform pan and plate the cheesecake. Top with vegan salted caramel, slice and serve!

Equipment

Notes

Gluten free: To make this apple crumble cheesecake entirely gluten-free, use gluten-free vegan graham crackers and gluten-free flour for the crumble portion.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 493
  • Sugar: 41.7 g
  • Sodium: 345.3 mg
  • Fat: 29 g
  • Saturated Fat: 15.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 54.8 g
  • Fiber: 1.1 g
  • Protein: 5.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 72.9 mg