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apple butter cheesecake with whipped cream and on a blue plate

Apple Butter Cheesecake

Hailey
Enjoy a bite of this homemade apple butter atop a layer of new york style cheesecake and a sourdough graham cracker crust. Simply divine alone or with a dollop of whipped cream.
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Bulk Fermentation Period 1 day
Total Time 1 day 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 slices
Calories 356 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Cake Pan Or cheesecake pan
  • 1 Medium Pan
  • 1 Kitchenaid Mixer

Ingredients
  

Sourdough Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1 cup All purpose flour All purpose flour, spelt flour, oat flour or gluten free flour can be used within this recipe
  • 1/4 cup Whole wheat flour
  • 2 Graham Crackers Equivalent of 3/4 cup. Blended or crushed into a fine powder
  • 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 cup White Sugar
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tsp Salt Leave out if using salted butter
  • 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 stick Butter *Unsalted or salted, see notes
  • 3 TBS Sourdough discard Active sourdough or sourdough discard

New York Style Cheesecake

  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces Cream cheese 1 block
  • 1/4 cup Sour cream
  • 1 Egg
  • 3 TBS White sugar
  • 1/8 tsp Salt

Homemade Stovetop Apple Butter

  • 4 large Apples Any variety will do; peeled and sliced paper thin
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup Brown sugar
  • 1 TBS White sugar **Add more if apple variety is sour
  • 1 TBS Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Ginger
  • 1/8 tsp All spice
  • 1/8 tsp Cloves
  • 1/8 tsp Nutmeg

Instructions
 

  • There are a few steps involved with making an apple butter cheesecake with a sourdough graham cracker crust. The three layers can be made separately or simultaneously depending on your time and fermentation goals.

Sourdough Graham Cracker Crust Tutorial

  • To make the graham cracker crust, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar and salt together in a medium bowl.
    Crush two graham crackers and add to the dry mixture. To the dry mixture, add sourdough discard, vanilla extract, and softened/melted butter. Mix until combined.
  • Press the crust evenly onto the bottom of a lined or greased cake pan. You could also use a prepared springform pan.
  • Bake in a preheated oven for 6-8 minutes. The crust will not be completely cooked. It will cook longer as you bake the cheesecake mixture.

New York Style Cheesecake Tutorial

  • Combine the softened cream cheese and sugar together until smooth using a handheld mixer or stand mixer. Add in vanilla extract and sour cream. Finally, add the egg. Whip for two minutes or until completely smooth and with minimal lumps.
  • Pour on top of the sourdough graham cracker crust and bake for 30 minutes. When touched, the cheesecake should barely stick to your fingertip. The center will be cooked through.
  • Allow to cool in the cake pan in the refrigerator. The graham cracker crust will harden completely, making it easy to remove from the cake pan.
    ***If using store bought apple butter, skip to the assembly instructions.

Homemade Stovetop Apple Butter Tutorial

  • Peel the apples. Slice them paper thin. Add the apples, spices, vanilla extract, white sugar and brown sugar to a medium pan.
  • Place the lid on the pot and allow to cook down on low heat. Because of the lid, the apples will release moisture. The apples will continue to cook down and become translucent.
  • Once a wooden spoon can break apart the apples, use a handheld immersion blender to blend until smooth. Be careful for steam and any escaping apple butter.
  • Once smooth, continue cooking down until the apple butter is thick in texture and turns from apple sauce to a buttery and glossy texture. It will stick to your spoon- like caramel.
    Allow to cool completely before spreading across the cheesecake.

Apple Butter Cheesecake Assembly

  • Spread a thin layer across the top of the cheesecake filling. Option to serve with caramel sauce and whipped cream.

Notes

Sourdough Graham Cracker Crust - Butter Note
If using salted butter, do not add salt into recipe for crust.
Homemade Apple Butter
  •  Note on Sweetness 
    A note on sweetness - if your apples are not sweet, adjust the amount of sugar within the recipe by 1-2 TBS at a time. Use white sugar first, then brown sugar until your desired sweetness is achieved.
  • Homemade vs store bought
    The homemade recipe above will yield approximately 1/2 cup of apple butter. If you use store bought apple butter, use the equivalent 1/2 cup.
  • Long Fermented Sourdough Graham Cracker Crust
    To follow a long fermentation period, make the graham cracker cookie crust as outlined above. Cover with plastic wrap and press down firmly to ensure the graham cracker cookie dough will not dry out.
Allow them to sit on the counter to meet your fermentation goals (typically 4-12 hours). If you would like to ferment the dough longer, place it within the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
 
When you are ready to bake, pull the dough out 15-30 minutes prior to baking. Assemble as outlined.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 356kcalCarbohydrates: 46.8gProtein: 2.5gFat: 15.7gSaturated Fat: 10.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2.3gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 160mgPotassium: 100mgFiber: 1.9gSugar: 35.4gVitamin A: 333IUVitamin C: 1.3mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 0.7mg
Keyword cinnamon, dessert, discard, Seasonal, sourdough
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