Apple Cheesecake Danish Bars

Ohhh these are dangerous in the best way 🍎🧀
Think buttery crust + creamy cheesecake + cinnamon apples + sweet glaze—all in easy bar form.

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Apple Cheesecake Danish Bars

Pan: 9×13-inch
Time: ~1 hour + cooling

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ½ cup powdered sugar

• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed

• Pinch of salt

Cheesecake Layer

• 16 oz cream cheese, softened

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 large egg

Apple Layer

• 3 cups apples, peeled & thinly sliced (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)

• ⅓ cup brown sugar

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 2–3 tbsp milk or cream

• ½ tsp vanilla

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Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line pan with parchment.

2. Make crust

   • Mix flour, powdered sugar, salt.

   • Cut in butter until crumbly.

   • Press firmly into pan.

   • Bake 15 minutes until lightly golden.

3. Cheesecake layer

   • Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

   • Mix in vanilla and egg.

   • Spread over warm crust.

4. Apple layer

   • Toss apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch.

   • Spoon evenly over cheesecake.

5. Bake

   • Bake 35–40 minutes, until center is just set and apples are tender.

6. Cool completely

   • This part matters—bars set as they cool.

7. Glaze & slice

   • Whisk glaze ingredients and drizzle over cooled bars.

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Pro tips

• Chill for 1 hour before slicing for clean edges.

• Want extra danish vibes? Add a crumb topping (butter + flour + sugar).

• These freeze beautifully—glaze after thawing.

If you want, I can give you a shortcut puff-pastry version, a no-bake cheesecake layer, or a vegan twist next 🍰🍎