Apple Pie Italian Ricotta Cheesecake
This easy, Italian-style ricotta cheesecake is layered with juicy apples and a brown sugar crumble for a showstopper fall-inspired dessert! With just a blender and a sheet pan, this Apple Pie Italian Ricotta Cheesecake is a must try recipe for the holiday season.
Ingredients you’ll need:
The ingredients list in the recipe details seems more complicated since it’s broken up by each section of the cheesecake, but it’s really a simple list!
- Apples
- Granulated Cane Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Flour
- Butter
- Whole Milk Ricotta
- Cream Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Eggs
- Graham Crackers
- Vanilla
What are the Best Apples for Baking?
Suggestions for the best baking apples would be Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonathan, Newtown Pippin, Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, and Gala!
how to tell when cheesecake is done?
The absolute best way to tell when cheesecake is done baking is the jiggle test. Working quickly, open the oven door and gently shake the cheesecake pan to see if the cheesecake has s light give and jiggles in the very center. That is GOOD as long as the whole surface of the cheesecake is set both by touch and visual appearance.
How to Store Cheesecake:
I prefer to keep the cheesecake covered in the fridge up to 4-5 days after baking. When ready to serve, let it sit on the counter at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to help the cheesecake to soften.
Cook with me!
Apple Pie Italian Ricotta Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Apple Pie:
- 8 ripe Apples *see notes for best baking apples
- 1/3 cup Granulated Cane Sugar
- 2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- For the Brown Sugar Crumb:
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Melted Butter
- 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- Pinch of Salt
For the Italian Ricotta Cheesecake:
- 15 oz. Organic Valley Whole Milk Ricotta
- 16 oz. Organic Valley Cream Cheese
- 12 oz. Organic Valley Sour Cream
- 1 cup Granulated Cane Sugar
- 4 large Eggs
- ½ cup All Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Unsalted Butter melted
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract or vanilla bean paste
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- 2 packages Graham Crackers
- ½ cup Melted Butter
Instructions
To Make the Apple Pie Portion:
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper.
- Either directly on the pan or in a bowl, combine all the brown sugar crumb ingredients. Mix until crumb-like texture, then add to half of the baking pan.
- Add HALF of the sliced apples to the other half of the baking pan to toss in the half of the sugar and cinnamon. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of water to help add moisture. (You’ll want to roast the remaining half with sugar and cinnamon to top the cheesecake right before serving.)
- Roast until juicy, about 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Note: If your apples are not tender, you can toss them in a saucepan over medium high heat with a little water to stir until super juicy.
To Make the Graham Cracker Crust:
- Reduce the oven heat to 350F. Grease a 8-9” spring form cheesecake pan.
- In a blender, combine the graham crackers and melted butter. Pulse until crumb-like, then press evenly along the bottom and sides of the cheesecake pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from heat to cool a few minutes.
To Make the Cheesecake Filling:
- In a blender, combine all ingredients. Blend until very smooth.
To Assemble the Apple Pie Cheesecake:
- Pour half of the cheesecake filling in the crust, even out with the back of a spoon, then layer with the roasted peaches and half of the crumb. Spoon the remaining cheesecake filling on top.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes, just until the center is set but still slightly jiggly.
- Let cool in the oven with the door cracked for 20 minutes, then remove to chill in the fridge for at least 2-4 hours to overnight.
- When ready to serve, cook the remaining apples in a saucepan or skillet over medium high heat with 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon and 2-4 tbsp. water (as needed) until super juicy and tender. Add the apples and the remaining crumb on top to enjoy!
Notes
I truly hope you all enjoy this treasured recipe that has nestled its way into our hearts here in the ABM kitchen! ’till next time… xxL
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
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Would it completely ruin the topping if you make it at the same time as the cheesecake?
The only thing you want to be careful of is opening the oven door while the cheesecake is baking as that can cause it to fall. Since the cheesecake has to chill for a few hours, I’d recommend doing the topping when ready to serve so it’s extra juicy and crispy!
My family loved this!
I’m going to assume this was a copy and paste with edits lol. It says “for the peaches” then it mentioned apples. And then further in the instructions it talks about a peach cobbler cheesecake LOL. It still came out Wonderful by the way
Lol! It’s basically the same as my Peach Cobbler Layered Cheesecake but with a few additional spices and apples, so I apologize for the overlook on typos!! So so happy you loved it!