If you love apple spice and cheesecake, do not miss out on these apple butter cream cheese oat bars!
These apple butter cream cheese oat bars are one of my favorite cheesecake bars, thanks to their sweet, nutty oat crust and topping paired with creamy cheesecake and spiced apple butter. Each bite is layered with fall flavors, making them completely irresistible! While I’d happily enjoy these bars any time of year, they’re especially perfect as the weather cools. Whether you’re looking for a cozy, spiced dessert for fall or just craving the comforting flavors of apple and cinnamon, these bars are a treat you won’t want to miss!
Why You’ll Love These Apple Butter Bars
- Perfectly balanced layers. A soft, buttery oat crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and sweet apple butter come together for a perfectly balanced bite.
- Big fall flavor. The apple butter and warm spices make these bars ideal for fall and holiday gatherings.
- Simple ingredients. Using pantry staples like oats, flour, and butter keeps things straightforward without needing special ingredients.
What You’ll Need
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- All-purpose flour – Measure by weight for best results. Otherwise, use the spoon and sweep method. Learn more: How to Measure Flour
- Quick-cooking oats – The smaller size of these oats gives the bars a nice chewiness and flavor. Learn more: Rolled Oats vs Quick Oats
- Chopped nuts – Use whatever you like—pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.
- Granulated sugar
- Baking soda
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese – Let this come to room temperature before mixing for a smoother texture. Use full-fat cream cheese that comes in bricks, not the whipped kind.
- Eggs – Set these out along with the cream cheese to allow them to come to room temperature as well.
- Lemon juice – Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Vanilla extract
- Apple butter – You can use store-bought or homemade apple butter.
How to Make Apple Butter Cream Cheese Oat Bars
- Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9″ x 13″ x 2″ baking pan.
- Make the crust. Combine the flour, oats, nuts, sugar, and baking soda. Stir in the melted butter. Set aside 1 & 1/2 cups for the topping.
- Partially bake the crust. Press the remaining mixture into the pan, and bake until lightly browned (12-15 minutes). Set aside to cool.
- Make the filling. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy, and then add the eggs one at a time. Finally, mix in the lemon juice and vanilla extract.
- Assemble. Spread the apple butter over the cooled crust. Top with the cream cheese mixture, then sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the top.
- Bake. Place the pan in the heated oven, and bake 35-40 minutes or until the filling is set. Cool completely then chill at least 2 hours before serving.
Tips for Success
- Don’t over-mix the crust. Too much mixing will yield a tough, hard crust. Mix just until combined, and press the mixture evenly into the pan without compacting it too much.
- Bring the cream cheese to room temperature. Make sure the cream cheese is truly at room temperature for a smooth filling. Cold cream cheese can lead to lumps, even with a mixer.
- Use homemade or store-bought apple butter. For a deep apple flavor, choose an apple butter that’s richly spiced, or go with homemade apple butter to bring out a bolder flavor.
- Serve cold or at room temperature. These bars taste great cold, but serving them at room temperature can bring out the full flavor of the apple butter and the cream cheese filling.
Variations
- More spice. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or apple pie spice to the oat mixture for even more warmth in the crust and topping.
- Nut-free. For those who avoid nuts, try using a seed mix or extra oats instead. Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds add a bit of crunch and keep the bars nut-free.
- Butter swap. Substitute the apple butter with pear butter, pumpkin butter, or even cranberry sauce for a seasonal twist. These can give the bars a unique flavor while keeping the cozy feel.
How to Store
- Refrigerator: These bars should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll stay fresh for up to a week, and the chilling helps the cream cheese layer stay firm.
- Freezer: Wrap individual bars tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
More Apple Butter Recipes
Get the Recipe:
Apple Butter Cream Cheese Oat Bars
Yield
24 2-inch bars
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Additional Time
2 hours
Total Time
3 hours
Apple Butter Cream Cheese Oat Bars feature layer upon layer of deliciousness, from the nutty oat crust to the spiced apple butter to the sweet cream cheese.
Ingredients
For the crust and topping:
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (160g) quick-cooking oats
- 2 cups (about 120g) chopped nuts (such as pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, or cashews)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
For the filling and assemble:
- 16 ounces (454g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups apple butter*
Instructions
To make the crust and topping:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9″x 13″x 2″ baking pan.
- Combine the flour, oats, nuts, 1 cup sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl.
- Stir in the melted butter. Reserve 1 & 1/2 cups of mixture for the topping.
- Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Set the pan on a wire rack to cool.
To make the filling:
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
- Spread the apple butter over the cooled crust. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the apple butter. Top with the reserved oat mixture.
- Bake 35-40 minutes or until the cream cheese layer is set. Cool completely before cutting into bars. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
*Store-bought or homemade. If you don't already have a recipe you love, see my Apple-Pear Butter.
Recipe slightly adapted from Taste of the South.
For tips, step-by-step photos, and extra details, be sure to read the full post above before starting. It’s packed with helpful info to answer common questions!
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60 Comments on “Apple Butter Cream Cheese Oat Bars”
Those look heavenly! You are right…all the apple and cashew talk makes me think of fall. You can’t go wrong with cashews. I may have to try these myself!
these look amazing! i adore Taste of the South magazine and have so many of my favorite recipes from them. and i am also definitely ready for some fall weather!
What a perfect bar cookie! I would love to have one right now. Thank you for sharing!!!!
Those look wonderful! I can almost taste them…
Que verdadera delicia, esto tiene que estar delicioso. Saludos
Oh how tasty do THESE look! I know a recipe is a keeper when I come across it multiple times and, not only do I remember it, but I still want to make it. Yum.
These look really, really good!!
Ooooh look at these; they look luxurious and oh so inviting!
I agree–cashews should be used a lot more…and of course cream cheese is always a must too 😉
Ahhh these look delicious. I really like cashews – agree that they are underused!
I just bought some cashews yesterday thinking I would hunt for a recipe to usethem in. So happy to see this one pop up on your site. The bars look divine…can’t wait to make them.
These look incredible. Glad you gave my favorite nut, the cashew, some love here.
Have you ever tried this recipe by subbing in pumpkin butter for the apple butter? I wonder if you can do a swap with those for something different?
Chrissy, I am not a fan of pumpkin, but I’m sure that pumpkin butter would work just fine.
those bars look so sinfully good! wow….now I’m hungry again….sigh
Fantastic and a little sinful. Can’t wait to make them (and by “make them” I mean throw them into that pile of recipes I have, just like you!)
This will be perfect for teachers’ luncheons and all those fall get togethers. Chrissy’s suggestion about the pumpkin butter sounds great too! I will definitely have to try both.
love the flavor combo in these.
I love that these bars are half crust, my favourite part!
These were good. Although I have to admit that I don’t like nuts. So I made them less the nuts. They were still really good and tasty though.
I do not like nuts either so I’m going to try pretzels to give it a hint of sweet and savory.Â
oh my…what a perfect combination. 🙂
Yum! And I must say, I’m notoriously bad at not cooking/baking in season, and have already made several autumn-type foods this summer. I’ll add this one to the list!
ils sont trop gourmands ces barres et doivent être drôlement succulents
bonne journée
Mmm these look amazingly good, they look so yummy!!
Yum! I totally agree that cashews get sadly neglected too often!
Up at 3am feeding my bottomless pit (aka Hudson) and saw this recipe. I’ve been looking for a treat to make for my mom’s birthday next week, and this is perfect- she has an almost unnatural love of cashews! I’ll let you know how it turns out!
oh yum! must make these stat!
oh my sweetness! This might be the last dessert I ever want! It looks absolutely delicious.
Cashews don’t get used nearly enough, in my opinion. What a great recipe!
Love the combination of cashews and oats. These bars look fabulous!
Cream cheese and anything is amazing. But these bars look seriously amazing. Like really. I need to be making these!
These look so amazing! I plan on making them soon =)
I just had to come out of hiding and say that I love your blog! I look forward to every post and these just speak to me. Thanks for doing all this!
These look mouth-watering-ly good! Cream cheese is one of my favorite dessert add-ins 😉
As mush as I love chocolate… I always like a good apple dessert. This sounds amazing!!
Oh yes and please excuse all my bad spelling errors! Of course I notice them as soon as I hit submit. I think I need a nap. 😉
Loving all the different flavors and textures in these bars. They look like a definite must bake.
These look and sound delicous! I can’t wait to make them sometime soon!
I made these last night and brought them into the office today. I’m getting rave reviews! Some have described them as “divine,” “wonderfully rich,” and “superb.” I didn’t have enough apple butter (only 1.5 cups), so I added half a cup apricot preserves to make up for it. I also used regular rolled oats instead of quick oats, and it came out just fine. The texture of these bars are delightful — smooth and creamy on top and thick and chewy on the bottom. Definitely give these a try. You won’t be disappointed. And thank you, Jennifer, for posting this recipe for all of us to enjoy.
Mmm, this sounds so good! Great photos!
These were absolutely devine… Will definitely make them again. Thanks for sharing the recipe with us
Some of these recipes my mother had. : ))) Thank you for having them. <3 Great great recipes! I am gonna make these … just sound yummy
These are literally making my mouth water. I love cream cheese! I bet you could mix it up and put pecans in the crust and then a pumpkin butter layer. Yummy! Gonna try these real soon. Thanks for sharing.
I will have to try these…they look amazing!
Oh, these look incredible! I will definitely add these to my list of new recipes to try! Thanks 🙂
Oh My.. one look at these , and I am sold.. I will make these and report back with my findings 🙂
Mmm, apple butter, cream cheese…I’m in! I’ll have to try this ASAP
hi…looks good but i don’t like apples in baking and anyway apple butter is not available in part of the world. Blueberry jam instead ? or apricot jam….what do you think ?
Rhea, I think a jam could work.
Ok – that’s it, these have oats, so we can have them as a main course, correct!
Great recipe! My secret ingredient in all my deserts calling for vanilla is my Mexican vanilla. It makes it so unbelievable. Keep up the great posts Jennifer!
I agree, cashews are too often neglected. This gives me a nice recipe to try with cashews. Thanks.
I was wondering about the pumpkin butter too. Trader Joes has a good one. As well as a honey apple butter. Now I’m wondering how their fig butter would work. I don’t tend to use cashews much because they tend to get rubbery in things. Usually go for macadamia or pistachio. The recipe really looks amazing. Can’t wait to make some!!
Absolutely delicious. My sister and I make this every Thanksgiving and Christmas.Â
For some reason it’s difficult to find apple butter unless I make it. We substitute fig butter and/or raspberry butter, it is delicious. I let it set for day before serving, the  flavors are wonderful.
I’m glad you like them, Dawna! I love how versatile these are with different fillings.
I like Mexican cheese cake
What is the sodium content in these bars? I really want to try them but have family members with a salt issue. Thanks
There’s no added salt in the recipe, so unless there is salt in the nuts or apple butter you’re using, there shouldn’t be any.
Do you have a specific brand of apple butter you prefer?
Thank you!
Hi, Cherie. If I don’t make it myself, I usually get some locally. There are several orchards upstate that sell theirs in the area. Stonewall Kitchen also makes a good one.