It’s not fall without apple pie, right? While I adore the traditional, it’s nice to mix things up a little bit, too. This beautiful dessert does just that with the addition of a cream cheese filling and some toasty pecans.
This tart is a little bit pie and a little bit cheesecake. It’s all about balance. The cream cheese filling complements the apples just as much as the apples complement the filling. And the whole thing isn’t too heavy, either. It’s really just a lovely dessert.
And it’s quicker and easier to make than either a pie or a cheesecake. That makes it even better, right?
For longtime BoB followers, this recipe may seem somewhat familiar. It’s actually quite similar to Almond Pear Cream Cheese Tart from waaaay back in the archives. I’ve always loved that recipe, and I felt like I was long overdue in making a variation of it. I tinkered with it just a bit, with apples and pecans standing in for the pears and almonds.
I also opted for a graham cracker crust this time around, but the shortbread crust in the original recipe is also really good. You can also stick with a cookie crust but substitute another cookie like vanilla wafers or gingersnaps.
It’s all about preference when deciding whether or not to peel the apples for your tart. Personally, I rarely peel them when I’m baking. Especially with this tart, the unpeeled apples can add a pretty pop of color.
Try this tart if you’re looking for something a bit different in the apple pie category. It’s so delicious and pretty that it’s definitely worthy of a special occasion!
Apple Pecan Cream Cheese Tart
Apple Pecan Cream Cheese Tart is a delicious combination of apple pie and cheesecake. Such a lovely dessert!
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 7 ounces (198g) graham cracker crumbs (about 1 & 3/4 cups)
- 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
For the filling:
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (67g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 3 medium apples, sliced*
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup (40g) chopped pecans
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and brown sugar until thoroughly combined. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch pie pan.
- Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
To make the filling:
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar until thoroughly combined and smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Spread the filling evenly in the chilled crust.
To make the topping:
- Place the sliced apples in a bowl. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon, and stir to coat.
- Arrange the apple slices as desired on top of the cream cheese filling.**
- Sprinkle the pecans on top of the apples.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Decrease the oven temperature to 375°F. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until set.
- Cool the tart to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 3 hours before serving.
Notes
*Choose apples that are good for baking. You'll want apples that will hold up to baking and not fall apart. I mostly use Fuji and Gala, but there are many varieties that will work. See The Best Apples for Baking for more information.
**I simply made rings of overlapping apple slices and then repeated the layers with the remaining apples.
Recipe adapted from Almond Pear Cream Cheese Tart and Kraft.
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6 Comments on “Apple Pecan Cream Cheese Tart”
Love your recipes and will be buying your book. Every single recipe that I have tried is just yummy. In this one, would it not also be helpful to have given the graham crackers in approximate number of double crackers to fill a certain measure? Not everyone measures in ounces. Certainly going to try this one.
Hi, Bonnie. 7 ounces is about 1 & 3/4 cups of crumbs, which I’ll add to the recipe. I can’t tell you for certain how many crackers that is because I make crumbs of a whole box’s worth at a time and store the remainder. A little research online shows a few different answers, but it looks like the general consensus is 12-14 crackers per cup. So I’d guess 20-25 crackers. That disparity is why I usually stick to ounces. I hope you enjoy the tart!
Updated the above comment to correct my miscalculation.
This looks fantastic!
I love your site, all your recipes look wonderful. I love cheesecake and tarts of any kind and you have so many to chose from, it’s so hard to decide on one so I suppose I will just go through all of them one by one 🙂 of course I will have to share them my grandson who also loves cheesecake. But, baking is more fun when you share your treats with others. Thanks again for sharing your great recipes and they all look professional to me. Just goes to show some home bakers can make great recipes that look just as great. So glad I found your site.
Thank you, Debbie! I’m glad you found me, too. 🙂Â