Go Back

Apple Butter Cheesecake

Apple butter cheesecake with a gingersnap crust and a creamy, smooth filling swirled with apple butter ribbons. Baked in a water bath until the center is just set, then chilled for clean slices.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Chilling 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For crust
  • 2 cup gingersnap or graham cracker crumbs
  • 0.3333333333 cup sugar
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For cheesecake
  • 24 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
For apple butter swirl
  • 0.75 cup apple butter

Equipment

  • 1 springform pan
  • 1 water bath setup

Method
 

Prepare crust and oven
  1. Preheat oven to 325F. Press gingersnap crust into a 9-inch springform pan.
Mix cheesecake batter
  1. Beat cream cheese and both sugars until completely smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
  2. Mix in sour cream, vanilla, and cinnamon until just combined. Stop as soon as the batter looks uniform to avoid overmixing.
Assemble and swirl
  1. Pour most of the batter over the crust. Dollop apple butter over the top.
  2. Drop remaining batter over the apple butter. Swirl gently with a knife to create a marbled effect.
Bake, cool, and chill
  1. Bake in a water bath for 60-65 minutes until the center is just set. The outside should look set while the middle still has a slight wobble.
  2. Cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight before slicing.

Notes

For the smoothest filling, ensure cream cheese is truly softened and keep mixing to a minimum once eggs and sour cream are added. Chill at least 6 hours for clean slices; store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended for best swirl texture. For a lower-sugar option, use a 1:1 baking sweetener for the granulated and brown sugar portions.