mini cream cheese apple crisps

Things are getting cream cheesy and apple-y around here! And I LIKE IT. I hope you do, too. Few things are more necessary to the full fall experience than baking apple crisp (especially with handpicked apples from the orchard) — but why just go the traditional route when we can have mini cream cheese apple crisps, a.k.a. apple crisps with a delicious cheesecake-like topping, in individual bowls (that you can win, BTW!), meaning you don’t have to share? I’ll take that scenario any day.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s talk more about the cream cheese apple crisp situation. These bowls and the gorgeousness that is fall inspired me to make mini apple crisps, but I also randomly had a surplus of cream cheese in our fridge that needed using up. That’s when it hit me — combine them into a cheesecake-apple crisp, where the bottom is that classic sweet, gooey apple cinnamon mixture but the middle is a layer of creamy, cheesecake-like filling and the top is a crunchy, sweet crumble of oats and nuts and butter. And we can bake it in these bowls, making them mini/individual/I don’t need to share-size (which is great in this house, where I live with two mooches). If you add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top while the crisp is still warm, you are my food soulmate.

You can use just about any type of apple for this recipe, though I’m partial to the crunchy sweet-tart varieties like Haralsons, Honeycrisps or Pink Ladies. For the cream cheese mixture, make sure the cream cheese is completely room temperature before mixing it together so it’s smooth and creamy and not lumpy and… well, not creamy. And finally, if you don’t want to bake these into individual bowls or ramekins, you certainly can bake one big crisp in an 8-inch square pan if you want. Just be careful if you live with mooches.

Good luck! And happy apple crisp-ing.

Mini Cream Cheese Apple Crisps

• Author: Girl Versus Dough
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

For the filling:

• 2 firm tart-sweet apples (such as Haralson or Honeycrisp), peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch salt
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the topping:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch salt

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Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray inside of four 8-ounce oven-safe bowls or ramekins with cooking spray (or, spray 8-inch square pan for 1 big crisp).
2. In large bowl, stir sliced apples, sugars, cinnamon, ginger and salt until well combined. Divide mixture evenly among prepared bowls. In separate medium bowl using electric hand mixer, beat cream cheese, egg and vanilla until smooth. Spoon mixture evenly on top of apple mixture in bowls.
3. In separate medium bowl, use fingers or pastry blender to combine all topping ingredients until well mixed. Sprinkle mixture evenly among bowls. Place bowls on rimmed baking sheet or baking stone.
4. Bake crisps 35 to 40 minutes until topping is golden brown and mixture begins to bubble around edges (NOTE: bake time may vary if using 8-inch pan). Cool slightly before serving.

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