It Tastes Like Fall

While the scent of pumpkins and pumpkin pie might cue the fall feeling for some, it's all about the apples to me.  For some reason, that apple pie scent makes it feel like Fall.  I'll eat anything apple any time of the year, but I think I enjoy it most during my favorite season.  I made this ridiculously YUMMO..and super easy...dessert for my in-laws last weekend and it scored RAVE reviews.  I made it on a Friday night and there wasn't a crumb left by Sunday afternoon.  I LOVE those kind of desserts...but I hate that there's never any left to savor ;) 

APPLE STREUSEL CHEESECAKE BARS

1 pouch Oatmeal Cookie Mix (I used Betty Crocker)

1/2 cup butter

2 {8 oz.} pkgs. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 {21 oz.} can apple pie filling {I used Kroger brand :)}

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

 

Mix together cookie mix & butter until coarse and crumbly.  Don’t use an electric mixer…you’ll need to do this part by hand :)

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cookie crumb mixture and set aside.  Press the remaining crumb mix into the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish to form a crust.  Bake for 5 minutes on 350 and remove from oven.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla, and egg…you can use your electric mixer for this part :)  Spread mixture evenly over the partially baked crust.

Now mix together apple pie filling and cinnamon and spread evenly over the cream cheese mixture.

Sprinkle the reserved 1 1/2 cups of cookie crumble mix on top of the apple cinnamon mix and bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 350.  Remove from oven and let it cool for 30 minutes.  Now transfer to the fridge to chill for about 2 hours.  This will give the dish time to firm up.  Remove from fridge and cut into little bars…or if you’re like me, BIG CHUNKS :)  Mmmmm…

Not gonna lie, folks.  This is, hands down, one of my FAVORITE desserts EVER!!!  Now, I am a little bit biased because I LOVE any and everything apple, but I’m pretty confident this is a winner because it scored rave reviews all the way around.  If I were you, I’d make this the night before you need it just so that you don’t have to wait for it to cool and chill.  I have ZERO patience when it comes to serving myself dessert, so it was torture waiting on this to be ready to eat!!!!  Head to the store and pick up these ingredients as soon as you can…you’ll be SO happy you did!!!!