Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip
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Creamy and rich, this Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip is a dreamy appetizer or shareable dessert for any fall gathering, with real whipped cream, caramel sauce, and sea salt. Serve with apple slices, graham crackers, and Biscoff cookies for dipping.
The sweetest fall snack.
Fall is one of my favorite times for casual gatherings, whether it’s for watching football, back-to-school events, or all the pre-Halloween parties that seem to grow every year. And this caramel apple-inspired cheesecake dip is the dreamiest dish to share! It’s sweet, creamy, a little tangy, and extremely delicious. Serve as an indulgent appetizer or a shareable dessert: you can’t go wrong. Apple slices, graham crackers, and Biscoff cookies are our favorite pairings to dip.
This recipe is inspired by an old Betty Crocker clipping and adapted to strike a balance between convenience and that ongoing effort to eat less processed foods. Real whipped cream infuses a lightness into an otherwise rich dip, but I’ve used Cool Whip, too — either is tasty, and there’s a season for everything. Store-bought saves time, but homemade caramel sauce is a definite flex. Regardless, the greatest danger is the very real risk of eating the whole batch in one go.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
This bulleted list includes extra notes to help you shop and substitute well. Scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities and instructions.
- Caramel sauce. Marzetti or Ghirardelli make a good store-bought sauce, and Trader Joe’s stocks salted caramel sauce as a seasonal item. You can always make your own, too, to double down on the homemade factor!
- Heavy whipping cream. You’ll make your own whipped cream to fluff up all that richness, but if you’re in a hurry, substitute half a container of Cool Whip and call it a day.
- Cream cheese. All that creaminess and tang in one simple package. You’ll use 4 ounces, so half a brick. Use the rest to make a half batch of spinach artichoke dip and your appetizers plans are complete!
- Brown sugar. Just a subtle hint of molasses flavor. I use light but dark brown sugar can be used interchangeably here.
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Choose the paste if you have it for the pretty flecked effect, but these two also are interchangeable.
- Kosher salt or flaked sea salt. It’s only a pinch but it’s important to cut the sweetness of everything else.
- Goodies for dipping–apple slices (I like to use a mix of red and green because color is good), graham crackers, Biscoff cookies, and anything else your heart desires. For adults we also like pecans or walnuts.
How To Make It
This is an overview; be sure to scroll to the printable recipe card for numbered instructions and ingredient amounts.
Make Whipped Cream: If starting with heavy cream, use a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip it to medium-stiff peaks. Scrape it out into a separate bowl and set aside. If using Cool Whip, you can just skip this step.
Make Cream Cheese Base: In the same bowl used for the whipped cream, add the cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until smooth.
Add Caramel: Beat in the caramel sauce until the mixture is smooth once again.
Fold Whipped Cream Back In: Scrape the whipped cream back into the bowl, or add the Cool Whip, and fold gently to combine. You want to minimize the visible swirls, but a few are OK. Try not to stir too vigorously or the whipped cream will collapse.
Scrape and Chill: Transfer the mixture into a shallow serving dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour. Longer is fine if you’re working ahead for a party–it stays good in the fridge at this point for at least 2-3 days, as long as tightly-sealed to prevent cross odors.
Garnish and Serve: When ready to serve, drizzle more caramel sauce really generously on top. You can serve it just like that, with goodies for dipping on the side, or you can dress it up a little bit more with apple chunks, cookie bits, and the like scattered on top.
Storage Tips
- If tightly covered, this cheesecake dip will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- For best results, keep the final caramel drizzle and all toppings on the side just until serving.
Related Recipes
Craving more sweet apple treats? Try these next:
- Apple Butter Snickerdoodles
- Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
- Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp
- Homemade Apple Butter (made in the Instant Pot)
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Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or 4 ounces Cool Whip
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher or flaked sea salt plus extra for sprinkling
- 3/4 cup caramel sauce Marzetti, Ghirardelli, or similar, plus 2-3 Tablespoons for drizzling
- apple slices, graham crackers, Biscoff, etc., for serving
Instructions
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes, until medium-stiff peaks form. Scrape the whipped cream out into a bowl and set aside. (Skip this step if using Cool Whip.)
- In the same bowl, combine the cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Switch to the beater blade and mix on medium-high until smooth and well-incorporated, then pour in the 3/4 cup caramel sauce and mix again until smooth.
- Add the whipped cream or Cool Whip back into the bowl and gently fold it into the caramel mixture. Spoon the mixture out into a serving dish, smooth the top, cover and chill for 1-2 hours.
- Just before serving, drizzle the remaining caramel sauce on top and sprinkle with a few pinches of kosher or sea salt. For more visual interest, you can also scatter the top with extra chopped apples and crumbled Biscoff. Serve with apple slices, Biscoff, graham crackers, etc. in bowls nearby. Enjoy!
Notes
- Whipped cream vs. Cool Whip: Homemade whipped cream works well in this recipe and will be less sweet than Cool Whip. If you want to go the homemade route but still want that extra sweetness, add 1-2 Tablespoons of powdered or granulated sugar to the cream as it whips.
- Nutrition: Nutritional data is an estimate based on the dip only, not including apples or cookies used for dipping.
