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This caramel apple cheesecake dip is made from-scratch without any store-bought shortcuts! It whips up in minutes and is perfect for fall parties and tailgates.
The Best Fall Dip Recipe
This caramel apple cheesecake dip is *the* dip to make for fall parties, tailgates, and Halloween! Rich and super satisfying, it’s like my cheesecake dip and caramel apple dip combined in the very best way. I love serving it with in-season apples; in fact, it’s one of my favorite things to make with leftover apples from apple picking!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Entirely homemade. No store-bought whipped topping, pre-made caramel, etc. We’re making everything from-scratch while still keeping things super easy (seriously, you’ll be surprised how simple it is!).
- Perfect for making ahead. Chilling the dip for an hour or so is important to let the flavors and texture develop properly.
- No candy thermometer needed! The caramel we’re making today is a variation of my easy salted caramel sauce. It’s fairly easy to make without a candy thermometer, but if you have one, use it and make sure you stop cooking around 230F, otherwise the caramel will be too thick/stiff.
Ingredients
I won’t go over every ingredient here–just a few of the primary ones. Scroll down for the full recipe!
- Cream cheese. Use block-style, full-fat cream cheese, just like when making cheesecake. Anything else could make your dip too runny.
- Brown sugar. This will be the base of our caramel. I recommend using light brown sugar for the most accurate flavor. Note: because of this ingredient, we are technically not making a “true” caramel (see my caramel sauce for more info on that!), but I can promise it tastes and behaves just like caramel!
- Light corn syrup. You may be tempted to skip this, but it’s important for making the caramel thick, glossy, and silky smooth (and preventing grainy sugar crystals in the finished product). Remember, corn syrup is not the same thing as high fructose corn syrup!
- Heavy cream. You’ll need this for both the caramel and for the whipped cream cheese. Whipping cream or double cream will also work!
- Salted butter. While most of my recipes usually use unsalted butter and add salt separately, salted butter is my preference here. We’ll add additional salt too–it pairs so nicely with the caramel flavors.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
Sam’s Tip to Prevent Brown Apples
Wait to slice the apples until you’re ready to serve them, as they will oxidize quickly. If you need to prep them ahead, brush them lightly with a little lemon juice and keep them covered in the refrigerator to significantly slow the browning. Be careful not to overdo it though, or you’ll taste the lemon.
How to Make It (Step-by-Step)
- Make the caramel. Cook all ingredients except for vanilla and salt over medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, increase the heat and start stirring constantly. The mixture should come to a rolling boil; once it does, let it boil for 2 minutes, then from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and salt and let cool completely before moving to the next step.
- Whip the cream cheese. Stir together the cream cheese, sugar, and cream on low speed until combined, then increase your mixer speed to high and beat til thick and fluffy.
- Combine. Stir 1 cup of cooled caramel into the cream cheese mixture, then spread the dip into your serving dish. Keep your reserved caramel at room temperature if serving the same day; this keeps it thin enough to drizzle while the cheesecake dip chills. If you refrigerate it, it will thicken and you will need to gently warm it until it is easy to pour again.
- Chill. This step is important! If you serve immediately, the dip will be quite soft. Chilling it first not only lets the flavors deepen, but it lets the dip thicken for the perfect texture. After chilling drizzle your reserved caramel overtop and add your desired toppings; I talk more about these below.
Recommended Toppings
- Pecans are a must for me, but walnuts are also good. Either option nicely cuts the sweetness of the dip, and I highly recommend toasting them first (I have a tutorial on how to toast pecans if you need one!).
- Toffee adds a nice crunch when added just before serving. It will soften after sitting but still adds a nice sweet touch regardless.
- Chocolate shavings, especially if using semisweet or bittersweet, add a bit of a bitter flavor that is just beautiful with the apples. I literally just take a potato peeler to a block of baking chocolate and shave the bar over the dip. Mini chocolate chips would work too though!
Feel free to customize your toppings! Use none, all, or pick and choose your favorites.
Frequently Asked Questions
You could, but I can’t recommend your results. I designed my recipe around my homemade caramel, so your dip may end up sweeter or more/less runny with store-bought.
More Caramel Desserts
Looking for more dessert dips? I have a cannoli dip, fruit dip, cookie dough dip, and baklava dip too!
Enjoy!
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In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, cream, and corn syrup. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until butter is completely melted and ingredients are well-combined.
1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
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Increase heat to medium-high and stir constantly until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes (the caramel should reach approximately 230F (110C) on a candy thermometer).
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Remove from heat and immediately pour into a heatproof container. Stir in vanilla extract and salt. Allow to cool completely, until no longer warm to the touch, before proceeding with the recipe. Once caramel is cooled, make the cheesecake mixture.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon table salt
For the cheesecake mixture:
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and heavy cream. Beat on low-speed until just-combined, then slowly increase speed to high and beat for 1-2 minutes, until smooth but thick and fluffy (it won’t be as fluffy as cool whip).
8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, ⅔ cup (85 g) powdered sugar, ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
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Measure out 1 cup of cooled caramel (reserve the rest at room temperature for topping the dip later) and pour into cream cheese mixture. Stir on low-speed until completely incorporated and smooth.
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Pour and spread evenly into a 9” pie plate or other serving dish.
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Cover and refrigerate for at least 30-60 minutes before serving. Reserve remaining caramel at room temperature so it remains pourable for topping.
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Once ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and drizzle remaining caramel overtop. Top with chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, toffee bits, and/or shaved chocolate, if desired and serve with sliced apples, pretzels, graham crackers, or your favorite dipper.
Remaining caramel, ¼ cup toffee bits, 2 Tablespoons finely chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, Chocolate shavings or ¼ cup mini chocolate chips to taste, For serving: Cored and sliced apples, graham crackers, pretzels, or other favorite dippers
Storing
Store the dip tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 355mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 1259IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.