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Apple Butter Cheesecake

Apple butter cheesecake with a crisp gingersnap crust and a silky, water-bath baked center. The apple butter swirl creates marbled ribbons in every slice, finished with a long chill for clean cuts.
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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
  • 0.33 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 stand mixer
  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Bake the crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 325F, then press the gingersnap crust firmly into a 9-inch springform pan.
Mix the cheesecake batter
  1. Beat the cream cheese and both sugars until completely smooth, with no lumps remaining.
  2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until each egg is incorporated.
  3. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
Assemble and marble
  1. Pour most of the batter over the crust, then dollop apple butter over the top.
  2. Drop the remaining batter over the apple butter in an even layer.
  3. Swirl gently with a knife to create a marbled effect without fully blending the layers.
Bake in a water bath
  1. Bake in a water bath for 60-65 minutes, until the center is just set.
Cool and chill
  1. Cool the cheesecake completely before chilling.
  2. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight before slicing, until fully firm.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, make sure the cream cheese is fully softened and beat until completely lump-free before adding eggs. After baking, cool completely, then refrigerate 6 hours or overnight; leftovers keep in the fridge up to 4 days. Freezing is yes—freeze slices tightly wrapped for up to 2 months and thaw in the refrigerator. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and sour cream (texture will be slightly softer but still works well).