Indulge in the heavenly flavors of Olive Garden Apple Praline Cheesecake right from the comfort of your own kitchen with this easy copycat recipe! This dessert masterpiece begins with a graham cracker crust, followed by a smooth and creamy apple cheesecake filling, and crowned with a sweet and nutty caramel praline topping. Every bite is a symphony of textures and tastes that will leave you craving more. It’s the ultimate dessert for special occasions, holiday feasts, or simply to satisfy your sweet tooth.
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What Makes the Olive Garden Apple Praline Cheesecake So Good?
Choosing what to eat isn’t always easy. And when you’re ordering dessert, it’s even more difficult! Why settle on just one pie when you can have three in one?
This Olive Garden cheesecake combines the decadence of praline pie, the rich creaminess of NY cheesecake, and the sweet-tartness of an apple pie into one slice! There is simply nothing else like it!
Why You Should Try This Recipe
Sadly, Apple Cheesecake isn’t on most Olive Garden menus these days. But you can recreate it at home with this copycat Apple Cheesecake recipe! Although this dish has multiple components, they all come together quickly, and one bite is all it takes to know all the work was worth it!
You can even double or triple the recipe and freeze the extras. That way, you’ll always have a few slices of this delectable pie to enjoy.
Apple Praline Cheesecake Ingredients
For the crust, you’ll need:
- Graham crackers
- Butter
- White sugar
To save time, you can use a premade crumb crust. Feel free to swap the graham crackers for chocolate wafer cookies for something different.
For the apple filling, you’ll need:
- Red Delicious apples
- Butter
- Light brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Allspice
Red Delicious apples break down when baked. That works well with this recipe, but if you prefer apples to hold their shape, try using Northern Spy or Gala.
If possible, freshly grate the spices for a more intense flavor.
For the praline topping, you’ll need:
- Dark brown sugar
- Butter
- Pecan pieces
For the cheesecake base, you’ll need:
- White sugar
- Cream cheese
- Eggs
- Heavy whipping cream
To garnish, you’ll need:
- Whipped cream
How to Make Apple Praline Cheesecake
To assemble the crust:
- Put the graham crackers inside a sealed plastic bag and crush them into crumbles using a rolling pin.
- Melt the butter in the microwave.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir well.
- Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan and press the crumbs on the bottom of the pan to form a flat crust.
- Place the crust in the fridge until needed.
To prepare the apple filling:
- Peel, core, and dice the apples into half-inch pieces. Set aside for later.
- Place a heavy-bottomed pot over low heat.
- Melt the butter in the pot.
- Add the diced apples, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to the pot.
- Simmer until the apples begin to soften. Adjust the temperature and stir occasionally to prevent the sugar from burning.
- Transfer the hot apple filling to a bowl to cool. After they reach room temperature, cover the bowl and chill the apple filling in the fridge until needed.
To make the praline topping:
- Take out the butter and let it soften on the countertop.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the dark brown sugar, softened butter, and pecan pieces. Set aside for later.
To put together the cheesecake base:
- Place the cream cheese on the counter to soften.
- Put the sugar and softened cream cheese into a bowl. Mix at low speed with a stand or electric mix using a paddle attachment until the sugar is incorporated and the cream cheese gets fluffy.
- With the mixer running, add the eggs one at a time. Then slowly pour in the heavy cream, and continue to mix until the cream cheese base is smooth.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and gently fold in the apple filling with a rubber spatula.
To assemble and bake the apple cheesecake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Carefully pour the cheesecake base on top of the prepared crust.
- Gently tap the pan on the counter to flatten the top and eliminate any air bubbles.
- Spread the praline topping over the cheesecake layer.
- Bake for an hour and twenty minutes in the oven.
- Let the Apple Praline Cheesecake cool on a wire rack before removing the sides of the pan.
- Cover and chill before serving.
Cheesecake Making Tips
Are you new to making cheesecake? It isn’t complicated, but it can be a little intimidating. Here are a few tricks:
- Let the cake chill out. Although it can be hard to resist immediately cutting a slice of cheesecake, don’t do it. Let it chill covered in the fridge for at least six hours before eating.
- Consider prebaking the crust. Although it will add some extra time to making this recipe, prebaking the crust in a 350-degree oven for ten minutes makes it much crisper. Just be sure to let the crust cool before filling.
- No need for a water bath. Usually, baking a cheesecake in a water bath is a good idea, but since there is a topping on this cheesecake, you don’t have to worry about any cracks appearing.
What to Serve With the Pie
In addition to the whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce or a sprinkle of mini-chocolate chips are great touches. A hot drink such as coffee or tea complements the pie’s sweetness.
How to Store Olive Garden Cheesecake
To freeze, chill the pie in the fridge, place it on a plate or cardboard cake round, and then wrap everything in plastic. Cover the plastic wrap with a layer of aluminum foil. If you don’t plan on defrosting and eating all the leftovers at once, try wrapping individual slices.
How Long Does It Last?
A wrapped Apple Praline Cheesecake will stay fresh for three to four days in the fridge or a month in the freezer.
More Olive Garden Desserts
- Apple Carmelina
- Cookie Dough Cheesecake
- Italian Lemon Cream Cake
- Peach Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Tiramisu
Favorite Apple Recipes
- Applesauce Cake
- Apple Coffee Cake
- Apple Crisp with Oats
- Apple Spice Cake
- Bisquick Apple Cobbler
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Fried Apples
Check out more of my easy cake recipes and the best copycat Olive Garden recipes on CopyKat!
Olive Garden Apple Praline Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Apple Filling
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 pounds Red Delicious apples peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
Praline Topping
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1 cup pecan pieces
Cheesecake
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup whipped cream to garnish
Instructions
- To make the crust, combine all the ingredients and mix until thoroughly blended. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
- To make the apple filling, melt the butter in a Dutch oven over low heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer over low heat until the apples are soft but still hold their shape. Let the mixture cool to room temperature and set aside.
- To make the praline topping, mix all the ingredients with a fork in a small bowl until well incorporated. Set aside.
- To make the cheesecake, cream together the sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth. Add the heavy cream and continue beating until the mixture is thick and creamy. Using a spoon or spatula, gently fold in the cooled apple filling.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture into the prepared springform pan, spread the praline topping over the top, and bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature before removing the sides of the pan. Refrigerate until ready to serve and garnish with whipped cream.
Yava
I loved this. Thank you!
Liz Nelson
I think I have now made every Olive Garden Cheesecake recipe you have posted they are all so good! Thanks!