Apple Cider Cheesecake Tartlets
When entertaining I love baking something impressive enough to wow a crowd, but easy enough to actually pull off. Each mini tart is filled with a creamy vanilla cheesecake base, topped with cinnamon-spiced apples, and finished with a rich apple cider reduction that makes them taste like autumn in every bite. They make 50, they freeze beautifully, and nobody needs to know how simple they were to put together.
About 7 years ago we discovered a pick-your-own apple farm not too far from our home, and haven’t missed a year of apple picking yet! They also have the best fresh pressed apple cider, which inspired these decadent Apple Cider Cheesecake Tartlets! On this year’s trip I picked McIntosh apples for the tarts, as they break down beautifully when cooked, giving the topping the perfect soft texture that settles down into the cheesecake filling. Ready in under 90 minutes and the recipe makes 50 mini tarts, so they’re the perfect choice for fall gatherings or holiday parties.
One more thing worth noting: these tarts freeze well for up to a month, which means you can make a batch now and have a ready-made dessert when the need arises. If you love apple desserts you might also enjoy this Easy Apple Cake or this Rustic Caramel Apple Tart for more ways to make the most of the apple season!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- bite-size and easy to serve – no slicing required at the party, or when you just want a little sweet treat with tea or coffee
- creamy cheesecake fillingÂ
- tender spiced apples in every bite
- finished with a rich apple cider reduction for a gorgeous flavour
- makes 50 tartlets – perfect for feeding a crowd
- freezer friendly (more on that below!)
Ingredients You Will Need
Apple cider – Use fresh, good quality apple cider here, not apple juice. The cider reduces down into a thick, flavourful syrup that is the highlight of the tarts. It’s worth seeking out at local farm markets or grocery store.
McIntosh apples – These are ideal because they soften perfectly when cooked while still holding their shape. Peel and dice them finely in keeping with the mini size of the tarts.
Cream cheese – Two full packages, and make sure they are at room temperature before you start. Cold cream cheese won’t whip up smooth, and a lumpy filling is something we want to avoid!
Mini tart shells – Prepared, store-bought mini tart shells are what makes this recipe so doable. Look for them in the freezer section of your grocery store. No need to make pastry from scratch.
Apple cider vinegar – Just a small amount, added to the cider reduction. It brightens the flavour and balances the sweetness of the brown sugar.
Other pantry ingredients – brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and butter from the refrigerator.
Tips From The Red Cottage Kitchen
WATCH THE CIDER REDUCTION
Keep a close eye on the reduction, especially after the 15 minutes of simmering as it will very quickly thicken near the end of cooking and can burn if left unattended. Stir frequently throughout the cooking time and pull from the heat as soon as it begins to thicken and is reduced to about 3/4 cup.
ROOM TEMPERATURE CREAM CHEESE
This was mentioned above but worth repeating. Pull the cream cheese from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before beginning the recipe to ensure the creamiest, lump free filling.
FILL NEARLY TO THE TOP
Don’t be shy with the cheesecake tart filling, they won’t overflow and a generous amount will give the tarts that silky creamy bite.
MAKE IT IN STAGES
Both the apple topping and apple cider reduction can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. This breaks things and makes day-off assembly of the tarts much easier. I love recipes that give me a head start. This Blueberry French Toast Casserole is the perfect prep-ahead recipe!
DON’T SKIP THE DRIZZLE
Apple cider is often readily available in fall and early winter, and it’s worth seeking it out. The apple cider reduction drizzled over cooled tarts is what ties everything together. It adds a lovely deep apple flavour that’s not to be missed.
HOW TO SERVE APPLE CHEESECAKE TARTS
Arrange these apple tartlets on a tiered tray or platter for any fall or holiday gathering. They’re perfect for Thanksgiving, harvest parties, or holiday book club get-togethers. Serve them at room temperature or straight from the refrigerator.
Or, bake up a batch just for everyday. They’re the perfect two-bite snack to tuck into lunch boxes, with a cup of tea in the afternoon, or whenever the craving for a sweet treat pops up!
McIntosh apples are recommended because they soften well when cooked. Cortland or Honeycrisp also work nicely. Avoid very firm apples like Granny Smith as they may not soften enough in the short cooking time.
Check the freezer section of most major grocery stores. They usually come in packages of 12 or 24. However if you simply can’t find them, a good butter pastry pressed into mini tart pans works perfectly.
I highly recommend apple cider over apple juice. Apple juice can be used in a pinch, but it won’t have the same depth of flavour, and may not thicken as well.
STORING AND FREEZING
Store cooled tarts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you have to layer them, place a sheet of parchment between them, but storing in a single layer is preferred.
To freeze, arrange tarts in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer to an airtight freezer bag or other freezer safe container and freeze for up to 1 month for best flavour. Defrost in the refrigerator. Add the apple cider drizzle after thawing for best results.
More Apple Recipes
Even after apple season is over, they are often stored in cold storage and available at the grocery store or farm markets well into fall and early winter.
Mini Apple Cider Cheesecake Tartlets
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- electric mixer
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 3 large McIntosh Apples peeled and finely diced
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 cups fresh apple cider
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 8 ounce packages cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 50 prepared mini tart shells
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan melt better, add 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar and stir until smooth. Add chopped apples and cook on medium-low heat until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- In same saucepan add apple cider, vinegar, remaining brown and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, stirring often, until liquid is thickened and measures about 3/4 cup.
- While apple cider is reducing, in a large mixing bowl whip cream cheese and sugar, add egg yolk and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- Add 1/4 cup of reduced cider to apple mixture.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange tart shells on cookie sheets. Spoon cream cheese into each tart shell, filling almost to the top, divide the cooked apple mixture evenly over all the tart shells. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until shells are golden.
- Remove from oven and cool. Drizzle remaining apple cider reduction over the top of the cooled tartlets.
- Refrigerate or freeze any unserved tartlets.
Notes
Adorable little tarts. I love individual servings. Built in portion control is important with me and desserts LOL
Thank you Wendy! You and me both 🙂
I have visited other sites that have a function to transfer a recipe to someone’s e-mail. If this were available here I would use that function for this recipe. I really like this recipe. Beaux
Thanks Beaux! That is a feature I am looking in to adding 🙂