An Italian Twist on a Classic Fall Dessert 🍎🇮🇹
If you love cheesecake and apple crumble, this Italian-inspired dessert brings you the best of both worlds — the silky smooth texture of cheesecake and the rustic warmth of baked apples and cinnamon.
This Apple Cinnamon Crumble Cheesecake, or Torta di Mele e Mascarpone, takes the traditional American favorite and gives it a delicious Italian soul.
Instead of cream cheese, we use a blend of creamy mascarpone and ricotta, giving the filling a light, velvety texture with a naturally sweet flavor.
The base is made with biscotti secchi (Italian tea biscuits like Oro Saiwa or Gentilini) instead of graham crackers, and the topping is a golden oat crumble kissed with cinnamon and brown sugar.
It’s a cozy dessert that feels like fall in every bite — perfect for Sunday lunches, family gatherings, or a festive holiday table.
Servings: 12
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Chilling Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
🥧 Ingredients
For the Crust
1 ¾ cups finely crushed biscotti secchi (such as Oro Saiwa or Gentilini)
6 tablespoons unsalted Italian butter, melted
For the Crumble Topping
⅓ cup Italian 00 flour (or all-purpose flour)
½ cup rolled oats
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
For the Mascarpone Apple Filling
2 small Italian apples (Golden Delicious or Renette), cubed
1 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup whole-milk ricotta, well-drained
½ cup sour cream or plain whole yogurt
⅓ cup fine granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust
Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the sides.
Crush the biscotti secchi into fine crumbs using a food processor or by hand in a ziplock bag.
Mix with the melted butter until the texture resembles wet sand.
Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
2. Make the Crumble
Preheat your oven to 285°F (140°C).
In a bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Pour in the melted butter and mix until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.
3. Prepare the Filling
Wash, peel, and cube the apples. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat together the mascarpone, ricotta, and sour cream until completely smooth.
Add the sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Then mix in the eggs one at a time, just until combined.
Note: The mixture will be quite liquid — that’s normal for this cheesecake.
4. Assemble the Cheesecake
Pour the mascarpone mixture over the chilled crust.
Scatter the cubed apples evenly on top.
Sprinkle with the crumble topping.
5. Bake and Chill
Bake on the lowest oven rack for 60–70 minutes, or until the center is mostly set but still slightly jiggly.
Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door slightly open for 1 hour.
Let cool completely at room temperature for another hour.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results.
💡 Tips & Variations
Italian touch: For extra richness, add a drizzle of miele millefiori (Italian wildflower honey) just before serving.
Cheese options: You can replace ricotta with robiola for an even silkier texture.
Apple choice: Golden Delicious or Renette apples stay tender and flavorful after baking.
Serving idea: Pair each slice with a spoonful of whipped cream or a light dusting of cinnamon sugar.
🧾 Nutritional Facts (per serving)
| Calories | Carbs | Protein | Fat | Saturated Fat | Sugar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 370 | 35g | 7g | 23g | 13g | 22g |
Apple Cinnamon Crumble Cheesecake
Notes
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 ¾ cups finely crushed biscotti secchi (such as Oro Saiwa or Gentilini)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted Italian butter, melted
For the Crumble Topping
- ⅓ cup Italian 00 flour (or all-purpose flour)
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
For the Mascarpone Apple Filling
- 2 small Italian apples (Golden Delicious or Renette), cubed
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta, well-drained
- ½ cup sour cream or plain whole yogurt
- ⅓ cup fine granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust
- Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the sides.
- Crush the biscotti secchi into fine crumbs using a food processor or by hand in a ziplock bag.
- Mix with the melted butter until the texture resembles wet sand.
- Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
2. Make the Crumble
- Preheat your oven to 285°F (140°C).
- In a bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Pour in the melted butter and mix until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.
3. Prepare the Filling
- Wash, peel, and cube the apples. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat together the mascarpone, ricotta, and sour cream until completely smooth.
- Add the sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Then mix in the eggs one at a time, just until combined.
Note: The mixture will be quite liquid — that’s normal for this cheesecake.
4. Assemble the Cheesecake
- Pour the mascarpone mixture over the chilled crust.
- Scatter the cubed apples evenly on top.
- Sprinkle with the crumble topping.
5. Bake and Chill
- Bake on the lowest oven rack for 60–70 minutes, or until the center is mostly set but still slightly jiggly.
- Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door slightly open for 1 hour.
- Let cool completely at room temperature for another hour.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results.
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