• Line a 9x13 inch (23x33 cm) baking pan with parchment paper so that there's an overhang around the sides. Alternatively, lightly grease and flour the pan. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃)

Apple Blondie

• In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Keep whisking until the melted butter isn't sitting on top of the sugars. Whisk in the vanilla extract and eggs.
• Add the flour, cinnamon and salt into the bowl. Gently mix together until there are no lumps of flour. You can do this using a wire whisk or a rubber spatula.
• Fold the chopped apples into the batter.
• Spoon the dough into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes. When the blondie base is done baking, the top should look set and it should be starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Leave the oven turned on, but turn it down to 325℉ (170℃).

Cheesecake

• While the blondie base is baking, make the cheesecake layer. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and cinnamon until smooth. Turn off the mixer a few times and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure that there are no lumps of cream cheese stuck to the bottom.
• Mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk the eggs together. Then mix the eggs into the cheesecake batter, about ⅓ at a time until combined. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see pieces of egg.
• Pour the cheesecake batter on top o the baked blondie base (you don't need to cool the blondie base first).
• Return the bars to the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes. When finished baking, the top should look set. The cheesecake layer shouldn't look liquidy if you give the pan a gentle nudge.
• Turn off the oven and open the oven door. Let the bars cool in the oven for about 20 minutes (with the door open and turned off). Then remove the pan from the oven. Continue cooling until the pan is at room temperature. Then cover the pan and place in the fridge for the bars to set. They should stay in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.

Salted Caramel Sauce

• Add the sugar to a medium-sized heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the sugar as it begins to melt. It will form clumps and then start to melt. Stop whisking once all the sugar has melted. Let the sugar continue on the burner until it turns a deep amber color.
• Turn the burner down to low heat. Add all the butter at once to the pan (make sure it's cut into small cubes). Whisk together until all the butter is melted. Be careful, as the mixture can bubble up.
• Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat. Carefully, whisk in the cream. Continue whisking until incorporated. Lastly, whisk in the salt and vanilla extract.

Apple Cinnamon Topping

• Add the butter, sugar and cinnamon to a large saucepan over low heat. Gently stir/swirl the pan as the butter melts.
• Once the butter has melted, add the chopped apples to the pan. Stir together using a rubber spatula to coat the apples in the buttery sauce. Continue stirring as the apples soften. Remove from the heat when the apples have softened enough to your liking.

Serve

• If the pan was lined, carefully lift the baked, cooled and chilled bars out of the pan using the overhang of the parchment paper (lift from the long edge sides). Place the bars on a cutting board and peel back the sides of the parchment. Slice the bars using a sharp knife. I recommend wiping off the knife after each slice for cleaner cuts.
• If you greased and floured the pan, slice the bars with a sharp knife. Lift the bars out of the pan using a square-shaped dessert lifter or 2 forks.
• Top each cheesecake bar with a dollop of caramel followed by a scoop of cinnamon apples (this is what is pictured), a drizzle of caramel, or a scoop of cinnamon apples. When adding the cinnamon apples, I don't recommend adding any extra liquid from the pan.