Candy Apple Cheesecake Tacos Recipe
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 small flour tortillas (street taco size)
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (for the coating)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whipped topping or stiffly whipped cream
- 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely diced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for the apples)
- 1/4 cup caramel sauce for drizzling
- Optional: Red sanding sugar or red food coloring for a “candy apple” look
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together the granulated sugar and one tablespoon of cinnamon. Set this aside near your frying station so you can coat the shells while they are still warm and oily.
- Heat about an inch of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Using tongs, place a tortilla in the oil for 5-10 seconds. Fold it in half to create a taco shape and hold it with the tongs until it becomes crisp and golden on both sides. This usually takes about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Immediately remove the fried shell from the oil and drain it briefly on a paper towel. While still hot, toss the shell in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until it is fully coated. Place the shells upside down on a wire rack or inside the wells of an upside-down muffin tin to maintain their shape as they cool.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture is completely smooth and fluffy. Gently fold in the whipped topping using a spatula until well combined. If you want a “candy apple” pink color, you can add a tiny drop of red food coloring here.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced apples, brown sugar, and the remaining teaspoon of cinnamon. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and the sugar has formed a thick, bubbly syrup. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Transfer the cheesecake mixture into a piping bag or a plastic bag with the corner cut off. Pipe a generous amount of filling into each cooled taco shell. Top the cheesecake layer with a spoonful of the warm apple mixture.
- Drizzle caramel sauce over the top of each taco. If you want to lean into the candy apple theme, sprinkle a little red sanding sugar over the apples for extra sparkle and crunch.