Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are the perfect dessert. These delightful swirled pumpkin bars will be easy for even the beginning baker.
If you love pumpkin as much as I do, you are going to adore these delicious pumpkin cheesecake bars. They are based on my Easy Cheesecake Recipe, with the added flavors of pumpkin puree and Pumpkin Pie Spice seasoning. With my step-by-step photos, you will find these to be a snap.
These delicious bars use pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to create a great pumpkin flavor that you will absolutely adore. This recipe is perfect all of fall, but would make for a beautiful Thanksgiving dessert. It will be a huge hit at any party.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Ingredients
Below are some key ingredient notes to make this recipe successful. For the full recipe, including all ingredients and their measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Cream cheese: Be sure to use full-fat bricks of cream cheese and allow it to soften to room temperature before making your filling so that it fully whips with the sugar and has the right consistency. I also recommend using a brand-name cream cheese like Philadelphia. Generic store brand names just don’t work as well.
- Pumpkin puree: This can be next to cans of pumpkin pie filling, so be sure to double-check that your can is 100% pumpkin. You can also make your own pumpkin puree.
- Pumpkin pie spice: This blend of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg adds the perfect cozy flavor to the bars. You can find it near the spices and seasonings at your grocery store, or make your own pumpkin pie spice.
- Graham crackers: This recipe can be made gluten-free by making this simple swap. And since the buttery graham cracker crust is obsessively good, you’ll want to make the swap instead of just skipping it.
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Here is a brief overview of how these pumpkin cheesecake bars come together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Make the Crust
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the graham cracker crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake until the edges begin to turn golden brown. When it’s done baking, turn down the temperature of your oven.
Make the Cheesecake Filling
Beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Then beat in the sugar followed by the eggs, flour, and vanilla extract. Divide the cheesecake mixture into two bowls and stir in the pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice mix into one bowl.
Put it All Together
Spoon the cheesecake batter onto the hot crust, alternating between the plain cheesecake mixture and the pumpkin cheesecake batter (see the photos below). Lightly run a knife back and forth through the filling to create a swirl pattern.
Finally, bake, cool, and refrigerate the bars. The slower the cheesecake bars cool, the less likely they will be to crack. Then cut and serve.
Tips and Tricks
- Room temperature ingredients: Your recipe will be most successful if you use room temperature ingredients. This includes the cream cheese, eggs, and pumpkin.
- Cream cheese: As mentioned above, use room temperature cream cheese so it can fully whip with the sugar and be smooth. Avoid softening it in the microwave and instead let it sit out on the counter for an hour, unwrapped.
- Get your graham crackers into fine crumbs by putting them in a blender or food processor.
- Don’t rush the cooling time. It is always important to let a cheesecake cool slowly. The more slowly they cool, the less likely they will be to crack. I recommend making these bars the day before you want to serve them so you aren’t rushed.
- Add whipped cream. I love serving these with stabilized whipped cream. Because of the addition of gelatin to the mixture it pipes beautifully and holds its shape. I like to use this really inexpensive piping set to pipe it onto all of my cheesecake recipes.
Storing and Freezing Cheesecake Bars
Keep these pumpkin pie cheesecake bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.
You can also freeze these cheesecake bars. I like to freeze them in individual portions after they’re cut. Freeze the bars for a few hours on wax paper, then transfer the frozen pieces to a freezer-safe bag or container. Store for up to three months in the freezer.
Using Leftover Pumpkin Puree
We are only using a bit of pumpkin in this recipe, less than the whole can. Here are a few recipes that you can use the rest in:
If you make these pumpkin cheesecake bars or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think! I would be so grateful if you left a comment.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 13 sheets (200 grams)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (66 grams)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (113 grams)
Cheesecake
- 24 ounces cream cheese room temperature (678 grams)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (148.5 grams)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pumpkin Cheesecake
- 1 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling (244 grams)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice mix see note
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper to the width of a 9 by 9 inch baking dish. The pieces should cross over to form an X with lengths long enough to go over the edges of the baking dish.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. It should resemble wet sand. I like to crush the crackers in a food processor and then add the sugar and butter right to that to combine.1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Press the graham cracker crust into the bottom of the prepared 9 by 9 inch baking dish.
- Bake the crust for 6 to 8 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown. When you take the crust out of the oven, lower the temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cheesecake
- While the crust is baking, beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.24 ounces cream cheese
- Beat in the sugar. Then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the flour. Finally, beat in the vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons flour
Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Divide the cheesecake mixture into 2 bowls. Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice mix to one bowl and whisk to combine.1 cup pumpkin puree, 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice mix
Assembling the Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Remove the crust from the oven. Alternating between the plain cheesecake mixture and the pumpkin cheesecake mixture, spoon the fillings onto the hot crust. You may need to add a second layer again, alternating.
- Once you have added all the filling, lightly run a knife back and forth through the filling to create a swirl pattern. Turn the pan and do it again the other way.
- Double-check that your oven has been reduced to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 35 minutes. Turn the oven off (do not open the door) and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool on the counter for at least another hour, being careful not to move it to the refrigerator too quickly. The slower the cheesecake bars cool, the less likely they will be to crack. Cool in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- Before serving, make some stabilized whipped cream if desired. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting them up using the parchment paper. Cut into 16 equal bars. Then pipe the whipped cream onto the cheesecake bars.
Notes
- You can typically find a bottle of pumpkin pie spice at your grocery store, or it is really easy to make your own to have on hand.
Gail says
Could you make this recipe in a pre-made graham cracker crust? Trying to save a bit of time… I know it wouldn’t be as good as on from scratch, If so, would this amount of filling need two crusts?
Can’t wait to try it!
I think this is going to be too much filling for the pre-made graham cracker crusts. I would need to test it to know exactly how it would transfer over.