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 fall, but would make for a beautiful Thanksgiving dessert. It will be a huge hit at any party.
Pumpkin Pie Spice Seasoning
Made with four simple spices, pumpkin pie spice is a great way to add a warm, comforting flavor to recipes. The blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves creates a rich and spicy sweetness. 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!
Make the crust. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. The mixture should look like wet sand. 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. Continue beating until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree. Divide the cheesecake mixture into two bowls. Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice mix to one bowl and whisk to combine. Put it together. Spoon the cheesecake batter onto the hot crust, alternating between the plain cheesecake mixture and the pumpkin cheesecake batter (see the photos below). You will likely need to add a second cheesecake layer again alternating between the two types. Lightly run a knife back and forth through the filling to create a swirl pattern. Then run the knife back and forth the other way. Bake the cheesecake bars. Bake for 35 minutes then turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for one hour. Remove from the oven and let cool on the counter for at least another hour. Refrigerate the cooled cheesecake bars. The slower the cheesecake bars cool, the less likely they will be to crack. Cool in the refrigerator for at least four hours. Serve and enjoy! Remove the bars from the pan, cut them, and pipe the whipped cream onto the cheesecake bars.
Serving
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.
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. I also recommend using a brand-name cream cheese like Philadelphia. Generic store brand names just don’t work as well. Get your graham crackers into fine crumbs by putting them in a blender or food processor. Use gluten-free 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. 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.
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: 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.
Pumpkin Sugar Cookies Pumpkin Frosting Pumpkin Cheesecake Braid
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.
