This recipe is easier than making a traditional cheesecake, and is sure to be a favorite at all of your fall and holiday gatherings this year! The Best Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars have three delectable and distinct layers: a sweet and crunchy cookie crust made with gingersnaps, a rich and creamy cheesecake layer, and a layer of sweetened pumpkin with warm spices. Don’t get confused between these bars and my pumpkin cream cheese bars! That recipe features pumpkin cheesecake filling in between layers of crescent roll dough. They are like sopapilla bars, but with pumpkin! This pumpkin bar recipe is more like a traditional cheesecake, but with the delicious, gently spiced flavor of pumpkin pie swirled in. Both pumpkin bar recipes are delicious, but very different indeed! Similar autumn-inspired cheesecake recipes to try are my classic Pumpkin Cheesecake, or Pecan Pie Cheesecake. Any of these will be perfect for your Thanksgiving dessert spread, or to bring to a football party this fall. If you love pumpkin desserts, be sure to try some of my other recent recipes. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are super fun to bake, with a delightful cream cheese frosting inside. Then there’s my Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Bourbon Praline Frosting – an amazing moist pumpkin cake with a Southern twist!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you love pumpkin desserts, be sure to try some of my other recent recipes. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies are super fun to bake, with a delightful cream cheese frosting inside. Then there’s my Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Bourbon Praline Frosting – an amazing moist pumpkin cake with a Southern twist!
Key Ingredients in Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Here’s what you need to make this cheesecake pumpkin bars recipe:
Cream Cheese and Sour Cream: Be sure to use full-fat versions of both of these to make your cheesecake. Low-fat cream cheese and sour cream include ingredients and stabilizers that will make your dessert taste wrong and potentially not set up right. Pumpkin: Buy canned pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Be careful, they are usually right next to each other on the shelf! Pumpkin Spice: A blend of fall spices that goes perfectly with pumpkin! You can DIY your own delicious pumpkin pie spice with my recipe too. Gingersnap Cookies: I love the way a cookie crust made with gingersnaps tastes in this recipe! You can also use graham crackers instead.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving extra on the sides so that you can easily lift the bars out of the pan once they are cooled.
Recipe Tips
For the gingersnap crust: Check out my graham cracker crust recipe for more tips and tricks for making the best cookie crust for these cheesecake bars. While you don’t always need to bake cookie crusts, I recommend that you do for this recipe, so that the crust stays firm and crisp. Bring the ingredients to room temperature: In order to get the smoothest, creamiest cheesecake filling, let the cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream sit out on the counter for about an hour before mixing them together. Use a food processor: This small appliance is the best tool for creating fine cookie crumbs for pies and bars. If you don’t have a food processor, crush the cookies by hand, using a heavy ziplock bag and a rolling pin or meat mallet. Pay attention to the recipe instructions: It’s particularly important to note that the oven temperature should be reduced after baking the crust and to follow the steps for cooling the cheesecake bars down slowly. To cut clean squares: Use a large, sharp knife to slice your bars into squares after lifting them out of the pan. Before each cut, dip the knife into warm water, then clean it off with paper towels. It takes a bit of extra time, but it’s worth it!
Storing Tips
You can store these pumpkin cream cheese bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze these for up to 2 months! Either wrap the whole pan before you cut the bars, or freeze individually wrapped servings. Either way, let them thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
More Desserts That Are Perfect for Fall
Whether you’re looking for a fun Thanksgiving dessert or one for Halloween or a football party, you’re sure to find the perfect recipe here!
Adorable Turkey Cupcakes Turkey Dessert Cheese Ball Graveyard Chocolate Cheesecake Dip Sweet Monster Halloween Snack Mix Football Cookie Cups Pear Crisp Sweet Potato Pie
This recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars will be perfect for your next special occasion! I love that these can be made ahead and frozen too, so you can easily make this dessert ahead of time! © Little Sunny Kitchen
