Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Perfect for fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just any time of the year you crave pumpkin. These bars promise to impress and be a huge hit! The combination of pumpkin pie flavor with classic cheesecake flavor is sublime! These bars are so easy to make you just might skip pumpkin pie this year. Maybe.
Tips and Variations
You could use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon in place of the spice blend listed. But I highly recommend our spice mixture.Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. You can also use sweet potato puree in place of the pumpkin.As always, using room temperature cream cheese and room temperature eggs allows the ingredients to blend better resulting in a smoother cheesecake.To help prevent cracks, avoid overmixing and overbaking.Feel free to switch up the crust crushed gingersnaps, sugar cookies, or chocolate cookies work too.To slice the bars, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water, dry the knife quickly, make one cut, wipe with paper towels, and repeat.
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang to use as handles to lift the bars out with ease. In a medium-size bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, dark brown sugar, and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 5-6 minutes. Set aside to cool. Remove those fancy clips before placing it in the oven. (Don’t ask me how I know.) The handles make me crazy so I clip them down. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and vanilla, and mix well. Add the eggs and mix until combined. Pour 2/3 of the cheesecake mixture over the graham cracker crust, and smooth it out in an even layer. Set aside. Add the pumpkin puree to the remaining cheesecake batter and mix until combined. Add the dark brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Mix well. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the cheesecake layer and carefully smooth the top. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top is set but slightly jiggly in the very center. Do not overbake. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight is best, but a minimum of 4 hours. Slice and serve!
More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes
Creamy Pumpkin Pie BarsBetter Than Starbucks Pumpkin Bread RecipeEasy Pumpkin CheesecakeBakery Style Pumpkin MuffinsGingersnap Crust Pumpkin PieEasy Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese FillingPumpkin Coffee Cake
