These irresistible pumpkin cheesecake bars have a buttery graham cracker crust topped with a creamy cheescake that’s swirled with pumpkin pie filling. They are easy to make and perfect for the holidays.
Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
There are so many fall desserts to choose from that are packed with warm spices and delicious pumpkin flavor. But if you’re looking for the perfect holiday dessert, I’ve got you!
These are the best pumpkin cheesecake bars. They are an easy delicious treat and so much easier than a traditional cheesecake.
You can make them right in a 9×13-inch pan instead of a springform pan. Better still? NO water bath!
Add them to a cookie tray or serve them for dessert instead of a regular cheesecake or traditional pumpkin pie.
Why you’ll love these delicious pumpkin cheesecake bars
These amazing pumpkin bars with graham cracker crust goodness are going to be your new favorite holiday recipe. There are a lot of pumpkin recipes out there, but this one will quickly become number one.
- Cheesecake pumpkin bars are so delicious and perfect for the holidays.
- They are so easy to make — even if you don’t consider yourself a baker
- There are no special ingredients in these delicious bars.
- Fuss free – it takes traditional cheesecake and makes it a portable, fuss free version. Because they’re easy to serve and hold, they are perfect for parties, potlucks, and any holiday gathering
- They are freezer friendly. These bars can be made ahead of time. Store them in the freezer for the busy holiday season.
Ingredients to make pumpkin cream cheese bars
You will love this list of easy-to-find ingredients at the grocery store. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the graham cracker crust
- graham crackers or graham cracker crumbs – some stores sell boxes of graham cracker crumbs which makes an easy shortcut
- brown sugar
- unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake
- full-fat cream cheese – It needs to come to room temperature. Set it out on the counter about an hour before you plan to bake.
- white sugar
- vanilla extract
- large eggs
- pumpkin puree – Make sure not to get pumpkin pie filling! It’s not the same. You can also make your own homemade pumpkin puree.
- ground cinnamon
- pumpkin pie spice – You can buy this at most grocery stores or make it homemade with other ground spices.
You can buy graham cracker crumbs or you can buy regular graham crackers to crush. Put 12 full sheets of them in a plastic bag. Place the bag on a kitchen towel folded in half (for support and easy cleanup). Use a rolling pin or meat mallet to crush them into fine crumbs.
If you like, you can make a gingersnap crust instead. Replace the graham crackers with 1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies and replace the brown sugar with white granulated sugar. This is a really festive and tasty variation!
How to make pumpkin cheesecake bars
Now, let’s get into these bars! It may look like a lot of steps, but I promise they are pretty simple overall.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Leave a little extra on the ends so that you can pull the bars out of the pan.
Step 2
Combine the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Mix it until thoroughly combined.
Step 3
Pour in the melted butter. Mix it until it begins to stick together and form a dough.
Step 4
Take the crust mix and press it into the bottom of the prepared pan. You want to press it into an even layer across the bottom.
Bake the crust for 8 minutes, then remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool.
Step 5
Meanwhile, you can start on the pumpkin cheesecake filling.
In a large mixing bowl or the large bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla to the bowl.
Step 6
Using either the stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, blend the cheesecake mix on low just until it is smooth. Don’t over mix.
Step 7
Once it’s smooth, add the eggs one at a time. Beat each egg just until it is combined before adding the next egg.
Step 8
Remove 1/3 of the cheesecake batter mixture from the bowl and place it in a separate bowl. Set that separate bowl aside.
This is how we will create the beautiful swirls – these are pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars after all!
Step 9
To the large mixing bowl, add the pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until just combined.
Step 10
Pour the pumpkin layer mixture over the graham cracker crust.
Step 11
Gently pour the reserved plain cheesecake mixture over the top. Be very careful not to mix the two layers.
Step 12
With a toothpick or kabob skewer, gently swirl the cheesecake layer into the pumpkin mixture. Be careful not to over-mix. You want it to have a swirl look, not fully incorporate them together.
Step 13
Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until the cheesecake is set.
You don’t want to be jiggly, but a little bit of sway is okay. You do not want it to be jiggly at all. Bake for a few minutes more until it is totally set.
Remove the cheesecake bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely to room temperature. This is important!
Don’t slice them yet – place the baking dish in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to set further before slicing.
Step 14
Once chilled and set, remove from the refrigerator. Pull the cheesecake out by the parchment paper overhang.
Step 15
Cut the cheesecake into bars. You need to do this immediately after removing it from the refrigerator with a hot knife.
The best way to do this is to run the knife under hot water. Wipe off the water and make your cut. Run the knife under hot water between each cut, and be sure to wipe off any cheesecake or crust crumbs, too.
Serve them as is or top them with fresh whipped cream.
kitchen tools to make pumpkin cheesecake bars
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Buy Now → Tips for the best pumpkin cheesecake squares
It’s important when you’re lining the pan with parchment paper to be sure you leave an extra overhang. Then you’ll be able to pull it from the pan to slice.
The cream cheese MUST be room temperature before mixing. This is the key to a smooth, creamy cheesecake filling.
Don’t overmix the cheesecake filling. If you over-mix it, it will get air pockets. When baked, they will rise and then fall resulting in both a sunken and cracked cheesecake filling.
Be careful when you’re layering and swirling the two cheesecake mixes. You want it to be a swirl, not completely combined. Less is more in this step.
Don’t cut them when they are fresh out of the oven. Cool them to room temperature then refrigerate. You need to cut them immediately after cooling them in the fridge with a hot knife.
Try not to put the cheesecake in the refrigerator before it’s completely cooled. It can cause condensation and cracking if you do it too soon before it’s completely cooled.
FAQ
This is caused by overmixing (meaning there is too much air in the mixture), or by overbaking the cheesecake bars.
No, these are different. Pumpkin puree is usually pure pumpkin (and sometimes other squash) that is pureed with nothing else added.
Pumpkin pie filling has sugar and other ingredients added so it can be poured into a pie dish and baked.
Take them up a notch
You can take these cheesecake bars up a notch by adding your own twist.
Top them with whipped cream and a caramel sauce drizzle.
Sprinkle them with crushed gingersnap cookies for extra crunch.
How to store pumpkin pie cheesecake bars
These bars can be stored in the refrigerator or kept in the freezer.
To store them in the refrigerator, place them in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
To freeze them, cut them into individual servings. Place them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 6 months.
More Fall and Pumpkin Desserts
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 12 full sheets graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake
- 4 – 8 ounce full fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 1.5 cups white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Start by making the crust.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper. Leave a little extra on the ends so that you can pull the bars out of the pan.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Mix together until thoroughly combined.
- Pour in the melted butter. Mix together until it begins to stick together and form a dough.
- Take the crust mix and press it into the bottom of the 9×13 parchment lined dish. You want to press it into an even layer across the bottom.
- Bake the crust for 8 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and set it aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, begin making the cheesecake layer. Add the cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla to the bowl.
- Using either the stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, blend the cheesecake mix on low just until it is smooth. Don’t overmix.
- Once smooth, add in the eggs and one at a time. Beat the eggs in just until it is combined before adding the next egg.
- Remove 1/3 of the mixture from the bowl and place it in a separate bowl. Set that separate bowl aside.
- To the large mixing bowl, add the pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until just combined.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture over the graham cracker crust.
- Gently pour the reserved cheesecake mixture over the top. Careful not to mix the two layers.
- With a toothpick or kabob skewer, gently swirl the cheesecake mix into the pumpkin mix. Careful not to overmix. You want it to be a swirl, not fully mixed together.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until the cheesecake is set.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool completely to room temperature.
- Place the baking dish in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before slicing. Be sure it’s at room temperature first.
- Once cooled, remove from the refrigerator and pull the cheesecake out by the parchment paper overhand.
- Cut the cheesecake into bars. You need to do this immediately after removing it from the refrigerator with a hot knife. The best way to do this is to run the knife under hot water, wipe off the water, and make your cut. Run the knife under hot water between each cut.
- Serve them as is or topped with whipped cream.
Video
Notes
- It’s important when you’re lining the pan with parchment paper to be sure you leave an extra overhang to be able to pull it from the pan to slice.
- Be careful when you’re swirling the two cheesecake mixes together. You want it to be a swirl, not completely combined. Less is more when it comes to this step.
- You need to cut them immediately after cooling with a hot knife.
- The cream cheese MUST be room temperature. It’s key to a smooth, creamy cheesecake filling.
- Don’t overmix the cheesecake filling. If you over mix it, it will get air pockets. When baked, they will rise and then fall resulting in both a sunken and cracked cheesecake filling.
- Try not to put the cheesecake in the refrigerator before it’s completely cooled. It can cause condensation and cracking if you do it too soon before it’s completely cooled.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Superb!! The pumpkin flavor is not too overpowering and the spices give it a nice warm flavor. I will definitely be making these again!
I am a fan of cheesecake! And this recipe was perfect for me. I loved the contrast between the crunchy graham cracker crust and the soft cheesecake filling. With my first batch, they were a hit with my family and friends. I’ll be making them again for sure!
So good! Easy to make, and a holiday treat that’s hard to resist. A hit!
The creamy pumpkin layer on top the crunchy base was a delightful combination. They were a hit at our brunch, and I loved how easy they were to make.
These pumpkin cheesecake bars are delicious and super easy to make! I will be making this again for Thanksgiving!