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An easy and delicious recipe for Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars! Made with a whole can of pumpkin, they’re loaded with real pumpkin flavor! The best part is these perfect pumpkin cheesecake bars are freezer friendly.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
It’s October, and you know what that means right? It’s time for us to bake pumpkin EVERYTHING!
Starting with these easy but oh-so-delicious pumpkin spice cheesecake bars.
Serious pumpkin fans will be thrilled to know these bars are packed with real pumpkin flavor because they’re made with an entire can of pumpkin puree. Because let’s be real, the only ingredient that can produce real pumpkin flavor is… PUMPKIN! Pumpkin spice is fine and all, but it’s no replacement for the real thing. I also love using the whole can when possible because it reduces waste. I always have the best intentions of using leftover puree for soup or a smoothie, only to find it in my fridge months later in a very sad state. So yeah… trying to create more “whole can” pumpkin recipes this season.
A few more things I just love about these Best Ever Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars:
- No springform pan required! I know many of you don’t own one and don’t feel like buying new things for just one recipe, so with that in mind I created this recipe using a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- I also know a lot of you LOATHE the water bath process, so this recipe doesn’t require one! You just pop the pan in the oven and bake. Easy as that 😉
- And finally, you can freeze these pumpkin pie cheesecake bars for up to 2 months! Freeze the whole tray or slice them and freeze just a few squares.
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
Tips and Tricks:
- This recipe calls for pure pumpkin puree – NOT pumpkin pie mix, which contains ingredients other than pumpkin. If you can only find pumpkin pie filling, it should still work, but I suggest omitting the spices called for in the recipe, or at least reducing them.
- Room temperature ingredients are crucial when it comes to making any cheesecake – including these bars! So be sure you bring your cream cheese, eggs, yolks, and heavy cream to room temperature before you begin assembling the batter.
- To prevent the crust from sticking, you will need to line your baking dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil. And be sure there’s an overhang of at least 2 inches on each side; this will help you remove the cheesecake bars from the pan later. And finally, you’ll need to spray the pan lightly with nonstick baking spray.
- To make the crust you will need melted butter, crushed graham cracker crumbs, and sugar. Yep – just three ingredients! You can buy graham cracker crumbs from the grocery store, or make your own by pulsing sheets of graham crackers in your blender or food processor.
- When pressing the crust down into the bottom of the pan, you’re going to want to press it down very firmly. A firmly packed crust will bake up nice and thick, and most importantly, won’t crumble much when sliced. I recommend starting to press the crumbs down in the center of the pan and then working the crust out and just a little bit up the edges.
- And last but certainly not least, do not over bake the bars. They should still be a little jiggly in the middle when you remove the pan from the oven. The will continue to cook as they cool. And since they need at least 6 hours to chill in the fridge, you’ll want to plan ahead time wise.
So, are you ready to sink your teeth into one of these creamy pumpkin pie cheesecake squares?!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipes
- Classic Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake with Brown Butter Crust and Grand Marnier Whipped Cream
- Creamy Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
If you try this recipe for The Best Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars, please let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on instagram! Seeing your creations seriously makes my day ♥
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
Rich, creamy, and loaded with flavor, these are the best Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars ever!
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted
For the Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars:
- 4 (8 ounce) packages full-fat cream cheese, softened
- (1) 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons bourbon (optional)
- 3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
For the Graham Cracker Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing two of the sides to overlap (you want an overhang of at least 2-inches on two sides) and spray lightly with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter and, using a rubber spatula, mix well to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom - and slightly up the sides - of the prepared pan.
- Bake the crust in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside on a cooling rack until needed.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees (F).
For the Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars:
- In the body of a high power blender, food processor, stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand held electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin puree until completely smooth.
- Add both sugars, vanilla, and bourbon (if using) and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add in the eggs and yolks and beat until combined.
- Stir in the flour and spices, mixing just until combined.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the cream, mixing just until it's incorporated in the batter.
- Pour filling on top of prepared crust, and spread evenly.
- Check to ensure your oven has cooled to 325 degrees (F), then place the pan in the oven and bake for 38 to 40 minutes, or until the edges have set and the middle is still a little jiggly. The cheesecake will firm up a lot as it cools.
- Remove the bars from the oven, and cool at room temperature for one hour. Then refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
- When you're ready to serve: use the foil overhang to lift the cheesecake bars from the pan and transfer them to a cutting board. Using a large, sharp knife, slice the slab into squares, wiping the knife clean with a damp cloth between slices. Serve at once.
Notes
These Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars will keep, stored in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. You may also freeze them for up to 2 months.
To freeze: fully cool the cheesecake bars, then place the cooled cheesecake (whole or sliced) on a freezer-friendly platter and freeze, uncovered, until completely firm. Once firm, remove the cheesecake from the freezer and wrap it in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Then place it in a freezer bag; seal the bag and return it to freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to serve: remove the foil and defrost in the fridge overnight.
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Yummmmmyyyyyy
Can I use sweet potato instead of pumpkin?
Definitely!
Ahhh so 32 oz of cream cheese, no 8? Should have reread that
Above you mention omitting spices if using pie mix. I don’t see where in the recipe it calls for spices. I just made the bars so I’m hoping there isn’t an ingredient missing in the recipe.
FYI: unlike canned (pure) Pumpkin Purée, “Pumpkin Pie Mix” comes “pre-sweetened!! So, not only would you need to eliminate/reduce the spices in the recipe… you’d also have to eliminate/alter the amount of sugar the recipe calls for (and perhaps other ingredients as well – don’t know as I’ve only used pure pumpkin purée when baking).
For the crust i used 3 packs of chocolate digestives blended up, and 1 1/2 packs of 250g unsalted butter, melted (so 375g) and just omitted the sugar. I prefer the base to be a bit thicker!! I baked for 20 mins, got out and pushed back down into the tray with the back of a spoon to ensure it was compact and would not crumble apart, i then put it in the oven for another 10 mins and left on the side to cool while i made the filling. It came out perfectly and i will definitely be making again!
Oh wow that’s a great idea! My moms birthday is coming up and she adores digestive cookies. Hope I can find some at my local British store. Thanks foe the great idea!
Is the heavy cream whipped?
Nope! It’s just heavy whipping cream, in liquid form.
Where does the cream go in?
I think its for the whipped topping? The Chocolate Cheesecake bars recipe doesn’t call for whipping cream in the bars, but its used for the ganache. I assume that is the case for this recipe by looking at the picture. The other recipe clearly listed the whipping cream under the ganache ingredients section.
I made these bars, at first adding the cream to the batter. The bars turned out great, but I think that the cream was not supposed to be added. The texture of the bars was better around the edges of the pan. I will not add it next time, and I will probably use a water bath to avoid cracking on the top. Water bath is easier with a 9×13 pan, don’t have to worrying about water leaking into the cake.
Can I use ginger snaps instead of graham crackers for the crust
You can, but you’ll need to make other adjustments since most gingersnaps contain sugar/oil/etc. I would find a good recipe for a gingersnap crust, follow it, and then add the pumpkin pie cheesecake filling on top 🙂
If I follow just the cooking directions in your raspberry cheesecake recipe, can I bake this in a springform pan?
Hi Renne. I would just suggest using this recipe instead 🙂 Classic Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
Could I use half & half instead of heavy cream?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Move over Pumpkin Pie, there’s a new dessert in town! These Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars are the bomb! My family loved these. Thank you for sharing your recipes, Ashley!
I made these for Thanksgiving this year. Super easy and so delicious!
Can you use light brown sugar instead ?
Hi… Luv ur content. But will be really nice of u to give substitute for eggs as I’m a vegan baker.
Omg so I used the correct size baking pan and this recipe is HUGE. The sides look set but the middle is super extra jiggly yet. I already baked for 10 extra minutes. It’s going for another extra 15 I hope it turns out still.
Baked for 40 Mins and really jiggling in the middle. I feel like the filling was really runny to begin with.
Hope it turns out. Going to bake for a bit longer
Hi Megan. It’s ok for it to be jiggly. It’ll firm up a ton while they come to room temperature and then chill in the fridge 🙂
These were out of this world good. Way better than pumpkin pie. After tasting one when removing from the pan, I promptly froze half so I wouldn’t eat them all. Getting them out of the pan was trickiest part but they are a huge hit in my house.
So the flavor was great ..but my bars never actually set. I cooked them for ten minutes extra then another 10 and then ANOTHER 10. I finally took them out because I was like they have to be done. Stuck then in fridge over night and as I suspected they weren’t set. So I put them back in the oven for 40 minutes!!!!! And then back in fridge for 6 hours. They were still a little soupy in the middle..but the flavor was delicious and the crust was perfect. Just not sure what happened with the actual filling? But they were delicious and they make SO many. So I served half and froze the other half.
The crust is what’s preventing me from giving these 4 stars – that and I found the directions with the foil overlapping 2 sides of the pan to be unclear / not helpful (next time I think I’d forgo the foil altogether, honestly, or just use parchment instead). But getting back to the crust: it just wasn’t what I wanted from a crust for these bars – it was too…crunchy. I cooked it exactly per the directions, but I guess it’s possible that it was overcooked. I think I was hoping for something just a touch softer – more like I’m used to with a typical cheesecake. So…I think if I made these again, I’d look for a different crust to go along with the filling. The filling, however, was very good – I thought it had the perfect amount of pumpkin, so no complaints about that!