Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are made with a buttery Graham cracker crust and an irresistible cheesecake filling with a stunning swirl effect! Serve your creamy & delicious cheesecake bars as a scrumptious dessert or afternoon treat!
Achieving the swirled effect in these pumpkin cheesecake bars is incredibly easy. The cheesecake filling is divided, with one half combined with the pumpkin puree. The two cheesecake fillings are then layered and the swirled effect is made by running a wooden skewer through the mixture before baking!
Why We Love Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe?
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are sweet, tangy, and creamy with a pretty swirled effect from the layering of the two cheesecake fillings. They make eye-catching treats to serve to your guests or to show off for special occasions.
Cheesecake bars can be cut into bigger or smaller pieces to suit your dietary needs or to cater to the right number of people. It also makes storage much easier!
These irresistible pumpkin cheesecake bars can be made ahead of time for an easy pumpkin-inspired dessert to serve in minutes!
Ingredients for Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Here’s a list of everything you need to make these delicious cheesecake bars:
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Butter: Preferably unsalted and softened.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Pumpkin puree: Not pumpkin pie filling!
- Pumpkin pie spice: You can also make your own mixture of warm spices.
- Cream cheese: Softened.
- Sour cream: This adds delicious flavor and moisture.
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs: Large eggs, brought to room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common queries to help you with the recipe:
Q. Can I use fresh pumpkin puree instead of canned pumpkin?
Yes. I’ve used canned pumpkin puree for convenience, but you can make pumpkin puree from scratch by roasting pumpkin and blending it. Make sure that the freshly made pumpkin puree is completely cool before adding it to the cheesecake filling.
Q. How do I store Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars?
Store your pumpkin cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. They can also be stored for longer in the freezer. I recommend wrapping them with plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn.
Q. Can I make these bars in advance for a special occasion?
Absolutely!These dreamy cheesecake bars can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
Q. Why do I divide the cheesecake filling?
One half of the cheesecake filling is combined with the pumpkin puree while the other half is left plain. The pumpkin swirl effect in these cheesecake bars can only be achieved by layering these two cheesecake fillings and swirling them with a wooden skewer.
Q. Are Graham crackers gluten-free?
No. Regular Graham crackers contain wheat flour. You can source brands of gluten-free Graham crackers or use gluten-free sweet crackers or cookies to make the base of this dessert.
Tips and Tricks
- Allow ingredients such as cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and eggs to reach room temperature for mixing for better flavor and consistency.
- You can avoid cracking on the top of your baked cheesecake by not overmixing the cheesecake filling and not overbaking the cheesecake.
- Allow the cheesecake bars to cool in the oven for about an hour with the door ajar before transferring to the fridge to chill. This will also help prevent cracks.
More Cheesecake Recipes You’ll Love
- No Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Apple Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Mummy Truffles
- S’mores Cheesecake Recipe
- Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake
- Instant Pot Oreo Cheesecake
Looking to add another pumpkin-inspired treat to your autumn table platter this fall? These pumpkin-swirl cheesecake bars are sophisticated while being easy to make with simple ingredients and loads of flavor! Give them and try and let us know how you enjoyed them!
Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are rich and creamy with a buttery Graham cracker crust and eye-catching pumpkin swirl!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 8 tbsp. Butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tbsp, divided
- ¼ cup brown sugar, plus 2 tbsp, divided
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 3 - 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line an 8 inch square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- For the crust, add the butter to a microwave safe bowl, and heat on 30 second increments, until melted.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, 2 tbsp. Granulated sugar and 2 tbsp. Brown sugar, mix until well combined.
- Press into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to combine cream cheese, and the remaining granulated and brown sugar, until smooth. - Add sour cream and vanilla, and mix until combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing in between each egg until just combined.
- Remove 1 ½ cups of the cheesecake mixture and pour into a medium mixing bowl. Set the remaining mix aside.
- To the 1 ½ cups, add pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, and mix to combine.
- Alternate spooning the different cheesecake flavors over the prepared crust, and use a toothpick to swirl the cheesecake.
- Bake 45-50 minutes, the cheesecake will still be slightly jiggly.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool, and chill in the refrigerator for 6 hours, or overnight.