Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are rich and creamy. The perfect combination of sweet pumpkin, spices, and of course creamy, dreamy cheesecake all on a shortbread crust and served in bars that fit right in your hand. A wonderful dessert for a crowd, even when you won’t want to share!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin pie, cheesecake, conveniently sized bars? What’s not to love when it comes to this indulgent fall flavored treat?!
Simple to make and easy to impress guests, these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are the best of both worlds. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool before you can sink your teeth into them.
How To Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
For the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until well mixed. The dough will be somewhat dry and crumbly but should hold together when pressed.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish and press firmly into place with your hands or a heavy bottomed glass.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before adding the pumpkin cheesecake filling.
For the Pumpkin Layer:
- Adjust the oven temperature down to 325°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment on low-medium speed to mix the softened cream cheese until smooth and free of lumps. Add the pumpkin puree and continue mixing until well combined.
- Add in both the granulated sugar and brown sugar and continue mixing until the sugars are fully incorporated into the cream cheese. Next add in the eggs, yolks, and vanilla extract until well mixed.
- Switch to low speed and mix in the flour, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon until just combined.
- Pour the cheesecake batter over the cooled shortbread crust. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the edges are set but the center is still jiggly.
- Allow the pumpkin cheesecake bars to cool at room temperature, then transfer them to the refrigerator to cool completely, about 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Cut into individual squares, top with a dollop of whipped cream, and serve chilled. Enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- A graham cracker crust would be a delicious option for this cheesecake as well!
- Try serving with a liberal amount of whipped cream and a sprinkle of chopped pecans.
- Experiment with your cheesecake bars and swirl together vanilla cheesecake with the pumpkin cheesecake or create a layered cheesecake with multiple flavors a la The Cheesecake Factory.
- Don’t overbeat your batter or it may crack when baking.
- Use full fat cream cheese for the best texture.
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Store any leftover Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days!
Reheating: No reheating necessary with this dessert! Enjoyed chilled right out of the refrigerator.
Can you freeze pumpkin cheesecake bars?
We don’t recommend freezing these cheesecake bars. The texture changes a bit after they thaw, so it’s up to you if you’d like to freeze the cheesecake bars.
They’ll stay good for about 2 months when stored properly.
Can they be made with a different crust?
Absolutely! Pumpkin cheesecake bars can be made using a graham cracker crust, an Oreo crust, a Biscoff cookie and graham cracker crust like our S’mores bars, a gingersnap crust, Chex cereal crust, or any type of crust you like.
Make sure to bake the crust first and let it cool before adding the cream cheese filling.
How far in advance can you make pumpkin cheesecake bars?
These cheesecake bars can be prepared 1-2 days in advance, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
They are best made at least 1 day in advance so they have plenty of time to set.
Can’t Get Enough Pumpkin? Pick From This Pumpkin Patch!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softeneded (1 ½ sticks)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Pumpkin Layer
- 32 ounces block-style cream cheese, softened; four (8 ounce) packages
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin purée
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until well mixed. The dough will be somewhat dry and crumbly.1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour¾ cup unsalted butter⅓ cup granulated sugar1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish and press into place with your hands or a heavy bottomed glass.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before adding the pumpkin filling.
For The Pumpkin Layer:
- Adjust the oven temperature to 325°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment on medium speed to mix the cream cheese until smooth and free of lumps. Add the pumpkin puree and continue mixing until well combined.32 ounces block-style cream cheese15 ounces canned pumpkin purée
- Add in both the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and continue mixing until the sugars are fully incorporated. Next add in the eggs, yolks, and vanilla until well mixed. Scrape down the bowl as needed.1 cup granulated sugar¾ cup light brown sugar4 large eggs2 large egg yolks1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Switch to low speed, and mix in the flour, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon until just combined.3 tablespoons all-purpose flour1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pour the batter over the cooled shortbread crust. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the edges are set but the center is still jiggly.
- Allow the pumpkin cheesecake bars to cool at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, about 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Cut into individual squares, top with a dollop of whipped cream, and serve chilled.
- See post for storage options.
