Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

5 from 4 votes

These creamy, swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are the most delicious fall dessert of them all and perfect for feeding a crowd. They are easy enough for beginning bakers and the best part is that there is no water bath required!

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Chilling Time4

Total Time4 50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: bars

Calories: 141kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs (about 1 ½ sleeves or 12-15 graham crackers), or Biscoff, Oreo, or gingersnap cookies
½ cup salted butter, melted
¼ cup granulated sugar

Filling

3 (8-ounce) packages full-fat cream cheese, softened (24-ounces)
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with a parchment paper sling for easier removal and cutting.
Pulse graham crackers in a large food processor until broken up into fine crumbs. Add sugar and melted butter, pulsing until the graham cracker crumbs are evenly moistened.
Press crust mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes to set the crust, then remove it from the oven to cool slightly before adding the cheesecake filling.
Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Stop to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add sour cream and eggs, one at a time. Mix on low speed after adding each egg, just until everything is evenly combined and the cheesecake batter is smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine 1 ½ cups of the plain cheesecake batter with the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
Use cookie scoops to dollop large spoonfuls of the different batters onto the graham cracker crust, alternating between the two. Gently swirl the batters together with a knife to create a marble effect, being careful not to scrape up the crust underneath.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until set around the edges and only every so slightly jiggly in the center. Remove from the oven and let the bars cool at room temperature.
Transfer the cooled pumpkin cheesecake bars to the fridge and chill for 6 hours or overnight until completely cold. Once chilled, carefully remove the slab of cheesecake bars from the pan with the parchment paper sling and cut into 24 squares using a sharp knife to serve.

Notes

Storage: Store in the fridge for up to 4 days until just before serving. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or transfer to an airtight container in a single layer.
Freezing: These bars freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before serving.
Pan type: Note that if you are using a glass or ceramic pan, these will take longer to bake - more like 45-55 minutes.
Clean cuts: For clean cuts with cheesecake, I recommend using a large, sharp knife and running it under hot water and wiping the blade clean before every slice.

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