Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

5 from 21 votes

These pumpkin cheesecake bars are very easy to make, believe it or not! They are creamy, rich, and smooth yet light and airy. The spiced pumpkin flavors are amazing, and make the best fall or holiday dessert.

Prep Time35

Cook Time45

Refrigeration8

Total Time9 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: square bars

Calories: 264kcal

Author: Tania

Equipment

Ingredients

Graham cracker crust

14 rectangular sheets graham crackers
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
8 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted plus more for pan

Cheesecake filling

24 ounces full-fat cream cheese fully softened at room temperature, equiv to 3 (8-ounce) packages
1 cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup full-fat sour cream at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup canned pumpkin puree I use Libby's brand "100 percent pure pumpkin," don't use "pumpkin pie mix"
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

Pre-bake graham cracker crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly butter the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan, then line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the long sides of the pan. Tip: Applying a light layer of butter helps the parchment paper stay in place.
In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until you get fine crumbs. Add the 2 tablespoons of sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and salt, and pulse a few more times. Drizzle in the melted butter, and continue pulsing until moist crumbs form.
Transfer the graham cracker mixture onto the lined baking pan, and press it tightly to form a compact bottom crust. Pre-bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly. Turn down the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Make the cheesecake filling

Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar over medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, 2 minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl to incorporate. Don’t overmix.
Reduce to medium speed. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, and mix until just combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. The batter should look creamy, smooth, glossy, and free of lumps. Again, don’t overmix.
For the pumpkin mixture, scoop out about half the cheesecake batter (or a little less) into another bowl. To it, add the pumpkin puree, and the ground spices (cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cloves). Whisk until just combined.

Assemble and bake

Pour the regular cheesecake batter over the pre-baked crust, and smooth it over with an offset spatula. Then dollop the pumpkin mixture over. Using a knife, form swirls into design patterns.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, until the edges are fully set and the center is still a little bit jiggly but not runny. Don't open the oven until the baking time is up, as this could cause it to collapse. Note: It will continue to set as it cools down. Do not over-bake. As long as the center it’s not runny, it will be fine.
Remove the pumpkin cheesecake bars from oven and run a knife along the sides of the pan - this will prevent surface cracks as it sets. After it has cooled down completely, cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or preferably overnight.
Remove the chilled cheesecake from the pan by pulling from the parchment paper overhang. Cut into squares and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

In general, an opened package of cream cheese can take 1-2 hours, while sour cream and eggs take 30-60 minutes. Depends on how warm your kitchen is.
Make ahead: Make 1-2 day in advance since it needs to chill overnight anyway.
Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or on the counter for about 1 hour.
Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.
Prevent cheesecake from cracking by using room temperature ingredients, not over-mixing, and not over-baking.
Use full fat cream cheese and sour cream: Reduced-fat alternatives contain extra moisture that can make the final result runny.
Pumpkin puree: Use canned pumpkin puree. I use Libby's 100 percent pumpkin puree. Do NOT use "pumpkin pie mix." Don't use fresh pumpkin puree, as it contains too much moisture.

Why you don't need a water bath: They take only 40-45 minutes to bake because it's not as thick as a classic cheesecake, so there's very little risk of it cracking. You may get a few small cracks, but nothing major.

Substitutions

Graham crackers: You can also use the cinnamon-flavored graham crackers. Just omit the ground cinnamon.
You can use pre-made pumpkin spice instead of the combination of ground ginger, ground, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, all spice. Don't substitute cinnamon with pumpkin spice.

Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only. 1 serving is 1 bar.

Nutrition