These swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars feature the flavors of pumpkin pie and creamy cheesecake on a graham cracker crust. This is a delicious and crowd-pleasing holiday dessert that is way easier than making traditional cheesecake.
There are Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars in my fridge and I can’t think straight because I want to be nibbling on them constantly. How many cheesecake bars is it acceptable for an adult woman to consume in one day? Asking for a friend.
I fell in love with cream cheese-pumpkin combo when I made my Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake. This recipe has a similar flavor profile, but it tastes more like a traditional cheesecake. These bars have been met with rave reviews and I can’t wait for you to make and share them this holiday season.
Prefer traditional cheesecake bars (no pumpkin)? That recipe is here: Cheesecake Bars.
Recipe overview:
- Graham cracker crust: A mixture of graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. This delicious crust is sweet, buttery, and incredibly easy.
- Filling: A combination of vanilla cheesecake batter and pumpkin cheesecake batter are swirled together to create a creamy and flavorful filling.
- Baking: This recipe bakes in a 9×13 pan, for a total of about 50 minutes.
- Cooling: These cheesecake bars will need to cool completely before cutting and serving. Cool them to room temp, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill completely.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Flavor: A combination of buttery crust, sweet and tangy cheesecake, pumpkin, warm spices, and a touch of vanilla.
Ease: A simple press-in graham cracker crust crust and a filling that comes together in minutes.
Quantity: This recipe makes a 9×13 pan of bars – perfect for feeding a crowd.
Recipe tips
- Use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream for ths recipe. Low-fat alternatives can have stabilizers in them that might affect the texture.
- Make sure you buy pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling (which is already sweetened).
- Don’t overbeat the cheesecake batter. If you add too much air it can crack when it is baking.
- You need to allow at least 8 hours for this cheesecake to cool. It should first cool to room temp, then chill completely in the refrigerator.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Out of sour cream? Try one of these Sour Cream Substitutes.
More pumpkin recipes
Pumpkin Bars – Soft cake-like bars topped with brown butter frosting.
Pumpkin Muffins – Moist pumpkin muffins topped with a brown sugar crumble and cinnamon icing.
Pumpkin Pie Bars – Creamy pumpkin pie filling on top of a shortbread crust.
Pumpkin Pudding Cake – Pumpkin cake that bakes with a brown sugar caramel sauce.
Pumpkin Carrot Cake – A delicious layer cake with cream cheese frosting.
Pumpkin Ice Cream – Super creamy no-churn ice cream that tastes likes pumpkin pie with whipped cream.
Recipe
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 15 whole rectangular graham crackers
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
- 1-¼ cups pumpkin puree
- 1-½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1-½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- Three 8-oz packages full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1-⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1-½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup full fat sour cream
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with foil and lightly grease the foil.
Crust:
- Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and process until the graham crackers are in fine crumbs (you should have just over 2 cups of crumbs). In a separate bowl, combine crumbs, sugar, and melted butter and stir until combined. Press the crust into the bottom of the prepared pan and press it into an even layer (I use the back of a measuring cup).
- Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes until it is just beginning to turn golden brown and fragrant. Place the crust on a wire rack to cool slightly while you make the filling.
Filling:
- In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, spices, and flour. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add vanilla, sour cream, and salt, and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, and turning off the mixer as soon as the last egg is fully incorporated.
- Measure out 1-½ cups of the cream cheese mixture and add it to the reserved pumpkin mixture, stirring until combined.
- Alternate scoops of cream cheese filling and the pumpkin filling all over the top of the crust. Use a sharp knife to drag/swirl the two mixtures together (I do figure eights). Be careful not to drag the knife all the way down into the crust.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 35-45 minutes, until the center still has a very slight jiggle but the edges are set. Place on a wire rack to cool completely, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill (this will take several hours).
Video
Notes
- Use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream for ths recipe. Low-fat alternatives can have stabilizers in them that might affect the texture.
- Make sure you buy pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling (which is already sweetened).
- Don’t overbeat the cheesecake batter. If you add too much air it can crack when it is baking.
- You need to allow at least 8 hours for this cheesecake to cool. It should first cool to room temp, then chill completely in the refrigerator.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Jo
Can I make the crust a day or 2 ahead of time?
Would I just leave it on counter or in fridge until I make the full recipe?
Allison
Yes, that should be ok, although I’ve never tried it. Let it cool completely then cover it (at room temp) so it doesn’t get stale.
Annie
Hello! Do you think there would be a way to make this without eggs? Thanks!
Allison
No. The eggs help firm up the filling.
Jordyn
If I don’t have the pumpkin pie sauce Ava it could I substitute it with a pumpkin spice syrup or something similar? The pumpkin pie sauce seems to be unavailable in all the stores I’ve checked.
Allison
You can make your own: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a78588/how-to-make-pumpkin-pie-spice/
Or just use what you have, primarily cinnamon.
Whitney
What if I have already ground graham crackers , do you know how much ? :/ I can’t wait to try!
Allison
You’ll need between 1-3/4 and 2 cups.
Charla
These were perfect for our Thanksgiving dessert!!! It tastes like a true cheesecake, unlike one’s I’ve made in the past. I followed the recipe to a T except for two things. #1 I accidentally baked the crust an extra 10 min. I believe this just led to a slightly harder crust which was delicious. #2 I poured all of the cheesecake filling on top of the crust, then put spoonfuls of the pumpkin on top of that, before swirling it in.
They were AMAZING. ♡♡
Allison
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Bekki Goodhind
This recipe was right on. So very flavorful and the graham cracker crust was unbelievabley tasty. Definitely making this pumpkin cheesecake again for the holidays 🥰
Allison
I’m so glad! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Freda
No dessert is better than this. I followed the receipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing. Now I’ve made it several times. Everyone LOVES it.
Allison
I’m so glad! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Josie
This recipe is SO good!!!
Allison
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Amy Kotajarvi
Do i have to use foil to line the pan or can I just use cooking spray?
Allison
You could probably just use spray but I like the foil because then I don’t have to worry about them sticking.
Meredith Mitchell
These bars are so yummy. Not too sweet and not too “pumpkiny”. I had to cut the bars before cooling in the fridge and they look very sloppy. I knew it would mess them up but had no option. When I make these again I will not cut them until after cooled overnight. Be patient, you’ll regret it. Great recipe and taste.
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Stasia
I’m NOT a good baker. I have a few family recipes I make over and over that usually turn out okay – and every time I try to get fancy and follow a recipe online chaos ensues. I’m not exaggerating – some of the most inedible messes,and often hilarious to look at as well. BUT I decided to try this one for Thanksgiving, and WOW!! It turned out perfectly, and these bars are amazing! I actually thought the graham cracker crust was too thin and was going to add more, but I resisted, and it is delicious. In fact, I don’t even know WHY the crust is so good, as I use the exact same one with my lemon pie and it doesn’t seem nearly as nice – I think mine is usually a bit soggy. My only hope is that I can actually replicate these results if I try it again – but I’m sure I will, as the recipe is really very easy.
Allison
Thanks for the kind review! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂