Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Full of warm spices, these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are made with a homemade graham cracker and a gingersnap crust. Topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon, it is the perfect dessert for fall!
Do you love making fall desserts? Try my Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread and my Apple Upside Down Cake for more warm and spicy treats!
Everything tastes better with pumpkin. Lattes, desserts, even smoothies.
I can admit I have been posting a lot of pumpkin recipes lately. With it being fall I don’t feel as bad for posting yet another Pumpkin recipe. Plus these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are totally worth it. With a thick gingersnap and graham cracker crust and creamy filling, they are great for celebrating the change of season.
These Pumpkin Cheesecake bars are a fun take on the traditional pumpkin pie and cheesecake. It’s such an easy dessert to make and is perfect for Thanksgiving or Halloween.
Creamy cheesecake and pumpkin puree make a great combination. I added some pumpkin pie spice to the batter for extra fall flavor.
I like to top off my bars with homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon! It is so good!
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What you’ll need for this recipe
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Crust: Graham crackers and gingersnaps are crumbled and mixed with melted butter. This is one of my favorite quick pie crust recipes!
- Cream cheese: Creamy and tangy, cream cheese is essential to cheesecake. Make sure to use full fat cream cheese and bring it to room temperature before mixing.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is added for a hint of sweetness. I typically like a less sweet cheesecake so only added 1/3 cup.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla emphasizes the warmth in this cheesecake. Omit this ingredient if you don’t have any on hand.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg are the taste of fall, especially when it comes to desserts! Cinnamon is a key ingredient, however, you can skip the nutmeg if desired.
- Pumpkin puree: This mixes in with the cheesecake batter to make a delicious pumpkin cheesecake flavor! You can use canned or make your own at home from fresh pumpkin. Just make sure not to use canned pumpkin pie mix. This is already sweetened and has spices already added.
- Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients and help the cheesecake bars to rise a little.
Whipped cream
- Cream: Heavy whipping cream or double cream whips perfectly into soft peaks.
- Optional: Maple syrup and cinnamon take this whipped cream up 10 notches! Feel free to add them to taste or omit and just use granulated sugar.
How to make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Bake graham cracker crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine graham crackers, gingersnaps, and melted butter in a small bowl. Mix with your hands or a fork until combined. (Should feel like wet sand). Spread the crust into the bottom of a 9 x 9-inch pan. Bake for 15 minutes until the crust is slightly brown. Let cool for a couple of minutes.
- Make cream cheese filling: Add cream cheese and brown sugar to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Cream for about 3-5 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pumpkin. Mix on medium speed for about a minute until combined. Add in eggs and mix again until combined. (Make sure to scrape sides)
- Bake: Pour the batter into the cooled crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until edges look firm and the middle can still giggle.
- Cool: Allow the bars to cool and then place them in the refrigerator to firm up. This takes at least 2 hours.
- Serve: When ready to serve cut the pumpkin cheesecake bars into 9 equal squares and serve with the fresh whipped cream on top of each square. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.
How to make Homemade Whipped Cream
Making your own whipped cream at home is so much easier to do than you think! It also tastes amazing! To make homemade whipped cream simply combine the heavy cream and the sugar in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until the cream forms soft peaks. It only takes about 2-3 minutes and is great on so many desserts!
Take this homemade whipped cream up a notch and add in a couple tablespoons of maple syrup and a couple dashes of cinnamon for homemade maple whipped cream! It is so good!
Tips for Success
- Chill the Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars for at least 2 hours before cutting into them. If you start cutting into them now they will crumble and look more like a mound than a square. The refrigeration allows the bars to firm up and makes them easier to cut.
- Making the crust: The crust for the bars consists of crumbled gingersnaps and graham crackers. I used a Ziploc bag and a rolling pin to crumble both. You can always use a food processor and do a couple of pulses for the same result.
- Store Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze these bars for up to 2 months in an airtight container or ziptop bag in the freezer.
Do cheesecake bars need to be refrigerated?
They absolutely do! They’re loaded with dairy products like cream cheese, butter, and cream which degrade quickly if they’re left out of the fridge.
Can I freeze pumpkin cheesecake?
Absolutely! This is a great make-ahead recipe to have on hand at all times throughout fall. To freeze these pumpkin cheesecake bars, store them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 2 months. You can even freeze these with whipped cream on top! Just make sure to freeze first before topping with plastic wrap so the whipped cream doesn’t get stuck to the plastic wrap!
Make these into Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes!
Serve these pumpkin cheesecakes for a crowd! Simply cut into 36 bite size squares. I topped mine with a homemade maple cinnamon whipped cream! They are so cute and disappear fast!
Here are more delicious Pumpkin Recipes to enjoy!
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Banana Smoothie
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
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Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- 3/4 cup graham crackers crumbled
- 3/4 cup gingersnaps crumbled
- 6 tbsp butter melted
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
Whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- optional, maple syrup, granulated sugar or cinnamon
Instructions
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Combine graham crackers, gingersnaps, melted butter and 2 tbsp of granulated sugar in a small bowl. Mix with your hands or a fork until combined. (Should feel like wet sand).
- Spread the crust into the bottom of a 9 x 9 inch pan.Bake for 15 minutes until the crust is slightly brown. Let cool for a couple of minutes.
- Meanwhile, add cream cheese and 1/3 cup granulated sugar to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Cream for about 3-5 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Add vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt and pumpkin. Mix on medium speed for about a minute until combined.Add in eggs and mix again until combined. (Make sure to scrape sides)
- Pour the batter into the cooled crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until edges look firm and the middle can still giggle.
- Allow the bars to cool and then place in the refrigerator to firm up. This takes at least 2 hours.When ready to serve cut into 9 equal squares and serve with the fresh whipped cream on top of each square. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.
Whipped Cream
- Add the whipped cream to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until the cream forms soft peaks. Takes about 2-3 minutes. Add in any optional sweeteners or flavorings.
