Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe

These Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are so simple to make and have the perfect amount of pumpkin! I love pumpkin and cheesecake and combining the two makes the perfect dessert for all your holiday plans!

Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe:

This is usually my first pumpkin dessert to make. The layer of cheesecake and pumpkin makes this the perfect dessert to please a crowd. I usually make a traditional pumpkin pie and a cheesecake. What is surprising to me that I have family members that don’t like cheesecake, but love these Pumpkin Cheesecake bars.

These are a must at every holiday party I attend! I am sure that your family and friends will want you to bring this during your holiday events. If they love this Pumpkin Cheesecake then they are going to love these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars!

Pumpkin season is my favorite!

It is definitely hard to resist any time of dessert or dish that includes pumpkins. I also love pumpkin cookies. The pumpkin mixture comes out perfectly and are so easy to make.

Can you make these Cheesecake Bars ahead of time?

Yes! That is one of the reason why I love these bars. You can completely assemble these bars ahead of time so you can spend your time on other Fall Recipes.

I simply just make them the night before my holiday party gathering and it is ready to go! It makes things so much easier when I know I have the dessert done!

Let’s start baking!

Ingredients: 

For the Crust:

• Graham Crackers crushed into crumbs
• Brown Sugar
• Butter melted
• Salt

For the Filling:

• Cream Cheese, softened 
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Canned Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling) 
• Pumpkin Pie Spice 
• Whipped Cream (Topping) 

How to make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13 baking pan with parchment paper or foil.
• Crush up the graham crackers in a food processor to make the graham cracker crust.
• Mix together the crust ingredients in a large bowl then press into the bottom of the 9X13 baking pan.
• Next, cream together with a hand mixer on high, the cream cheese and the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Reduce the speed to medium and add in the eggs, one at a time.  Mix until well combined and the mixture is smooth.
• Spread half of the cheesecake batter mixture onto of the crust in the 9X13 baking pan. This creates the cheesecake layer.
• In the bowl add the pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice with the remaining cream cheese mixture.  
• Carefully spread the pumpkin layer on top of the cream cheese mixture in the pan. 

• Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes until set and slightly firm.
• Allow the bars to cool completely at room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator before cutting and serving. 
• Chill the bars for a minimum of 4 hours but overnight is ideal so that they can fully set.
• Top with the whipped cream when serving and enjoy!

How to Store:

These Pumpkin Cheesecake bars are so easy to store. Be sure to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days.

They are the perfect treat anytime of the day!

Tips for the perfect Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars:

Here are some helpful tips to make the perfect Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars.

• Line Pan – I found it best to line the pan with parchment paper. The cheesecake bars can easily be removed from the pan.
• Use food Processor – The fastest and easiest way to crush up the graham cracker crust is to use a food processor. But if you don’t have a food processor, simply put the graham crackers in a plastic bag and crush up with a rolling pin.
• Press graham crumbs firmly in pan – I like using a measuring cup or yours hand to firmly press in the crust so it doesn’t crumble later.
• Use room temperature cream cheese – You want your cream cheese to be soft so that it can easily beat in a creamy consistency. If you do try and mix it before it is soft then it could cause a lumpy cheesecake and no one has time for that.
• Use room temperature ingredients – It is always best to use room temperature ingredients when baking. Eggs, egg yolk, sour cream these work best when they are at room temperature.
• Vanilla Extract – Sometimes I will add in a little vanilla extract to enhance flavors.

Variation ideas:

• Use an 8X8 pan – These can be made in a smaller pan if you like thicker cheesecake bars. If you make thicker bars, you’ll need to increase the cook time to around 60-75 minutes until they are cooked through.
• Use Gingersnap cookies – You can use gingersnap cookies crumbs instead of graham crackers if you prefer. The gingersnap cookies add a bit more sweetness.
• Toppings – You can easily mix up these bars with different toppings. I love topping mine with cool whip, but chopped up pecans and walnuts are delicious too!

Can you freeze cheesecake bars?

Yes, the leftover pumpkin cheesecake bars can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, make sure that the cheesecake bars are cooled completely and then flash freeze them by putting them on a plate and placing them in the freezer for at least 1 hour.

Then after this time, wrap the cheesecake bars in foil and place in a freezer safe bag. Then they are safe to freeze for up to 3 months.

To defrost out, unwrap the foil and place the cheesecake bars in the refrigerator until they have been completely defrost. Then serve as normal.

These are great for a crowd:

I love making pumpkin cheesecake bars for parties, potlucks, or for the holidays. You can cut them larger or smaller depending on how many people you are serving, so they are easy to make them work for any size party or get together.

Plus this pumpkin cheesecake bar recipe is a fun twist from all my favorite classic pumpkin recipes and everyone loves them!

Print this Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe:

More Cheesecake Bars to try:

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars
• Oreo Magic Bars Recipe
• Easy Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bites

Try these Pumpkin desserts:

• Easy Mini Pumpkin Pie Recipe
• Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe
• Pumpkin Bars Recipe
• Pumpkin cake mix cookies
• Pumpkin crisp