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Easy to follow recipe for pumpkin cheesecake bars that are made in a 9×13 inch pan! These pumpkin cheesecake bars have a graham cracker crust and the filling is only 7 ingredients!
What keeps you from making cheesecake at home? I know I used to be afraid of tackling it!
Cheesecake bars are a great alternative to a round cheesecake. First, you don’t need a springform pan with cheesecake bars – all you need is a 9 x13 inch pan. Second, you don’t have to add a water bath for cheesecake bars, BUT if you want to ensure that your cheesecake bars don’t crack at all, you can place a pan of water in the bottom of your oven, which is way easier than placing the cheesecake in a water bath.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bar Crust and Filling Options
Let’s outline some of the substitutions that you could make to this recipe.
You could swap chocolate graham crackers in for the regular graham crackers. There is nothing like pumpkin AND chocolate. If you want to get really bold, you could even use oreo crumbs in place of the graham crackers. YUM.
For the actual cheesecake, you could jazz things up by adding mini chocolate chips to the batter. Now we’re talking, right?
Or you could add a layer of chocolate ganache to the cheesecake bars once they have been chilled. However you decide to serve them, they will be awesome!
How To Tell if Cheesecake Bars Are Done
The cheesecake is done when the center wobbles a little when you jiggle the pan. The edges of the cheesecake should look firmer than the center and slightly puffy. The cheesecake will continue to cook while cooling in the oven.
Total Time Required
- 5 minutes to prep the crust
- 8-10 minutes to pre-bake the crust
- 10 minutes to prep the cheesecake filling
- 40-45 minutes to bake
- 60-90 minutes allow the bars to cool inside the oven with the door open
- at least 3 hours to chill before serving
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Tips
- Buy graham cracker crumbs to save time! You can find them in the baking aisle.
- Use room temperature cream cheese.
- Use canned pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie mix.
More Pumpkin Desserts
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Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tbsp unsalted melted butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Cheesecake
- 3 packages full fat cream cheese, 8 oz each, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
CRUST
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- If using whole graham crackers, pulse them in a blender or food processor until they are very fine. You can also find graham cracker crumbs in the baking aisle. Measure out 2 cups of crumbs. In a small bowl, combine the crumbs with the melted butter and sugar, mix well until incorporated.
- Add the crumbs to a 9×13 inch pan, distribute them evenly, using a cup or the bottom of something flat to press the crumbs into the pan.
- Place the pan in the oven, pre-bake the crust for 8-10 minutes or until golden.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and allow it to cool to room temperature before adding the cheesecake mixture.
- Turn the oven down to 325º F.
CHEESECAKE
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the 3 packages of cream cheese until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, beat again. Beat in the pumpkin puree. Add in the eggs, ONE at a time, beating after each one. Beat the mixture for 1 additional minute. Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the cooled crust.
- Bake the cheesecake for 40-45 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the center wobbles a little when you jiggle the pan. The edges of the cheesecake should look firmer than the center
- Once your cheesecake looks done, turn the oven off and open the oven door a little. Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature inside the oven before removing – this could be 60-90 minutes.
- Once cooled, place the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Cut and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
These look great! I have a question though that isn’t related to the recipe…what is the blue spatula you use in your videos? It looks so great for baking!
TOVOLO brand!!! I love them! Link to them on amazon: https://amzn.to/2yfG8mp
Can ginger snaps be used instead of graham crackers?
Definitely, that sounds delicious!
This recipe serves a crowd! Brought to our fall bake sale and it was a HIT! Easy to make and came out perfect!