Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
If you’re looking for a Thanksgiving dessert that won’t add stress to your holiday, these pumpkin cheesecake bars are it. They’re made with a buttery graham cracker crust and a warmly spiced pumpkin cheesecake filling, and they need to be baked a day ahead, so your dessert is done and waiting in the fridge before the turkey goes in the oven.
There’s no need to pre-bake the crust. Simply press it into the pan, dollop and swirl the filling on top, and bake everything together. After a night in the fridge, the bars are perfectly creamy and ready for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, and every holiday gathering after.
Why These Are the Best Thanksgiving Dessert Bars
- Fully make-ahead. They need 8 to 12 hours to cool and chill, so bake them the day before to free up oven space on the big day.
- No pre-baked crust. The crust and filling bake together, which saves a step.
- Easy to serve a crowd. Slice into 9 pieces, or cut smaller squares for a dessert table with several options.
- Pumpkin pie flavor, cheesecake texture. The swirl gives you creamy plain cheesecake and spiced pumpkin in every bite.
- Freezer-friendly. Leftovers freeze well for up to 3 months.
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Let’s walk through how to make this recipe!
Step 1: Prep the pan and oven
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9×9-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides.
Tip: Use binder clips to hold the parchment in place while you press in the crust, then remove them.
Step 2: Make the graham cracker crust
Process the graham crackers in a food processor to fine crumbs. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter and pulse until evenly moistened. It should look like wet sand.
Pour the mixture into the lined pan and press it into an even layer on the bottom. You don’t need to press it up the sides. Set the pan aside.
Step 3: Make the cheesecake batter
Add the cream cheese and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low for about 30 seconds, then work up to medium. Beat until smooth, creamy, and free of visible lumps, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla bean paste and sour cream. Beat on medium-low until just combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium-low until just combined before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl and paddle again to ensure the batter is evenly mixed.
Step 4: Make the pumpkin batter
Scoop about 1¾ cups of the cheesecake batter into a separate bowl. Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice and whisk until just combined.
Tip: Pumpkin pie spice substitute: If you don’t have it on hand, use 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon cloves, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg instead.
Step 5: Swirl and bake
Use a large spoon or small ice cream scoop to alternate dollops of the plain cheesecake batter and the pumpkin batter over the crust. Swirl them together with a butter knife.
Bake on the center rack for 40 to 45 minutes, until the edges are set, but the center still has a slight wobble. The center should not look liquidy or runny.
Step 6: Cool, chill, and slice
Set the pan on a wire rack and cool completely to room temperature. Then transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
Lift the bars out using the parchment overhang, slice into 9 equal pieces, and serve.
Tips for Perfect Cheesecake Bars (No Cracks)
- Use block cream cheese. Use the brick-style kind, not the cream cheese sold in tubs.
- Use full-fat dairy. Full-fat cream cheese and sour cream give the best flavor and texture and help prevent cracking.
- Start with room temperature ingredients. Cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs at room temperature are what let the batter mix without large lumps.
- Don’t overmix. Overmixing adds air to the batter, which can make the tops crack during baking.
- Pull them while the center still wobbles. Taking the bars out with a slight wobble prevents a tougher texture and a cracked top. They continue to set as they cool.
- Don’t overbake, and cool fully. Let the bars reach room temperature before chilling for a light, creamy texture.
- Bake at least 1 day ahead. This gives them plenty of time to cool and chill.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
Make-ahead: Bake the bars at least a day before serving, then keep them chilled until you’re ready to slice.
Storage: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
Freezing: Bars that have chilled for at least 6 hours can be frozen. Flash freeze them first on a parchment-lined plate or small baking sheet. Once completely frozen, wrap each bar tightly in plastic wrap or foil, then place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge.
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FAQs
Can I use graham cracker crumbs instead?
Yes. Use 1⅔ cups of graham cracker crumbs instead of processing whole graham crackers.
Can I use plain graham crackers instead of cinnamon graham crackers?
Yes, use an equal amount. If you use plain ones, increase the cinnamon in the crust to 1 teaspoon total.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Cozy pumpkin cheesecake bars with a buttery graham cracker crust and warmly spiced swirled filling. No pre-baking required, and perfect for fall gatherings and holiday meals.
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust
- 12 cinnamon graham cracker sheets (about 186 grams)
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the pumpkin cheesecake
- 24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 heaped cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- ⅓ cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9x9-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides.
- Process the graham crackers in a food processor to fine crumbs. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter and pulse until evenly moistened. It should look like wet sand.
- Pour the mixture into the lined pan and press it into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. You do not need to press it up the sides. Set the pan aside for now.
- Add the cream cheese and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, then work up to medium speed. Beat on medium until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and there are no visible lumps, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla bean paste and sour cream. Beat on medium low until just combined, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl along with the paddle to ensure everything has been
incorporated. - Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium-low until just combined before adding the next egg. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as well as the paddle to ensure the batter is evenly mixed.
- Scoop about 1 ¾ cups of the cheesecake batter into a separate bowl, then add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk until just combined.
- Use a large spoon or small ice cream scoop to alternate adding dollops of the cheesecake batter and pumpkin cheesecake batter on top of the graham cracker crust. Use a butter knife to swirl both batters together.
- Bake the bars on the center rack of the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until the edges are set but the center still has a slight wobble. The center should not look liquidy or runny.
- Set the pan on a wire rack and cool the bars completely to room temperature. Once they are at room temperature, transfer them to the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Slice into 9 equal pieces and serve!
- Bars will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Notes
Recipe Notes
● I recommend using full-fat sour cream and creamcheese for this recipe. This will yield the best flavor and texture and willhelp prevent the filling from cracking.
● Leftover bars that have been chilled for atleast 6 hours can be frozen. I recommend flash freezing them first on aparchment-lined plate or small baking sheet. Once they’re completely frozen,wrap each bar tightly in plastic wrap or foil then place in an airtightcontainer. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Recipe Tips and Testing Notes
● Make sure to use the brick style cream cheese that comes in a block, not the kind that is
sold in tubs.
● In order to prevent a tougher texture and the top from cracking, make sure to remove the
cheesecake bars from the oven when the center still has a slight wobble. The bars will continue to set as they cool.
● It is vitally important to use room temperature cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs to properly mix the cheesecake batter without encountering huge lumps.
● Make sure not to overmix the cheesecake batter. Overmixing can incorporate more air into the
batter which can cause the top of the bars to crack during baking.
● If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon
of ginger, ¼ teaspoon cloves, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg in its place.
● I like slicing these into 9 equal pieces but you can absolutely cut the slices to whatever size you prefer.
● To ensure a light and creamy texture, don’t overbake the bars and allow them to cool fully to room temperature before chilling them in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
● To allow plenty of time for the bars to cool, then chill in the fridge, I recommend baking these at least 1 day before you’d like to serve them.
● To keep the parchment paper from moving around in the pan, I like to use binder clips to keep it in place while I press the crust into the bottom. Once you complete this step, you can remove the clips.
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