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functional image pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars out of the oven and cut into 16 squares on white parchment paper and a wooden cutting board top down photo dirty blade knife with black handle on left and mini pumpkin in upper right background is distressed light blue wood
Heather Wolf

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

5 from 3 votes
Two of fall's best flavors, pumpkin and cheesecake, swirl together in these scrumptious dessert bars. Smooth and creamy and warmly spiced, the marbled filling sits atop a buttery graham cracker crust sliced into bars for a bite-size indulgence.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Chill 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 16
Course: Cheesecake, Cookies and Bars
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Graham Cracker Crust
  • 1 1/2 cups graham crackers (about 13 sheets)
  • 5 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Cheesecake Filling
  • 16 ounces full fat cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla pure
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour unbleached
Pumpkin Swirl
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Method
 

Graham Cracker Crust
  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang for ease of removal.
  2. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor for 15 seconds until fine crumbs form.
  3. Add melted butter and sugar and pulse a few more times until combined.
  4. Add graham cracker mixture to the prepared baking pan and press until an even layer forms. Take care to avoid overpacking crumbs.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Cheesecake Filling
  1. Beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and lump free. Approximately 3 minutes.
  2. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined.
  3. Add flour until incorporated then set aside while you prepare pumpkin swirl.
Pumpkin Swirl
  1. In a large bowl, whisk all pumpkin swirl ingredients until combined.
  2. Add 3/4 cup of the cheesecake filling to the pumpkin filling and stir until well mixed.
Assembly
  1. Preheat oven to 320 degrees.
  2. Spread 1 cup of cheesecake filling onto warm graham cracker crust and level with a spatula.
  3. Drop dollops of pumpkin swirl filling on cheesecake layer in a random pattern. Alternate pumpkin swirl dollops with dollops of remaining cheesecake filling then gently swirl the two mixtures together using a chopstick or wooden skewer to create a marbled pattern.
  4. Bake for 1 hour. Cheesecake will be slightly jiggly in the center, but will firm up as it cools. Do not overbake.
  5. Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack to cool at room temperature for 1 hour.
  6. Cover and place baking pan in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 3 hours. Remove bars from pan using parchment to lift them out then slice with a sharp knife, wiping blade between cuts for clean lines.
  7. Store leftover bars covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.