The Best Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Creamy swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars in an easy, buttery 2-ingredient graham cracker crust. So quick, beautiful and tasty!
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pumpkin bars, Pumpkin cheescake bars, pumpkin cheesecake squares
Servings: 12
For graham cracker crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs see notes
- ⅓ cup melted butter
For cheesecake filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup + 3 tbsp sugar divided use
- 2 large eggs eggs
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree see notes
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice see notes
To make crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9x9x2” square baking pan by lining with parchment paper or buttering generously.
In a large bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter; stir until evenly moistened. Press firmly and evenly into baking pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Keep oven temperature at 350 degrees.
To make cheesecake:
In the large bowl of a standing mixer, beat together cream cheese and sour cream. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Remove 1 cup of cheesecake batter and set aside.
To remaining batter, add pumpkin puree, remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, and spices; beat to combine.
Drop spoonfuls of cheesecake batter onto the prepared crust, alternating between the plain and pumpkin batters. Gently swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect. Bake in centre of preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until set (edges will be puff a bit and centre will jiggle only slightly).
Cool on a wire rack to room temperature before cutting into 12 slices. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
A Few Notes:
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- Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin. Avoid pumpkin pie filling.
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- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, don’t sweat it. Just use 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp of nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves.
- If using whole graham crackers, that's 28 square graham crackers or 14 double graham crackers. Crush them in a food processor or by hand using a rolling pin.
- Use a sharp knife to slice up the bars, and give it a wipe with a warm, wet cloth between cuts to keep the slices perfect.
Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3486IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg