A graham cracker crust holds a creamy pumpkin filling marbled through with a delicious cheesecake swirl in this Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars recipe.
Besides the cooler weather, nothing gets me in the mood for fall like spending time in the kitchen baking our family favorites. I especially love smelling that pumpkin spice wafting through the air.
We have so many favorite fall baking recipes that feature pumpkin spice including pumpkin spice buttermilk donuts, pumpkin whoopie pies and pumpkin cheesecake cookies.
Speaking of pumpkin pie spice and cheesecake, this easy-to-make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars recipe is such a hit, it will make you wish it was fall all year round!
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⭐ Why You’ll Love this Recipe ⭐
Perfect for Fall Holidays and Occasions – This rich dessert with pumpkin flavor fits right in at Harvest Festivals, Halloween, Thanksgiving and even on into Christmas.
Easy to Make – While the recipe has 3 different layers including the buttery graham cracker crust, rich pumpkin layer and creamy cheesecake swirled in – each of them is quick and simple to whip up.
Simple Ingredients – All of the ingredients can easily be found in your grocery store. If you like to have it be “more homemade” use our recipes in the Pro Tips section to make your own pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice.
Versatile – While the pumpkin bars recipe is perfect as-is, you can use some of the variations or topping ideas below to change it up a bit.
❍ Before You Begin:
Before you start making this recipe, be sure to review the notes about the ingredients below, especially about the type of pumpkin to use and also the note that your cream cheese must be softened before you begin.
This pumpkin bar recipe calls for canned pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and boxed graham crackers. If you want to make your bars even more homemade, we have our own recipes to make each of these things:
🧾 Ingredients Needed
- Graham Cracker Crumbs – You can either buy a box of graham cracker crumbs or else place whole graham crackers in a zip top bag, seal and crush with a rolling pin or other heavy object.
- Pumpkin Puree – You do NOT want to use a can that says Pumpkin Pie Filling! It should be labeled either Pumpkin Puree or Pure Pumpkin.
- Granulated Sugar – We use white granulated sugar (You can opt for light brown sugar if you like.)
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – You can buy this right at the supermarket or mix up your own cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice in our pumpkin pie spice mix recipe.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – You’ll get better flavor from pure extract vs. imitation vanilla.
- Cream Cheese – Use a brick of cream cheese rather than cream cheese spread. It must be softened to room temperature before you start making the cream cheese mixture. If it is too cold you can end up with a clumpy filling.
- Heavy Cream – Full fat heavy cream help to make the pumpkin layer extra creamy.
📌 Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with quantities and step-by-step instructions!
🔁 Variations
If you’re a fan of gingersnaps, you can make a gingersnap crust. To do so, just substitute the graham cracker crumbs with an equal amount of gingersnap crumbs and continue creating the crust with the same ingredients and instructions.
You can also use brown sugar in this recipe by swapping out the granulated sugar for light brown sugar.
If you love the cinnamon flavor to stand out from your pumpkin spice, you can mix cinnamon chips into the pumpkin layer before adding it to the baking pan.
🥣 How to Make
First, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or foil.
Step 1: Break graham crackers into crumbs. In a medium-sized bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until crumbly. Press into the prepared baking pan.
Step 2: To make the pumpkin cheesecake batter, in a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.
Step 3: To make the cheesecake swirl, beat together cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla extract.
Step 4: Add the pumpkin cheesecake mixture into your baking pan and spread it over the graham cracker layer.
Step 5: Spoon tablespoonfuls of the cheesecake swirl mixture on top of the pumpkin cheesecake layer. Use a knife to carefully swirl the cheesecake filling into the pumpkin mixture to create a marbled look.
Step 6: Bake for 40 minutes or until the center is set. Cool for 30 minutes and then refrigerate for 2 hours; until chilled.
⭐ Pro Tips ⭐
Swirl Gently: While swirling the cheesecake layer into your pumpkin layer, be careful to not disturb the bottom graham cracker layer.
Make it extra homemade: If you want to make your dessert even more homemade, we have recipes for homemade pumpkin puree, homemade pumpkin pie spice mix and homemade graham crackersyou can use.
Cool before serving: This NOT served well hot out of the oven. You need to let it cool at room temperature for a half hour and then refrigerate for at least two hours before it’s ready to serve.
📝 Recipe FAQs
While the recipe will still turn out, it will not taste as rich or creamy.
These bars taste best brought to room temperature. They can be served as-is or you can top them with whipped cream, caramel sauce or even a drizzle of maple syrup.
Let bars cool completely before storing. Just like regular cheesecake, they should be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Eat within 3-4 days.
To freeze, place sliced bars in an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. It’s best to first freeze the bars on a baking sheet for an hour and then transfer to the container. (It prevents them from sticking together.) Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
More Pumpkin Recipes to Try
If you tried this Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe or any other recipe on my site, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing your about your results and thoughts!
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 3 cups graham cracker crumbs about 1 1/2 packages of graham crackers crushed
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 10 tablespoons melted butter
Pumpkin Layer
- 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Cheesecake Swirl:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or foil.
- Break graham crackers into crumbs. In a medium-sized bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until crumbly. Press into the prepared baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour on top of graham cracker layer.
- In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla extract in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Spoon tablespoonfuls of cheesecake filling on top of the pumpkin layer. With a knife, carefully swirl cheesecake filling into the pumpkin mixture to create a marbled look. Be careful to not disturb the bottom graham cracker layer while swirling the top two layers.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the center is set. Cool for 30 minutes and then refrigerate for 2 hours; until chilled.
- Slice into squares and serve.
Sarah says
I loved this recipe. The graham cracker crust makes it easy (who wants to mess with making a pie crust!) and the pumpkin, combined with the cheesecake was a delicious combo. I loved how this looked to – very unique with the “swirl” of cheesecake worked into the pumpkin filling!