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Pumpkin pie cheesecake bars are full of fall spices. This layered dessert is sure to impress at any holiday gathering!
Worth the Work!
Pumpkin recipes are always a huge hit in our house! We tend to go for simple ones like our classic Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies or Pumpkin Bread, but when we are feeling fancy, we love to make today’s Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars.
This bar recipe is a combination of two holiday classics: Homemade Pumpkin Pie and traditional cheesecake. It takes more time and a little more work because of the layers, but it always get rave reviews and is a special treat we like to make for fall gatherings and Thanksgiving.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- One-two flavor punch. Creamy pumpkin and tangy cheesecake are the perfect pairing!
- Stunning. Layered desserts like our Pumpkin Lasagna and this favorite fall dessert are beautiful and irresistible.
- Feed a crowd. Easily double this recipe to fit a 9×13-inch pan! It’s a great dessert to take to parties or gatherings.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 35 minutes
BAKE TIME: 25 minutes
CHILL TIME: 4 hours
Crust
- 1½ cup graham cracker crumbs – Replace the graham crackers with an equal amount of vanilla wafers or gingersnaps. Use a food processor, or blender, to produce fine cracker crumbs.
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted – unsalted butter
Cheesecake Layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup sour cream – or plain yogurt
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 whole eggs – room temperature eggs combine best with the other ingredients
Pumpkin Layer
- 3 egg yolks – Eggs are easier to separate when cold, then let them come to room temperature before mixing into the recipe.
- 1 (15-ounce) can solid-packed pumpkin puree – Be sure to use a can of pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- ½ cup brown sugar – I use light brown sugar
- ½ cup milk – whole milk makes the creamiest filling, but 2% milk can be used
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice – Make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice using spices you most likely already have in the cupboard: ground nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 (1-ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin – Be sure to get unflavored gelatin and NOT Jell-o.
- ½ cup cold water
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 egg whites – How to Separate Egg Whites
- pinch cream of tartar
Garnish
- Whipped Cream
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – ground cinnamon
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
- CRUST. Combine 1½ cup graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 5 tablespoons melted butter in a small bowl. Press into a foil-lined 8×8 baking pan.
- CHEESECAKE LAYER. Use a hand mixer to beat 8 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup sour cream, ⅓ cup sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Add 2 eggs, mix until just combined. Pour the cheesecake batter over the graham cracker crust.
- Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until set. Let cool.
- PUMPKIN LAYER.
- Pumpkin. While the crust is baking, separate the three remaining eggs putting the yolks in a small bowl and white in a separate small bowl. In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the 3 yolks, 1 can pumpkin puree, ½ cup brown sugar,½ cup milk, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Cook, whisking every few minutes for 10 minutes, or until the mixture reaches 160°. Remove from the heat, whisk in ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Gelatin. In a small microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes of gelatin powder over the ½ cup water. Let stand for 1 minute, then microwave for 30 seconds, or until the gelatin is FULLY dissolved. Stir into pumpkin mixture, set aside.
- Egg whites. In the top of a double boiler, combine ¼ cup granulated sugar, 3 egg whites, and a pinch of cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer set at low speed for 30 seconds, then set the pan over boiling water (the pan shouldn’t touch the water). Beat at high speed, for about 7-9 minutes, or until it’s stiff and glossy. Remove from the heat, and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Layer. Fold into the pumpkin mixture, then spread evenly over cream cheese layer.
- CHILL + SERVE. Refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate for an additional 3 hours – or until firm.
- Garnish with Whipped Cream, Pumpkin Pie Spice, or Caramel Sauce.
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Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1½ cup graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
For the Cheesecake Layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
For the Pumpkin Layer
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 (15-ounce) can can solid-packed pumpkin puree
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 (1-ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin
- ½ cup cold water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 egg whites
- pinch cream of tartar
For the Garnish
- whipped cream
- pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
Crust
- In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press into a foil-lined 8×8-inch pan.
Cheesecake Layer
- In a small bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the eggs, mix just until combined, then pour over crust. Place in the oven and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until set. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.
Pumpkin Layer
- Meanwhile, separate the three remaining eggs. In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the yolks, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, milk, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Cook, whisking every few minutes for 10 minutes or until mixture reaches 160°. Remove from the heat, whisk in the vanilla extract.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water; let stand for 1 minute, then microwave for 30 seconds or until the gelatin is dissolved. Stir into pumpkin mixture; set aside.
- In the top of a double boiler, combine the granulated sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar. Beat with an electric mixer set at low speed for 30 seconds, then set the pan over boiling water (the pan shouldn't touch the water). Beating at high speed, for about 7-9 minutes, or until it's stiff and glossy. Remove it from the heat, and beat an additional 1-2 minutes. Fold into the pumpkin mixture then spread evenly over cream cheese layer.
Garnish
- Refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate for an additional 3 hours or until firm. Garnish with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice; if desired.
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store pumpkin cheesecake bars, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: For longer storage, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Make sure the beaters and bowl are completely free of oils and water.
Using room-temperature eggs will help them incorporate better with the sugar.
Make sure the simmering water in the double boiler is not touching the bowl above it.
Tilting the bowl a little while mixing will help extra steam escape and aid in producing a glossy smooth mixture.
Yes, you will have about 1 cup of leftover pumpkin mixture that can be used to make a parfait or chill it in a small bowl, top with whipped cream, and any graham cracker crumbs, and enjoy it as a bonus dessert.
To make the prettiest slices, you’ll need a large kitchen knife, a tall cup of hot water, and a kitchen towel. Using the foil, lift the dessert out of the pan. Heat the knife by placing it in the hot water, wipe it dry, and slice. Wipe the blade clean, and reheat it after each cut.
Pumpkin cheesecake bars can be made up to 24 hours in advance and should be stored and covered in the fridge, until ready to serve. Wait to add Whipped Cream before serving.
Store leftover bars, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For longer storage, wrap individual bars tightly in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
YUM!!! Love these as bars!! It’s so soft & creamy & has the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor!
How do you cut them sooo square and clean??
A couple tips for those clean cuts… 1) Make sure the bars are nice and chilled 2) Use a thin knife with a straight blade 3) Run the knife under hot water so it gets hot and then immediately dry off the knife and make the cut. Wipe the knife off with a paper towel. It might seem kind of tedious to warm the knife and wipe it off after each but, but going slowly and doing that will ensure those nice clean square cuts. Best of luck!!
Delicious. Mine turned out exactly like the picture. I did really struggle with the egg whites and had to do them 3 times before getting it right. I would probably just cook that layer if I did it again.
My daughter and I just fixed these. The graham crackers crust was falling apart, the cheese filling turned out delicious and the pumpkin layer was too watery and there was too much pumpkin in comparison with the cheese layer.
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!
When will I learn to read…. AND RE-READ these recipes? Gah!–I am kicking myself. I have several issues with this recipe—it was my mistake that I didn’t dig deep to make sure it made sense. It didn’t. The ingredients and proportions are off. Way off. The pumpkin layer loses its pumpkin flavor with the addition of the egg whites—and makes enough to fill TWO 8×8 pans (twice as much as you need). The gelatin doesn’t make sense–(why couldn’t it just be baked like a regular pumpkin pie?) and leaves the pumpkin layer with an odd, grainy texture. The photo drew me in—too bad the photo used for this recipe couldn’t possible be the result of this recipe as written. So many unnecessary steps and incorrect measurements. Very disappointing.
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try.
Perfect and simple to make! A huge hit for Thanksgiving in my home.
Yay!! Glad it was a hit! Thank you!
your “shAring it” email link is NOT working; Why??? Ofcourse the 2 to the lsft are???!
I DON’T EAT GELATIN. CAN YOU SUGGEST A SUBSTITUTE?
I haven’t substituted the gelatin & I’m not sure of any allergies or preferences, so I would google what are suggestions that you could use.
Look up “agar agar”. You’ll have to look up how to substitute for gelatin, but it should work. Hope this helps.
This was a hit for thanksgiving. I had a prepared graham cracker crust so I used that and had enough left over to make a second pie. The family really enjoyed it.
So happy they did! Love graham cracker crusts! Thank you!
tHis definitely looks great! Unfortunately, I had issues with how the recipe was written. I was confused throughout on a few different steps.
1: How to line the pan with foil, and if that was just the bottom or sides.
2: what the different mixes were supposed to look like. I wish there were pictures of the steps, or a t least explanations of what they were supposed to look like.
3: I, as well, had issues with my eggs curdling for my pumpkin layer. The taste is not bad, but the texture is grainy. I wish I was shown a picture of how that was supposed to look like, or given better instructions to not have it boiling while mixing.
Overall, I will probably not make this again with this specific recipe. It was easy to follow, and lacked explanation where it matter a lot.
I didn’t write this recipe nor have anything personally to do with it but I can help explain why the eggs (which I assume you’re meaning the egg white) scrambled. I’ve done it plenty of times. It happens when you don’t whisk it fast enough and the heat is to high or the water that’s boiling touched the bottom of the top part to to the double boiler. I tend to do my egg whites with sugar and cream of tartar on a medium with the top bowl of my double boiler slightly slanted to allow some steam to escape. Then when I move it off the burner to finishes mixing it on high for 2 min I put it in my kitchen aid mixer with the whisk attachment. It always comes out stiff and glossy. Hope that helps.
Really good! can you take the foil out of the pan before serving? thanks!
Yes, for sure 🙂