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Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars are full of fall spices. This layered dessert is sure to impress at any holiday gathering!
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars are a tasty pumpkin dessert, perfect for fall! For more simple layered pumpkin desserts, try our Pumpkin Lasagna and Pumpkin Pudding Parfaits. Both are delicious, and have so many layers of pumpkin goodness.
Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin desserts are always a huge hit with me! It’s taken quite some time for certain members of my family to get on board, but recipes like these Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars have slowly converted them.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are a combination of two holiday classics: Pumpkin Pie and Traditional Cheesecake. They’re thick, sweet, and full of fall spices.
While these do require a bit of extra work, they are totally worth it. And the steps themselves are really simple.
You can easily double this recipe to fit a 9×13-inch pan. It’s a great dessert to take to parties or gatherings, especially if you want to impress your friends and family. I mean, look at those perfect layers right there!
How to make Them
As we mentioned, these Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars take a little bit of time to make, but they’re worth it. There are short cuts that can be made, but if you want them to look as good as they do above, then we suggest following these steps.
CRUST. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a small bowl. Press into a foil-lined 8×8 baking pan.
CHEESECAKE LAYER. Use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Add eggs, mix until just combined. Pour the cheesecake batter over the graham cracker crust.
BAKE. 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. 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.
- Gelatin. 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.
- Egg whites. 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). Beat at high speed, for about 7-9 minutes, or until it’s stiff and glossy. Remove from the heat, and beat 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 and Pumpkin Pie Spice or ground cinnamon if desired.
tips + variations
Double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, make your own by:
- Simmering a few inches of water in saucepan.
- Then, stack a metal or glass bowl on top of a saucepan, making sure the bowl fits on top.
- The steam from the hot water will heat the bowl gently and evenly, without burning or sticking.
- Make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl on top.
Pumpkin puree. Be sure to use a can of pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
Make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice using spices you most likely already have in the cupboard: ground nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
Crust. Replace the graham crackers with an equal amount of vanilla wafers or gingersnaps. Use a food processor, or blender, to produce fine cracker crumbs.
Toppings. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top of the dollop of Whipped Cream. Or, drizzle with Caramel Sauce.
Clean even slices. To make the prettiest slices, all you need is a large kitchen knife, a tall cup of hot water, and kitchen towel. Using the foil, lift the dessert out of the pan. Heat the knife by placing it in the hot water, wipe dry and slice. Wipe the blade clean, and reheat it after each cut.
Storing info
Make ahead of time. 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 until before serving.
For more pumpkin recipes, check out:
- Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake with Oreo Crust
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Custard
- Easy Pumpkin Cobbler
- Pumpkin Delight
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.
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.
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 🙂