Thanksgiving desserts can be tricky to satisfy everyone – you’ve got apple, pumpkin, pecan, and sweet potato die hards who can be hard to please with just one pie. Solution? These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars that I can guarantee EVERYONE will love. I legit still have people asking me to make these for Friendsgiving 6 years after trying them. Way less fussy than a regular cheesecake, easier than a homemade pie, and SO creamy, you absolutely have to add this to your menu. Only warning – once you make these, you will automatically be assigned dessert every Thanksgiving because no one will let you attend a function without them.
I recommend making these 2-3 days in advance, and storing them in your fridge until serving. It does need to sit for about 8 hours total, so it’s not a dish you can make day of (not like you’d want to anyway). The other thing I love about these is they’re made in a regular old rectangular casserole dish, so you don’t need to have a springform pan for them. You also don’t need to do a water bath since if the surface cracks, you can just cut the bars where the surface cracked and no one will ever know!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Total Time: 85
- Yield: 20-24 bars
Description
One of my favorite recipes of all time, these pumpkin cheesecake bars with a gingersnap crust and perfectly spiced, creamy, and guaranteed to be a hit at your holiday parties.
Ingredients
For the Gingersnap Crust:
- 14oz tin of gingersnap cookies
- 6 tbsps salted butter
- ½ tsp salt
For the Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars:
- 12 oz light cream cheese
- 12 oz regular cream cheese
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 8 oz sour cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
For the Gingersnap Crust
Pulse gingersnap cookies in a food processor to get fine crumbs.
Add melted butter and salt and pulse until crumbly.
Butter a 9×13” baking dish and line with 2 pieces of parchment paper so there is overhang on the sides.
Pour in the gingersnap crust and press into the pan using the bottom of a measuring cup. Freeze for 10 minutes to set.
For the Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars:
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Add the cream cheese to a large bowl and whip with a stand or hand mixer for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
- Add white sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, sour cream vanilla extract, and eggs, and whip for 1 more minute until well combined.
- Take ¾ cup of the mixture out and set aside for topping.
- Mix the remaining mixture with the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Pour into the 9×13” baking dish and smooth out the surface.
- Dollop the reserved cheesecake mixture on top, leaving an inch or two between each dollop. Use a toothpick or chopstick to drag through the white layer in loops to create a swirl.
- Bake for 60-65 minutes until the outside is set but the middle is still a little jiggly. It will continue to set as it cools.
- Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 2-3 hours, then transfer to the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
- Cut into squares and enjoy. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 60