These pumpkin bars have a rich cheesecake filling and a sweet, crunchy streusel topping. They’re the perfect make-ahead dessert for Thanksgiving or any fall get together!
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The first glimpse of an orange pumpkin means it’s officially fall. In Seattle we hit 95 degrees one day and sweatshirt weather the next! And I’m all for sweatshirt weather.
Why You Should Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
These pumpkin bars have a cheesecake-like filling and a crunchy streusel topping. Don’t wait for Thanksgiving to make them. They’re a great dessert all season long!
I love adding a streusel topping to my dessert bars whenever I get the chance. This streusel is so easy and adds another layer of texture to the smooth pumpkin and cream cheese filling.
How to Make the Best Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Make sure your cream cheese softens to room temperature. This allows it to mix well with the other ingredients. If your cream cheese was still a little cool and you notice a few lumps in the filling, push the mixture through a sieve before pouring the mixture over the graham cracker crust.
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Check out this post for more on graham cracker crusts!
If you’re feeling extra decadent, garnish these with caramel sauce. The bars are great on their own, but the caramel takes them up a notch. Enjoy!
The best cream cheese for this recipe
Any brand of cream cheese will work in the recipes, but make sure it’s full-fat or you’ll miss that rich, creamy texture. And don’t skip the part about bringing the cream cheese to room temperature. This is super important to avoid lumps in the filling.
What kind of pumpkin do you use?
Pumpkin puree is sold canned in seasonal sections during the fall. They are also sometimes placed on the shelf with canned fruit or canned vegetables. They usually come in 15 or 29 ounce cans. Be sure to read the label and get 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling (which is already sweetened and spiced).
You can also use your own homemade pumpkin puree. First, cut a pie or sugar pumpkin (the cute little ones, not your big Halloween carving style) in half and remove the seeds. Roast the halves (cut-side down) on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven for about 40 minutes, until the skin can be easily pierced with a fork. Scoop out the flesh and process in a blender or food processor. You can save the pumpkin puree for later.
Even the smaller can of pumpkin will be too much for this recipe, so we’ve put together a list of recipes to use up leftover pumpkin puree.
How to store pumpkin cheesecake bars
You can make these pumpkin cheesecake bars a day ahead and leave them on the counter overnight. For longer storage, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
These bars can also be frozen. Chill them first. Once they have set, you can wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can cut them into bars and wrap them individually for easier thawing later.
Let the cheesecake bars sit at room temperature to thaw.
More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes to Try!
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cookies
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Pumpkin pie bars with candied ginger whipped cream
- Pumpkin bread with chocolate chips
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Pumpkin cheesecake bars with crumble topping
Make sure your cream cheese has softened to room temperature before mixing the filling to avoid lumps. Prepare the graham cracker crumbs by pulsing the crackers in a food processor or placing the crackers in a ziplock bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin.
ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
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1 1/2 cups Graham breadcrumbs (See recipe note)
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1/4 Cup White sugar
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6 tablespoon regular Salted buttermelted and cooled slightly, so no longer hot
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1/4 teaspoon Cinammon or pumpkin pie spice
Streusel topping:
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1/2 Cup Brown sugar
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1/2 Cup all purpose flour
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1/4 Cup old-fashioned oatmeal
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4 tablespoon regular Salted butterat room temperature
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1/4 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Pumpkin Filling:
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2 (8-ounce) Packages cream cheesesoftened to room temperature
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2/3 Cup sugar
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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2 big eggsat room temperature
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2/3 Cup pumpkin puree (no pumpkin pie filling)
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2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Serve:
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Caramel saucehomemade or store-bought, optional
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whipped creamOptional
special equipment
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blender
method
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Preheat oven and prepare pan:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper so the rims hang over the sides of the pan. This will help remove the sticks for slicing and keep the crust intact.
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Make the graham cracker crust:
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the graham cracker crust. Stir the mixture together until it looks like wet sand. If it still looks dry, add another tablespoon of melted butter. Place in the baking pan lined with parchment paper and press down with your hand or the bottom of a drinking glass to form an even crust.
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Prepare Streusel Topping:
In the same bowl you used to make the graham cracker mixture, combine the ingredients for the streusel topping. Mix the ingredients together with your hands if necessary to ensure the mixture comes together evenly. The mixture should resemble large sprinkles. Put aside.
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Make the pumpkin filling:
In a stand mixer fitted with the mixer attachment, mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing 30 seconds in between. Scrape the bowl back down. Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice and mix until completely combined.
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Assemble Poles:
Pour the pumpkin filling into the pan over the graham cracker crust. Smooth evenly with a silicone spatula. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the pumpkin filling.
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Bake the bars for 45 to 50 minutes:
Check the bars after 40 minutes to see how quickly they bake. When finished, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
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Cool the bars completely and put them in the fridge:
Let the bars cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Once chilled, place in the fridge to chill completely.
Slice and drizzle with caramel sauce and serve with whipped cream if desired. Bars will keep refrigerated for about a week.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 263 | calories |
| 17g | Fat |
| 26g | carbohydrates |
| 3g | protein |
