This easy pumpkin cheesecake recipe calls for a buttery graham cracker crust and is made into bar form for easy eating and serving. Small batch friendly!
This delicious pumpkin cheesecake bars recipe is sponsored by Philadelphia Cream Cheese. As always, all opinions remain my own and I am proud to partner with brands I love. Thank you for supporting the growth of MAK!
Some things just go better together (have you heard that cute new song by Luke Combs?). Peanut butter & jelly. Chips and guac. Cold beer & football. Pumpkin and cheesecake.
Yes, you heard me correctly…pumpkin AND cheesecake. Let me explain.
So, cheesecake is basically one of the most beloved desserts literally ever. What’s not to love? Especially when you use the king of cream cheese, Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Creamy, not too sweet, super decadent clouds of whipped cream cheese baked with a buttery graham cracker crust. Hi, where do I sign up? It’s delicious all year round, no matter how you make it.
But as we move into harvest and holiday time, there’s another shining dessert star. Pumpkin pie! If you’re anything like me, every year your look forward to sinking your fork into a thick slice of pumpkin heaven.
The dilemma for me comes on holidays like Thanksgiving. I want it all! I want cheesecake, I want pumpkin pie AND I want to sample maybe a brownie or piece of fruit pie, depending on my mood.
I have definitely won the award for most eaten on Thanksgiving from time to time BUT all of those things are even a lot for me. So, what’s a girl to do?!
The perfect solution is pumpkin cheesecake made into bars. Not only do you get the best of each cheesecake and pumpkin pie, but when you serve cheesecake in bars you can serve smaller portions which is perfect for any size gathering, even if it’s just you and your s/o.
How do you make cheesecake…pumpkin?!
The best thing about cheesecake and pumpkin pie is that they have similar ingredients and textures, so combining the two is very easy.
I start by making the cheesecake portion by whipping Philadelphia Cream Cheese with sugar. Then I add the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, heavy cream, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs!
Keeping Pumpkin Cheesecake From Cracking
The first trick I have for crack-free cheesecake is using good quality cream cheese. Philadelphia Cream Cheese is my favorite for baking and I always have about 4 packages of it on hand in my fridge. You want to make sure said cream cheese is softened so there aren’t any lumps in the batter.
The second is using a water bath. I actually just place a baking dish on the rack under where the cheesecake is in the oven and fill it with boiling water. It makes a steam room in the oven and you don’t have to mess with an actual water bath.
Thirdly, don’t open the oven while you’re baking. When the cheesecake is done, prop the oven open, turn it off and cool the cheesecake in there for an hour before taking it out and cooling on the counter fist and then in the fridge.
Cutting Cheesecake Bars Easily
Cutting beautiful slices of cheesecake bars is easy! Just wipe down your sharp chef’s knife (carefully) between each slice with warm water. A clean knife makes a clean cut!
I know you’ll love this recipe! For more harvest and holiday cheesecake content, check out my Pecan Pie Cheesecake!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
This easy pumpkin cheesecake recipe calls for a buttery graham cracker crust and is made into bar form for easy eating and serving. Small batch friendly!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes + 4 hours cooling time
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour + 4 hours cooling time
- Yield: about 12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 9 graham cracker sheets (1 sleeve)
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 5 Tbsp. melted butter
For the pumpkin cheesecake:
- 2 pkg. (8oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 Tbsp. heavy cream, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp. sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
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Before beginning, set all ingredients out on the counter to come to room temperature. This is very important because it ensures a creamy cheesecake.
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Preheat the oven to 325ºF and put a large pot of water on to boil. When it reaches a boiling point, pour it into a casserole dish or oven-safe pot placed on the bottom rack in the oven. This acts as a makeshift water bath and turns the oven into a “steam room”, ensuring that your crust won’t crack.
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To make the crust, first, crush the graham crackers into crumbs. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and brown sugar.
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Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish, and line it with parchment paper so you can easily pull the bars out of the dish when you want to slice and serve.
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Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the dish and set aside.
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To make the cheesecake filling, add the cream cheese to a bowl and beat with a standing or hand-held mixer for 30 seconds, or until smooth. Add the sugar and cream together for about 1 minute.
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Add the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, sour cream, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla and beat until everything is mixed well.
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Crack the eggs into a separate bowl. Add the eggs one at a time to the cream cheese, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix until the eggs are totally incorporated.
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Pour the pumpkin cheesecake mixture into the dish. Place the dish on the middle rack of the oven. Do not open the oven.
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Bake for 45 minutes to 55 minutes or until the sides look set but the center still jiggles slightly when nudged.
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Turn the oven off and prop it open a little bit. Allow the cheesecake to cool for an hour in the oven.
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After the hour has passed, allow the cheesecake to cool completely for 2-3 hours before placing in the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours.
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When you’re ready to serve, pull up on the parchment to remove the sheet of pumpkin cheesecake. Slice into squares, cleaning the knife between each slice to get a clean cut. Enjoy!
Keywords: pumpkin, cheesecake, cheesecake bars
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