How to make the best pumpkin cheesecake bars

How to make the best pumpkin cheesecake bars:

Start with making the crust: These bars have a simple graham cracker crumb crust, but you can use a gingersnap crust if desired (recipe below this photo)

Make the cheesecake: the cheesecake center is pretty standard — cream cheese, sugar, and eggs. You’ll take this mixture and separate it in 2 parts. One part goes right on top of the crust, the other gets pumpkin and pumpkin spices added to it.

Make the streusel: mix together a few ingredients to make an amazing streusel — crumble it over the bars and bake!

Top with caramel: you can use pre-made caramel sauce for this pumpkin cheesecake OR grab the ingredients to make one from scratch.

Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Bars with a Streusel Topping

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 3 mins

Chilling Time

2 hrs

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

 

The BEST pumpkin cheesecake bars — a delicious cinnamon graham cracker crust with two layers of cheesecake topped with an easy streusel and caramel sauce. These famous pumpkin cheesecake bars are sure to be a smash hit wherever you serve them!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pumpkin cheesecake bars

Servings: 1 8 x 8 pan

Calories: 247 kcal

Author: Chelsea

 

 

Ingredients

Crust

• 12 full sheets cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake

• 4 packages (8 ounces each) full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Streusel and Topping

• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (not melted)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Salted or plain caramel to top bars with

 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper (leave an overhang to be able to pull out these bars easily) and set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine the crust ingredients and mix until a thick dough forms. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 8 minutes, remove, allow to cool.
3. In another bowl, combine the cream cheese, (VERY important it is at room temperature for a smooth texture. Leave out for at least an hour before baking) sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat with hand mixers until completely smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is combined.
4. Remove half of this mixture and pour on top of the prepared crust.
5. Add the canned pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to the remaining cheesecake mixture and stir until completely combined.
6. Careful not to combine the two layers, pour the pumpkin layer on top of the plain cheesecake layer. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Streusel

1. In the same bowl you used for the crust, stir together the brown sugar, white flour, quick cooking oats, and cinnamon. Cut the butter into small cubes. Add in the butter and vanilla and mix together (with a pastry cutter or hands) until well combined. Avoid melting the butter entirely as it makes the streusel too wet. Sprinkle this streusel topping evenly over the pumpkin cheesecake layer.
2. Place in the oven and bake for a remaining 25-30 minutes or until the cheesecake has set.
3. Allow to cool for about an hour at room temperature and then place in the fridge for 1-2 hours. When cutting into these bars: cut them straight out of the fridge with a HOT and very sharp knife. (I run the knife under hot water, wipe with a towel, make one cut, repeat.)
4. Top each bar with caramel topping of choice.

 

 

For the 9 x 9-inch pan (ORIGINAL) recipe:

Crust

• 1 and 1/2 cups (~10-11 full sheets) cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter melted

Cheesecake

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) full fat cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling and not entire can)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Streusel and Topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup white flour
• 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter softened (not melted)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Salted or plain caramel to top bars with

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 9 baking pan with parchment paper (leave an overhang to be able to pull out these bars easily) and set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine the crust ingredients and mix until a thick dough forms. Press evenly into the bottom of the 9 x 9 baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
3. In another bowl, combine the cream cheese, (VERY important it is at room temperature for a smooth texture. Leave out for at least an hour before baking. Microwaving the cream cheese will give it a bumpy texture) sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat with hand mixers until completely smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is combined.
4. Remove 1 and 1/2 cups of this mixture and pour on top of the prepared crust.
5. Add the canned pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to the remaining cheesecake mixture and stir until completely combined.
6. Careful not to combine the two layers, pour the pumpkin layer on top of the plain cheesecake layer. Bake for 30 minutes.

Streusel

1. In the same bowl you used for the crust, stir together the brown sugar, white flour, quick cooking oats, and cinnamon. Add in the butter and vanilla and mix together until well combined. Avoid melting the butter entirely as it makes the streusel too wet. Sprinkle this streusel topping evenly over the pumpkin cheesecake layer.
2. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheesecake has set.
3. Allow to cool for about an hour and then place in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
4. Top each bar with caramel topping of choice.

 

 

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