Name: Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars with Two Layers of Cheesecake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups vanilla wafers (crushed, about 2 cups of whole wafers); 6 tablespoons butter (melted); 32 ounce cream cheese (4x8oz packages, room temperature); 1 ½ cup sugar; 4 eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 15 ounce pumpkin puree; 1 cup flour; ½ cup dark brown sugar; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg; ½ cup butter (cold, cut into cubes)

These pumpkin cheesecake bars have two layers of the yummiest cheesecake filling and a pumpkin-pie-spiced crumble topping. The filling is ultra-creamy and contrasts beautifully with the crunchy cookie crust. You can make them ahead of time and freeze for later.

You Will Love These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

You’ll love how many textures these bars have in just one bite. Four distinct layers all add a unique flavor and texture that when combined, produce a show stopper dessert. They would never guess how easy they are to make.

Pumpkin cream cheese bars are actually simple to create even though there are a few steps. You’ll need a mixer but no fancy water baths or even a springform pan are needed. The ingredients are easy to find, and there are only a few dirty dishes involved.

They are similar to berry cheesecake squares and carrot cake cheesecake squares but with a cream cheese layer that’s twice as big.

You can take these along to a friend’s house for dinner or offer them as an alternative to praline pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Cut pumpkin cheesecake bars into bite size pieces for a dessert bar. Keep some in your freezer for a treat, they don’t take long to thaw. They make a beautiful fall dessert that’s a bit different than a traditional pumpkin pie

A fork with a bite of pumpkin cheesecake bars.

These do require a fork, if you want a pumpkin flavored finger food, try pumpkin snickerdoodles.

Pumpkin cream cheese bars are a great way to end a cozy meal. Need an idea for an Southern dinner? Start out with an appetizer of cold corn dip. For dinner, serve up Southern chicken and biscuits with a side of cooked apples. Finish the meal with pumpkin cheesecake bars for the perfect fall menu for your family or special guests.

Reasons to Try this Pumpkin Cheesecake Bar Recipe

They’re easy to make. Though pumpkin bars with cream cheese have four layers in total, these bars are not hard to make. Each layer is refrigerated, frozen, or baked while you make the next layer. Don’t worry – you won’t need to juggle more than one step at a time.

They have classic fall flavors. When I think of fall, I think of pumpkin, spices, brown sugar, and vanilla, and these bars check every box.

They’re great for making ahead of time. You can make these bars hours or even a day in advance. Take them to a Halloween party, Thanksgiving dinner, to a friend’s house for a casual get-together, or enjoy them yourself with a cup of coffee or Tea.

Why should I use room-temperature cream cheese in the filling?

Using room-temperature cream cheese ensures a smooth and creamy cheesecake layer. When cream cheese is at room temperature, it blends easily with the other ingredients, resulting in a velvety consistency.

Cold cream cheese can lead to an uneven mixture and potentially cause lumps of cream cheese that didn’t get mixed with the sugar and eggs in your cheesecake.

Pro Tip: For those occasions when you have forgotten to take out cream cheese, try this easy method for softening cream cheese in no time.

Why You Need to Refrigerate the Crust

Chilling the crust before adding the filling is an important step for making this dessert. It allows the melted butter in the crust to solidify so the cheesecake filling doesn’t leak to the bottom of the pan.

This step also keeps the crust from getting soggy since the butter coats the cookie crumbs. It forms a barrier between the cookies and the cream cheese filling. Don’t skip this step – it’s important!

What type of pumpkin do you need for Pumpkin Bars

Grocery stores typically have two distinct pumpkin products in the baking aisle. Pumpkin puree is just that – it’s 100% pumpkin that is cooked (often by steaming) and packed into the can.

Pumpkin pie filling has other ingredients like sugar, spices, and preservatives and is meant to be poured directly into a pie crust for a super quick pumpkin pie. For pumpkin bars with cream cheese, you’ll want to make sure you buy 100% pumpkin so you can add your own sugar and spices.

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Ingredients

The ingredients for the pumpkin cheesecake bars. — Gather the ingredients for the bars.

The ingredients for the crumble for cheesecake bars. — Gather the ingredients for the topping.

Vanilla wafers: Vanilla wafers make a sweet, crispy crust for these cheesecake bars. You can also use shortbread cookies or gingersnap cookies for a different flavor.

Cream cheese: Softened cream cheese blends easily with the other ingredients and makes a smooth and creamy filling.

Canned pumpkin: Make sure to buy 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.

Pantry items: Buter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, vanilla extract

You can substitute 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for the nutmeg, and ginger, keep the cinnamon.

How to make Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars

Crush the vanilla wafers. Add melted butter and spread the mixture on the bottom of a pan. Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.

Vanilla Wafers being crushed with a rolling pin. — Crush the vanilla wafers.

Melted butter mixed with vanilla wafers. — Add melted butter to crushed wafers.

The vanilla wafer crust in the bottom of a baking pan. — Pat the crumbs into the bottom of a pan.

Step 2: Make the cheesecake filling.

Beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add in the sugar and mix together. Then, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Finally, mix in the vanilla extract.

Cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl. — Beat the cream cheese and sugar.

The cheesecake filling in a mixing bowl. — Add eggs one at a time and mix until combined.

Step 3: Make the first layer.

Spread half of the filling mixture on top of the crust and place in the freezer for 30 minutes until it thickens. It doesn’t need to be frozen solid, but it should not jiggle too much when you tap the pan.

The first layer of cheesecake in the baking pan. — Add half of the cheesecake layer to the pan and freeze.

Step 4: Make the second layer.

Add pumpkin to the remaining filling. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the cold layer of cheesecake, and spread it evenly with an offset spatula.

Pumpkin added to the cheesecake filling. — Add pumpkin to the remaining filling.

The pumpkin layer spread in the baking pan. — Add the pumpkin layer.

Step 5: Bake the bars.

Bake the bars for 30 minutes. Use this time to make the crumble topping.

Step 6: Make the crumb topping.

Combine the flour, brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add in cold butter and combine with a pastry cutter (or your fingers) until the butter is in tiny pieces.

The crumble ingredients in a bowl. — Combine the dry ingredients for the topping.

Butter added to the topping. — Cut in cold butter.

The topping in a glass bowl. — There should be small pieces of butter visible.

Step 7: Finish the bars.

After 30 minutes in the oven, remove the cheesecake and top with the crumble. Place the bars back into the oven and bake an additional 30 minutes until a knife comes out clean in the center. Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing and serving.

The topping added to the cheesecake bars. — Add the topping after the bars have baked for 30 minutes.

A pan of baked pumpkin bars. — Bake until a knife comes out clean.

Tips for Making Perfect Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars

Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature for a smooth filling that’s easy to mix.

When making the crumble topping, the butter should be very cold to achieve a perfect crumbly texture.

Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing.

Do I really need to freeze the plain cheesecake layer?

Placing the pan in the freezer for about 30 minutes after layering half of the filling is a necessary step. Freezing the bars makes that first layer of cheesecake filling firm enough to keep it from mixing with the pumpkin layer when it bakes. This separation allows for distinct layers when the bars are baked. Don’t recommend skipping this step – it really makes the pumpkin cheesecake bars recipe special to have clean layers.

How long do pumpkin cheesecake bars last in the fridge?

Got leftovers? Luckily, these pumpkin cream cheese bars last for a few days in the fridge, and even longer in the freezer.

In the fridge: Store any leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

In the freezer: To freeze, place them in an airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

More Pumpkin Recipes to Try This Fall

Pumpkin Apple Bread with Crumb Topping (No Mixer Needed!)

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