These pumpkin cheesecake bars with a graham cracker crust are creamy, flavorful and absolutely delicious topped with whipped cream! Make them the night before for an even more delicious fall dessert idea!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with a Graham Cracker Crust
This is the first year we’re hosting Thanksgiving at our new home and as I was making food assignments, I realized that while I love dessert – I really don’t have that many Thanksgiving or even fall desserts.
We always have this pumpkin crunch cake and striped delight of course. And I’ll likely make either these pumpkin cinnamon rolls or this cranberry orange bread for breakfast.
But those are things I always make, and this year I wanted to try out something totally new.
These pumpkin cheesecake bars are going to make an appearance. And I’m guessing they’ll be gone just as quickly as they appear (they’re good!).
They’ll be the perfect way to finish off the day after we play these Thanksgiving games!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Ingredients
The ingredients for this are just what you would imagine if you were making pumpkin pie and cheesecake, just combined.
Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe! Check out the full recipe card at the bottom of this post for measurements, etc.
- Cream cheese – make sure it’s at room temperature so it mixes well and doesn’t clump, this is important
- Sugar – just regular white sugar that you’ll likely have in your pantry
- Pumpkin pie spice – I mentioned it was kind of like pumpkin pie + cheesecake, this spice helps that combination
- Heavy cream – makes the cheesecake super creamy
- Vanilla – get a good vanilla, not the cheap one if you can
- Canned pumpkin – any kind works, just make sure not to get pumpkin pie filling
- Eggs – we always prefer cage free, organic but use whatever you have on hand
- Graham cracker crumbs – you could always crush up your own graham crackers or use a food processor but the store-bought ones are easier
- Butter – used to make your graham cracker crust
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream – this is technically optional, but these are SO much better topped with homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Just trust me on this one and get some to go with them.
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
These pumpkin cheesecake bars with a graham cracker crust are pretty easy to make. They just take a little while to bake and cool, so keep that in mind before you prepare this recipe.
They’re even better if you leave them in the refrigerator overnight.
How to Make a Graham Cracker Crust
The first part of the recipe is to make your graham cracker crust. It’s as simple as combining your graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a bowl then adding in the melted butter to turn it into a graham cracker mixture.
Once you have your mixture, put the graham cracker crust on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and put in the fridge while you make your filling.
How to Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Once your graham cracker crust is done, it’s time to make your actual pumpkin cheesecake filling.
Here’s a quick walkthrough of how you make them. Make sure to read the recipe card at the bottom for the full instructions!
- Combine sugar and cream cheese.
- Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Add eggs.
- Add in the canned pumpkin and mix.
Then you add that filing to the graham cracker crust, bake, and let the pumpkin cheesecake bars cool before cutting into them.
And like I mentioned before, top with either homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for the full effects.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars FAQs
Just want to answer some of the questions I get regularly on my dessert recipes! If you have more questions, leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to answer!
Can you make these pumpkin cheesecake bars ahead of time?
Yes! These make the perfect Thanksgiving dessert because you can make them the day before – they’re actually better if you make them the night before and let cool overnight.
Or let them cool while you’re playing a game or doing something like this Thanksgiving scavenger hunt.
How long will these pumpkin cheesecake bars last?
Not long – they’re so good because will eat them up! But seriously, if you have leftovers, I recommend refrigerating and eating within five days because of all of the dairy in the bars.
Are these pumpkin cheesecake bars gluten free?
Nope, sorry! The graham cracker crust definitely has gluten.
How do you cut these bars?
Since they are half cheesecake, half bars – they can be a little tricky to cut. Run a knife under really hot water and cut them (once they’re cooled) immediately while the knife is hot. Otherwise, you’re going to end up with a mess.
How many pumpkin cheesecake bars does this make?
This totally depends on how you cut them. We made 15 in our pan, but the pieces were pretty big.
If you want to feed more people, simply cut them into smaller pieces. It’s a pretty dense filling, so even a small piece should be enough – especially if paired with vanilla ice cream!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with a Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup butter melted
- 2 TBSP sugar
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 24 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ¾ tsp vanilla
- 12 oz canned pumpkin
- 3 eggs
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- In a small bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Combine thoroughly.
- Press crumb mixture onto bottom of 9x13 pan and spread evenly. Place in refrigerator to chill while making filling.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream sugar and cream cheese in mixer until smooth, scraping the sides regularly.
- Mix in heavy cream, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Add in eggs all together and beat until smooth but don't overmix.
- Add in pumpkin and combine until just mixed.
- Pour filling over chilled graham cracker crust and smooth over evenly.
- Bake in oven at 350 for 40 minutes then allow to cool completely.
- Cut into squares with a hot knife and topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Tips & Notes:
- Cut into squares with a hot knife once cooled
- Allow cheesecake bars to cool in the oven with the oven off and door open.
- Cool completely before refrigerating so they don't crack.
Nutrition Info
More Yummy Desserts
- Pumpkin crunch cake
- Texas sheet cake
- Snickers cake
- Chewy ginger molasses cookies
- Mini cheesecake recipe
- Pecan pie bars
Don’t forget to pin these pumpkin cheesecake bars with a graham cracker crust for later!
Jodie says
The tips were very helpful. I didn’t know about using a hot knife to cut. Thank you!
Kaci Faulks says
Oh my goodness, I love anything pumpkin and cheescake so these two together must be heavenly! A must for my holiday baking.