Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

These pumpkin cheesecake bars are made with pumpkin pie filling swirled with creamy cheesecake on a graham cracker crust. They're a crowd-pleasing easy holiday dessert!

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 45

Cool + Chill Time: 8 45

Total Time: 9 45

Servings:

Ingredients

Crust

2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (18 full sheets or 2 packs)
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ cup (1 stick) salted butter , melted

Cheesecake Filling

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese , at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs , at room temperature
½ cup sour cream , at room temperature
½ Tablespoon vanilla extract

Pumpkin filling

1 cup pumpkin puree , pat extra moisture with a paper towel
1 Tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

Optional topping: Whipped cream

Instructions

Crust

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups graham crackers, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup butter until well combined.
In the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish, firmly press the crumb mixture evenly using a 1/4 measuring cup. Use your fingers to press the crumb mixture firmly onto the sides.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 325°F.

Filling

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 3-8 oz packages cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups sugar on low speed until smooth.
Add 1 egg at a time, thoroughly mixing before adding the next 2 eggs. Scrape the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix in 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla until smooth and free of any lumps.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 Tablespoon flour, 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon salt until smooth. Whisk in 1 cup of the cheesecake batter until combined.
Into the crust, add spoonfuls, alternating between each, of cheesecake and pumpkin filling. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center appears to be set. There may be some minor cracking around the edges of the bars, don't worry.
Let cool completely on a wire rack before chilling in the fridge at least 8 hours before serving.
Cut into squares and top with desired toppings.

Notes

Cutting the bars: Get a bowl of very hot water. Dip a sharp knife into it for a few seconds before wiping clean on a tea towel. Slice the cheesecake. Clean knife and repeat hot water between cuts.

Freezer: Wrap cut slices well in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Place in the freezer up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or set out at room temperature about 2 hours.

Storage: Tightly cover the pan and store in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Or keep the cut bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Nutrition