Description
Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake bars with warm spice, a buttery cinnamon graham crust, and a brown sugar streusel. Finish with caramel for a crowd pleasing Thanksgiving dessert.
Ingredients
Crust 9×13 pan:
12 cinnamon graham cracker sheets crumbled
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
8 tbsp unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling:
4 packages 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
1.5 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 can 15 oz pumpkin puree not pie filling
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Streusel Topping:
1 cup dark brown sugar packed
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
8 tbsp unsalted butter softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
Optional Topping:
Salted or plain caramel sauce
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment with overhang for easy lifting.
2. Mix graham crumbs, dark brown sugar, and melted butter. Press firmly into the pan.
3. Bake crust for 8 minutes. Then cool on a rack while you make the filling.
4. Beat cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth.
5. Add eggs one at a time on low speed until just combined.
6. Divide the batter into two bowls in equal amounts.
7. Stir pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice into one bowl.
8. Pour the plain cheesecake batter over the cooled crust and smooth the top.
9. Gently spoon the pumpkin batter over the plain layer. Then smooth again.
10. Combine streusel sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, softened butter, and vanilla. Pinch until crumbly.
11. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the top without pressing.
12. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the center wobbles slightly but looks set.
13. Cool on a rack for 1 hour. Then chill 1 to 2 hours until fully cold.
14. For clean cuts, use a hot knife and wipe between slices.
15. Drizzle with caramel just before serving.
Notes
Use room temperature cream cheese for a silky texture.
Do not overmix. Less air means fewer cracks.
Let bars cool fully before chilling to prevent cracking.
Variation: swap in a gingersnap crust with 1.5 cups gingersnap crumbs, 1/4 cup white sugar, and 5 tbsp melted butter.
Storage: refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freezing is not ideal due to texture changes.
Yield: 24 bars. Serve chilled with whipped cream or caramel.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 3 minutes
- Category: Thanksgiving Desserts
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 283
- Sugar: 20.2 g
- Sodium: 125.4 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3.5 g
- Cholesterol: 65.6 mg