Creamy and oh so flavorful, these pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars make a larger batch and feel special on any holiday table or family gathering. Family and friends will be excited when these pumpkin cheesecake bars hit the table with their pretty swirl of pumpkin.

Pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars with a graham cracker crust on a white counter with more bars on a plate in the background.

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Why We Love Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Worth The Effort For Pumpkin Fans – Pumpkin recipe fans get really excited about all the pumpkin desserts, but these cheesecake bars are just full of creamy pumpkin flavor.
Great For Thanksgiving Or Fall Baking – Make these bars instead of traditional pumpkin pie, people will make a little extra room after their Thanksgiving meal.
Dessert That Feels Extra Special – I’ve brought lots of desserts to share with family and friends, and I always receive the most cheers and excitement when it’s one of my cheesecake recipes!

These no-bake pumpkin cheesecake bars are also a big hit and take a little less time then a baked bar if you’re shorter on time. I’ve also made delicious caramel apple crumble cheesecake bars, Oreo cheesecake bars and raspberry swirl cheesecake bars which make a great cheesecake platter if you make more than one flavor.

Ingredients For Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients for pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars on a counter in bowls with text labels.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.

Ingredients For The Crust

graham crackers rectangular sheet
butter salted, melted

Ingredients For The Cheesecake Filling

cream cheese softened, it will work best if room temperature
white sugar
vanilla extract
eggs
sour cream

Ingredients For The Pumpkin Filling

pumpkin puree – you can use canned or homemade pumpkin puree
brown sugar
pumpkin pie spice – homemade or store-bought

How To Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Making The Crust

Line a 9×13 glass baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place half of the graham crackers in a food processor and blend until there are fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into a medium-sized bowl. Repeat with the remaining graham crackers, adding the crumbs to the bowl.

The base of a food processor full of graham cracker crumbs after grinding.

Add melted butter to the graham cracker crumbs and stir. Pour the cookie mixture into the prepared glass pan, spreading evenly in the pan. With a second piece of parchment paper and the back of a ½ cup measuring cup press the graham cracker crumbs firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan.
Bake the crumbs for 10 minutes. Allow the pan to cool completely.

Making The Cheesecake Filling

Cut the softened cream cheese into cubes and place in a large mixing bowl. With an electric hand mixer or stand mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth, about 2 minutes.

A mixing bowl with cream cheese that has been whipped with bowls of vanilla, sugar, eggs and sour cream nearby.

Add the sugar and the vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture. Blend until fully mixed into the cream cheese.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat them quickly with a fork, mixing well. Add the eggs to the cream cheese mixture half at a time, mixing them into the cream cheese each time until smooth with an electric mixer. Add the sour cream to the cream cheese mixture and gently mix until just combined.

Making The Pumpkin Filling

In a medium bowl, add pumpkin puree, brown sugar and pumpkin spice, then mix well. Add 2 cups of the cheesecake filling, setting the rest of the cheesecake filling to the side. Mix the pumpkin mixture with the cheesecake mixture until combined.

A glass bowl with a pumpkin puree mixture with a bowl of cheesecake filling nearby.

Pumpkin filling in a large bow being mixed with some of the cheesecake filling with more cheesecake filling in a bowl nearby and a pan full of graham cracker crust.

Scoop about ½ cup at a time and fill the pan with pumpkin pie filling and cheesecake batter filling, alternating between the two fillings on top of the graham cracker crust.

A baking dish lined with parchment paper filled with a graham cracker crust with large alternating dollops of cheesecake and pumpkin filling halfway down the pan.

A baking dish lined with parchment paper filled with a graham cracker crust with large alternating dollops of cheesecake and pumpkin filling through the whole pan.

Using a knife, swirl pumpkin filling with cheesecake filling to give the cheesecake swirl look. Lift the pan and lightly tap on the counter to settle the filling into the pan.

A pan full of pumpkin and cheesecake swirled ion the pan before baking.

Baking The Bars

Bake for 40-45 minutes at 325 degrees Farenheight. The center will be set with a little wiggle in the middle. You can test by holding the pan with hot pads and gently rolling the pan from left to right just a little. The top center of the pan should not look super liquidy but will still jiggle a little, that’s when you know the cheesecake is set. The top of the bars should be dry when touched lightly.

A baking dish full of swirled pumpkin cheesecake bars after baking.

Cool the pumpkin cheesecake bars for 1 hour, then place in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Slice into 24 pieces, then serve and enjoy!

Sliced pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars on a cutting board, surrounded by small pumpkins and cinnamon sticks.

Variation Ideas For Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Swap In Gingersnap Cookies – Use crunchy gingerbread, ginger snap style cookies, or even Biscoff cookies for the crust in place of the graham cracker crumbs. It gives the bars a delicious warm spice, and makes a delicious cookie crust you’ll love!
Swap Shortbread Cookies Or Golden Oreos – You can make more of a vanilla flavored crust which is equally delicious by using shortbread cookies or Golden Oreos for the crust instead of the graham crackers.

A plate stacked with pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars with more cheesecake bars lined up on a cutting board in the background.

Why Is My Cream Cheese Mixture Lumpy?

Sometimes if the cream cheese isn’t soft enough the mixture will be lumpy. It usually means you didn’t allow the cream cheese to soften enough. I’ll usually wait a few minutes and whip it again until smooth before adding the other ingredients. This makes sure I still have smooth, creamy cheesecake bars.

A stack of three pumpkin cheesecake bars with a graham cracker crust, in front of a whole pumpkin and plates.

How Long Will Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars Last?

Expect these pumpkin cheesecake bars will last for about 4 days if stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.

If I store the bars in the glass pan, I use a tight-fitting cling wrap to keep them fresher. The bars will taste freshest if enjoyed within the first 24 hours, but we definitely enjoy for several days when they last!

How Do I Slice These Pumpkin Bars Evenly And Cleanly?

I find it easier to cut these bars if I pop them in the freezer for a little while to get nice clean lines. I use a large knife or even a large serrated bread knife.

Warm the knife in some hot water, then slice by pressing straight down into the cheesecake. Don’t drag the knife, instead pull the knife straight back up! Then wipe the knife clean with a paper towel and make the next cut to cleanly cut the bars.

How Do I Make These Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars Ahead Of Time?

These creamy pumpkin cheesecake bars, like most cheesecake freezes really well. I highly recommend making this dessert ahead of time, freezing it, and then enjoying when it’s time to celebrate. Place the bars in a covered freezer safe container or gallon sized freezer safe zip top bag, then just defrost on the counter a little before serving.

Can I Freeze Leftover Bars?

Yes you can freeze sliced bars for later. I like to freeze individually sliced bars on a baking sheet before then adding them to a freezer bag or freezer container. These dessert bars will taste best if enjoyed within 2-3 months.