Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars has flavorful pumpkin pie in creamy cheesecake layered on an easy to make graham cracker crust for the perfect fall dessert!
Equipment
- 1 9 x 13 glass baking pan
- 1 parchment paper
- 1 Food Processor can also use a strong zip-top bag with a rolling pin, see notes
- 2 medium sized bowls
- 1 Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Silicone spatula
- 1 Electric Mixer can be a stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Butter knife
- 1 large knife
Ingredients
For The Crust
- 15 sheets graham crackers about 1 ⅔ cups of crumbs, sheets are the rectangular sheets with four pieces
- 10 tablespoons butter salted, melted
For The Cheesecake Filling
- 32 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream
For The Pumpkin Filling
- 1 cup pumpkin puree blot the pumpkin with paper towels before adding it
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice homemade or store-bought
Instructions
Making The Crust
- Line a 9x13 glass 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.
- 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 whip the cream cheese until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- 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 pie 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.
- Scoop about ½ cup at a time and fill the pan with pumpkin filling and cheesecake filling, alternating between the two fillings.
- Using a knife, swirl pumpkin filling with cheesecake filling. Lift the pan and lightly tap on the counter to settle the filling into the pan.
Baking The Bars
- Bake for 40-45 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 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. The top of the bars should be dry when touched lightly.
- 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!
Notes
If you don’t have a food processor you can blend the cookies into crumbs using a gallon size freezer zip-top bag full of the cookies. Gently crush the cookies with a rolling pin or a heavy metal can. (like canned soup or canned vegetables)
Blotting the pumpkin puree with paper towels will help to make sure your cheesecake bars don't become too liquidy. Pumpkin both canned and fresh has a lot of water in it, and the amount of water can vary from can to can based on the pumpkin inside. Blot the pumpkin well before adding it to these cheesecake bars and most baked goods for the best results.
When cutting the bars use a large knife. Keep a paper towel nearby and clean the knife in between each slice for clean slices.
Nutrition
Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2333IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg