Published 10/11/2019 • Updated 10/6/2023 Fall is here which means it’s pumpkin spice season! We’re enjoying plenty of seasonal recipes like these pumpkin muffins and pumpkin ginger molasses cookies, as well as these perfectly spiced pumpkin cheesecake bars. They’re everything we love about classic cheesecake in a nice handheld bar form! Baked to creamy perfection in the oven, the pumpkin cheesecake filling is made with canned pumpkin, cream cheese, and a little flour. They’re sweetened with coconut sugar and maple syrup for a more nutritious option.
What You Need for Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Made with basic fall baking ingredients, these pumpkin cheesecake bars come together quickly and easily. You’ll need:
Gingersnap Cookies: Make sure to use crunchy gingersnap cookies for the crust, not soft gingersnap cookies. We tested this recipe with Nabisco’s Ginger Snaps which were the perfect crunchy texture for gingersnap cookie crumbs. They held up great in crust-form! Butter + Coconut Oil: Room temperature butter and coconut oil add moisture and flavor to the crust, as well as hold it together while it bakes. Take out the butter from the refrigerator about 30 minutes-1 hour before you plan to make the bars so it’s softened and ready to go. Pumpkin: We use 1 standard can (15 ounces) of pumpkin purée for these cheesecake bars. Any brand works! Cream Cheese: Can’t have cheesecake bars without cream cheese! Full-fat block-style cream cheese is best. Pumpkin Pie Spice: Adds warm and cozy pumpkin pie flavor to these bars. Our homemade pumpkin pie spice is a great option, or use your favorite store-bought mix. Sweeteners: We use a combination of pure maple syrup and coconut sugar to sweeten the bars. Maple pairs wonderfully with the other fall flavors! Flour: A little flour thickens the filling and helps it stay intact as the bars bake. Eggs: Bind the filling together. When you take out the butter for the crust, take out the eggs, too. Room temperature eggs combine more easily with the filling ingredients and help to prevent any over-mixing.
Substitutions for Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
With only 10 ingredients, these pumpkin cheesecake bars are already made with pretty simple ingredients. Here are a couple variations to try: Crust: Use a traditional graham cracker crust or a shortbread-style crust instead of a gingersnap cookie crust. For a graham cracker crust, follow the crust instructions in our chocolate chai Greek yogurt cheesecake bars recipe (omit the cocoa powder). For a shortbread crust, follow the crust instructions in our apple pie bars recipe. Pumpkin: Instead of pumpkin, use the same amount of sweet potato purée for sweet potato cheesecake bars. Sugar: If you don’t have coconut sugar on hand, the same amount of brown sugar works in a pinch.
Storage
These are such a great make-ahead holiday recipe! After cooling completely, tightly cover the pan of bars with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days before slicing and serving. Store any leftover cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Bar Recipes
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie Bars Apple Pie Bars Cherry Cobbler Bars Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Pecan Pie Bars Pumpkin Pie Bars
Freezing Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin cheesecake bars freeze beautifully! Once fully cooled, cut the pan of bars into squares, place in a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze until fully frozen. Remove the bars from the freezer, wrap individually in aluminum foil or plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn, and place into freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
While delicious without toppings, jazz up these pumpkin cheesecake bars with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream, a sprinkle of chopped walnuts or pecans, a drizzle of salted caramel, or a dusting of gingersnap crumbs. They’re a cozy way to end any fall meal!
