Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are everything you want in a fall dessert. Rich, creamy, and full of pumpkin spice flavor, they are absolutely scrumptious.

Course cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 55

chill time 8

Total Time 9 25

Servings bars

Calories 368kcal

Author Dina

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
32 oz full fat cream cheese softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
15 oz canned pumpkin puree
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs room temperature

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fº and line a 9x13 inch baking dish with foil and coat it with nonstick spray.
Add 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 cup unsalted melted butter into a large bowl and mix everything together thoroughly.
Pour the graham cracker mixture into your prepared baking dish and evenly press it on the bottom. I used the bottom of a measuring cup to compress the crust well. Now bake at 350 degrees Fº for 10 minutes. Then let it cool.
In an extra large prep bowl, add 32 oz (4 bricks) of softened full fat cream cheese along with 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar. Use an electric hand mixer to beat everything together until smooth, creamy, and clump-free.
Now add 1/3 cup sour cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp salt, 15 oz canned pumpkin puree, and 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. Then mix everything together on medium-high speed.
Lastly add 4 room temperate eggs to the cheesecake batter. Tip: you can bring cold eggs to room temperature by submerging them in hot water for about 8-10 minutes. Mix the eggs in at the lowest speed on your mixer. Mix just until you no longer see yellow streaks for them egg yolks. You want to avoid over-mixing or else the incorporated air will cause your cheesecake to crack.
Now preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fº and bake your pumpkin cheesecake on the center rack for about 40-45 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles. Allow to cool at room temperature for about 1 hour before placing it in the fridge to set for another 8 hours. Slice and serve chilled with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Notes

Press the crust mixture down- I used the bottom of a measuring cup rather than my hands to compress the crust down well into the baking dish.
Don't overmix the filling and eggs- You want to avoid overmixing or else the incorporated air will cause your cheesecake to crack. Just mix until there are no streaks from the yolks left.
Take it out while still jiggly- The center will be a little jiggly when you remove it from the oven. It will set as it cools, so don't worry. This avoids overbaking, which can cause cracking.
Let the cheesecake cool before chilling- You don't want to crack the cheesecake by changing the temperature drastically. Let it come to room temp before chilling it in the fridge.

Nutrition