These pumpkin cheesecake bars are made with a spiced graham cracker crust, spiced and creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling, and topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce!
This recipe is very easy to make and takes simple ingredients to prepare! You will love the combination of the creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling with freshly made whipped cream and caramel sauce.
This combination is out of this world!
If you like pumpkin desserts, check out our pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust, mini pumpkin cheesecakes, pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting, banana pumpkin muffins, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin snickerdoodles, and pumpkin cheesecake.
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Why this recipe works
- It is made with a creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling that is spiced with delicious fall spices.
- This cheesecake is made in a 9 by 9 inch pan which is the perfect serving size.
- It is topped with freshly made whipped cream and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce.
- Takes 15 minutes to prep! And the topping is super easy to make.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
For the crust
Graham crackers- you will need about 1 ¼ cups of graham crackers. If you don’t have graham crackers, you can use tea biscuits, vanilla wafers, and digestive biscuits.
Melted butter– melt the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds pulses, to make sure that the butter doesn’t boil up and explode in the microwave (been there done that), or melt it on the stovetop.
Cinnamon- I love adding cinnamon to this crust for extra flavor.
Kosher salt- adding salt adds a nice flavor to the crust.
Granulated sugar- add 2 tablespoon of granulated sugar to the crust.
For the filling
Cream cheese- use full-fat cream cheese, and make sure that it’s at room temperature.
Pumpkin puree- we like making our own pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkins. You can use either canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree, make sure that you strain the extra liquids from your fresh pumpkins. You will need ½ cup of pumpkin puree.
Brown sugar- adds a nice texture and a rich flavor to the cheesecake.
Granulated sugar- you will need one cup of granulated sugar for this recipe. The cheesecake will be sweet, but not too sweet. One cup of sugar is the perfect balance of sweetness for this recipe.
Sour cream- we suggest using full-fat sour cream for this recipe. The sour cream makes the cheesecake batter creamier and lighter.
Eggs- you will need 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk for this recipe. To get a perfect classic cheesecake, make sure that the eggs are at room temperature.
Cinnamon- we love adding cinnamon to pumpkin-flavored desserts, it adds so much flavor that compliments the pumpkin flavor.
Ginger- use ground ginger for this recipe. You can add any of your favorite fall spices like cloves, allspice, and pumpkin spice.
Vanilla extract- vanilla extract adds extra flavor.
Kosher salt- we like using kosher salt in baking.
Cornstarch- use cornstarch or flour. Either one will work.
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prep a parchment paper-lined 9 by 9 baking pan.
Into a small to medium mixing bowl, add the graham crackers crumbs, cinnamon, sugar, and kosher salt. Mix with a spoon until well combined.
Add the melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the crumbs are coated with butter.
Transfer the crumbs into a prepared 9 by 9-inch pan, pressing evenly and firmly into the pan. Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 5-8 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 140c (280f). In a big mixing bowl, add the room-temperature cream cheese, and sour cream, and mix with an electric hand mixer until the cream cheese is creamy.
Add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, ginger, and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.
Whisk the eggs with a fork and add them to the mixture. Add the pumpkin puree and mix until well combined. Do not over-mix.
Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust, and release air bubbles by gently tapping the pan onto a flat surface.
Bake the cheesecake in a 140c (280f) preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly.
Open the oven door halfway, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature for 1-2 hours.
After the cheesecake is cooled, wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap tightly, and place the cheesecake in the fridge to cool completely for at least 5 hours.
Make the whipped cream
Into a large mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Whip with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
Top the chilled cheesecake with the whipped cream and smooth an even layer on top of the cheesecake. I like creating a wave pattern using a spatula for extra texture.
Top it with a drizzle of caramel sauce. Sprinkle cinnamon, slice, and serve!
Expert Tips
- Make sure that you are using room-temperature cream cheese in this recipe, this step makes it easier to mix the cream cheese with no unnecessary lumps, we don’t want that.
- Use high-fat cream cheese or the well-known Philadelphia cream cheese. Using full-fat cream cheese ensures that your cheesecake will be stable and will not crack.
- Let your cheesecake cool in the fridge for at least 5 hours. We know it’s very hard to resist eating this delicious cheesecake right away, but you have to let the cheesecake cool and set it in the pan. We like to let the cheesecake sit in the fridge overnight.
- For a smooth and creamy cheesecake, make sure that you are using room-temperature ingredients. Before you begin to make this cheesecake, make sure that your cream cheese is completely soft, and that your eggs are at room temperature.
- Don’t overbeat the mixture! It's really easy to overbeat the mixture, and that is one of the most common mistakes. To avoid overbeating your mixture, make sure that you lower the speed of the hand mixer and add each egg at a time.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no cream cheese lumps.
- Don't open the oven door before the cake is fully baked or about to be baked! Drastic changes in the temperature of the cake while baking can cause the cake to collapse or crack.
Faq's
Overbaking cheesecake is a common mistake that causes the cheesecake to crack or even burn.
You will know that your cheesecake is done baking when you see that the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly. The middle of the cake will be set in the cooling process.
I made this cheesecake in a 9 by 9 inch baking pan, but you can use an 8 by 8 inch baking pan. Take into consideration that the bars will be thicker.
Cutting cheesecake, the right way is essential. To get even and clean cheesecake slices, make sure that you are using a serrated knife.
Our favorite way to cut cheesecake and cakes is by dipping a long knife into hot water, once the knife warms up, wipe off the excess water, and slice the cake. Dip and wipe the knife between every slice.
Yes. If you want to double this recipe, use a 13 by 9 inch baking pan and bake for 5-10 more minutes.
Storing
Store this cheesecake in the fridge (because it contains dairy) covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
Freezing
This cheesecake freezes great! to freeze this cheesecake, bake it according to the instructions, then cool it according to the instructions in the fridge.
When the cake is completely cooled, you can freeze the cake covered in a few layers of plastic wrap or foil. This cheesecake will freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the cheesecake in the fridge overnight.
Variations
Gluten-free- This recipe is really easy to turn gluten-free, simply replace the graham crackers with gluten-free graham crackers, or with gluten-free digestive biscuits. Also, replace the flour with cornstarch.
Digestive biscuits- People outside of America usually don’t have graham crackers. Don’t worry! You can use tea biscuits, vanilla wafers, and digestive biscuits.
Substitutions
Gingersnap- use gingersnap cookies for the crust instead of regular graham crackers! Just like I did in my mini pumpkin cheesecakes recipe.
More pumpkin recipes
Pumpkin scones- These easy and moist pumpkin scones are made with pumpkin puree, and fall spices, and are topped with a delicious glaze and chopped pecans.
Chewy pumpkin cookies- These chewy pumpkin cookies are crispy on the edges, chewy and soft in the middle, and it is spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
Gluten free pumpkin bars- These gluten free pumpkin bars are soft and have a moist crumb, and are topped with a silky smooth cream cheese frosting.
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ¼ cups Graham crackers crumbs
- 2 tablespoon Granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 115 g Butter melted
Filling
- 450 g Cream cheese full fat, room temp
- â…“ cup Sour cream
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger
- 2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ cup Pumpkin puree
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Egg yolk
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
Whipped cream
- 1 cup Heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoon Powder sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoon Caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 180c (350f) and prep a parchment paper-lined 9 by 9 baking pan.
- Into a small to medium mixing bowl, add the graham crackers crumbs, cinnamon, sugar, and kosher salt. Mix with a spoon until well combined.
- Add the melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the crumbs are coated with butter.
- Transfer the crumbs into a prepared 9 by 9-inch pan, pressing evenly and firmly into the pan. Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 5-8 minutes.
- Lower the temperature to 140c (280f). In a big mixing bowl, add the room-temperature cream cheese, and sour cream, and mix with an electric hand mixer until the cream cheese is creamy.
- Add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, ginger, and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.
- Whisk the eggs with a fork and add them to the mixture. Add the pumpkin puree and mix until well combined. Do not over-mix.
- Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust, and release air bubbles by gently tapping the pan onto a flat surface.
- Bake the cheesecake in a 140c (280f) preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the edges of the cheesecake are set, but the middle is a bit jiggly.
- Open the oven door halfway, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature for 1-2 hours.
- After the cheesecake is cooled, wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap tightly, and place the cheesecake in the fridge to cool completely for at least 5 hours.
Make the whipped cream
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Whip with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Top the chilled cheesecake with the whipped cream and smooth an even layer on top of the cheesecake. I like creating a wave pattern using a spatula for extra texture.
- Top it with a drizzle of caramel sauce. Sprinkle cinnamon, slice, and serve!
Notes
- Make sure that you are using room-temperature cream cheese in this recipe, this step makes it easier to mix the cream cheese with no unnecessary lumps, we don’t want that.
- Use high-fat cream cheese or the well-known Philadelphia cream cheese. Using full-fat cream cheese ensures that your cheesecake will be stable and will not crack.
- Let your cheesecake cool in the fridge for at least 5 hours. We know it’s very hard to resist eating this delicious cheesecake right away, but you have to let the cheesecake cool and set it in the pan. We like to let the cheesecake sit in the fridge overnight.
- For a smooth and creamy cheesecake, make sure that you are using room-temperature ingredients. Before you begin to make this cheesecake, make sure that your cream cheese is completely soft, and that your eggs are at room temperature.
- Don’t overbeat the mixture! It's really easy to overbeat the mixture, and that is one of the most common mistakes. To avoid overbeating your mixture, make sure that you lower the speed of the hand mixer and add each egg at a time.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure that you have a homogeneous mixture that has no cream cheese lumps.
- Don't open the oven door before the cake is fully baked or about to be baked! Drastic changes in the temperature of the cake while baking can cause the cake to collapse or crack.
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