Homemade Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Every single fall I get in the mood for pumpkin spice recipes. I crave all things pumpkin!
Have you ever made pumpkin cheesecake bars? They are so simple to make and feed a crowd! They are perfect for your holiday gathering, a church potluck, or just because you’re hungry for pumpkin. I love these for a weeknight dessert!
Let me show you just how easy these are to make homemade! No reason to ever buy store bought again!
It’s broken down into three simple sections of creating. The crust, the cheesecake middle and the delicious streusel for the top.
First gather up you’re ingredients.
Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crushed into crumbs
- 6 tbsp unsalted melted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Cheesecake Ingredients:
- 2 (8oz) boxes cream cheese, at room temp
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Streusel ingredients:
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup unsalted sweet cream butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
If you love pumpkin you are going to love this! Now, let’s put it all together!
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Line your 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper. This will make removing them from the baking pan (and cleanup) so much easier.
In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the crust. Mix them well until it forms a thick dough. I like to use a rubber spatula to mix this up.
Once it is mixed well, press the dough evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan that is lined with parchment paper.
In large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is combined with the cream cheese mixture.
Next you want to remove 1 and 1/2 cups of the cream cheese mixture and pour it on top of the crust.
Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to the remaining cheesecake mixture and stir until completely combined. You want to be careful not to combine the two layers, pour the pumpkin layer on top of the plain cheesecake layer.
Now it’s time to make the streusel. I love a good streusel in the fall!
Grab a medium mixing bowl and stir together the brown sugar, flour, oats, and cinnamon.
Once that is well combined, add in the room temperature butter and vanilla and mix together until well combined.
Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the pumpkin cheesecake layer.
Pop it in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until the cheesecake has set. Your house will smell amazing while this is baking!
You want to let it cool for about an hour and then pop it in the fridge for at least an hour… two hours if you can. This will make it easier to slice the bars. Using a good serrated knife will help with the slice too.
Cut it into bars and you’re all done!
What is Streusel
Streusel is a great way to add a crumb-like topping to a simple dessert or treat and make it amazing.
Most streusels include brown sugar and dry uncooked oats and then you add melted butter to make the two kind of stick together.
It’s a great addition to your fall dessert!
Desserts for a Crowd
Sweet treats like pumpkin cheesecake bars are perfect for a crowd.
Make them the day before and cut them into bars.
Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge and then take to your church pot luck, for a bake sell, or for your Thanksgiving or Halloween festivities.
Storing Pumpkin Bars
If making these in advance or storing the leftovers, you defiantly want to store them in the refrigerator.
A container like this is perfect once you’ve sliced them into bars.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Without Streusel
If you don’t want the crumb topping, this swirled pumpkin cheesecake is epic!
It is cut into bars too and is super delicious.
And, if you love cheesecake recipes we have a ton you might like too!
Homemade Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
- Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crushed into crumbs
- 6 tbsp unsalted melted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- Cheesecake Ingredients:
- 2 (8oz) boxes cream cheese, at room temp
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Streusel ingredients:
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup unsalted sweet cream butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper.
- Combine all the ingredients for the crust and press firmly into the line baking pan.
- In another large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Blend until completely smooth.
- Add in one egg at a time and continue to blend.
- Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the cream cheese mixture to the top of the crust.
- Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to the rest of the cream cheese mixture. Pour it over the top of the first layer but do not mix.
- Combine the brown, oats, flour, and cinnamon. Add the softened butter and cinnamon and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the cheesecake mixture.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until cheesecake mixture has become firm. Allow to cool completely before serving.