These Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bars are THE dessert you need to make this year for Thanksgiving. If you saw my blooper, you know how much I loved these. They’re a fun and festive spin on the more traditional pumpkin pie and perfect to make a day ahead. They’re rich, creamy, delicious, and packed with holiday flavor. Plus, they’re so easy to make! Hope you love it as much as we do!
All you have to do is quickly bake your gingersnap crust, combine the cheesecake ingredients, and pour the mixture onto your crust. Then bake for about 55 minutes, let cool, refrigerate overnight, and enjoy.
How To Make My Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bars
Here’s a video of how I made my Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bars. For another delicious dessert, check out my Coconut Tres Leches Cake recipe!
Ingredients – Crust
- 2 packs/sleeves Honey Graham Crackers (or 2 cups Graham Cracker crumbs)
- 15 ginger snap cookies
- 2 tablespoons demerara sugar (raw cane sugar)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Ingredients – Cheesecake
- 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 3 eggs, room temperature
Step-By-Step Recipe Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9″ x 13″ pan, then set aside.
- Blitz the graham crackers and the ginger snaps in a food processor until fine. Then pour it into a bowl and mix in the demerara sugar and salt. Next, pour in the melted butter and mix until well absorbed. Place the mixture into the greased pan, using something flat to press down. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add in the sour cream, pumpkin puree, vanilla, salt, and pumpkin pie spice, then mix until it’s just combined.
- With the mixer on medium low, add in the eggs one at a time (adding in the next one once the previous one is fully mixed in). Once the last egg is mixed in, stop mixing. Over-mixing can cause the cheesecake to crack.
- Meanwhile, place an oven safe baking dish/pan with hot water on the rack below where the cheesecake will be. This ensures moisture while cooking and will prevent it from drying out.
- Pour the cheesecake batter onto the cooled crust. Bake it at 350 degrees uncovered for about 55 minutes, checking in at the 35 minute mark to ensure the top isn’t getting too brown. If it is, lightly tent with foil for the remaining 20 minutes of total bake time. Once ready, you should be able to wiggle the middle a bit but it shouldn’t be liquidy. Let it cool and then place it in the fridge to chill overnight. Cut into the cheesecake bars and serve with your favorite toppings!