These amazing Swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars have a buttery graham cracker crust, spiced pumpkin pie filling and a sweet, thick cheesecake swirled through them!
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Swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Hello my fellow Pumpkin Lovers! It’s so good to see all of you again and bring you my first pumpkin recipe of the year! We are kicking off this Fall season with Swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars! Do they look a little familiar?
These glorious Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are a fun twist on my now famous Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins. Those swirls of pumpkin and cream cheese just draw me in with their looks and then after one bite, I’m hooked!
These bars start with a buttery graham cracker crust and then a layer of spiced pumpkin pie filling is spread on top. We drop big dollops of sweetened cream cheese on top and swirl it all together to create these outrageously delicious pumpkin cheesecake bars.
Can I make these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars ahead?
Yes! Absolutely! It’s what makes them the perfect pumpkin dessert for a party. You can make these up to a couple of days ahead and store them in the fridge for an event.
They have to be kept chilled and serve them cold from the fridge when you are ready, just like you would a cheesecake. They are also delicious served with a dollop of whip cream on top, if you happen to have it on hand. Bonus points if it’s cinnamon whipped cream!
Ingredients
You will need ingredients to make the curst, pumpkin layer and cream cheese swirls. It may look like a lot, but most of the ingredients are repeated in each category!
Graham Cracker Crust:
- graham cracker crumbs
- granulated sugar
- melted butter
Pumpkin Layer:
- canned pumpkin (pure pumpkin – not pumpkin pie mix)
- heavy cream
- eggs
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- pumpkin pie spice
Cheesecake Swirl:
- cream cheese
- egg + an extra egg yolk
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
Canned Pumpkin
This recipe uses an entire can of pumpkin, so you will thankfully not have any leftover to go to waste! Like most pumpkin baking recipes, you want to use pure canned pumpkin puree. You do not want to buy a can of pumpkin pie filling. Make sure and check your can to ensure you have the correct one.
Gingersnap Crust vs Graham Cracker Crust
Instead of a graham cracker crust, you can also use crumpled up gingersnap cookies for a gingersnap crust. Both crusts are absolutely delicious and I struggled with which one to share for the recipe on the blog post. I went with a graham cracker crust because it is the most classic crust for cheesecake bars, however the gingersnap crust is also beyond delicious.
How to make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars:
These pumpkin cheesecake bars may look very impressive, but they are surprisingly easy to whip together.
- First we start with the crust: crushed graham crackers (or gingersnaps), butter and sugar pressed into the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Whip together the pumpkin pie layer, seasoned with pumpkin spice, and pour it on top of the graham cracker layer.
- Then we beat together the cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Pour it on top of the pumpkin layer and then drag a knife through the cheesecake and pumpkin layers to create a marbled look.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, cool and refrigerate. Serve chilled!
These Swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are seriously scrumptious and an amazing Fall dessert. Serve them chilled with a warm cup of coffee on a chilly Fall night and they are absolute perfection. My husband already is begging me to make another batch AND to also make another batch to bring to his family’s Thanksgiving dinner!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment/review below letting me know how they turn out for you!
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Check out these reader favorites: the best Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Pie Crisp, my easy Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake and a quick and easy Pumpkin Sheet Cake!
Swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 10 tablespoons melted butter
Pumpkin Layer:
- 1 can 15 oz pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Cheesecake Swirl:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or foil.
Graham Cracker Crust:
- In a medium sized bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter until crumbly. Press into the prepared baking pan.
Pumpkin Layer:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients (pumpkin puree, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice). Pour on top of graham cracker layer.
Cheesecake Swirl:
- In a medium bowl, beat all ingredients (cream cheese, egg, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla extract) with electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed.
- Spoon tablespoonfuls of cheesecake filling on top of pumpkin layer. With a knife, carefully swirl cheesecake filling into pumpkin mixture to create marbled look. Be careful to not disturb the bottom graham cracker layer while swirling the top two layers.
- Bake for 37 to 42 minutes or until center is set. Cool for 30 minutes and then refrigerate for 2 hours, until chilled.
- Slice into squares and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Categories:
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These were easy to make and a hit! I do have leftovers though. Can I freeze what’s left?
I love this recipe! I make it every Christmas for my family gathering. These are delicious!
I find there’s way too much cream cheese and will plan to cut that portion in half the next time I make them.
I made it for the first time and I believe I can answer the problems of the one gal who hates this recipe. If your cream cheese isn’t room temperature, it is much harder to get it to incorporate. Leaving it lumpy with flavors not working together. There is also butter that has cream in it, that will not melt correctly. It will be gritty no matter what, and the breadcrumbs won’t have a good taste. The butter must be completely melted, no pieces left. We love it!
I’ve attempted these in the past and found the same thing as this time, that the bake time ends up being way longer than what’s listed. I ended up adding at least another 20 minutes but they seem to have turned out great! Can’t wait to cut into them tomorrow for Thanksgiving 🙂
Hi Maddie! It can differ with ovens, but I’m glad they are delicious! Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving!
I knew I wanted to make this as soon as I saw your recipe. I made it and gave it to my sister, who lives here on O’ahu in Hawai’i. I saw her this past Sat.
She and her family loved it! She texted me and said it was ONO, which means delicious in Hawaiian.
I cut a corner piece before I gave her the pan and I love it, too!
I’m making it again tomorrow to give it to her on Wednesday the 16th.
Mahalo (thank you in Hawaiian) for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed them Alexis! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
These are a go to for me! My family loves them! So much so that I have to make 2 pans Thank you for such a great recipe!!
I just made it again! It is the MOST Delicious! I could just eat and eat till it’s all gone but I space it out about 3 days! I do share some with my neighbor and she loves it too!
This is the worst receipt ever instructions were shady needed way more cream cheese also the pumpkin purée and cream cheese should be mixed not layered. Don’t follow this recipe they will turn out like shit. ABSOLUTE TRASH
Thanks for the entertaining review of your receipt Brooke!
Your recipe goes back and forth on the pumpkin….You mention a 15 oz can of pumpkin….the pumpkin pie mix comes in a 15 oz size but the puree does not. Are you getting the two confused?
Hi Adrianne! No, I am not confused. You want to use regular pure canned pumpkin. You do not want to use pumpkin pie mix. And also yes, canned pumpkin does come in a 15 oz can. Hope this helps!
I’ve made these several times since finding your recipe. They’re perfect and so good! Thank you so much for sharing.
Made these today for the first time and I am impressed. These are easy and delicious. Just make sure to cook them enough- I almost took out too early but decided they needed an extra few minutes and they were perfect. Everyone loves!
I made these exactly according to the recipe and it taste well, however the inside is wet even after 45 minutes out to cool and 4 hours in the fridge. Did it not bake long enough?
Hi Christine! They should be a pumpkin pie like texture. If they are loose or watery, yes I would say they sound like they didn’t bake quite long enough.
This is my THIRD time making these since Fall started. My family loves these so much. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
This is literally my favorite recipe! I find myself making these time after time & everyone loves them! I use parchment paper rather than tin foil and add salt to each filling, including the crust. I also prebake the crust at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes and leave to cool before pouring the fillings.
One issue I seem to have is during the cooling process. Even after an hour and a half of being left out to cool, condensation forms on the cling wrap and ends up getting all over the cheesecake, causing it to get soggy almost or like curdled.
Sometimes that happens with cheesecake, definitely frustrating when it does! I like to place a paper towel on top and then my cling wrap, it usually helps a ton or prevents it completely! Hope this helps!
These were not very good. The first recipe that I’ve thrown away. Had a guest try them & we agreed the pumpkin portion reminded us of “baby food”. They looked good but won’t be repeating this recipe
[…] Pumpkin cheesecake bars […]
Well, I finally tried these over the holiday. I loved the idea of gingersnaps for the crust, but didn’t have any, and didn’t want to make any. Instead I put 1 1/4 tsp round ginger in the graham crackers. Also, I used a whole heaping TBSP of up pumpkin pie spice. I put this in a 7×10 fat daddy 3 inch deep baking pan, lined with parchment. It is my go to pa as I only have a toaster oven.(I live in a studio apartment with no oven) Baked for the same amount of time. Allowed to cool. So nice. Didn’t last long.
I just made these and when I sliced into them, they were incredibly runny. It didn’t set like a normal pumpkin dessert. I followed the recipe exactly except used half and half instead of the cream. Is that why??
Sounds like they didn’t cook long enough to me.
Followed the directions exactly except skipped the tin foil/ parchment paper and just sprayed pan with cooking spray. They did not stick and came out perfect. Super easy and delicious! Will definitely be making these again!