Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Made with a gingersnap cookie crust and spiced pumpkin cheesecake filling, these creamy pumpkin cheesecake bars are an ultra cozy fall dessert.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Gingersnap Crust
- 1.5 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs* about 20 cookies
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 15 oz. pumpkin puree 1 standard can
- 8 oz. cream cheese 1 standard block
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs room temperature
Instructions
Gingersnap Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and grease an 8-inch x 8-inch baking dish with coconut oil. Set aside.
- Make the gingersnap cookie crumbs. Place the gingersnap cookies in a food processor and process for about 1 minute until they turn into crumbs.
- Add the cookie crumbs, butter, and coconut to a large bowl. Use a spatula (or your hands) to mix the ingredients together until the crust mixture holds its form.
- Transfer the crust mixture to the prepared baking dish. Use a spatula to flatten the crust mixture evenly into the pan. The more tightly packed the mixture, the better.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes before adding the cheesecake filling. Keep the oven on while you make the filling.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- Place all ingredients (except for the eggs) into a large bowl. Use a handheld mixture set on low/medium speed to mix together until smooth.
- Add the eggs into the bowl with the pumpkin filling. Mix to incorporate the eggs into the filling on the lowest speed. Only mix until the eggs are *just* combined (careful not to over mix).
- Pour the pumpkin filling over the crust. Make sure it's evenly spread out.
- Bake until the center of the bars are gelatin-like, about 38-40 minutes.
- Remove bars from the oven and let cool completely at room temperature. Once cool, transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours before cutting into bars.
- Top with your favorite whipped cream and a dusting of gingersnap crumbs.
Video
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="jWCd1JvL" upload-date="2019-10-11T09:00:00.000Z" name="Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars" description="Say hello to the ultimate harvest dessert! These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with a gingersnap crust and a delicious pumpkin pie cheesecake filling are perfect for wowing your dinner guests, but easy enough for a simple night in."]
Notes
- Storage: Store any leftover cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing Instructions: Once fully cooled, cut the pan of bars into squares, place in a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze until fully frozen. Remove the bars from the freezer, wrap individually in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and place into freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Gingersnap Cookies: Make sure the gingersnap cookies you use are hard and crunchy. The soft kind will not work for this recipe. HERE is the product we tested this recipe with.
- Recipe Update: We updated the recipe on 11/27/19. We had a typo in the recipe saying 2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice. We've decreased it to 2 teaspoons, which is the correct amount!
Nutrition
Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g