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Flat lay of cut pumpkin cheesecake bars on a natural wood serving platter with white pumpkins decorating the table.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin and cream cheese? Who can resist this amazing duo? Certainly not me! These silky bar cookies are a delicious dessert for any fall party! Oh, and did I mention they are naturally gluten free? YAY!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Chilling time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 People
Calories 295 kcal

Equipment

  • 9X9 baking pan
  • stand mixer
  • Parchment paper
  • measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients
  

FOR THE PECAN CRUST

  • 1 ½ cups pecans Coarsely ground
  • ⅓ Cup sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons butter melted
  • ½ Cup tapioca flour
  • ½ Teaspoon sea salt

FOR THE PUMPKIN FILLING

  • 15 Ounce pumpkin purée
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk room temperature
  • ¾ Cup heavy cream room temperature
  • ¾ Cup brown sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ Teaspoon Madagascar bourbon vanilla

FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • 8 Ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • ¼ Cup sugar
  • 1 egg room temperature
  • 1 Teaspoon Madagascar bourbon vanilla

Instructions
 

Prepare & Preheat

  1. A flat lay of pumpkin purée, brown sugar, eggs and heavy whipping cream for the pumpkin pie fillling.
    Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with parchment and spray with cooking spray.

Make the Crust

  1. In a food processor, combine pecans, butter, sugar, tapioca flour, and salt. Pulse until pecans resemble coarse sand.
  2. Press into the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool while you prepare the fillings.

Make the Pumpkin Filling

  1. Whisk together pumpkin purée, eggs, heavy cream, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

Make the Cheesecake Filling

  1. In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and egg on medium until light and fluffy ( about 3 minutes).

Assemble

  1. Pour ¾ of the pumpkin filling over the crust.
  2. Dollop the cheesecake filling in a grid pattern over the pumpkin layer.
  3. Flatten dollops slightly with a spatula and pour the remaining pumpkin filling on top.
  4. Swirl with a knife for marbled effect.

BAKE & CHILL

  1. Flat lay of pumpkin cheesecake bars styled on a wire cooling rack surrounded by mini white pumpkins.
    Bake ~40 minutes, edges should be firm and brown, center slightly wobbly. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight before slicing.

Notes

Recipe Card Notes for Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
1. Make-Ahead Tip:
  • These bars actually taste better the next day after chilling overnight. The flavors meld and the bars slice cleaner.
2. Freezing Instructions:
  • Bake and cool completely, then cut into individual bars. Freeze on a parchment-lined sheet for ~6 hours. Transfer to a freezer bag. Eat within 3 weeks for best flavor, up to 2 months is safe.
3. Gluten-Free Tips:
  • Tapioca flour holds the crust together beautifully. If you don’t need gluten-free, you can swap for all-purpose flour or oat flour.
4. Nut-Free Variation:
  • Swap pecans for crushed pretzels or a pre-baked pie crust for nut-free bars.
5. Egg & Cream Tips:
  • Room temperature eggs and cream help the pumpkin and cheesecake fillings blend perfectly. If short on time, set eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 4gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 171mgPotassium: 153mgFiber: 2gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 4688IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 1mg
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