Have you started planning your Thanksgiving dinner yet? Well, here is a delicious option you can add to your menu “Pumpkin Cheescake Bars” I love the combination of the slightly tangy cheese with the sweet pumpkin filling. The cookie crust is a recipe that has been in my family for many, many years and it has never failed me, it is just perfect.
I like using Maria cookies because they are slightly sweet and the flavor just takes me back home. You can find these cookies in most supermarkets these days so, if you come across Maria cookies, give them a try, you won’t regret it.
What you need to make Pumpkin Cheescake Bars
*For the crust
Maria cookies. These are my favorite to use when I am making this crust but you can also use graham cracker or vanilla wafers
Butter
Pecans (optional)
*For the pumpkin filling
Pumpkin puree (no to be confused with pumpkin pie filling)
Heavy cream
Eggs
Sweetened condensed milk
Vanilla extract
Spices: Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves
*For the Cheescake
Cream cheese
eggs
Condensed milk
Vanilla
Helpful tips
Make sure the cheescake is not longer hot before transferring to the fridge. It can chill for a couple of hours or overnight. If you want to get a perfect slice, transfer the cheescake to the freezer for about 40 minutes, remove the cheescake from the baking dish, transfer on to a clean surface and with a very sharp knife, slice the cheescake into bars.
Other pumpkin recipes you might like
Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream Sandwiches – Marisol Cooks
Pumpkin Oatmeal Scones – Marisol Cooks
Pumpkin Spice Butter – Marisol Cooks
No Churn Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream – Marisol Cooks
Pumpkin Cheescake Bars
Ingredients
- -For the crust
- 2 sleeves of Maria Cookies (about 280 grams)
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
- -For the Pumpkin filling
- 1 can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- pinch of salt
- -For the Cheescake-
- 1 8oz cream cheese (room temperature
- 1 egg, room temperature
- sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vailla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, pulse de cookies a few times until very fine crumbs. Transfer to a bowl.
- Mix the melted butter with the cookies until it becomes a wet sand like texture. Press the cookie mixture down on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- In a stand mixer whip the heavy cream, pumpkin puree, 1/2 can of condensed milk (a little over 1/2 cup), eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves for about 3 minutes. Pour the mixture over the cookie crust and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the soften cream cheese, eggs, the rest of the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract until smooth and thick about 3-5 minutes.
- Drop tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture all over the pumpkin layer. Using a tooth pick or a wooden skewer, swirl into filling.
- Transfer to a preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes. Let it cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 3 additional hours or overnight.
- Slice into 16-20 bars before serving. Enjoy!
