Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
I've always loved a good cheesecake, and these pumpkin cheesecake bars are the perfect way to enjoy a little pumpkin and a little cheesecake, all in an easy bar form!
Ingredients
- 10 full graham cracker sheets
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted)
- ¼ cup +2 tbsp packed brown sugar (divided)
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ cup canned pumpkin
- 3 large eggs (room temperature, divided)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (divided)
- ¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract, divided)
- 2 8 oz. packages full-fat cream cheese (room temperature)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the edges of the pan. Set aside.
- In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until they become fine crumbs. Add melted butter, ¼ cup of brown sugar, and salt. Process until incorporated and the ingredients become like wet sand.
- Pour crumb mixture into prepared pan. Press evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool slightly and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of flour, pumpkin pie spice, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla bean paste. Set aside.
- Wipe out the food processor bowl with a paper towel. Add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, 2 eggs, sour cream, 1 tablespoon of flour, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste. Process until completely smooth (about 1 minute). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process again for 30 seconds.
- Spread cheesecake mixture evenly over warm crust. Drop spoonfuls of pumpkin mixture over cheesecake mixture. Using a butter knife, lightly swirl the mixtures together, being careful not to scrape the crust. Bake until cheesecake jiggles slightly in the center when pan is nudged, 50-55 minutes.
- Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Chill at least 4 hours or up to overnight before cutting into bars.
Notes
- Store cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
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