Dessert bars are the perfect take-along treat for the holidays. You'll love how easy and shareable these marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are, and everyone else will love how elegant they look and how decadent they taste. Make your own graham cracker crust and layer on sweetly-spiced pumpkin cheesecake. Bake 'em, slice 'em, and pass 'em around.
3 8-ozpackages full fat cream cheesesoftened to room temperature
1cpacked light brown sugar
4large eggsat room temperature
½cfull fat sour cream
2teaspoonvanilla
2tablespoonall-purpose flour
1cuppumpkin puree
1teaspooncinnamon
½teaspoonallspice
½teaspoonginger
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 2-quart square or rectangular casserole dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil (8” x 8” or 8” x 12” work best for deep dish cheesecake bars).
Divide butter into 8 pieces and place into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 seconds intervals, or until melted.
Place the graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 10-15 seconds or until pulverized, then scrape down the sides if needed. Add the sugar and salt, then pulse briefly to incorporate. Pour in the melted butter and pulse several more times until the butter is completely worked into the crumbs.
Pour the crust into the prepared baking dish and use the bottom of a small glass to tamp it down into an even, compact layer. Bake the crust for 10 minutes; remove from the oven and transfer to a baking rack to cool.
Reduce oven heat to 325°F.
Combine cream cheese and brown sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high until creamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition.
Add sour cream, flour, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Remove 1.5 cups of batter from the bowl and set aside.
Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, allspice and ginger to the remaining batter and mix until smooth. Pour this pumpkin cheesecake layer over the crust and smooth with a spatula.
Pour this pumpkin cheesecake layer over the crust and smooth with a spatula.
Dollop the remaining plain cheesecake evenly across the top of the pumpkin layer. Gently drag a butter knife up and down through the center of the dollops to create a swirl effect.
Place the casserole dish into a roasting pan or larger cake pan (I used a large sheet cake pan). Bring several cups of water to a boil, then pour enough boiling water into the large pan to reach halfway up the sides of the cheesecake dish.
Transfer to the oven and bake 55-60 minutes until the edges are set and center is sightly jiggly. Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and allow the cheesecake to cool inside the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature, then transfer to the fridge to finish cooling. Lift the cheesecake from the casserole dish using the parchment edges, then place on a cutting board. Slice into 12 bars using a chef's knife that's been warmed under hot running water.
Notes
Leftovers: Cover leftovers loosely with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Yep, these babies can be frozen! Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place individual bars on the baking sheet about an inch apart. Freeze uncovered until solid, about an hour. Then transfer the individually frozen bars into a plastic container and separate each bar with a sheet of parchment paper. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Slicing: for perfect edges, run a chef's knife under hot water for 10-15 seconds, quickly dry with a towel, then slice. Wipe the knife and re-warm between cuts.