The BEST pumpkin cheesecake bars — a delicious cinnamon graham cracker crust with two layers of cheesecake topped with an easy streusel and caramel sauce. These famous pumpkin cheesecake bars are sure to be a smash hit wherever you serve them!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
This pumpkin cheesecake recipe was originally created in 2014 and since then hundreds of people have made and loved this recipe! It’s been amazing to read the reviews and hear just how much of a hit this pumpkin cheesecake has been. One of the most emailed in questions and requests I get is to make it BIGGER. While the 9 x 9-inch pan is delicious, we’ve heard loud and clear you want a 9 x 13-inch pan of these incredible pumpkin cheesecake bars. So I’ve updated this post with step-by-step pictures, helpful tips, and a new recipe.
But don’t worry, the beloved 9 x 9-inch pan homemade pumpkin cheesecake recipe has not been changed — it’s still the same for those of you that have enjoyed the smaller pan size. Thank you so much for being a part of this site and sharing your pictures and results with this recipe; it truly makes our day to see!
How to make the best pumpkin cheesecake bars:
- Start with making the crust: These bars have a simple graham cracker crumb crust, but you can use a gingersnap crust if desired (recipe below this photo)
- Make the cheesecake: the cheesecake center is pretty standard — cream cheese, sugar, and eggs. You’ll take this mixture and separate it in 2 parts. One part goes right on top of the crust, the other gets pumpkin and pumpkin spices added to it.
- Make the streusel: mix together a few ingredients to make an amazing streusel — crumble it over the bars and bake!
- Top with caramel: you can use pre-made caramel sauce for this pumpkin cheesecake OR grab the ingredients to make one from scratch. Here is my favorite from-scratch caramel sauce recipe.
Can I make this pumpkin cheesecake bars with a gingersnap crust?
Yes! While I’m partial to this cinnamon graham cracker crust, you can definitely make a gingersnap crust. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 and 1/2 cups finely ground gingersnap crumbs (pulse in blender or food processor)
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Stir all of the above ingredients together and use this mixture in place of the graham cracker crust.
Can you freeze these bars?
Unfortunately, these bars do not handle being frozen very well. While many cheesecakes do freeze well, these end up soggy and the streusel becomes very unappealing after being frozen. These bars are best the same day they are made!
Tips to make the perfect pumpkin cheesecake bars:
- Use ROOM TEMPERATURE cream cheese: room temperature cream cheese becomes creamier when it is mixed and it incorporates much better with the other ingredients in this recipe. Quick tip to get room temperature cream cheese: remove the cream cheese from the packaging and microwave in bursts of 15-20 seconds until it is room temperature (not softened or melted at all) It’s also important when you are using room temperature cream cheese that you also use room temperature eggs.
- DON’T OVERMIX the batter: it’s important to mix the cream cheese enough to remove the lumps and to combine the ingredients sufficiently, but over-mixing the batter will introduce too much air into the mixture. Too much air will cause the cheesecake to rise too quickly in the oven and then fall (how you get cracks in your cheesecake). You also want to mix the cheesecake at low and consistent speeds to again reduce the risk of beating in too much air.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool COMPLETELY at room temperature: It’s important to slowly transfer these pumpkin cheesecake bars from heat to cool to avoid cracks and condensation.
- Cut these bars with a hot sharp knife: to get clean cuts, place your knife under hot water. Quickly dry the knife, make one cut, and then repeat.
Here are more pumpkin desserts to serve alongside this pumpkin cheesecake bars:
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Bakery Style Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Ball
Don’t be overwhelmed with the pumpkin cheesecake ingredients — a lot of them overlap in each layer but have been written out twice for ease of reading! 🙂
Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Bars with a Streusel Topping
Ingredients
Crust
- 12 full sheets cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake
- 4 packages (8 ounces each) full fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Streusel and Topping
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup white flour
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (not melted)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Salted or plain caramel to top bars with
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper (leave an overhang to be able to pull out these bars easily) and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the crust ingredients and mix until a thick dough forms. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 8 minutes, remove, allow to cool.
- In another bowl, combine the cream cheese, (VERY important it is at room temperature for a smooth texture. Leave out for at least an hour before baking) sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat with hand mixers until completely smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is combined.
- Remove half of this mixture and pour on top of the prepared crust.
- Add the canned pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to the remaining cheesecake mixture and stir until completely combined.
- Careful not to combine the two layers, pour the pumpkin layer on top of the plain cheesecake layer. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Streusel
- In the same bowl you used for the crust, stir together the brown sugar, white flour, quick cooking oats, and cinnamon. Cut the butter into small cubes. Add in the butter and vanilla and mix together (with a pastry cutter or hands) until well combined. Avoid melting the butter entirely as it makes the streusel too wet. Sprinkle this streusel topping evenly over the pumpkin cheesecake layer.
- Place in the oven and bake for a remaining 25-30 minutes or until the cheesecake has set.
- Allow to cool for about an hour at room temperature and then place in the fridge for 1-2 hours. When cutting into these bars: cut them straight out of the fridge with a HOT and very sharp knife. (I run the knife under hot water, wipe with a towel, make one cut, repeat.)
- Top each bar with caramel topping of choice.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
For the 9 x 9-inch pan (ORIGINAL) recipe:
- 1 and 1/2 cups (~10-11 full sheets) cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 packages (8 ounces each) full fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling and not entire can)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/2 cup white flour
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter softened (not melted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Salted or plain caramel to top bars with
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 9 baking pan with parchment paper (leave an overhang to be able to pull out these bars easily) and set aside.
-
In a bowl, combine the crust ingredients and mix until a thick dough forms. Press evenly into the bottom of the 9 x 9 baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
-
In another bowl, combine the cream cheese, (VERY important it is at room temperature for a smooth texture. Leave out for at least an hour before baking. Microwaving the cream cheese will give it a bumpy texture) sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat with hand mixers until completely smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is combined.
-
Remove 1 and 1/2 cups of this mixture and pour on top of the prepared crust.
-
Add the canned pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to the remaining cheesecake mixture and stir until completely combined.
-
Careful not to combine the two layers, pour the pumpkin layer on top of the plain cheesecake layer. Bake for 30 minutes.
-
In the same bowl you used for the crust, stir together the brown sugar, white flour, quick cooking oats, and cinnamon. Add in the butter and vanilla and mix together until well combined. Avoid melting the butter entirely as it makes the streusel too wet. Sprinkle this streusel topping evenly over the pumpkin cheesecake layer.
-
Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheesecake has set.
-
Allow to cool for about an hour and then place in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
-
Top each bar with caramel topping of choice.
This layered pumpkin cheesecake by allrecipes originally inspired this cheesecake, but after adding a streusel topping and caramel you’ll never want to go back! Also inspired by these caramel apple cheesecake bars.
Hi. Is the white sugar intentionally left out of the crust in the new version of the recipe?
I didn’t feel like it needed the extra tablespoon, but if you want it sweeter you can definitely add it in!
I can’t wait to try these! Question – how much is the “cup” equivalent of graham cracker crumbs for the 9×13 recipe? Thanks!
It should be around 1-1/2 cups! Enjoy!!
These look so good!! Can’t wait to make them, but can I use old fashioned oats instead of quick cooking oats for the streusel??
Stick to quick oats– you can make them with old fashioned (pulse old fashioned oats in blender or food processor a couple times to break down to the size of quick oats)
I’ve made these bars multiple times. It has become one of my family’s
favorites. They often request these
for their birthday meal. Wonderful
recipe. Thank you for sharing!
their special
I am so THRILLED to hear this! Thanks so much Gina! 🙂
Does it have to be quick cooking oats? Or can I use any rolled oats?
If you pulse your rolled oats a few times in a blender or food processor they’ll be about the same size as quick oats!
I’m making it now for Thanksgiving. Can you freeze the cheese cake after baking it for 30 min and letting it cool and then do the streusel when defrosted at a later date and baking it for the remainder 25-30 min and then cooling it?
I don’t think that would work very well unfortunately!