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Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Soft, tender pumpkin bars swirled with a sweet cream cheese layer and finished with cinnamon sugar. One bowl, one 9x13 pan, and about 20 minutes in the oven. There are no eggs in the pumpkin batter, which gives these bars a brownie texture instead of a cakey one.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Cooling Time 18 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Serving Size 24 bars

Ingredients

Cheesecake Layer

  • 8 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Pumpkin Layer

  • 1 cup butter 2 sticks, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Make the Cheesecake Layer

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper, letting it come up the sides, and lightly grease.
  • Put the whole 8-ounce block of cream cheese in a mixing bowl and cream it just a little before adding anything else. Let it sit out ahead of time and come to room temperature. Cold cream cheese will not smooth out.
  • Add the sugar, then the egg, then the vanilla. Mix until smooth and creamy, scraping the bowl down as you go. That cream cheese likes to stick around the edge.
  • Transfer the mixture to a separate bowl and set it to the side.

Make the Pumpkin Layer

  • Use the same mixing bowl without washing it. Add the softened butter, granulated sugar, and packed brown sugar, and cream together for 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl down.
  • Add the pumpkin, water, and vanilla. Mix until fully combined, scraping down any spots where the butter and sugar have not taken in the pumpkin. It will look a little funky at this point, and that is fine.
  • Add the flour, cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Mix very slowly at first, just until the flour starts to disappear, then turn it up a little. Stop as soon as it looks well combined. You will have a thick batter.

Assemble and Bake

  • Spread the pumpkin batter into the prepared pan. Lightly grease your hands and push it out to the corners and edges, then smooth it with a spatula. Try to get it as even as you can. A little variation is okay.
  • Spoon the cream cheese mixture in dollops around the pan. Take a knife and swirl it down into the pumpkin batter and around. It does not have to be pretty. It bakes together.
  • Stir the topping sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle lightly over the top. You do not want too much.
  • Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Do not over bake. Let the edges just start getting done; the center will still be a little soft, but not raw. Ovens vary, so start checking at 20 minutes.
  • Let the bars cool almost completely, then lift them out by the parchment and cut. They should feel soft and tender and cut through easily.

Video

Notes

  • Use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. The filling is already sweetened and spiced and will throw the recipe off.
  • If you are using homemade pumpkin puree, leave out the two tablespoons of water. Homemade puree naturally holds more moisture.
  • There are no eggs in the pumpkin layer, and that is on purpose. It gives these bars a brownie texture. For a cakier bar, add one egg to the pumpkin mixture.
  • Both the cream cheese and the butter need to be at room temperature for a smooth batter.
  • The parchment sling makes lifting and cutting much easier. Do not skip it.
  • Store covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months.