PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BARS😍

Thanksgiving desserts can be tricky to satisfy everyone - you’ve got apple, pumpkin, pecan, and sweet potato die hards who can be hard to please with just one pie. Solution? These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars 😍 I can guarantee you - EVERYONE will love these. I legit still have people asking me about them 4 years after trying them. Way less fussy than a regular cheesecake, easier than a homemade pie, and SO creamy, you absolutely have to add this to your menu. Only warning - once you make these, you will automatically be assigned dessert every Thanksgiving because no one will let you attend a function without them. 

I recommend making these 2-3 days in advance, and storing them in your fridge until serving. It does need to sit for about 8 hours total, so it’s not a dish you can make day of (not like you’d want to anyway). The other thing I love about these is they’re made in a regular old rectangular casserole dish, so you don’t need to have a springform pan for them. You also don’t need to do a water bath since if the surface cracks, you can just cut the bars where the surface cracked and no one will ever know ;)

Serves 8-10.

Ingredients:

For the Gingersnap Crust:

• 14oz tin of gingersnap cookies (I like the Triple Gingersnap cookies from Trader Joe’s)

• ¾ stick butter

• ½ tsp salt

For the Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars:

• 12 oz light cream cheese

• 12 oz regular cream cheese

• ¾ cup white sugar

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

• 4 medium eggs

• ½ cup maple syrup

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 8 oz sour cream

• 1 can pumpkin puree

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp ginger powder*

• ¼ tsp cloves

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

*you can also sub the ginger, cloves, and nutmeg for 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

For the Gingersnap Crust:

• Pulse gingersnap cookies in a food processor to get fine crumbs.

• Add melted butter and salt and pulse until crumbly

• Butter a 9x13” baking dish and line with 2 pieces of parchment paper so there is overhang on the sides.

• Pour in the gingersnap crust, using the bottom of a measuring cup to press into the pan. Freeze for 10 minutes to set.

For the Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

• Add the cream cheese to a large bowl and whip with a stand or hand mixer for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.

• Add sugar, vanilla extract, salt, eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, and sour cream and whip for 1 more minute until well combined.

• Take ¾ cup of the mixture out and set aside.

• Mix the remaining mixture (the larger mixture still in the bowl) with the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.

• Pour into a the 9x13” baking dish and smooth out the surface.

• Take a spoon and dollop the reserved cheesecake mixture on top, leaving an inch or two between each dollop. Take a toothpick or chopstick and stick it into the white layer, slowly dragging it around in loops to create a swirl up top. 

• Bake for 60-65 minutes until the outside is set but the middle is still a little jiggly. It will continue to set as it sits (do NOT insert a knife to see if it’s done).

• Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let stand at room temperature for 2-3 hours, then transfer to the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.

• Cut into squares and enjoy! Keep in an airtight container in the fridge - it will keep for about 4-5 days.