Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Candied Pecans

These amazing pumpkin cheesecake bars with candied pecans are delicious and so EASY to make! Full of fall spices, the 4 layers come easily together in a sumptuous dessert that is sure to impress at any holiday gathering.

If you can’t decide between a pumpkin pie, a cheesecake or a pecan pie for your Thanksgiving party or for Christmas, these bars will save you and make everyone happy! And the best part, which is hard to believe when you see all these layers stacked on top of each others: these bars are incredibly quick and easy to prepare and assemble. I once started the recipe at 9:30pm and had the dessert ready even before I went to bed. I let it cool overnight, and had it for dessert the following day!

I’m not kidding, these pumpkin cheesecake bars are the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert, the one dessert everyone agrees on. The cheesecake layers balances all the delicious spices from the pumpkin pie layer, while the candied pecans on top add an irresistible crunchy bite. It’s like 3 desserts in one, made easy.

3, no 4 delicious layers!

• The base. I use graham crackers to make the base of the cheesecake. Alternatively you can use Digestive cookies or any other shortbread cookies. Another option consists of using Lotus Biscoff cookies. If doing so, skip the sugar altogether as these cookies are on the very sweet side already.
• Cream cheese layer. This is a very basic cheesecake layer recipe using cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla. Use all ingredients at room temperature and whisk it all until cream. When ready, place in the refrigerator to chill and harden a little.
• Pumpkin pie filling. This foolproof pumpkin filling recipe will blow your mind (see all detailed instructions below).
• Candied pecans. This layer is totally optional and you could enjoy your pumpkin cheesecake bars with just 3 layers. If however you don’t want to miss this crunchy bite on top of your bars, these candied pecans are just one step and 10~ish minutes away from your dream come true!

How to make the best pumpkin pie filling?

The key part of these pumpkin cheesecake bars are the pumpkin pie filling, that I make from scratch. If you have ever baked a pumpkin pie from scratch before, you know that it can take some trials and errors to get the right texture and the right amount of spice. Hopefully, this straight-forward pumpkin pie recipe will spare you this precious time.

I use real, plain ingredients only for the pumpkin pie filling (no condensed milk!): pumpkin puree, heavy whipping cream, eggs, brown and caster sugar, spices, vanilla. My little trick is to combine with one Tablespoon of cornstarch. This ensures you get the pumpkin filling baked through uniformly with the exact desired texture.

Pumpkin pie filling versus pumpkin puree. It seems like a detail but it can change the whole outcome of the recipe, so make sure you use PUMPKIN PUREE (not pumpkin filling) in this recipe.

Can I make my own pumpkin puree? Sure you can! Slice a sugar pie pumpkin, scrape the seeds, and roast it for 45-60 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Allow to cool, scrape the meat, then puree in a food processor. And voilà! Homemade pumpkin puree ready to use!

How to measure pumpkin puree? That’s a tricky question. Ideally it’s preferred to measure the right amount of pumpkin puree in grams rather than measuring in cups, as pumpkin purees can have different ratio of humidity i.e. water. My recommendation is to use 320g (11 ounces) pumpkin puree.

Pro tips to make pumpkin cheesecake bars:

• Use room temperature ingredients for the cheesecake layer, i.e. room temperature cream cheese and eggs. This will make the texture creamier and easier to incorporate to the other ingredients in this recipe.
• Allow the cheesecake layer to chill in the refrigerator before spreading onto the crust. This will help support the pumpkin filling layer on top.
• Allow the pumpkin cheesecake to cool COMPLETELY at room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator. This will avoid cracks and condensation.
• Use a sharp knife to cut these bars. To get clean cuts, place your knife under hot water before using. Wipe, make one cut, wipe, then repeat. Alternatively, you can pre-cut the bars before adding the candied pecans on top. This way you are sure to avoid any mess!

Indulge to these other pumpkin desserts:

• Classic American Pumpkin Pie
• The Best Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls
• Spiced Pumpkin Butter
• Vegan Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Crust
• Easy Pumpkin Cremes Brulées

And for the cheesecake addicts:

• Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
• Pecan Brownie Cheesecake
• Coffee Brownie Cheesecake
• Easy No-Bake Cheesecake
• Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Candied Pecans

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 55 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Yield: 16 servings 1x
• Category: Cakes and pies
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegetarian

These amazing pumpkin cheesecake bars with candied pecans are delicious and so EASY to make! Full of fall spices, the 4 layers come easily together in a sumptuous dessert that is sure to impress at any holiday gathering.

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Ingredients

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For the crust:

• 1 ½ cups (225g) graham crackers or Digestive biscuits, crushed*
• ¼ cup (50g) sugar
• 1/3 cup (80g) unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

• 8.8 ounces (250g) cream cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the pumpkin pie filling:

• 1 1/3 cups (320g) pumpkin puree**, canned (NOT pumpkin filling!)
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup (45g) light or dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup (50g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

For the candied pecans:

• 1 cup (100g) pecans***, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup (100g) sugar
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven at 350°F (180°C) and lightly grease an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) baking dish.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, add biscuit crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Stir with a fork until well incorporated then press into the prepared baking dish.
3. For the cheesecake layer, beat cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes then spoon onto the crust.
4. For the pumpkin pie layer, whisk eggs with pumpkin puree, cream, both sugars, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, and salt. Spoon out 2 Tablespoon of the pumpkin pie filling in a bowl and whisk it with cornstarch until no lumps remains. Add it back to the remaining pumpkin pie filling and stir well.
5. Gently pour pumpkin pie filling onto the cream cheese mixture and bake for 45-55 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely, then place in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours or ideally overnight.
6. For the candied pecans, add chopped pecans, butter and sugar to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until butter has melted and sugar starts to caramelize, stirring constantly, approximately 7-8 minutes.
7. Pour in a single layer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow to cool. Once cooled, break into small pieces to use to top the cheesecake pumpkin bars, pressing with your hands a little bit. Cut into squares, and enjoy!

Notes

* Place biscuits in a large ziploc bag, seal, and using a rolling pin, crush cookies until they resemble graham cracker crumbs. Alternatively, you can pulse a few times in a food processor until it resembles to bread crumbs.

** To make your own pumpkin puree, slice a sugar pie pumpkin, scrape the seeds, and roast it for 45-60 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Allow to cool, scrape the meat, then puree in a food processor. And voilà! Homemade pumpkin puree ready to use!

*** You can replace pecans with walnuts.

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