I’ve made these several times already, but keep forgetting to take a photo so I can put the recipe up on here. I made them again today for the Halloween party at work and snapped a quick (not so great) photo that will have to do for now! By the time I thought to go take a photo of one of them on their own, it was too late and they had all been snatched up! So the next time I make them I will get a photo that better shows the crust, which is arguably the best part of these bars.
These are ridiculously good. Seriously. They were all gone here at work within about 5 minutes and had rave reviews. They have been solidified as the dessert I’ll be making for Thanksgiving this year (though I haven’t decided yet if I will make them in this same form or if I will make it into a regular cheesecake or mini cheesecakes or what).
They are super easy and quick to put together, the hardest part if waiting for them to cool so you can cut them! It’s important to wait until they’re completely cooled before cutting them though, otherwise they will fall apart. So if you’re going to make these for a holiday or event, I recommend making them the night before.
I’m now left staring at the empty pan at my desk, wishing I had grabbed one for myself. Clearly the only answer is to make them again real soon!
Gingerbread Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For Gingerbread Crust:
- 1+1/2 cups gingersnap cookies (finely crushed)
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter (melted)
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1+1/2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup Note: it must be pure maple syrup (sadly a bit pricy, but totally worth it). If you use the cheaper, "pancake syrup" instead and they come out weird, I take no responsibility. 😉 Seriously, though, use the pure stuff.
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
For Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake:
- 2 (8oz each) bricks of plain creem cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 whole, large eggs
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1+1/4 cups plain pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2+1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
For Gingerbread Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Line the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking pan with parchment paper. *Note: Using the parchment paper is a must. It's the only way to guarantee easy removal of the bars from the pan when they're done. Greasing the pan will not be sufficient and will cause the bars (especially the crust) to fall apart when you try to remove them from the pan. Using the parchment, once they're cooled and cut, you can simply lift them off the paper effortlessly.*
- Combine all of the gingersnap crust ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined. Then, press firmly into the bottom of the baking pan.
- Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. While the crust is baking, make the Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake batter.
For Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Batter:
- Beat the cream cheese with the vanilla and sugar in a large mixing bowl until completely smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, again stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the pumpkin puree, flour and pumpkin pie spice and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Spoon the batter over the pre-baked Gingerbread crust, then use a rubber/silicone spatula to even it out (be careful using the spatula, don’t spread too aggressively or the crust will break apart).
- Bake in the 325 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, until the center is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then refrigerate for several hours before serving.
- For Serving, I recommend a little cool whip or whipped cream with some additional crushed gingersnaps on top (as shown in the photo above).
- Store the bars in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
You could easily switch the method of cooking for this recipe and turn it into mini cheesecakes (if you have a mini cheesecake pan - it would have to be a mini cheesecake pan, not muffin or cupcake pan because it needs the removable bottom) or even one regular-sized cheesecake. Baking time would be shorter for mini cheesecakes, and probably about the same or maybe slightly more for a large cheesecake. Also, if making as a regular-sized cheesecake, I would probably leave the flour out.