Perfectly fall spiced pumpkin pie is swirled into rich decadent cheesecake baked on a crisp Biscoff cookie crust! These Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars are the best Autumn dessert ever!
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I’m a huge fan of dessert bars. They’re so versatile and easy, and there’s a dessert bar version of every sweet treat you can think of: cakes, cookies, pies, cobblers – all of them can come in the form a dessert bar. The best dessert bars are easy to make and serve but still bring major flavor! That’s what you’ll get with these pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars! They’re just in time for your fall celebrations and certain to be a hit!
I have a confession: I haven’t always been a fan of pumpkin pie. I had it every so often growing up, mostly in the “Thanksgiving-themed” cafeteria meals at school (remember those?) but I always preferred sweet potato pie. But let me tell you — this recipe has made a convert out of me! Nothing will match my family’s sweet potato pie recipes, but the flavors and textures in these pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars are SO good!
Perks and Highlights of the Best Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Cuisine Inspiration: American Desserts with a Fall Twist Get ready for a treat that screams U.S. of Yay with a hint of autumn splendor! Our Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars blend classic American cheesecake richness with the seasonal charm of pumpkin.
Primary Cooking Method: Baking These beauties need some oven lovin’! Baking helps get that perfect cheesecake texture while letting the pumpkin flavors bloom.
Dietary Info: Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Options Perfect for our vegetarian friends, and easily adaptable for our gluten-free buddies too! Just swap in your favorite GF graham crackers for the crust, and you’re golden.
Key Flavor: Creamy Cheesecake meets Spiced Pumpkin Imagine the love child of sumptuous cheesecake and homely pumpkin pie. That’s the flavor wonderland these bars transport you to!
Skill Level: Intermediate No pastry chef degree required, but a bit of baking experience will come in handy. You got this, kitchen warrior!
Special Perks:
- Crowd-Pleaser: These bars are a universal delight – perfect for gatherings, potlucks, or satisfying midnight cravings.
- Instagrammable: Not only tasty, but these swirls are also a feast for the eyes (and your social media feed)!
- Freezable: Made too much? No prob! These bars freeze like a dream.
- Versatile: Play around! Try adding a chocolate drizzle or a nutty crust for a fun twist.
- Seasonal Star: The ideal way to embrace the fall season and all its flavorful glory.
Ingredients
These pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars come together in four layers – the Biscoff® cookie crust, the creamy vanilla cheesecake, the pumpkin pie layer, and a little more cheesecake on top for that gorgeous swirl! And trust me, this dessert only looks difficult — each layer is so easy to whip up and takes just a few ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
The Biscoff® cookie crust
- Crushed Biscoff® cookies – you can either crush them in a freezer bag using a rolling pin, or just use a food processor
- Brown sugar – I love to use brown sugar in cookie crusts, because it just adds more depth to the sweetness. It also helps the crust stick together a bit more.
melted unsalted butter – brings the crust together and makes it so delicious and buttery!
Cheesecake layer (and marble topping — two layers in one!)
- Cream cheese (room temperature) – see below for some of my favorite tips to get your cream cheese to room temperature, even when you’re pressed for time!
- Sour cream (room temperature) – just like the cream cheese and the egg, your sour cream should also be room temperature. Cold ingredients like sour cream prevent the batter from coming together smoothly. And we don’t want a lumpy cheesecake layer!
- Granulated sugar – to give our cheesecake layer just the right amount of sweetness
- Pure vanilla extract – I love the flavor that pure vanilla brings to baked goods. In these bars, it’s the perfect complement to the spices that come later in the pumpkin layer!
- Pinch of salt – or 1/16 of a teaspoon, if you have a measuring spoon that small! If not, just grab some salt in between your fingers and throw it in. It’ll help bring out the tang of the cream cheese and the flavor of the vanilla.
- An egg (room temperature) – your egg should also be room temperature to mix better in the batter and ensure even cooking time. See below for a tip to get your eggs to room temperature, fast!
Pumpkin Pie Layer
- Pumpkin purée – the cans that say “100% PUMPKIN,” not pumpkin pie filling. We want just pumpkin purée so that you can customize the flavor with our own ingredients!
- Brown sugar – more of that rich sweetness from the crust! Perfect to complement the spicy fall flavors in this layer.
- Heavy cream (room temperature) – this is how we get that unforgettable pumpkin pie texture!
- Pure vanilla extract – very necessary for the flavors in this pumpkin pie layer.
quick pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves) – I like this combination for these pumpkin cheesecake bars, but if you have some store-bought pumpkin pie spice, you can use that too! - Salt – brings out the flavors and keeps this layer from being too sweet.
an egg (room temperature) – binds the pumpkin layer together and gives it some structure.
Note: I would recommend getting in the practice of measuring and gathering together all your ingredients first before you begin! That practice, known as mise en place, allows you to smoothly go through your recipe without having to keep stopping to measure or look for things, and it also ensures that you won’t accidentally leave anything out.
How to Make Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars
For the Cookie Crust:
- Heat your oven up to 350 degrees, and mix Biscoff crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar until they’re besties. Press this sweet mixture into a 9×9 pan and let it bake for 8 minutes. Then, let it chill for a sec.
For the Cheesecake Layer:
- Turn down the oven heat to 325°F. Time for the main event – beat that cream cheese until smooth. Add in sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt, keeping it smooth. Last, the egg joins the party.
- Set aside ½ cup of this creamy dream for later, and pour the rest over your crust.
For the Pumpkin Pie Layer:
- Mix up the pumpkin, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, spices, and salt. Add the egg and get it smooth. Pour this fall fantasy over the cheesecake layer.
For the Swirl Topping:
- Remember that ½ cup of cheesecake filling? Drop spoonfuls onto the pumpkin layer, then get artsy with a toothpick or knife to create that swirly masterpiece.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until it’s set but still has a little jiggle.
- Cool it down, then let it chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you’ve got the willpower.
Tips
Start the night before.
These bars are perfect for special occasions! That said, you might have noticed from the step-by-step instructions that you’ll need at least several hours after the bars have baked in order for them to be ready to cut, so it’s probably a good idea to get them started the day before. Just give yourself enough time to bake and cool them prior to setting them in the fridge – I would start in the late afternoon.
How to get your ingredients to room temperature.
As I’ve mentioned, it’s important for all of your eggs and dairy to be at room temperature before you start mixing, for the purpose of uniform texture, smooth batter, and even baking.
But if you forget to bring out your ingredients in advance, there are some easy shortcuts to getting those ingredients to room temp fast:
- Cream Cheese: cut into small cubes and spread out on a plate. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. OR, if you’re really short on time, remove foil and microwave for 15-20 seconds.
- Eggs: place the eggs, still in the shell, in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes.
Sour cream: place sour cream in a bowl and place that bowl in hot water for 15 minutes, checking every few minutes. - Heavy cream: heat in a microwave-safe container at 20% power for 30-50 seconds, checking every 10 seconds.
Marble Swirling.
The marbling on top of the pumpkin pie layer can really make these pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars beautiful, but less is more! Don’t overdo the swirling, because it can start to blend too much and look muddy. Just swirl a few times, being sure to insert the knife or toothpick deeply enough to pull the pumpkin layer through the swirl.
Taste before adding egg.
You may have noticed that in both the cheesecake and pumpkin layers, I listed the egg as the last ingredient to be added. This allows you to taste your batter, if you like, to make sure the flavors all work. In general, the cheesecake layer should taste like a cheesecake, and the pumpkin pie layer should taste like pumpkin pie. If necessary, you can add a little more salt, sugar, spices, or vanilla to perfect the flavors to your liking prior to mixing in the egg and baking.
Storing and freezing your Cheesecake Bars
Because of their cheesecake layer, these bars should be kept refrigerated until they are served. I like to place the sliced bars in a rectangular airtight food container and store them that way. They will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze sliced bars for up to 3 months – just place the sliced bars on a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour uncovered, then transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container.
Favorite Swirl and Cheesecake Recipes
If you love these, you will also love this Brownie Swirl Pound Cake, Cookie Swirl Cheesecake Bars , and Sweet Potato Cheesecake!
Thank you so much to Chenée of Chenée Today for guest posting this recipe!
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars
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Ingredients
For the Cookie Crust
- 7 oz Biscoff cookies crumbled (25 cookies)
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
For the Cheesecake Layer
- 16 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1/3 cup sour cream room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
For the Pumpkin Pie Layer
- 1 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling!
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
Instructions
For the Cookie Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine Biscoff crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar in a bowl and stir so that crumbs and sugar are well saturated with butter.
- Press into bottom of a 9×9 square baking pan, pressing down with fingers or the bottom of a dry measuring cup.
- Bake crust in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Let cool slightly.
For the Cheesecake Layer
- Reduce oven heat to 325°F.
- Beat cream cheese on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer (you can also use a hand-held mixer) until smooth and creamy (do not overbeat). Add sour cream and beat until smooth, scraping sides of bowl to fully incorporate everything.
- Add sugar, vanilla and salt and beat until smooth.
- Beat in egg until smooth. Remove ½ cup of cheesecake filling and set aside.
- Pour the rest of cheesecake filling into prepared crust and smooth to cover the crust evenly.
For the Pumpkin Pie Layer
- In a bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, spices and salt and mix well.
- Beat in egg until smooth. Pour over the cheesecake layer and spread evenly.
For the Swirl Topping
- Drop spoonfuls of the reserved cheesecake filling all over the pumpkin pie layer.
- Use a toothpick, knife, or dowel to swirl the pumpkin and cheesecake layers together to create a marble pattern.
- Bake bars in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until center is set and only slightly wobbly.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool fully at room temperature.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight before slicing into bars.
Notes
You can also freeze sliced bars for up to 3 months – just place the sliced bars on a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour uncovered, then transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container.
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Hi Jocelyn
Just wondering if I can use this recipe as a cheesecake pie instead of the bars? Thank you, Bonita
Really Really good. I doubled the recipe so baking did take longer but turned out perfect. I also used pumpkin and sweet potato which added another layer of yummy flavor. Thank you for, yet another, great dessert.
I would like to rep;ace the pumpkin with sweet potato, would I need to puree the sweet potatoes?
I love all your recipes.
Yes you would need to puree the sweet potatoes or mash them well. Or if in a pinch, you can use canned sweet potato as a replacement. Just make sure there aren’t any additives in it.
Could I substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream or would that mess up the cheesecake layer? I have subbed Greek yogurt in baked goods before but never for a cheesecake…
It should work ok.
The most delicious bars! My husband doesn’t really like normal cake, but loves cheesecake and pumpkin pie, so this was the PERFECT combo! And the Biscoff crust? Never imagined using them instead of graham crackers, but it was honestly SO good. Can’t recommend enough!
I love the recipe so much and the flavors are awesome, but my bars don’t cook all the way in the center and so it makes it so difficult to cut I’ve made it twice and made sure all my ingredients are room temp,. I’m not sure what’s wrong
Hi there,
I have your recipe going in my oven as I type. I am wondering about the oven temp? I have now had in the oven for 67 minutes and it is still not done!!! I don’t think my oven is that far off. Maybe I missed a step, but you bake the crust first and then the rest of the layers, correct?
It bakes at 325 once the temperature is lowered.
I had the same thing happen to me…..it had been in the over for at least an hour. I finally took it out and still has a slight wobble but the top has cracked a bit. Guess I messed up somewhere! Hopefully they will taste yummy!