Combine pumpkin pie and cheesecake into a bar and you get these small-batch pumpkin cheesecake swirl bars - the ultimate fall treat!
Let’s face it, our Thanksgiving this year is going to be slightly to wildly different than we are used to. While that means we will need to give thanks to technology and have zoom dinner parties, it doesn’t mean that we need to skip out on some of our favorite foods.
Making a smaller batch of mashed potatoes, beans and a smaller turkey is definitely easy to accomplish but scaling down and making small batch desserts is harder – and sometimes we may need to try combining two desserts. This is were these small batch pumpkin cheesecake swirl bars come into play.
Why I love PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE SWIRL BARS
It’s like pumpkin pie and cheesecake got together and made a dessert baby. Basically, you have an ode to the traditional pumpkin pie with a twist from the use of a graham cracker crust and cheesecake swirl. It’s pure deliciousness and I like to think a perfect snack to put out all thanksgiving weekend long – just cut them up into bite sized squares instead of the bars and nibble on them throughout the day!
What makes a pumpkin cheesecake swirl bar?
The fantastic graham cracker crust. Who can resist the buttery masterpiece of a graham cracker crust laced with pumpkin pie spice?! I certainly cannot. Plus, I asked followers on Instagram which they’d prefer, graham or pie crust, and graham won by a long shot. My guess is there is a bit of baking fear when it comes to making pie crust or maybe it was the fact that the bars needed to lean to the cheesecake spectrum of things a little bit more. Whatever the case, graham was a good decision!
Pumpkin filling deliciousness. Ok, so up here in the great nation of Canada (or maybe it’s just in Quebec) we have only one type of canned pumpkin – e.d. smith. It’s a puree of Dickson pumpkin and it’s perfect for the recipe except you’ll have leftovers. So, might I suggest you also make some biscotti and have a pumpkin cream cold brew as you’re baking up a storm. Also, for everyone out there, make sure you buy canned pumpkin puree and not filling! Other than pumpkin, you need brown sugar, an egg, heavy cream, vanilla and more pumpkin spice – it’s pretty custard-esque.
Pumpkin spice everything nice. I’m biased, but I used homemade pumpkin spice (aka. fall spice blend) because I have control over the amount of each spice in there. You can make it as well, or can by an already blended version you like!
Bring on the cheesiness. Let’s be honest, everyone likes cheesecake and everyone likes a fancy looking dessert that doesn’t require pastry master skills. So, dollop on the sweetened cream cheese and give it a good swirl with a toothpick. I also added an egg yolk here so that the consistency melds better with the pumpkin and therefore reduces cracks!
Recipe Notes
Size of the pan matters. Pictured are pumpkin cheesecake swirl bars made in a 9×13-inch rimmed baking sheet which results in thinner bars. For thicker bars, use an 8×8-inch baking dish and add 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time.
It makes 12 but it could make so much more. For the photos, I decided to go with 12 bars, but you can easily cut them smaller to make bite-sized squares!
SMALL BATCH PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE SWIRL BARS
Combine pumpkin pie and cheesecake into a bar and you get these small-batch pumpkin cheesecake swirl bars - the ultimate fall treat!
INGREDIENTS
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp pumpkin spice (fall spice blend)
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
Pumpkin Filling:
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (8 oz)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ tsp pumpkin spice (fall spice blend)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cheesecake Swirl:
- 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (half a brick)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
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Heat oven to 350°F and line either a rimmed 9x13 baking sheet with parchment paper leaving some overhang on the long sides.
Graham Cracker Crust:
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In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Add melted butter and stir until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand. Transfer to the prepared pan and press into the bottom to create an even layer of crust.
Pumpkin filling:
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In a new bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, cream, egg, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract. Pour it over the graham cracker crust. Tilt the pan to evenly coat and lightly band the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles.
Cheesecake swirl:
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In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, egg yolk, granulated sugar and vanilla until well combined and smooth. Dollop evenly on the pumpkin layer and drag a toothpick through the cheesecake and pumpkin mixture to create swirls making sure not to disturb the crust too much.
Bake and set:
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Bake until the centre is just set, about 25 ton 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before chilling for at least 2 hours before cutting into bars and serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know! Tag @thebeaderchef on Instagram and tag it #thebeaderchef
Tools I Used for Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Bars
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