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This pumpkin cheesecake bars recipe is full of amazing pumpkin flavor and comes together completely no-bake. From the graham cracker crust to the creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling, there is no oven involved at all.
Between the buttery graham cracker crust and the creamy pumpkin filling, this is a pumpkin bar with graham cracker crust that you’ll want to make again and again.
Best of all, these delicious bars are perfect for making ahead, which is so convenient around the holidays.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
This pumpkin cheesecake bars recipe only requires a few ingredients and comes together easily, no fancy equipment needed. Plus, it’s totally no-bake, so you won’t need to turn on your oven at all.
It’s also perfect to make ahead, so you can have a delicious dessert ready without any day-of stress.
This pumpkin twist on the original No Bake Cheesecake Bars is perfect for anyone who loves pumpkin desserts as much as I do, and if that’s you, the Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Snack Cake is another one worth trying.
Ingredients Needed
- Graham Cracker Crumbs – Save yourself a step and buy them already crushed. They’re the base of this pumpkin bar with graham cracker crust, so you’ll find them in the baking aisle.
- Butter – Melted butter binds the crust together and adds rich flavor.
- Brown Sugar – Granulated sugar works too, but brown sugar adds extra flavor.
- Cream Cheese – All good cheesecake starts with cream cheese.
- Pumpkin Puree – Not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling, which already has sugar and spices added.
- Whipped Topping – Adds sweetness and a light, airy texture to the filling.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – You can make your own Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice, but store-bought works great too.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter in a bowl. Mix until everything is nicely incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan and press firmly into the bottom. Refrigerate until the filling is ready.
- Add softened cream cheese to a medium bowl and mix until creamy. Add powdered sugar and continue mixing until combined. Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, and mix until evenly distributed.
- Fold in the whipped topping until completely incorporated, being careful not to deflate it as you mix.
- Pour the pumpkin filling onto the graham cracker crust and spread into an even layer.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, overnight if you can.
- To serve, use the parchment paper hanging over the sides of the pan to lift the bars out and onto a cutting board. Cut into 16 even squares. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Pro Tips
- Refrigerate the crust while you are making the filling. This will help to set the crust since it is not baked.
- Be sure that the cream cheese is at room temperature. If you try using cream cheese that is still cold it will get small lumps when you mix it and they are impossible to remove.
- Fold the whipped topping into the cheesecake mixture so that it doesn’t deflate. The whipped topping is going to be adding the lightness to the filling, so if you over mix it will lose that.
- Refrigerate the bars for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight before cutting and serving. If you try to cut and serve these bars too soon then they won’t set up nicely.
Storage
Store these bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container, since both cream cheese and whipped topping need to stay cold. Once cut, transfer the squares to an airtight container for best results.
These bars aren’t great candidates for the freezer. Freezing no-bake pumpkin desserts tends to leave you with a soggy texture once they thaw, though if you don’t mind that tradeoff, you can freeze them.
Recipe FAQs
The best way to serve pumpkin cheesecake is with a little dollop of whipped topping and a sprinkle of cinnamon. But you could also add a meringue or a scoop of ice cream for an extra special touch.
If you have a good homemade whipped cream recipe that you would like to use then go for it! Just be sure that the texture of the whipped cream has stiff peaks so that it will hold up when folded into the cheesecake.
The recipe I use is 1 cup of heavy cream, 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment until you have stiff peaks.
Yes, this recipe can be made in a springform pan or a pie plate. Either would work well. Just follow the recipe as directed. The end product will give you 10 nice servings.
Pumpkin puree is the kind of pumpkin you want to use in this recipe. Sometimes it can be confusing because there is canned pumpkin pie filling but they can not be substituted for each other.
Pumpkin can filling already has sugar and spices in the mix and so this recipe has been developed with pumpkin puree.
Do you love pumpkin? Try these awesome recipes…
- Pumpkin Sheet Pan Pancakes from Mix
- Pumpkin Roll Cookies Recipe
- Easy No Bake Pumpkin Mousse Pie Recipe
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Crumb Cake Recipe
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe with a Cake Mix
- Fall Desserts: Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cup butter, {melted}
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, {packed}
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, {softened}
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 ¼ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 8 ounces whipped topping
Toppings
- ½ cup whipped topping
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Prep a 9×9 baking pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper that is long enough to hang over the sides of the pan. Spray lightly with nonstick spray.
Graham Cracker Crust
- Combine graham cracker crumbs {that you have either purchased in crumbs or pulsed in a food processor}, brown sugar and melted butter in a bowl. Mix together until everything is nicely incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan. Press crumbs firmly into the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate until filling is ready.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- Add softened cream cheese to a medium bowl and mix until creamy {using a hand held or stand mixer}. Add powdered sugar and continue to mix until combine. Next, add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, mix until it is evenly distributed throughout the filling. Finally, add the whipped topping and fold it into the pumpkin mixture until it is completely incorporated {being careful to not deflate the topping as you mix}.
Assembly & Serving
- Pour the pumpkin filling onto the graham cracker crust and spread out into an even layer. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours {overnight if able}. To serve, use the parchment paper hanging over the sides of the pan and lift the pumpkin cheesecake bars from the pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into 16 even squares. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My favorite pumpkin dessert.