Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line the bottom and the sides of a 3-inch deep 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Measure and prep all ingredients.

Prepare the gingersnap crust. In a bowl, whisk together the gingersnap (or spice cookie) crumbs, granulated sugar and salt. Mix in the melted butter until the mixture is evenly moistened. It will look sandy and thick.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and press the mixture into the bottom. Bake the crust for 10 minutes and let cool completely. 

While the crust is cooling, boil a kettle of water and make the cheesecake filling. Using either a handheld mixer or a whisk, beat the cream cheese until smooth.

Add in the sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and salt. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Set aside.

Pour the cheesecake batter into the cooled gingersnap crust. Prepare a water bath by placing the 9x9-inch baking pan into a larger metal pan, like an 11 or 12-inch round cake pan or in a roasting pan. Place the stacked pans into the oven and carefully fill the larger cake or roasting pan halfway with the hot water from the kettle. Be careful not to splash water into the cheesecake batter.

Bake the cheesecake until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly. About 25-30 minutes.

While the cheesecake layer bakes, prepare the pumpkin pie filling. In a bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk until well combined.

Once the cheesecake layer is set, top the cheesecake layer with the pumpkin pie filling. Bake for 30 minutes. 

While the pumpkin pie layer is baking, prepare the pecan topping by combining the chopped pecans, maple syrup and salt. 

Carefully remove the pumpkin cheesecake bars from the oven and spoon the pecan topping evenly over the top. Place the cheesecake back into the water bath and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheesecake is set. (See notes 2) 

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Move to the refrigerator to chill completely. When completely chilled, remove cheesecake from the pan and cut into squares.

Garnish with whipped cream, if desired. Serve and enjoy!