Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
These layered pumpkin cheesecake bars need to be made ahead, but they're so delicious and simple!
Servings: 9
Calories: 552kcal
Equipment
- 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) baking dish lined with parchment paper
- Food Processor
- Silicone spatula
- Bowls
Ingredients
Base Crust Ingredients:
- 250 grams Biscoff Lotus Biscuits 1 pack is typically 250 grams so check the label. Use whatever biscuit or cookie you prefer (like graham crackers) including gluten-free ones.
- 7 tablespoons Browned Butter 85 grams. Start with 8 tablespoons of butter to brown to make up for water loss. If you find that your browned butter comes up to less than 7 tbsp, add water or milk to make up the difference.
Cheesecake Filling Ingredients:
- 16 oz Cream Cheese 454 grams, at room temperature.
- 1 cup Brown Sugar 100 grams — or any sugar substitute you like: coconut sugar, maple sugar, white sugar etc.
- 3 tablespoons Cornstarch 30 grams
- 1 cup Pumpkin puree 160 grams
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice Or cinnamon with a scant 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg.
Crumble Topping Ingredients:
- 1 cup Walnuts 125 grams — or use pecans, hazelnuts, or peanuts.
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar 65 grams — or any sugar substitute like: coconut sugar, maple sugar, white sugar etc.
- ½ cup All-Purpose Flour 64 grams — or your favorite gluten-free flour.
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice Or cinnamon with a scant 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg.
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter 56 grams — melted.
- 1 teaspoon Milk or water
Instructions
- Prepare an 8x8" (20x20cm) baking dish lined with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Make browned butter: Place 8 tablespoons of butter in a small pot over medium heat and stir it continuously to keep it moving. Once it's melted, the butter will begin to foam and sizzle. Keep stirring. In about 5–8 minutes, the butter will turn golden brown, and some foam will subside. It will smell intensely buttery and nutty.
- Use a food processor to grind the biscuits into fine crumbs. Add 7 tablespoons of the melted, browned butter and process the mixture until the crumbs are slightly damp and form a cohesive, somewhat dry dough. If you have less than 7 tablespoons, add water or milk to make up the difference.
- Transfer the crumbly dough to the prepared baking dish and press it down firmly against the bottom and sides.
- Bake for approximately 5-8 minutes or until the crust takes on a golden-brown hue. Let the biscuit base cool entirely; you can prepare the pumpkin bar layers as the base cools for about 15-20 minutes.
- Wipe out your food processor so that it is clean to make the pumpkin bar layers.
- For the first layer — the white cheesecake layer, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and cream cheese in the food processor. Pulse until a creamy consistency is achieved. Transfer to a bowl.
- For the second layer — the pumpkin layer — take a portion of the white cheesecake mixture you just made, along with pumpkin spice and pumpkin puree, add it to the food processor, and blend until the mixture transforms into a fluffy texture and a uniform orange color. Transfert to a bowl. Wipe out your food processor.
- For the crumble, combine walnuts and sugar in the food processor first. Pulse until the walnuts are just coarsely chopped, maintaining a chunky texture.
- Add flour, pumpkin spice, salt, melted butter, and a teaspoon of water or milk. Pulse again until the mixture forms crumbly bits
- Once the baked biscuit layer is cool to the touch, it's time to add the first layer to your pumpkin bars.
- Carefully pour the white cheesecake mixture over the pre-baked biscuit to form the first layer. It helps to add the mixture into the center and then spread it towards the edges with a silicone spatula. Make it uniform and even.
- Pour the orange-colored pumpkin layer on top of the white layer and spread evenly.
- For the neatest and crispest layers, you may want to refrigerate the first layer for about an hour so that it firms up before this second layer is added. This is optional.
- Once the second layer is spread, scatter the chunky crumble on top and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the crumble achieves a golden-brown hue.
- Allow the baked pumpkin cheesecake bars to rest at room temperature until cool, then refrigerate them for 2-4 hours or overnight before slicing.
- After refrigeration, carefully remove the cheesecake from the baking dish. Trim the edges and divide each side into three sections, resulting in nine bars. Clean your knife between slices to maintain clean edges and neat layers.
Notes
Hint: Spread the crumble evenly over the cheesecake to ensure every bite gets a balance of flavors and textures.
Substitutions & Variations
- Decoration | Once the pumpkin bars have been refrigerated and sliced, you could add a caramel drizzle, toasted coconut flakes, powdered sugar, or additional pumpkin spice.
- Serving | These would be great with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of your favorite flavor of ice cream.
- Spice | If you want to add a different flavor, then cinnamon and nutmeg would be great substitutions for pumpkin spice.
- Gluten-free | Layered pumpkin cheesecake bars are easily made completely gluten-free by using standard gluten-free flour and biscuits/cookies for the base crust. There are no special instructions needed to make the recipe work, it's versatile.
Nutrition
Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 684mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 4695IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 252mg | Iron: 3mg
