Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are the BEST—delicious cinnamon graham cracker crust, two layers of cheesecake, and topped with an easy streusel and caramel.

Up close shot of pumpkin cheesecake bars stacked on a white plate

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

This pumpkin cheesecake recipe, created in 2014, has been loved by hundreds! It’s amazing to read the reviews and see how popular it is. One of the most common requests is to make it BIGGER.

Many of you have requested a 9 x 13-inch version of these delicious pumpkin cheesecake bars, so I’ve updated this post with step-by-step pictures, helpful tips, and a new recipe.

But no worries, the 9 x 9-inch version remains unchanged for those who prefer a smaller size.

Ingredients

  • Cream cheese: Let the cream cheese sit at room temp for at least an hour for a smoother mixture.
  • Granulated sugar: Sweetens the filling.
  • Salt: Even a pinch of salt can add so much flavor.
  • Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
  • Eggs: Help set the cheesecake.
  • Pumpkin: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
  • Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice: Adjust the spices to your preferences.
  • Crust: Cinnamon graham crackers, dark brown sugar, and unsalted butter. Crush the graham crackers finely for a smoother crust.
  • Topping: Brown sugar, flour, quick oats, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract form a sweet, crumbly streusel topping

How To Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

  1. Make Crust: Mix all the crust ingredients in a bowl. Press into your 9×13.
  2. Cheesecake Filling: Beat cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Pour half over the crust.
  3. Add Pumpkin: Stir pumpkin and spices into remaining mixture. Pour over plain cheesecake layer.
  4. Make Streusel: Combine streusel ingredients, crumble it over bars, and bake!
  5. Top with Caramel: Use store-bought caramel sauce or make your own Caramel Sauce.

Tips For Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

  • Room Temp Cream Cheese: It mixes better for a creamier texture. Microwave in 15-20 second bursts until just warm.
  • Don’t Overmix: Mix just enough to get rid of lumps. Over-mixing adds air, causing cracks. Use low speeds.
  • Cool Completely: Let the cheesecake cool fully at room temp to avoid cracks.
  • Cut with a Hot Knife: Run your knife under hot water, dry it, and make a cut.

Variations

Gingersnap Crust Variation

While I love the cinnamon graham cracker crust, you can easily swap it out for this gingersnap crust. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 1 ½ cups finely ground gingersnap crumbs (pulse in a blender or food processor)
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Mix these ingredients together and use in place of the graham cracker crust.


Storage

Leftovers?

  • Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Avoid Freezing: These bars do not freeze well; they can become soggy and the streusel loses its appeal. Enjoy them same day for the best flavor!

More Pumpkin Desserts

4.83 from 76 votes

Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Bars with a Streusel Topping

These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars feature a cinnamon graham cracker crust, two layers of creamy cheesecake, and a streusel topping drizzled with caramel sauce. Perfect for any gathering, they’re sure to be a hit!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 3 minutes
Chilling Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 23 minutes
Servings: 24 servings

Equipment

  • Baking pan 9 x 13-inch
  • Hand mixer

Ingredients 
 

Crust

  • 12 sheets cinnamon graham crackers crumbled
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Cheesecake

  • 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Streusel and Topping

  • 1 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup quick oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Salted or plain caramel to top bars

Instructions 

  • Ensure cream cheese is left at room temperature at least one hour before baking for a smooth texture. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper (leave an overhang to pull out bars easily).
  • In a bowl, combine crust ingredients and mix until a thick dough forms. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared 9×13 pan. Bake for 8 minutes, remove, and allow to cool.
  • In another bowl, combine room-temperature cream cheese, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer until completely smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is combined. 
  • Remove half this mixture and pour on top of the prepared crust in the baking pan.
  • Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to the remaining cheesecake mixture and stir until completely combined.
  • Careful not to combine the two layers, pour the pumpkin layer on top of the plain cheesecake layer. Bake for 30 minutes at 350℉.

Streusel

  • In the same bowl used for the crust, stir together brown sugar, flour, oats, and cinnamon. Cut butter into small cubes. Avoid melting butter entirely as it makes the streusel too wet. Add butter and vanilla and mix (with a pastry cutter or hands) until well combined. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over pumpkin cheesecake layer.
  • Place in oven and bake for 25–30 minutes or until cheesecake has set.
  • Allow to cool for about an hour at room temperature, then place in fridge for 1–2 hours. Use a hot, sharp knife to cut bars straight out of the fridge. (I run the knife under hot water, wipe with a towel, make one cut, repeat.)
  • Top each bar with caramel topping of your choice.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3.5g | Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 65.6mg | Sodium: 125.4mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20.2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

For the 9 x 9-inch pan recipe:

Crust

  • 1 and 1/2 cups (~10-11 full sheets) cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter melted

Cheesecake

  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) full fat cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling and not entire can)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Streusel and Topping

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
  • 1/2 cup white flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup butter softened (not melted)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Salted or plain caramel to top bars with

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 9 baking pan with parchment paper (leave an overhang to be able to pull out these bars easily) and set aside.
  2. In a bowl, combine the crust ingredients and mix until a thick dough forms. Press evenly into the bottom of the 9 x 9 baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
  3. In another bowl, combine the cream cheese, (VERY important it is at room temperature for a smooth texture. Leave out for at least an hour before baking. Microwaving the cream cheese will give it a bumpy texture) sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat with hand mixers until completely smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is combined.
  4. Remove 1 and 1/2 cups of this mixture and pour on top of the prepared crust.
  5. Add the canned pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to the remaining cheesecake mixture and stir until completely combined.
  6. Careful not to combine the two layers, pour the pumpkin layer on top of the plain cheesecake layer. Bake for 30 minutes.

Streusel

  1. In the same bowl you used for the crust, stir together the brown sugar, white flour, quick cooking oats, and cinnamon. Add in the butter and vanilla and mix together until well combined. Avoid melting the butter entirely as it makes the streusel too wet. Sprinkle this streusel topping evenly over the pumpkin cheesecake layer.
  2. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheesecake has set.
  3. Allow to cool for about an hour and then place in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
  4. Top each bar with caramel topping of choice.

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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4.83 from 76 votes (21 ratings without comment)

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258 Comments

  1. Amy says:

    Hello, my graham crackers don’t come in sheet format. How many grams or cups of graham crackers for the 9×13? Thanks.

  2. Rob says:

    5 stars
    My wife really loves these and wants me to make them for a Xmas party tonight. Has anyone tried to modify this recipe to become a Gingerbread cheesecake bar? I looked at the Gingerbread cupcakes on the site, yet was curious if anyone had a similar idea. Thanks!

  3. olivia says:

    I accidently put the pumpkin with the cheesecake part before I read not to do that. Will it still be okay?

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      It won’t have the layers but should be fine ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Valerie says:

    Hello, ummm what’s 12 full sheets of Graham crackers? I could not find the crumbs so if I’m smashing the Graham crackers myself how many would I have to use? Also how can I double the recipe????? Thank you

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      12 full sheets of Graham crackers is referring to the whole graham crackers fresh out of the box. You want to use 12 sheets of graham crackers to blend down into crumbs! Is this what you were referring to?! Thanks for your comment! ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Chelsea says:

    I misread and cooked immediately put the streusel on top… will it over cook?

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      It might; you can add a foil tent if it is browning too much!

  6. Chelsey says:

    Hi! Iโ€™m planning on making these for Thanksgiving this year and am really excited to try them! I would like to make them ahead of time and am wondering if you can freeze them?

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I haven’t personally tried freezing them, but I do think the streusel would get soggy unfortunately. I also feel like dairy never freezes and thaws amazingly well.

  7. Erin S says:

    The serving size says 1 8×8 pan but the directions say to use a 9×13 pan – can you please clarify what size pan to use for this recipe?

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I have recipes for both ๐Ÿ™‚ The main recipe in the card is for a 9×13 pan, but if you scroll past that there is a reduced recipe for an 8×8 pan ๐Ÿ™‚ Enjoy!

  8. Chelsea says:

    Hi there, I want to make these for my thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. Wanted to know if I could use light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar or do you think that will alter the recipe?
    Can I also cut these bars and store them in a tupperware for 2-3 days?
    Thanks ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Light brown will work great ๐Ÿ™‚ And you can, but the streusel will get a bit soft/soggy. I do think they’re best freshly made!

  9. Lyndsey says:

    5 stars
    I have been making these for a few years. My family cannot wait for the holidays to come around when I make these. They are simply the best and I don’t even use the caramel sauce! Thanks for a delicious recipe!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Yay!! That makes my day to hear that ๐Ÿ™‚ So, so happy these are a hit! Thanks Lyndsey!

  10. Marta says:

    Hi guys
    Iโ€™m just in a process of making those although mine will probably taste a bit different since i had to make the graham crackers myself ( i live in uk and we havenโ€™t got any in the shops).
    Could you please advise what i am making wrong… my white layer is way too runny to be able to hold pumpkin one on top ….
    Although my first attempt wonโ€™t be perfect but iโ€™m looking forward to taste those bars…