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Close up view of a square of pumpkin swirl cheesecake bar, surrounded by other squares.

The Best Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars

5 from 1 vote
These pumpkin swirl cheesecake bars combine the autumnal flavors of pumpkin pie with the timeless velvety richness of cheesecake, all on top of a graham cracker crust. They’re less challenging to make than traditional cheesecake and even easier to share.
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Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:45 minutes
Rest and Chill Time:4 hours
Total Time:5 hours
Course: Baked Goods, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dessert, Fall, pumpkin, winter
Servings: 16 bars

Ingredients

Crust

  • 8 graham cracker sheets or 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs
  • 6 tbsp salted butter melted
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

Pumpkin Filling

  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree we've had the best results with Libby's brand
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • 1 egg yolk room temperature

Cheesecake Filling

  • 16 oz 2 blocks cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
  • ½ tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tbsp cornstarch
  • ⅛ tsp sea salt
  • 2 eggs beaten, room temperature

Additional

  • Butter or cooking spray for pan

Instructions

Prepare the Baking Dish

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish and line it with parchment. You should have enough parchment to cover the bottom of the dish with an overhang on 2 sides. This will help you lift the bars out after they’ve baked. Optional tip: secure the parchment overhang with metal binder clips.
    Butter or cooking spray for pan

Make the Crust

  • If you’re using graham cracker sheets, blitz them in a food processor until they’re fine crumbs. Alternatively, you can buy pre-made crumbs.
    8 graham cracker sheets
  • Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar in a food processor or bowl. Mix in the melted butter until the mixture resembles coarse, wet sand.
    6 tbsp salted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and press down into an even layer. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes and set aside to cool.

Make the Pumpkin Filling

  • In a medium sized bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and cornstarch. Gently mix in the egg yolk until just combined.
    ¾ cup pumpkin puree, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp corn starch, 1 egg yolk

Make the Cheesecake Filling

  • In a separate, large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar with a hand mixer, then mix in the sour cream, lemon, vanilla, cornstarch and salt. Mix in the beaten eggs until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
    16 oz 2 blocks cream cheese, softened, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup sour cream, ½ tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tbsp cornstarch, ⅛ tsp sea salt, 2 eggs

Combine the Cheesecake

  • Gently fold ¾ cups of the cheesecake filling into the bowl with the pumpkin filling.

Assemble the Cheesecake Bars

  • Assemble the cheesecake by alternating 3 to 4 tablespoon-sized scoops of regular cheesecake and pumpkin cheesecake onto the crust (you should have about 6 scoops of each mixture), until all the filling is used up. Use a knife to gently swirl the cheesecake flavors and make a marbled effect.

Bake the Bars

  • Tap the cheesecake against the counter a couple of times to get any bubbles out, then bake it for about 35 minutes, or until the cheesecake is mostly set with only a slight wobble in the middle.

Rest, Chill, and Serve

  • Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it rest on the counter until it comes to room temperature, then chill it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to overnight for best results.
  • Slice the cheesecake into 16 squares (or cut them even smaller for bite-sized treats) and serve.