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Home » Desserts » Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Streusel

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Streusel

November 14, 2016 by Krista 4 Comments

For the third year in a row, these Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Streusel will be making an appearance at the Thanksgiving table.

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Streusel | Destination Delish - A lightened up dessert combining pumpkin pie and cheesecake into one indulgent little bar.

Not going to lie, when I posted this recipe 2 years ago ON Thanksgiving Day, I literally threw everything together that morning hoping and praying that it would turn into something edible to bring to my Aunt’s house that afternoon. They ended up being the perfect dessert for a novice baker!

I’m a pumpkin pie lover with an affinity for cheesecake, but I’m certainly not a pie maker, and I struggle at times in the cheesecake-making department. The good news is that these easy-to-make bars offer a little of both worlds with a crumbly graham cracker crust, a luscious cheesecake layer topped with a blanket of rich pumpkin pie filling, and an oat streusel topping with a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Streusel | Destination Delish - A lightened up dessert combining pumpkin pie and cheesecake into one indulgent little bar.

These bars are what I like to call a “lightened up” dessert. The ingredients aren’t exactly wholesome and healthy, but I’ve used lighter ingredients such as light cream cheese instead of regular, egg whites instead of whole eggs, and I’ve cut down on the sugar quite a bit. But don’t worry; there is still plenty of sweetness to satisfy your dessert craving.

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Streusel | Destination Delish - A lightened up dessert combining pumpkin pie and cheesecake into one indulgent little bar.

Some of that sweetness comes from the caramel topping. I will leave the type of caramel sauce up to you. If you want to melt a bunch of caramel candies down to make a sauce, go for it! A jarred, store-bought variety would be a nice, convenient option. Or you could make a quick caramel sauce like I did. I followed the instructions from this bread pudding recipe. This vegan date caramel is another great option! You could also skip the caramel sauce altogether and still have a perfectly delightful Thanksgiving pie-like dessert!

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Streusel | Destination Delish - A lightened up dessert combining pumpkin pie and cheesecake into one indulgent little bar.

To sum things up, these Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars are a Thanksgiving dessert trifecta: Pumpkin pie, cheesecake, and a bar all rolled into one! And with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top, you’ve got yourself one sweet ending to Thanksgiving dinner.


Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Streusel
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
35 mins
Total time
55 mins
 
Author: Krista
Serves: 24 bars
Ingredients
Crust
  • 9 graham cracker sheets, crushed
  • 4 tablespoons Butter
Cheesecake
  • 8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup Sugar
  • ⅓ cup egg whites
  • ½ teaspoon Vanilla
Pumpkin Pie
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
  • ⅓ cup egg whites
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ½ cup milk of choice
  • ½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
Caramel Streusel
  • 1 cup oats
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • ⅓ cup caramel sauce, homemade or store-bought
Instructions
  1. Prepare the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the graham cracker crumbs until the mixture is crumbly. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13, greased pan.
  2. Prepare the cheesecake layer: In a large mixing bowl, combine all the cheesecake ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Drizzle the mixture over the graham cracker crust and use a spatula to gently spread the mixture, fully covering the crust.
  3. Prepare the pumpkin pie layer: In a large bowl, combine all the pumpkin pie ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Pour mixture over the cheesecake layer. Use a butter knife or spatula to spread the mixture evenly. It's ok if the pumpkin and cheesecake layers combine a bit.
  4. Prepare the streusel: In a small bowl, combine the streusel ingredients. Sprinkle over the top of the pumpkin pie layer.
  5. Bake: Bake the bars in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the bars. Let the bars fully cool before cutting and serving.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 137.3 Fat: 7.3 Carbohydrates: 16.8 Sugar: 8 Sodium: 112.5 Fiber: 1.1 Protein: 2.6
3.4.3177

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars with Caramel Streusel | Destination Delish - A lightened up dessert combining pumpkin pie and cheesecake into one indulgent little bar.

Filed Under: Desserts, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian

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Comments

  1. Thomas says

    November 26, 2015 at 8:26 am

    Are you supposed to prebake the crust? I made this exactly as you said and my crusty was soggy. Also it was impossible to spread the cream cheese on the graham crackers without them coming up from the bottom.

    Reply
    • Krista says

      November 26, 2015 at 7:51 pm

      Hi Thomas. Thanks so much for the comment. I’m so sorry these didn’t turn out for you. I remade the bars today, taking note of the issues you experienced. While I followed the recipe and did not prebake the crust, there are a few pointers/notes (which ive now added to the recipe) that most certainly would have helped you. The cream cheese must be beaten really well into a thick liquid so it can be easily poured and gently spread over the crust. Another pointer I’ve added is to let the bars fully cool before slicing. This helps everything mold together and set. Also, the texture of the crust should be soft and cake-like. Again, I really apologize for the trouble you experienced. And I do hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

      Reply
  2. Sammie says

    November 15, 2016 at 7:29 am

    The bars look absolutely delicious. This is my first year of baking with pumpkin and I’m absolutely head over heels in love with the flavours. Brilliant recipe thanks.

    Reply
    • Krista says

      November 15, 2016 at 11:29 am

      Thanks Sammie! I’ve been going crazy with pumpkin this year putting it in soup, oatmeal, and desserts of course!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Krista, a self-proclaimed vegetable lover who likes to put a creative spin on healthy cooking. Here you'll find a variety of lightened up recipes using fresh and wholesome ingredients! Read More…

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Hi! I'm Krista, a self-proclaimed vegetable lover who likes to put a creative spin on healthy cooking. Here you'll find a variety of lightened up recipes using fresh and wholesome ingredients! Read More…

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