These pumpkin pie bars start with a graham cracker crust and a layer of sweet cream cheese topped with classic pumpkin pie filling for the perfect fall dessert.
Move over pumpkin pie. Mama has a new favorite fall recipe that takes the old standard to a new level of yum!
I have some serious love for pumpkin pie, but I would choose a graham cracker crust over traditional pie crust any day of the week. I think it tastes better and it’s definitely less finicky!
So I played around and combined a few of my favorite recipes until I came up with these easy pumpkin pie bars.
The crust is substantial and perfectly sweet thanks to the brown sugar.
The cheesecake mixture is rich and creamy but not overpowering. Even my husband liked it and he doesn’t like cream cheese very much!
The pumpkin layer is all the classic fall flavors you love. Like grandma used to make.
And it all comes together to form the most delectable fall dessert. You have got to give them a try! They’d be the perfect Friendsgiving dessert or heck, throw the rules out the window and make them on Thanksgiving! I guarantee no one will care that they’re not made in a pie tin when they’re wolfing them down.
Helpful Tips
- Don’t forget to take your cream cheese out of the refrigerator several hours before you are going to bake these bars, so it has time to come to room temperature. This will help prevent lumps in the cream cheese layer.
- I have found that lining the pan with parchment paper isn’t super necessary with this dessert. The bars come out pretty easily. But if you’re worried, feel free to use it!
- You can use the individual spice I have listed in the recipe (cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger) or substitute those for 1.5 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. Either way, they’ll taste great! If you’re a big fan of cloves, you can add 1/8 teaspoon to the pumpkin pie filling for extra spice.
- The recipes calls for canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. What’s the difference between them? One is just pumpkin puree. The other has flavorings added to it.
- Be sure to cover any leftovers with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator. If you have leftovers, that is. LOL.
- I usually make these a day ahead of when I will serve them, which is perfect for Thanksgiving because I usually make them on Wednesday with the rest of my pies.
- The easiest way I’ve found to make graham cracker crumbs is in a food processor. It was worth buying one just to make graham cracker crumbs and grate cheese. I literally only use it for those two things.
Pumpkin Pie Bars Video
Pumpkin Pie Bars
These pumpkin pie bars start with a graham cracker crust and a layer of sweet cream cheese topped with classic pumpkin pie filling for the perfect fall dessert. Print Share Rate
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs , about 14 whole crackers
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- pinch salt
Cream Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese , two bricks, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pumpkin Filling
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 ounces
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
For The Crust:
- Mix graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, melted butter and salt until combined. Spread in a 9×13 baking dish and press evenly into the bottom of the pan.
For The Cream Filling:
- Beat softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and pour over crust. Bake for 10 minutes, or just until the top starts to set. This helps keep the layers separated.
For The Pumpkin Filling:
- Whisk together the pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices, and salt until smooth. Pour over the par-baked cream filling.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes, or until the center of the pumpkin filling is set and no longer jiggles.
- Cool completely, then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before serving. Add a dollop of fresh whipped cream, if desired.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge.
Don’t forget to pin the image below to save the recipe for later!