Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

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Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars taste like a creamy pumpkin pie and are the quintessential fall dessert. The velvety bars are easy to make and simple to serve. The homemade cookie crust is a chocolatey complement to the swirled cheesecake. It's a timeless treat worthy of serving any time of year, but especially in the fall.

Three baked cheesecake bars stacked on a plate. — The perfect combination of cheesecake, pumpkin and a scratch-made chocolate crust.

Ingredients to Have on Hand

Canned Pumpkin
Sweetened Condensed Milk, canned (not evaporated milk)
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Cream Cheese
Vanilla Extract
Cocoa Powder
Nilla Wafers

Ingredients for marbled pumpkin cheesecake bars, spread out on a wooden board. — Pantry staples plus cream cheese and Nilla Wafers combine for a delicious fall treat.

Three pumpkin cheesecake bars stacked on a plate.

Easy-to-Make Crust

This recipe is unique. There's a homemade, buttery, chocolate cookie crust under the filling instead of a gingersnap or shortbread crust which are both common with pumpkin cheesecake.

Crushed Nilla Wafers are ideal for this easy-to-make crust. Use a rolling pin to flatten the wafers in a zipped top plastic bag then combine the wafer crumbs with cocoa powder, melted butter and powdered sugar. Voila! Chocolate cookie crust.

There's no need to line the pan with foil or parchment paper and there's no need to use shortening or Pam to prep the pan.

The buttery crust won't stick and will scoop out of the pan just fine after the bars are baked and chilled.

Chocolate vanilla wafer crust in a baking pan. — The chocolate crust spreads out in a thin layer in a 13" x 9" baking pan.

Pat-in-the-Pan Crust

When you first place the chocolatey, Nilla Wafer crumb mixture in the pan, it may look like there's not enough crust to spread across the entire baking pan, but there is!

Just take your time. Pat and push the crumbs to create a thin, even crust across the bottom of the entire pan.

Three portions of pumpkin cheesecake bars on a plate with a small pumpkin and straw in the background.

Use Pumpkin Puree

Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. It's really easy to confuse the two, especially since they are often displayed side-by-side on the grocery store shelf and the packaging looks very similar.

But there is a big difference between pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling includes spices and sugar. Pumpkin puree is just that, pure pumpkin.

Pumpkin mixture and spices in a mixing bowl next to a pan of cream cheese batter. — Place about half the cream cheese batter on top of the crust, then blend the remaining batter in a mixing bowl.

Use a Whole Can of Pumpkin

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars use a 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree and you'll use every ounce, which is great. Nothing goes to waste.

I like to buy two cans at a time so I have pumpkin on hand any time I want to make this recipe.

Combine the eggs and vanilla extract with the sweetened condensed milk then pour it in gradually to combine with the cream cheese mixture.

How to Create the Marbled Effect

Uncooked batter for pumpkin cheesecake bars in a baking pan. — Drop the pumpkin batter onto the vanilla cream cheese batter and be careful not to blend.

It's actually very simple to create that pretty marbled effect in these cheesecake bars and it just takes a few seconds. Watch this video to see how it's done.

Three pumpkin cheesecake bars on a plate with straw and a miniature pumpkin ornament in the background.

Top Tips and FAQ

Is there a substitute for pumpkin pie spice?

Sort of, yes. Pumpkin pie spice is simply a combination of five spices. If you have cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice on hand you could certainly create your personal version of pumpkin pie spice. But to get the distinctive, warm flavor of pumpkin pie, you'll want to use that same combination of spices.

Do these cheesecake bars freeze well?

Yes! Just like cheesecake freezes great, so do pumpkin cheesecake bars. I recommend stacking the bars with a sheet of waxed paper between each layer. Place them in a zipper-top freezer bag or freezer-safe storage container. Defrost in the refrigerator for a day before serving.

Can I use fresh pumpkin from my garden instead of canned pumpkin puree?

I'm sure that would be delicious. Just be sure to cook and mash the peeled and seeded pumpkin until it's really soft. You'll want to replicate the texture of puree found with the canned pumpkin.

Baked pumpkin cheesecake bars in a pan. — Watch for a little cracking around the edges after baking, a good sign that the cheesecake bars are cooked.

Easy to Serve

When we think of a fall treat or a Thanksgiving dessert it's easy to gravitate to our favorite pumpkin, apple or pecan pie recipes. And those are great. But pumpkin cheesecake bars might change everything for you and your family when it comes to fall or holiday desserts.

These velvety marbled cheesecake bars slice and serve easily. There's no filling to spill off the crust, there's not even a need for a fork.

Serves Like a Brownie

When I bake this recipe, using a 13" x 9" baking pan, I cut the bars into 24 portions. But of course, you decide how big to make each serving. I've also served these as tiny bite-size portions and that was a big hit.

These serve just like a brownie. Just slice into bars, lift each serving using a spatula, take a bite and enjoy.

More Easy to Serve Treats

It's great to have easy to serve dessert ideas ready to go, here are a few more that I think you'll love!

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