Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Bars
These Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Bars have a buttery brown sugar oat crust, a creamy, warmly spiced pumpkin cheesecake centre and a golden pecan crumble topping. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves bring plenty of cozy fall flavour, while toasted pecans and buttery oat crumble add the perfect amount of crunch.
Prep time
Makes 16 bars · 9 × 9-inch pan
Cook time
38–45 minutes (plus 12–14 min crust pre-bake)
Serves
16 bars
Ingredients
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Brown Sugar Oat Crust & Pecan Crumble
- 1½ cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 cupold-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cuppacked brown sugar
- ½ tspground cinnamon
- ½ tspsalt
- ¾ cupsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- ½ cupchopped pecans
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 2 packages (8 oz/226 g each)cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cuppure pumpkin purée
- ½ cuppacked brown sugar
- ¼ cupgranulated sugar
- ¼ cupsour cream
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 2 tspground cinnamon
- 1 tspground ginger
- ½ tspground nutmeg
- ¼ tspground cloves
- ¼ tspsalt
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Oat Crust & Pecan Crumble
- 1½ cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 cupold-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cuppacked brown sugar
- ½ tspground cinnamon
- ½ tspsalt
- ¾ cupsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- ½ cupchopped pecans
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 2 packages (8 oz/226 g each)cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cuppure pumpkin purée
- ½ cuppacked brown sugar
- ¼ cupgranulated sugar
- ¼ cupsour cream
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 2 tspground cinnamon
- 1 tspground ginger
- ½ tspground nutmeg
- ¼ tspground cloves
- ¼ tspsalt
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 × 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on two sides for easy removal.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the melted butter and vanilla and stir until evenly combined. The mixture should be moist and crumbly, with a combination of fine crumbs and larger buttery pieces. Set aside approximately 1½ cups of the mixture for the crumble topping. Press the remaining mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Add the chopped pecans to the reserved crumble mixture and gently toss to combine. Set aside.
- 3
Bake for 12–14 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden around the edges. While the crust is baking, prepare the pumpkin cheesecake filling.
- 4
Beat the softened cream cheese, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the pumpkin purée, sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low just until each egg is incorporated. Add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Mix just until smooth. Avoid overmixing once the eggs have been added.
- 5
Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pumpkin cheesecake filling over the warm crust. Smooth into an even layer. Using your fingers, break the reserved pecan oat mixture into small and medium-sized clusters and scatter evenly over the cheesecake filling. Don't press the crumble into the cheesecake.
- 6
Return the pan to the 350°F oven and bake for approximately 38–45 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centre has only a slight jiggle when the pan is gently moved. The pecan crumble topping should be lightly golden and the pecans fragrant and toasted.
- 7
Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan at room temperature. Once cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the cheesecake to fully set. Lift the chilled bars from the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into 16 squares, wiping the knife clean between cuts for neat layers.
Melissa's Notes
Use pure pumpkin purée rather than pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices. For the creamiest cheesecake layer, use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese and allow it to soften before mixing — room-temperature ingredients will combine more smoothly. Once the eggs are added, mix only until everything is incorporated; overmixing can introduce too much air into the cheesecake. The pecans are added only to the reserved crumble mixture, keeping the bottom crust buttery and tender while giving the topping a delicious toasted crunch. For a beautiful crumble topping, don't break every piece into tiny crumbs — leaving some larger buttery clusters gives the bars a craggy, bakery-style appearance. These bars are best cut after they're thoroughly chilled. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. Serve straight from the refrigerator or let them sit at room temperature for about 10–15 minutes for a softer, creamier texture.
Nutrition Information
Per bar — based on 16 bars
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and brands used.
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