No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Why We Love This No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

These super soft and silky No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are the ultimate fall dessert and a great way to change up the usual pumpkin pie game! Don’t get me wrong, I, of course, love a classic cheesecake and pumpkin pie! But what could be better than satisfying your pumpkin pie AND cheesecake cravings with one simple no-bake dish? Nothing. The answer is nothing. Best of all, round cheesecakes and pies typically offer only about 8 servings… With this easy no-bake recipe you can cut and serve as 12 bars or 20 square pieces. So these no bake dessert bars are way better to serve a crowd at Thanksgiving, potlucks, or any larger gathering!

Ingredients You Need

For the Crust –

Ginger snaps – the crispy, snappy kind Butter – unsalted butter, melted Brown sugar – I prefer light brown sugar, with a mellow sweet flavor

For the Cheesecake –

Heavy cream – whipped and divided Cream cheese – the block kind, softened Pumpkin puree – not pumpkin pie filling Granulated sugar – for just the right amount of sweetness Pumpkin pie spice – a classic blend of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves Vanilla extract – use high-quality extract for the best taste Salt – just a bit helps to balance the sweetness

How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Line a 9 x 13-inch dish with foil or parchment paper. Set aside. For the Crust: Use a food processor to pulse ginger snaps into a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and sugar. Pulse again until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Reserve ½ cup of ginger snap mixture for a garnish. Dump the rest of the mixture into the baking dish. Use a flat spatula (or the bottom of a drinking glass) to press the ginger snap mixture evenly over the surface of the pan. Place the baking dish in the freezer to set as you prepare the filling. For the Filling: Whip the cream in a stand mixer on high speed until the whipped cream is firm, about 3-4 minutes. Then separate the whipped cream into two equal portions and refrigerate until ready to use. Next add the softened cream cheese, and beat in until very smooth. Add the remaining pumpkin pie cheesecake filling ingredients to the cream cheese mixture. Continue to beat the filling mixture until it is completely smooth with no clumps. Scrape the bowl and beat again if needed. Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling mixture with a spatula until completely smooth. Remove the baking dish from the freezer and scoop the pumpkin cheesecake filling into the dish. Smooth the filling out into an even layer. Sprinkle the reserved ginger snap crumbs over the top. You can use as much or as little as you like! Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to firm up the filling. If you’re in a hurry, you can freeze the no-bake pumpkin cheesecake bars for 1-2 hours, then move the pan to the refrigerator so the filling softens. Pro Tip: If desired, you can use the edges of the foil or parchment paper to gently lift the whole sheet of cheesecake out of the pan. Dollop (or pipe) the extra whipped cream on top of each piece, and dig in!

Get the Complete (Printable) No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

No Bake Crust – Swap gingersnap cookies with graham crackers to make pumpkin cheesecake bars with a no bake graham cracker crust. (Or use biscoff cookies to make a cookie crumbs pie crust!) Gluten-free – Use your favorite gluten-free gingersnap cookies or graham crackers. Low(er) fat—You can use low-fat cream cheese for a lighter filling. For the whipped cream, I suggest using store-bought low-fat whipped topping like reduced-fat Cool Whip. Dairy-free and vegan, I have not tried this recipe without dairy. But you can certainly try using your favorite plant-based alternatives for the dairy ingredients. Let me know how it turns out in the comments below! Halve the recipe – As-is this recipe uses a 9 x 13-inch pan and makes about 12 large pieces. Halve the ingredients and prepare the pumpkin pie cheesecake in an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch pan to make 6 large bars or 9 medium-size squares.