No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

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With the change of the weather, comes a change of tastes. If you’ve been looking forward to Fall all year round, you’ll love this easy recipe for No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. All the warm, pumpkin filled goodness of Fall, packed into an easy no bake dessert.

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Can I just submit a request that Fall be known as “Pumpkin Season” from this day forward? We wait all year for the cool weather to hit, just so we can pull out our favorite cable knit sweaters and start eating pumpkin spice everything. Why not just get right to the point and label this glorious time of year “Pumpkin Season?” No takers? It’s okay, I’m not easily offended.

A single no bake pumpkin cheesecake bar, served with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

If you get as excited for this cool, crisp, and pumpkiny time of year as I do, you’re going to LOVE this recipe. No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are perfect for that odd time in between Fall and Summer where you just HAVE to eat something with intense pumpkin flavor, but it’s not quite cool enough to turn the oven on and bake up a storm.

I gotchu.

Let’s get started! You’re going to love how easy, and how creamy/dreamy this recipe is.

Ingredients

Pumpkin puree: Ensure that you purchase pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling. The two are not interchangeable, so it’s important to make sure you purchase a can labeled “puree”. You will need 1 cup of puree, which is a little less than half of a 15oz can.
Cream Cheese: You will need two bricks of cream cheese, and they will need to be softened. Cream cheese purchased in a tub will not work for this recipe, since it needs the dense brick style cream cheese in order to set up properly.
Whipped topping: Also known as Cool Whip, this is found in the freezer section of your grocery store. It will need to be thawed for this recipe, so thaw it in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for an hour or so. If you don’t like Cool Whip, you can substitute it for 4 cups of stabilized whipped cream. See the “substitutions” section further down in the post.
Pumpkin spice: This can be found in the seasonal or the spices and seasonings department of your grocery store. I’ve also included a substitute in the recipe card if you don’t have any on hand.
Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioners sugar or icing sugar, this will help create a smooth and creamy cheesecake texture. This cannot be substituted for granulated sugar, but you can make your own powdered sugar using granulated sugar and corn starch.
Brown sugar: This gives that authentic pumpkin pie taste!
Vanilla: Just a touch!

For the graham cracker crust:

Graham crackers: I like to make my own graham cracker crust by crushing two sleeves of graham crackers, but you can substitute 2 cups of store bought crumbs if desired.
Butter: I like to use salted for this recipe, but you can use unsalted if desired!
Sugar: Just a touch of granulated white sugar adds the right amount of sweetness.
Cinnamon: We add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon into the crust for that perfect, warm fall flavor.

Instructions

Graham Cracker Crust

Add the graham crackers to the bowl of a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

Process on high speed until the crackers and fully broken down into fine crumbs. Alternately, you can whisk together 2 cups of store bought graham cracker crumbs with the cinnamon and sugar.

Pour the graham cracker crumbs into a medium sized bowl. Add the melted butter and stir together with a rubber spatula.

Once the graham cracker crumbs are fully saturated in the melted butter, add them to a 9X13 glass baking dish.

Use the rubber spatula or your fingers to press the crushed graham crackers into the bottom of the glass pan. Pack the crumbs into a firm base layer.

Place the baking dish in the fridge and chill for 15 minutes while you prepare the pumpkin cheesecake filling.

No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

Add the two bricks of softened cream cheese to a large mixing bowl.

Add the brown sugar, powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract to the cream cheese.

Beat with a hand blender until creamy and smooth.

Add the thawed whipped topping to the bowl, and mix on low speed until fully combined and fluffy.

Remove the chilled graham cracker base from the fridge, and add the cheesecake filling on top. Spread it out evenly with a silicone spatula.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Chill until set, for a minimum of 4 hours. 8-12 hours is best.

Slice into bars and serve. Add a dollop of whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon to serve, if desired.

A slice of no bake pumpkin cheesecake bars, on a colorful napkin

Substitutions

Gluten Free: Substitute the graham cracker crumbs for a gluten free version. Verify all packaged ingredients are free from gluten (some brands are, and some brands are not).

Light/Lower Calorie: Substitute the cream cheese for low fat cream cheese, and the cool whip for low fat or sugar free cool whip.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can use a blend of pumpkin friendly spices to create the same flavors. You will need 3 parts cinnamon, 2 parts ground ginger, 2 parts ground nutmeg, 1 part ground nutmeg, and 1 part ground cloves.

For this recipe that means you will need: 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

A fork taking a portion of some pumpkin cheesecake bars.

Variations

No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with a Gingersnap Crust: Substitute the graham cracker crumbs for 2 cups of crushed gingersnaps. Omit the cinnamon and add 1/3 cup of brown sugar.

Without Cool Whip: Substitute the cool whip for 4 cups of prepared whipped cream that has been stabilized. See this guide on how to stabilize whipped cream.

No Bake Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bars: Substitute the pumpkin puree for sweet potato puree of a thick consistency.

A piece of no bake pumpkin cheesecake on a fork.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I use instead of pumpkin pie spice?

If you can’t find pumpkin pie spice, you can use in its place 3 parts ground cinnamon, 2 parts ground ginger, 2 parts ground nutmeg, 1 part allspice, and 1 part ground cloves.

What’s the difference between pumpkin spice and pumpkin pie spice?

Nothing! They are the exact same blend, but some vendors and restaurants have shortened “pumpkin pie spice” to “pumpkin spice” for the sake of brevity. The two can be used interchangeably.

Why is my no bake cheesecake not firm?

It is essential to allow your no bake cheesecake to chill before serving. An absolute minimum of 4 hours is recommended, but 8-12 hours is ideal.

How do you tell if a no bake cheesecake is set?

The cheesecake should be smooth and shiny on the surface. When you shake the pan, there should be absolutely no “jiggling” of the filling. Press your finger onto the surface. If it sinks down easily, your filling needs to chill for longer. Try placing the cheesecake into the freezer for 20-30 minutes to help it set more quickly.

Can you freeze no bake cheesecake?

Yes! As long as your cheesecake is tightly wrapped, you can freeze your cheesecake for up to 1 month. Ensure to thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.

A fork sinking into a pumpkin cheesecake bar

More Easy No Bake Desserts:

Yield: 12 Bars