No bake desserts like these pumpkin cheesecake bars with graham cracker crust are some of the best desserts! In the mood for something lemony? Try out our Lemon Freeze, a delicious no bake citrus pie. Or make these little cookie Witch Hats, for a sweet and fun project with kids.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares
These pumpkin cheesecake bars are what happens when the most amazing cheesecake meets the most scrumptious pumpkin pie. They fall in love and make this perfect dessert!
It’s delicious, it’s no bake, it’s got layers! Your family is going to LOVE it…well as long as they like pumpkin pie and cheesecake! Mine don’t really like pumpkin pie, ya, I know….weird. But, they will eat a ton of this pumpkin cheesecake bars recipe. So, I feel like we are making some progress!
No bake desserts are always a good idea, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas when the oven is packed with juicy turkey, ham or a multitude of side dishes. This also means no finicky cheesecake that may crack in the oven because you don’t even have to turn the oven on if you don’t want to.
If you love pumpkin you will enjoy these salted caramel pumpkin muffins!
These pumpkin bars are so easy to put together, the hardest part is waiting for it to be done setting up in the refrigerator so that you can eat it.
Be make sure you plan ahead when making this pumpkin cheesecake dessert, it needs at least 4 1/2 hours of chilling time (15 minutes for the crust to harden and 4-6 hours of setting up, 12 hours if you like a firm cheesecake) before enjoying.
What Type of Pumpkin to Use
These bars require you to use canned pumpkin puree (or make your own), not canned pumpkin pie filling. Just keep this is mind when you are buying the ingredients. Pumpkin pie filling has a bunch of added sure and we need the non-sweetened one for this cheesecake recipe.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Seasoning
If you don’t have any pumpkin spice, don’t run to the store, instead you could make your own mixture. This will make more than you need (only 2 teaspoons are needed), so you can just put the rest in a sealed container or double this to have even more left over.
Try this mixture: 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg…mix everything together and use what you need. Note: This will be in addition to the cinnamon that is already in the recipe.
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- It’s Easy- This pumpkin pie cheesecake is an easy, no-fail recipe to put together and doesn’t need a ton of ingredients.
- It’s Delicious- This pumpkin cheesecake recipe is creamy and full of flavor.
- It’s No Bake- The number one reason to make this, you don’t even have to turn on the oven.
- Make Ahead- You can make this dessert ahead of time and have it ready when you are ready.
- Feed a Crowd- Since this pumpkin cheesecake recipe is made in an 9×13 pan, it makes enough to feed a crowd, so feel free to take this to your Thanksgiving party.
How Does This Cheesecake Hold It’s Shape Without Baking
- This frozen whipped topping is the secret to really hold the cheesecake layer together. It helps to stabilize the cheesecake layer. Make sure to delicately fold it into the cheesecake mixture so it doesn’t deflate.
- Refrigerate for 4-6 hours for a softer cheesecake, 8 hours for firmer, and 12 hours for firmest texture.
- Firmly press the graham cracker crust into the pan using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup. The firmer you pack it the better it will stay together.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Ingredients
- Graham Crackers: You will need 12 full sheets of graham crackers that have been crushed. I like to put them in zip bag, seal it and roll over it with a rolling pin until the crumbs are fine.
- Butter: A good quality, unsalted butter.
- Cream Cheese: You will want to use full fat, good quality cream cheese (I like Philadelphia in my no bake pumpkin cheesecake).
- Milk: I use whole milk.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar.
- Vanilla: You will want to use vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla flavoring.
- Whipped Topping: Make sure to thaw the whipped topping. You will need one 16 ounce container for the whole dessert. 8 ounces goes into the cream cheese layer and 8 ounces goes on top of the entire dessert.
- Pumpkin: Canned pureed pumpkin is what you need, make sure not to get canned pumpkin filling
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Either use pumpkin spice or your make your own blend, I have included directions above.
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
This recipe is simple and the easy to follow directions and full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Make crust. In a medium sized bowl, combine together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a greased 9×13″ baking dish or two 8×8″ baking dishes, use the bottom of a glass to really pack it down. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
- Make cream cheese layer. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the cream cheese, 3 tablespoons milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined. Gently fold in 8 ounces of the thawed whipped topping. Spread on top of the graham cracker crust.
- Make pumpkin layer. In a large bowl, combine together the pumpkin, 2 cups milk, dry vanilla pudding, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Spread on top of the cream cheese layer.
- Add final layer and refrigerate. Add the 8 ounces of frozen whipped topping over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.
No Bake Cheesecake Tips & Variations
- Use a food processor. I like to make the graham cracker crumbs by smashing them in a zip bag, but the crumbs can also be made in a food processor or in a blender.
- Pull out cream cheese. Allow cream cheese to come up to room temperature.
- Make in a pie crust. Cut this recipe in half and make in a pie pan or a 9″ springform pan instead of the 9×13 baking pan.
- To fully set cake. Refrigerate for 8 hours to really set up the pumpkin cheesecake. 12 hours will make it even firmer.
- Different flavor. Use cinnamon graham crackers instead of regular graham crackers.
- Store bought crust. Use a pre-made graham cracker crust, just cut ingredients in half.
- Try a different crust. Make a chocolate crust (this one is a baked crust, double the recipe for a 9×13-inch pan) or a gingersnap crust instead of the graham crust.
- Make your own pumpkin pie spice. Instead of pumpkin pie spice you could make your own mixture, instructions above.
- Use an offset spatula. To make life easier spread out the cheesecake layer and the pumpkin pie layer with an offset spatula.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can pumpkin pie cheesecake bars be frozen? I don’t recommend freezing these bars. It is best to keep them stored in the refrigerator.
- Do these pumpkin cream cheese bars have eggs? This is actually an eggless cheesecake, so it’s great to make if you have an egg allergy.
- Can you make this dessert ahead of time? Yes, in fact I recommend it. It takes 5-12 hours to set up and can be made 3 days in advance of when you need it.
Storage Instructions
- How to Refrigerate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars: Store the pumpkin cheesecake bars in a glass container or BPA-free airtight plastic container or zipper bag. The bars should last about 4-5 days in the fridge.
- How to Freeze Pumpkin Cheesecake: I do not recommend freezing cheesecake bars.
Try these other favorite fall recipes!
- Cinnamon Apple Bread (our most popular recipe)
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Apple Crisp with Gala Apples
- Snickerdoodle Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Candy Corn Sugar Cookies
- Betty Crocker Pumpkin Pie
- Panera Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
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No Bake Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 12 full sheets graham cracker
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, full stick
For Cream Cheese Layer
- 24 ounces cream cheese, three 8-oz packages at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping, like Cool Whip, thawed
For Pumpkin Layer
- 30 ounces pumpkin puree
- 2 cups milk
- 10.2 ounces instant vanilla pudding, two 5.1 ounce boxes
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Topping the Dessert
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping
Instructions
-
In a medium sized bowl, combine together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a greased 9×13" baking dish or two 8×8" baking dishes, use the bottom of a glass to really pack it down. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the cream cheese, 3 tablespoons milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined. Gently fold in 8 ounces of the thawed whipped topping (half of a 16 ounce container). Spread on top of the graham cracker crust.
-
In a large bowl, combine together the pumpkin puree, 2 cups milk, dry vanilla pudding, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Spread on top of the cream cheese layer.
-
Top with 8 ounces of thawed whipped topping (the rest of the 16 ounce container) over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
Recipe Notes
- Instead of pumpkin pie spice, make your own. Try this mixture: 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg…mix everything together and use what you need. Note: This will be in addition to the cinnamon that is already in the recipe.
- Cut this recipe in half and make in a pie pan or a 9″ springform pan instead of the 9×13 baking pan.
- Make sure to use pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling.
- Refrigerate for 8 hours to really set up the pumpkin cheesecake. 12 hours will make it even firmer.
- Use a pre-made graham cracker crust instead of making your own, just cut the ingredients in half.
- The no bake cheesecake bars will last for about 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Nutrition Information
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