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Pecan Crust Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Warm, rich, and just sweet enough, these bars combine a buttery crust, smooth pumpkin filling, and crunchy pecan topping in one neat square, embodying the best parts of pumpkin pie and cheesecake.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Fall
Calories: 228
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Crust and Topping
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 5 tablespoons cold butter should be kept cold for best results
  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans use fresh, good-quality nuts
For the Filling
  • 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin or well-drained homemade pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon or use pumpkin pie spice for one blended mix
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans and set aside 3/4 cup for topping.
Baking the Crust
  1. Press the remaining crumb mixture into a greased 8-inch square pan. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
  2. Place the pan on a wire rack and let the crust cool completely before adding filling.
Mixing the Filling
  1. Beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Beat in pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and allspice until creamy and well blended.
Assembling the Bars
  1. Pour the cheesecake filling over the cooled crust. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture evenly on top.
Final Baking and Cooling
  1. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Once cool, cut into bars and refrigerate to firm up.

Notes

For best results, use cold butter, allow crust to cool completely, don't overbake filling, and chill bars before cutting for neat squares.