No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
A crisp buttery graham cracker crust gets topped off with a vanilla and pumpkin cheesecake. The no-bake cheesecake batter stays firm and sliceable, yet smooth and creamy, thanks to the addition of melted white chocolate. Start with one cheesecake batter and split it to make two different flavors.
Servings: 12 to 16 servings
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust (or Cookie Crust)
- 2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs or crushed Ginger Snaps
- 10 tablespoons butter melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Vanilla Cheesecake Layer
- 6 ounces white chocolate finely chopped (or white chocolate chips)
- 32 ounces cream cheese room temperature (four 8-ounce blocks)
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar confectioners sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups heavy cream chilled
Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer
- 1 (15 ounce) can canned pumpkin puree
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Whipped Cream Topping
- 2 cups heavy cream chilled
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Before you start, place a mixing bowl in the freezer to get it cold. The cold mixing bowl will help the heavy cream whip to stiff peaks.
- Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper. Let the parchment extend over the edges so you can use it to lift the bars out of the pan.
Make the Crust
- Add the graham cracker or cookie crumbs to a medium bowl. Add the melted butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until well combined. Spread the crumb mixture into a 9 x 13 inch pan and press it down firmly. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
For The Vanilla Cheesecake Layer
- Place the white chocolate in a microwavable bowl. Microwave on low power in 5 second blasts, stirring well between blasts. When the chocolate looks 80% melted, remove it from the microwave and let the residual heat slowly melt it the rest of the way. Stir until it cools down slightly.
- Place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add the melted white chocolate and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl (use a chilled bowl), add the heavy cream. Beat on medium high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
- Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten it up then gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream.
- Spread half of the mixture evenly over the crust in the 9 x 13 inch pan. Place the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes to get the first layer firmed up a bit (it doesn’t need to be completely frozen, just firm enough to spread the cheesecake layer on top).
Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer
- In the meantime stir the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and spices together in a small dish. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the remaining cream cheese mixture. When the vanilla cheesecake layer feels slightly firm to the touch, spread the pumpkin cheesecake over the top.
For the Whipped Topping Layer
- Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to a chilled mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cheesecake bars. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Use block cream cheese for this recipe and let them sit out at room temperature until they get soft. Don’t use the kind of cream cheese that comes in tubs and is spreadable when it is still cold.
- Melt the white chocolate very slowly and stir it frequently. Don’t let it get too hot or it will burn and clump up. If you heat it slowly, it will stay smooth and pourable when it melts. You can also use a double boiler instead of a microwave, if desired.
- Partially freezing the vanilla cheesecake layer will make it easier to spread the pumpkin layer over the top without blending the two layers together. You don’t need to freeze it completely, but just get it cold enough so it feels slightly firm. Alternatively, you can swirl the two layers together if you don’t partially freeze the first layer.
- We used heavy cream in this recipe. We do not typically use frozen whipped topping such as Cool Whip, however a recipe tester did have success using Cool Whip instead of whipping her own cream. Do not use whipped cream that comes in an aerosol can.
- If you want to use frozen whipped topping instead of whipping the heavy cream, you will need two (8-ounce) containers for the cheesecake layers and one container to spread over the top. You will also want to omit the powdered sugar or the dessert will be too sweet.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 675kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 381mg | Sugar: 39g
