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Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin is one of my favorite flavors and the only thing that makes it even better is when it’s added to chocolate! These Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars are a delicious fall dessert. They’re made with a chocolate wafer crust that’s topped with creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling, with swirls of chocolate. The crispy crust texture compliments the topping and they’re heavenly. I make this dessert bars every fall because the family can’t get enough.

Creamy with a cookie crust, these Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars are always a win! #pumpkin #cheesecake

If you aren’t familiar with making a dessert bar, they’re one of my favorite things to pop into the oven for treats. My pumpkin cookies are delicious, but you have to stand around the oven and bake in batches. With bars, you pop the whole tray into the oven and they all bake together. All you have to do is slice and serve!

I make these Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars when I have to transport dessert for an event. I’ll make them for church gatherings, halloween parties, movie nights and even school bake-offs. There are so many reasons to bake in the fall and dessert bars are the way to go.

Looking for even more amazing pumpkin desserts for your autumn season? I’ve got you covered! Here are my most requested pumpkin recipes:

How To Make Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

For this recipe, you’ll need a 9×13-inch baking pan. It’s a common baking pan and there are so many recipes that you can make in it. It’s a great investment if you don’t already own one. So many cheesecake recipes require a water bath, but these bars don’t need one! It’s one of the reasons this recipe is simple and foolproof.

Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Swirls of Pumpkin and Chocolate come together in these delicious Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars!

When To Make These Dessert Bars

These bars are a casual dessert. I don’t think of them as a showstopper holiday dessert that stands alone, but they could certainly be part of a dessert table that has several fall desserts. Since they’re sliced in squares, they’re a great on-the-go option. Definitely make this recipe if you need to serve a crowd (it makes 16 servings) and you have to transport the dessert.

What To Serve With Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

The bars are delicious on their own, but they deserve a fresh cup of coffee to go with them. You can also pair a scoop of vanilla, or pumpkin, ice cream with the bars. Homemade pumpkin spice whipped cream is another option, if you want to add more of a pumpkin punch.

How To Keep Your Bars Fresh After Baking

Once your bars have been cooled and sliced, transfer them to an airtight food storage container. Keep them in the refrigerator since they have dairy and you don’t want them to melt. Enjoy the bars for 4-6 days for best freshness. They don’t need to thaw to room temperature to enjoy, but you can leave them out for a few minutes.

Fall desserts that are made in 9x13-inch baking dish

Can You Freeze Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars?

Yes! Cheesecake freezes really well. You can transfer the bars to a freezer bag to prevent any freezer burn. Store them carefully, in the freezer, for up to 3 months. Transfer them to the fridge to have them thaw for several hours before enjoying again. I actually love to keep a batch in the freezer for occasions where I’m too busy to bake something.

Recipe Substitutions

If you’d like to use Oreo cookies, you can substitute them instead of the chocolate wafer cookies. Use classic Oreos and butter to make the crust and just follow the directions to bake it. Canned pumpkin is preferred over fresh for this recipe. It will give it the color you want, where fresh pumpkin isn’t as sweet and can’t provide the nice orange color. Lastly, if you want to use reduced fat cream cheese, go ahead! It won’t change the recipe.

What You’ll Need:

  • Chocolate Wafer Cookies
  • Unsalted Butter
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Cream Cheese
  • Canned Pumpkin
  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Ground Cinnamon
  • Kosher Salt
  • Ground Nutmeg
  • Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • Baker’s Joy

Directions To Make Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13×9-inch baking pan with Baker’s Joy Non-stick Spray. In a food processor, pulse cookies until they’re a fine crumb.

Cookie crumble in food processor

In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, melted butter, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and egg white.

Mixing cookie crumbles with sugar and egg white

Firmly press the cookie mixture into bottom of prepared pan. I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to ensure they’re pressed down.

Bake the crust until it’s dry to the touch, about 15 minutes. Let it cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Cookie Crumble Crust

In a large stand mixer bowl, beat cream cheese, pumpkin and remaining 2 cups sugar on medium until smooth. Add eggs, flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg – beating until combined. Reserve 1 cup of batter and set aside. Pour remaining batter over the crust.

Pumpkin cheesecake batter

In a small bowl, combine melted chocolate and reserved 1 cup batter. Dollop chocolate mixture over batter. Using a knife, swirl chocolate mixture through the batter.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Dessert Bars

Bake until filling is set, about 45 minutes. Turn the oven OFF, and leave bars in the oven with the door closed for another 1 hour. Remove them from the oven, and let them cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours.

Yield: 16 Servings

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars

With a chooclate cookie crust and creamy filling, these Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars are the perfect fall dessert. They're also easy for on-the-go transporting.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Additional Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 (9oz) Package Chocolate Wafer Cookies
  • 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Melted
  • 2 Cups + 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar, Divided
  • 1 Large Egg White, Lightly Beaten
  • 3 (8oz) Packages Cream Cheese
  • 3 Cups Canned Pumpkin
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • 1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with Baker's Joy Non-stick Spray. In a food processor, pulse cookies until they're a fine crumb. In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, melted butter, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and egg white.

2. Firmly press the cookie mixture into bottom of prepared pan. I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to ensure they're pressed down.

3. Bake the crust until it's dry to the touch, about 15 minutes. Let it cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

4. In a large stand mixer bowl, beat cream cheese, pumpkin and remaining 2 cups sugar on medium until smooth. Add eggs, flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg - beating until combined. Reserve 1 cup of batter and set aside. Pour remaining batter over the crust.

5. In a small bowl, combine melted chocolate and reserved 1 cup batter. Dollop chocolate mixture over batter. Using a knife, swirl chocolate mixture through the batter.

6. Bake until filling is set, about 45 minutes. Turn the oven OFF, and leave bars in the oven with the door closed for another 1 hour. Remove them from the oven, and let them cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours.

Notes

Store leftover Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars in an airtight food storage container, in the refrigerator. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or coffee.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 157Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 3g

**nutrition is calculated by a third party. Actual values may vary.

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