{Friends First with Whipped} Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Guys, it’s officially November! My favorite month of the year! And not just because it is my birthday month, but because I love, love Thanksgiving and everything around it. {Although, I suppose it does help that my birthday falls on Thanksgiving this year…}

As always, the first of the month bring us a new Friends First post! 

This month’s post is brought to us by the darling Kristina from Whipped. Kristina is another one of my Chicago-area friends, and – having met her in person – I can guarantee you that she is every bit as sweet and kind as she is beautiful {and look at that picture…she’s just gorgeous!}.

Kristina is a dog lover, new city resident {having recently moved from the suburbs}, believes that food should taste good and make you feel good, and recently started taking on some catering jobs!

Today she made you some luscious Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars, which would be perfect for your Thanksgiving table…or to make this weekend, should you be wanting to make Halloween last just a bit longer.

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Hi everyone! My name is Kristina, and I’m the blogger behind Whipped, a healthy cooking, baking, and nutrition blog. I am SO excited to be guest posting for the fabulous Stephie today!

Eat Your Heart Out was one of the very first blogs that I started stalking way back when…omygosh… almost 2 years ago. That’s how long I’ve know this chick and I would like to hold her personally responsible for every carb craving in my life. As you all know – this site is overflowing in DELISH bread recipes, I cannot get enough of her pretty sourdough pics and cinnamon rolls!

So I would like to return the favor – and hopefully give you all a massive PUMPKIN craving! Pumpkin is one of those things I will never get sick of. Ever. Slap on some cream cheese frosting and I’m sold for life.

I have a favorite pumpkin cake recipe I’ve been making for years but I really wanted to step up the cream cheese combo level – because frosting isn’t just enough. Enter Pumpkin Cheesecake with a creamy cheesecake topping and buttery cookie crust.

These are very simple to make and take just a few ingredients. You can easily lighten these up with lower fat cream cheese or use vegan cream cheese for a dairy-free version. Definitely a crowd pleaser and definitely easy to make for a crowd!

Enjoy! And Happy (belated) Halloween!!

Thank you so much again, Stephie, for sharing your delicious space with me today! Love, love you!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

5 from 1 vote

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Servings24 bars

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Cookie Crust

• ▢ 1 cup flour
• ▢ 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

For the Pumpkin Cheesecake

• ▢ 16 oz cream cheese
• ▢ 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 eggs

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• ▢ 8 oz cream cheese
• ▢ 1 stick butter
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

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Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.
• Place flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add butter and continue to pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, do not go up the sides. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until well combined, 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour pumpkin cheesecake over cooled crust and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake 40 minutes or until the edges are firm but the center still slightly jiggles. Cool completely. Once cool, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
• In another medium bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add the vanilla and sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy. Spread over chilled cheesecake.
• Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to 3 days.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Thanks, Kristina! Be sure to follow Whipped on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest so that you never miss a single delicious post.