These gluten-free beauties are a perfect Fall dessert! They’re a gluten-free graham cracker base + creamy & luscious cheesecake layer + lightly spiced pumpkin swirl. EASY enough for an everyday dessert, festive enough for a holiday!
How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars
These Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars are festive and impressive-looking, but easy to make!
You will need the following ingredients: it looks like a lot because of the spices in the pumpkin layer but you probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry!
gluten-free graham crackers (we love Schar Honeygrams)
sugar
butter or dairy free butter
cream cheese or dairy free cream cheese
eggs
milk or dairy free milk
vanilla
pumpkin puree
cinnamon
salt
nutmeg
Step by Step How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars
These Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars come together in 3 steps with about 20 minutes hands-on time:
1. Make the gluten-free graham cracker crust.
2. Make the cheesecake layer.
3. Make the pumpkin swirl layer and top the cheesecake layer with it.
The Graham Cracker Crust:
We made our gluten-free graham cracker crumbs for the crust using Schar Honeygrams which we like because they are certified gluten-free, non-gmo and so tasty.
And we just pulse them in our Mini Cuisanart.
And the graham cracker base is mostly graham cracker crumbs plus a touch of melted butter, some cinnamon and a pinch of ginger for some warmth.
Just mix together and press into the baking pan evenly.
For this recipe, especially, I like to place parchment paper on the base of the pan. That way when the bars are cooked and cooled, you can just lift the parchment paper and the bars right out of the pan and cut/ serve them easier.
The Cheesecake Layer
While the graham cracker layer bakes for just 8 minutes, we whip up the cheesecake filling which is a luscious and creamy blend of:
cream cheese or dairy- free cream cheese
eggs
sugar
a touch of milk or dairy free milk
and vanilla
All you do is cream the cream cheese and sugar .Then add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well for 1-2 minutes until super creamy and luscious looking.
The Pumpkin Swirl Layer
While the graham cracker crusts bakes, also prepare the pumpkin swirl because when it comes out of the oven, all that’s left to do it pour the cheesecake layer right into the hot pan and add the pumpkin swirl!
The swirl is a blend of pumpkin puree and lots of yummy Fall spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger plus some salt and a touch of gluten-free four.
The combination is this perfectly, lightly spiced pumpkin that adds burst of pumpkin and warmth to the cheesecake bars that is so yummy.
All you do is mix it all together with a spoon or spatula.
With the cheesecake layer poured into the pan, we’re ready to add our pumpkin swirl!
I’ll be honest, I used to be terrified of adding things like swirl– I thought it would be difficult, but after doing it with the Lemony Cheesecake Bars with Raspberry Swirl, our Cheesecake Brownies, and Blueberry Cheesecake Bars, and now these, I’m come around to seeing that it is super easy and fun.
And just know that it looks different every time!
If you’ve made the raspberry swirl, the pumpkin is “heavier” and a little thicker, so I like to add it to the cheesecake layer a few small spoonfuls at a time, and using the back of a knife or a toothpick make swirls.
Since it’s thicker and heavier than the raspberry swirl, it will sink into the cheesecake layer a little which gives extra bursts of pumpkin throughout and which is super yummy!
If you want less pumpkin throughout the cheesecake layer you can use less of the pumpkin mix and swirl immediately after adding a spoonful to the cheesecake layer so it doesn’t “sink”. With less pumpkin, it will look more like this.
And suddenly a basic cheesecake bar is transformed into something festive, fun and beyond delicious with bursts of spiced pumpkin!
Then all you do it bake, cool, then lift the parchment straight out of the pan and cut into bars.
It could not be easier!
When you slice into them, you will see that each bar looks slightly different. Some have a little more pumpkin swirled throughout and some have the pumpkin swirl more on top… we love that each part is slightly different in looks — it makes them super pretty on a table!
These Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bar are creamy, perfectly balanced with bursts of pumpkin and so delicious!
Make ahead!
These can be made ahead and stay well in the refrigerator for several days.
Obviously, if serving to guests or for a special occasion, it’s best to make only the day before serving. Then slice it into squares, on the day of serving.
Store extra bars in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars (gluten-free)
These gluten-free beauties are a perfect Fall dessert! They’re a gluten-free graham cracker base + creamy & luscious cheesecake layer + lightly spiced pumpkin swirl. EASY enough for an everyday dessert, festive enough for a holiday! If you’ve made these bars before, you may notice they have a new name and photo, but are the same fabulous recipe!
Equipment
- 1 8×8 metal baking pan
Ingredients
Gluten-free Graham Cracker Crust
- scant 1 1/2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs I used one (1 5.6oz box Schar Gluten-Free Honeygrams, finely ground into crumbs using a food processor)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter or dairy-free butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of ground ginger
Cheesecake Layer
- 2 8 oz bars cream cheese or dairy free cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pumpkin Swirl Layer
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper
Graham Cracker Crust
- Add ingredients in a small bowl and mix until well combined and “moist”. Add mixture to lined baking pan and gently press into pan.
- Bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Cheesecake Layer
- Place cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, blend until very smooth.Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix until well combined and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour mixture onto warm and baked crust in pan. Use a spatula to smooth the top or put on oven mitts and gently rock the pan from side to side. (remember the pan will still be HOT!)
Pumpkin Swirl Layer
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl using a spoon or spatula.
- Using a small spoon, spoon pumpkin on to cheesecake filling a few spoonfuls at a time. Then using the back of a knife or a toothpick, gently swirling the pumpkin into the top of the cheesecake. The knife/ toothpick should just barely grab the cheesecake filling.
- A few tips:The pumpkin is “heavy” relative to the cheesecake, so it will sink a little into the cheesecake giving you that wonderful pumpkin flavor throughout.To get the pumpkin swirl mostly on top, add just a few spoonfuls at a time so that it doesn’t sink too much before you can swirl it.And if you don’t want much pumpkin in the middle of the cheesecake layer, just use less of the pumpkin mixture AND swirl as soon as you spoon it onto the cheesecake layer so it doesn’t have time to sink.Finally, there is no right or wrong here, have fun with it and add more pumpkin and swirls as needed or desired.
- Bake 30 minutes, then cover with foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until set (filling should jiggle only slightly when pan is gently shaken).
- Cool completely in pan. Cover pan loosely with wax paper and chill in the refrigerator until firm –about 2 hours.
- Gently lift the parchment paper and squares from the pan. Gently pull parchment paper away from sides. Cut into 16 squares.
- Make ahead: Store in the refrigerator, covered until you cut into squares.
- Once cut, store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
- Enjoy!
