As fall time rolls around the corner so do fall time favorites such as pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin bread. When it comes to this time of the year you start to see pumpkin everything. (And yes, even pumpkin spice pringles). The popular pumpkin flavor compliments many spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice, which are all used in this recipe. This recipe really reflects the saying “sugar and spice and everything nice” with just the right amount of each.

In today’s recipe we are making easy, no-bake pumpkin cheesecake bars. This recipe is very simple to make and very tasty too! To compliment the rich pumpkin cheesecake bar, I also decided to make a light fluffy whipped cream that would pair nicely with the graham cracker crust and the velvety filling.

This creamy dessert bar can be created any time of year, but this autumn flavor will be a hit at any fall festivity. They can be cut up in squares to be served as a finger food or sliced like a pie! Not to mention, 80 percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October, making this a perfect time of year to create this recipe! So let’s begin!

Ingredients

For the crust:

½ cup packed brown sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 2 sleeves of crackers pulverized in a food processor)

For the filling:

1 cup pumpkin puree

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp ground ginger

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp fresh grated nutmeg

¼ tsp allspice

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the whipped cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1. Lightly oil a pan of choice, square or circular, roughly 13 x 9. (No need to preheat your oven today!)

2. For the crust, in a large bowl, combine the pulverized graham crackers and brown sugar using your fingers. Once fully incorporated, add the butter, and stir with a spoon until the mixture is darker in color and ready to be molded into the pan. Press the crust mixture into the pan evenly using your fingertips. Place the pan in the freezer for 20 minutes.

3. For the filling, in a medium sized, chilled bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, cream cheese, and sugar using a hand or stand beater. Add the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and vanilla extract and stir until the mixture is light and fluffy. Evenly spread the cheesecake mixture on the cooled crust and place in fridge overnight.

4. For the whipped cream, in a medium sized, chilled bowl, add the sugar and heavy whipping cream and beat with a hand mixer for roughly five minutes, until the mixture reaches stiff peak. Store whipped cream in the fridge in an airtight container. Stir mixture before serving.

It’s up to you how you prepare this yummy treat for serving! If you decide to go with a circular pan you can cut the creamy dessert like you would a cake, but to make the dessert an easily portable, finger food, you can simply cut the cheese(cake) (ha!) into squares. Instead of dolloping the whipped cream on top with a spoon, you can cut a small hole in a ziplock bag and insert any tip used for icing, for a make-shift decorating bag. Scoop the whipped cream into the plastic bag and push it down to the corner of the bag where the tip is. Lightly squeeze the bag in a swirl motion for a decorative touch. Very simple, quick and easy, but you’ll look like a pro when you’re serving this dish to your friends at your next fall party!

Last but not least, enjoy!

Happy Baking!

Sydney