Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Prep Time: 1 hour & 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 24 hours
Servings: 10 - 12 bars

Imagine sinking your teeth into creamy no-bake pumpkin cheesecake bars, all resting on a crunchy Biscoff crust. These delightful treats boast a light and airy pumpkin cheesecake layer, perfectly spiced to please even those who aren't die-hard pumpkin fans (trust me, they’re not too pumpkin-y!). They make for an adorable dessert to bring along to a holiday gathering or to serve up after Thanksgiving dinner. Plus, they’re just the thing when you’re craving a cozy Fall-inspired treat without the hassle of baking!

Why you'll love this recipe:
Light and airy pumpkin cheesecake. These pumpkin cheesecake bars have the creamiest texture without the use of any eggs. They also use a whole can of pumpkin puree so you don't need to figure out what to do with the leftovers!
Crunchy biscoff crust. The spiced biscoff crust adds so much flavour to the cheesecake and complements the pumpkin flavour.
No-bake and easy-to-make recipe. These pumpkin cheesecake bars set in the fridge. No gelatin, no eggs, and no oven needed.

Ingredients:

Biscoff Crust:

250 g biscoff cookies, about 29 cookies
1 teaspoon salt
135 g unsalted butter, melted

Pumpkin Cheesecake:

550 g cream cheese, softened to room temperature (2 bricks)
450 g pure pumpkin puree,
120 g powdered sugar
2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, see notes to mix your own
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
250 g whipping cream

Whipped Cream Topping:

150 g whipping cream
2 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Biscoff Crust:

Prep: Line a 9x9" square pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Crumb mixture: Place the biscoff cookies in a ziploc bag and whack them with a rolling pin until they're finely crushed. You can also whiz them in a food processor. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and stir in the salt. Add the melted butter and mix until the crumbs are saturated.
Press into pan: Transfer the crumb mixture to your lined pan. Spread the mixture out and use a spatula or the flat bottom of a measuring cup to press the mixture into a flat, even layer. Be sure to press it into the corners of the pan. Let the pan chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Pumpkin Cheesecake:

Whip cream: In a medium mixing bowl, add the whipping cream. Use an electric hand mixer to beat on medium speed until it becomes stiff peaks. Set aside.
Mix: In a separate large mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese. Use the same hand mixer to beat until very creamy. Add the pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. Beat until creamy and smooth.
Combine: Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and fold together with a spatula until no streaks remain.
Fill pan: Pour the cheesecake batter into your pan on top of the crust. Use an offset spatula to push the batter into the corners and sides of the pan and smooth the top into a flat layer. Cover and chill the cheesecake in the fridge overnight or for 24 hours. The longer you let it chill, the firmer the cheesecake will set.

Whipped Cream Topping:

Whip cream: In a small bowl, add whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer or handheld milk frother to beat until it becomes stiff peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a closed star piping tip.
Slice: Run an offset spatula along any sides of the cheesecake that may be directly touching the pan. Lift the entire cheesecake out of the pan by the parchment paper overhangs. Cut into 9 squares.
Garnish: Pipe a swirl of whipped cream on top of each cheesecake bar. Garnish with a dust of pumpkin pie spice and a sprig of thyme (optional). Enjoy!

Tips & Notes:

Biscoff cookies: These beloved spiced cookies are perfect for cheesecake crusts and they go especially well with the pumpkin flavour of this cheesecake. I used the Lotus brand of biscoff cookies but you could also use speculoos, gingersnaps, or any similar crunchy spiced cookies.
Unsalted butter - Melted butter will hold the crust together and allow the crust to set firmly when chilled in the fridge.
Cream cheese: This should be softened to room temperature otherwise it will be difficult to mix and the cheesecake batter can become lumpy with chunks of cold cream cheese. Use cream cheese that comes in bricks, not spreadable cream cheese that comes in tubs.
Pure pumpkin puree - Use canned pure pumpkin puree that is 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling which contains sweetener and many other ingredients. Pure pumpkin puree is simply cooked and mashed pumpkin with nothing else.
Pumpkin pie spice: Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of spices that is used for pumpkin pie. You can buy it pre-mixed and labelled as pumpkin pie spice or you can make your own spice mix with ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves. See the recipe notes for measurements.
Whipping cream: Whipped cream is what gives this no-bake cheesecake the airy texture and helps the cheesecake set firmly when chilled.
Storage: These no-bake pumpkin cheesecake bars can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before eating.

Tools:

Electric hand mixer - A hand mixer is essential whenever I need to make whipped cream or mix cream cheese. It's so much faster and more convenient with a hand mixer.
9x9" square pan - This recipe is scaled for a 9x9" pan with walls that are at least 2" tall. You can also make this recipe in a 10" round springform pan for a classic round cheesecake shape.
Piping bag (optional) - You'll need a piping bag if you want to pipe whipped cream on top of the cheesecake bars.
Piping tip (optional) - I used a Wilton 2D piping tip (large closed star piping tip) for my whipped cream rosettes.