This No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars recipe is the perfect fall dessert! With just 15 minutes of hands-on time, it has a smooth, creamy, spiced cheesecake filling on a buttery graham cracker crust.
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Note from Erin
I love a good shortcut dessert, and these no-bake pumpkin cheesecake bars are one of my favorites. There's no oven to preheat and no guessing if it's set. You just mix, chill, and slice.
The filling is creamy and light, with the same cozy pumpkin spice flavor I love in my Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake, but without the baking time or water bath.
If you've ever felt nervous about making cheesecake, this recipe is the one to try. It's simple, foolproof, and tastes like you spent way more time on it than you actually did.
Key Ingredients
The recipe card at the bottom of this post includes the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
Graham Crackers - For the best texture, pulse whole sheets of graham crackers in a food processor until you have fine crumbs that hold together better than store-bought graham cracker crumbs, which are more coarse.
Brown Sugar - My standard graham cracker crust recipe uses granulated sugar, but I love replacing it with brown sugar for no-bake recipes. The added moisture helps the crust hold together nicely. And the molasses flavor complements the fall spices so well!
Heavy Cream - Use heavy cream with at least 36% milk fat. I think the flavor of homemade whipped cream is so much better than Cool Whip, but for an even easier assembly, substitute 16 ounces of Cool Whip.
Cream Cheese - If you forget to set it out in advance, cut it into 1-inch cubes and place it on a plate. Fill a bowl with boiling water for several minutes, then empty the bowl and turn it onto the plate. Leave it for 10 minutes to soften the cream cheese.
Crust Variations
Using a graham cracker crust gives this a traditional cheesecake flavor. But there are many more delicious options!
- Gingersnap or Biscoff cookie crumbs - Substitute an equal amount of cookie crumbs for the graham crackers for more warmth and spice flavor.
- Vanilla wafer crust - Use vanilla wafer crumbs for a sweet vanilla crust flavor.
- Pie Crust - Pour the filling into a fully baked pie crust for a pumpkin cheesecake pie.
Tips to Make the Best Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Make the Cookie Crust
- Use very fine crumbs so the crust stays firm when sliced.
- If the crumbs hold together when pressed, you've got the right balance of butter.
- This crust does not have to be baked, but if you do bake it at 350°F (177°C) for 8-10 minutes, it will hold up better.
Prepare the Whipped Cream
- Chill the bowl and whisk before whipping for maximum volume.
- Stop at stiff peaks. If the whipped cream becomes grainy, you can stir in a tablespoon of unwhipped cream to smooth it out.
Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- Make sure the cream cheese is fully softened for a silky texture.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream just until combined to keep the filling light and airy.
Chill, then Slice and Serve
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Lift the bars from the pan by pulling the parchment paper straight up. Place it on a cutting board to slice.
- For smooth slices, dip the knife in hot water between each cut. Wipe the knife dry before slicing.
Top Tip!
Give the bars a full overnight chill. It's tempting to rush, but this step lets the filling firm up and also allows the flavors to develop.
Recipe
Easy No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars (15 Minute Prep!)
Recipe by:Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups (180 grams) graham cracker crumbs about 16 full graham cracker sheet2
- ¼ cup (55 grams) light brown sugar lightly packed
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) salted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) ground cinnamon
Whipped Cream
- 1 ½ cups (375 ml) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (30 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
Pumpkin Cheesecake
- 16 ounce (450 grams) cream cheese (2 packages) room temperature
- ¾ cup (165 grams) brown sugar
- 1 cup (244 grams) canned pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoon (4 g) pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust
- If using full graham cracker sheets, place them in a food processor and pulse until they are fine crumbs. You can also crush them in a large resealable bag.1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- Place the crumbs in a mixing bowl with the melted butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. Mix well.¼ cup light brown sugar, 6 tablespoons salted butter, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper, then press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Place the crust in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Whipped Cream Topping
- In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream on low speed until it is frothy.1 ½ cups heavy cream
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then gradually increase to high speed and continue beating for 2-3 minutes, until stiff peaks form.¼ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Reserve 2 cup of whipped cream for the filling, then cover the remaining whipped cream with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the brown sugar on medium speed using an electric mixer. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.16 ounce cream cheese, ¾ cup brown sugar
- Once the cream cheese mixture is smooth, add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and extract and beat on medium speed until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the filling is uniform in color.1 cup canned pumpkin puree, 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gently fold 2 cups of whipped cream into the pumpkin cheesecake mixture.
Assembly
- Using an offset spatula, spread the pumpkin cheesecake mixture over the prepared crust.
- Refrigerate for 4-6 hours until set.
- When ready to serve, cut the cheesecake into squares and pipe the reserved 1 cup whipped cream on top of each portion.
Notes
- 8 ounces of Cool Whip can be used instead of the whipped cream ingredients.
- If you do not have pumpkin pie spice, mix together 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon cloves, and ⅛ teaspoon allspice.
- It is very important to beat the whipped cream to stiff peaks.
- Use room-temperature cream cheese so that it will blend smoothly with the other ingredients and not leave chunks.
- For a sturdier crust, bake the crust at 350°F (177°C) for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely before adding the cheesecake filling.
Nutrition
The nutritional facts provided are only estimates. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
If you love pumpkin flavor, then you've got to try my other pumpkin desserts like Pumpkin Donut Holes, which can be made in the air fryer! Or the creamiest Pumpkin Pie! And Pumpkin Pie Hummus is the perfect addition to your holiday dessert buffet!
Julia Domiano says
Can you make these as individual cheesecakes? Anything need to be modified?
Erin says
You sure can! Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and fill with bout 1 1/2 tablespoons of crumb mixture in the bottom of each cup. Refrigerate as the original recipe instructs, then top with 2-3 talespoons of filling.
Alli says
I used 1.5x the recipe and it was plenty for a 9x13 pan! Almost overflowing. Very simple and easy and yummy!
Erin says
Happy to hear it turned out well for you!