No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Cook Time: 20 minutes (plus 4 hours chilling time)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 16 oz cream cheese (2 blocks), softened to room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 8 oz whipped topping (like Cool Whip) or stabilized whipped cream
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Stir until the mixture looks like wet sand. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up while you make the filling.
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese until it is completely smooth and creamy. Ensure there are no lumps before moving to the next step, as this ensures a velvety texture for your bars.
- Add the pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice to the cream cheese. Beat on medium speed until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the color is a uniform pale orange.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the whipped topping. Be careful not to overmix, as you want to keep the filling light and airy. Continue folding until no white streaks remain.
- Spread the pumpkin mixture evenly over the chilled graham cracker crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the cheesecake to set properly.