Pumpkin Cheesecake Shortbread Bars have a flaky and buttery shortbread base. There are two beautiful cheesecake layers.
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Pumpkin Cheesecake Shortbread Bars are the first pumpkin baking of the fall season for me. I created this recipe thinking the shortbread base would be delicious like a pie with pumpkin cheesecake. This recipe uses canned pumpkin puree for the pumpkin cheesecake layer. I love how there is a plain cheesecake layer in the middle with a pumpkin cheesecake layer as the highlight of the bars on top. The bars are beautiful, rich in flavour, and balanced in texture. It is an ideal dessert or snack to go with coffee and tea. For me, it will always be with Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. Never too much pumpkin!
The first cut into your baked goods always reveals how well it was baked. I loved seeing the two defined looking cheesecake layers!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Shortbread Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Base
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup flour
Cheesecake Layers
- 2 cups cream cheese room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Remove cream cheese from the refrigerator so it comes to room temperature while you make the shortbread base.
Shortbread Base
- In a large mixing bowl, mix butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until blended.
- Add salt and flour, mix until blended with only small butter clumps.
- Press evenly into a 8×8'' pan, lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 300 F for 10 minutes, set aside to make cheesecake layers.
Cheesecake Layers
- In a large mixing bowl, mix room temperature cream cheese and sugar until smooth and no cream cheese lumps remain.
- Mix in eggs, one at a time until blended.
- Mix in sour cream and vanilla until blended.
- Pour 1/2 of the cheesecake mixture over the shortbread base and spread evenly.
- The remaining cheesecake mixture, add pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger, mix until fully blended.
- Gently drop spoonfuls of pumpkin cheesecake mixture over the cheesecake layer in the pan, spread evenly.
- Bake at 325 F for 45-50 minutes until the centre is slightly jiggly.
- Cool for 1 hour and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before cutting into squares. Best to let it set overnight in the refrigerator.
If you love pumpkin as much as I do, I also love my Pumpkin Blueberry Pancakes. It’s a simple recipe that serves as a transition breakfast from summer to fall. The best and perhaps last batch of local blueberries were used in these pancakes. I loved them so much!
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