Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars

This post is sponsored by Watkins. All opinions are my own.

My kitchen comes alive in the fall. Every year, at this time I feel a pull towards my oven, and my spice cabinet. My mixing bowls call for warm, comforting spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and more often than not you’ll find me tinkering with recipes that include pumpkin.

If there is one flavour combination I can never seem to get enough of, it’s pumpkin + spice + cream cheese. In fact, I might even go as far to say that this is my all-time favourite flavour combo.

So Pumpkin Cheesecake… it just makes sense for me.

But, this isn’t just any old pumpkin cheesecake – No, this is creamy Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake with a Brown Sugar Shortbread Crust and it is next level fall deliciousness in the form of an easy to snack on bar… Cheesecake on the go – need I say more?

What’s more, this cheesecake is made even more amazing with my favourite Watkins Organic Spices and Organic Baking Vanilla Extract. For all things baking and cooking, Watkins is my go to – The flavours are incredible and I absolutely adore the glass jars the spices come in.

So who’s ready to bake a fall cheesecake? Recipe for these Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars is below…

Happy Fall Baking.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars with Brown Sugar Shortbread Crust

Things you need…

Brown Sugar Shortbread Crust
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp Watkins Organic Ground Cinnamon

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

16oz (2 pckgs) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temp
1 tsp Watkins Organic Original Baking Vanilla Extract
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/3 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 tsp Watkins Organic Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Watkins Organic Ground Ginger
1/4 Watkins Organic Ground Nutmeg
1/8 Watkins Organic Ground Cloves

How to make…

Brown Sugar Shortbread Crust

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×12 inch pan with parchment paper; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add in flour, cornstarch and Watkins Organic Ground Cinnamon. Beat with an electric mixer on low until mixture starts to come together, and is crumbly.

Pour crumbly dough into your prepared baking pan, and press down and out to the edges of the pan to create a smooth even crust. 

Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you prepare your cheesecake filling. 

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake 

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and there are no lumps. Add in the sugar and and beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure everything is evenly incorporated

Next beat in eggs one at a time until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in Watkins Original Baking Vanilla Extract and the whipping cream and beat on low until smooth and well combined. Lastly, add in flour and beat for 30 seconds until smooth.

Pour 3/4 of the cheesecake batter into a separate bowl. Add pumpkin puree and Watkins Organic Spices. Whisk until evenly combined.

In the prepared pan, pour 1/2 of the pumpkin cheesecake mix into the bottom of the pan and spread to the edges of the pan. Next, use a spoon to dollop the vanilla cheesecake batter  in scattered spots on top of the pumpkin cheesecake batter. Dollop the remaining pumpkin cheesecake batter on top of the vanilla.

Next use a knife to swirl the vanilla and pumpkin batters together by inserting the knife into the cheesecake just above the baked crust and running it lengthwise back and forth across the batter. Repeat this process again 2-3 times until you are happy with your swirl. 

Lightly tap your cheesecake pan on the counter top a couple times {this will help to release any air bubbles in your cheesecake} and place in the center rack of your oven to bake for 25 -30 minutes or until the center is just set.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely to room temperature. Once cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until you are ready to serve.

When you are ready to serve, use a sharp knife to cut the cheesecake into 12 even squares. Depending on the size you desire, you could slice them smaller. I often slice this recipe into 48 bite sized portions. 

Enjoy!