Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars encapsulate all the best flavors of Fall in one delicious dessert.
When I first started becoming interested in cooking and baking back in high school I remember baking a pumpkin chocolate cheesecake similar to this recipe.
The memory is a little fuzzy, but I recall being excited about how something I managed to make could be so insanely delicious. I wish I could remember the recipe or at least which magazine I tore it from.
It was that first sense of gratification and accomplishment from a recipe turning out better than expected that motivated me to keep trying new things in the kitchen. I went on to try making flourless chocolate cake and tiramisu and became totally hooked on baking.
That feels like forever ago, and now I can’t imagine my life without baking!
Baking is almost meditative for me. It’s totally calming and grounding – and even better that there’s a delicious reward in the end.
I absolutely love this time of year for baking, so I can’t wait to share these fantastic fall cheesecake bars with you!
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
The Trick for Smooth & Luscious Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Make sure all of your ingredients are completely at room temperature. The cream cheese must be totally softened. Also, be sure to use bricks of full-fat cream cheese. If it’s a cold day, then the cream cheese will need to sit on the counter for several hours or you may need to nuke it in the microwave until it’s utterly soft (but not melted).
For a smooth lump-free texture, be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of your mixing bowl thoroughly after adding every ingredient. Even if you have a beater attachment that scrapes as it goes. Those don’t always catch everything, especially at the very bottom of the bowl.
Luckily cheesecake bars are easier and more forgiving than full-size cheesecake.
Graham Cracker Crust Variations
This Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars recipe calls for a chocolate graham cracker cookie crust, but in some places, those can be hard to find. You could also use the same amount by weight of any of the following:
How to Make Beautiful Chocolate Swirls
Drop dollops of the chocolate cheesecake batter evenly on top of the pumpkin cheesecake layer, and then use a butter knife to swirl. The key here is to not overuse the knife, otherwise, the swirls become too messy and blend together too much.
Use a Metal Pan for Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars!
I highly recommend using a light-colored 8×8-inch metal pan like this one for these Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars. I do not recommend using a glass or ceramic pan for baking cheesecake. Learn more about this in my Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans article here.
How to Tell When Cheesecake Bars are Done Baking
You’re looking for the edges of the cheesecake to be slightly golden and darkened in color and for the top of the cheesecake to look dry. The key is for the center to remain slightly jiggly. It will continue to cook from the residual heat even after being removed from the oven and then will firm up and fully set in the fridge.
How to Prevent Cheesecake Cracks
- Avoid overbeating the batter and exposing the cheesecake to sudden changes in temperature.
- Allow the cheesecake to completely cool to room temperature after baking before chilling.
- You can even let it cool in the oven with the heat off for 15 minutes before allowing it to cool to room temp.
How to Freeze Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Place the chilled Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars (cut or uncut) in the freezer until firm and frozen. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it well in heavy-duty aluminum foil, and place in a resealable container. Store for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
More Cheesecake Recipes:
For the crust:
-
10
(150 grams) chocolate graham crackers*
-
6
tablespoons
(85 grams) unsalted butter,
melted
For the filling:
-
16
ounces
(454 grams) cream cheese,
completely softened to room temperature
-
1
cup
(200 grams) granulated sugar
-
1
cup
(244 grams) canned pure pumpkin puree
-
3
large eggs,
at room temperature
-
3
tablespoons
all-purpose flour
-
1/2
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
-
1/4
teaspoon
ground ginger
-
1/8
teaspoon
ground nutmeg
-
1/8
teaspoon
ground cloves
-
1/2
teaspoon
salt
-
4
ounces
semisweet chocolate,
chopped
Make the Crust:
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
-
In a food processor, pulse the crackers until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan using the bottom of a measuring cup, shot glass, or tart tamper. Bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.
Make the filling:
-
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, sugar, and pumpkin at medium-high speed until completely smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Add the flour, spices, and salt and beat until combined. Be careful not to overbeat.
-
Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Add 1 cup cheesecake batter and stir to combine.
-
Pour the pumpkin cheesecake batter into the prepared pan.
-
Drop dollops of the chocolate batter mixture on top of the pumpkin layer, and swirl with a butter knife. Bake at 350°F until the edges are slightly golden and the cheesecake is set but still slightly jiggly in the center, about 40 minutes. Do not overbake.
-
Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack to cool completely in pan. Cover and chill in the fridge until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days. Using the parchment overhang, transfer cheesecake to a cutting board to cut into squares before serving.
*If you cannot find chocolate graham crackers, use the same amount by weight of Chocolate Teddy Grahams or chocolate wafer cookies instead.
This post was originally published in 2012 and recently updated with recipe improvements, tips, and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Hi! I can’t find chocolate graham crackers anywhere, not even on Amazon. Is there an alternative, like Oreos perhaps?
Hi Juliana! I’m sorry to hear that chocolate graham crackers are proving a challenge to find! You can try using Chocolate Teddy Grahams, if you can locate those instead! That would be the best substitute. If you can’t find those, either, you can definitely try using Oreos – they just might lend a slightly more powerful, sweeter flavor than the chocolate graham crackers would have, but they should work just fine! Just be sure to remove the Oreo filling before placing in the food processor! Alternatively, if you’re feeling more adventurous, you can try making your own chocolate graham crackers – King Arthur has a great recipe here! I hope that helps! Good luck and happy baking 🙂
THANK YOU!!!! I will definitely try one of those options. Can’t wait!
Couldn’t find chocolate graham crackers at any store near me, either. In desperation, I bout a box of chocolate espresso biscotti. I weighed 150 grams and processed with the rest of the ingredients, but it looked like it wasn’t enough to cover the bottom sufficiently, so I just used the whole box (minus one, which I tasted before using :). They turned out fine. The crust might have been slightly more crumbly at first, but after chilling, it held together just fine. They looked beautiful, and were a big hit with my family.
I’m going to make them again for one of our Thanksgiving desserts, and although the recipe was amazing, mine did develop some cracks along some of the chocolate swirls. Should I try a water bath this time? Or put a pan of boiling water on the rack below while it bakes? If it cracks again, should
I try to fill in with a little more melted chocolate?
Hi Anne! So glad your replacement cookie worked out well for the crust! I would otherwise recommend using chocolate Teddy Grahams for the crust – those work great! AS for the cracking, check out Tessa’s tips in the Tip Box above the recipe, for how to best avoid cracking! We haven’t tried these bars with a water bath, so I can’t recommend that, sorry! We also haven’t tried filling the cracks a little with some more melted chocolate, but it may help camouflage them – and it’ll taste great!
These were sooo good! We ate them up so fast!
Very disappointed. I baked this for 40 minutes as indicated in the recipe. Even before then the sides were getting a bit too brown. But after 40 minutes the middle was firm to the touch, sides were brown. I put in the fridge after cooling, for 4 hours. I took it out to cut and it raw in the center!!! I put it back in the oven to try and get it to bake through. After another 20 minutes my toothpicks came out clean. Cooled again and when I cut into it is was raw again!! I’m no slouch baker. Cheesecakes I love to bake so this should’ve been a no brainer but I am very disappointed!
I’m sorry to hear you had issues with this recipe, Dee! What kind of pan did you use? Also, do you have an oven thermometer? It sounds to me like the edges/top of your cheesecake baked much more quickly than the interior, which typically happens when using a darker colored pan. If your cheesecake has a well developed exterior crust, that crust can actually scrape some of the crumbs off when testing, giving you an inaccurate sense of doneness. We suggest using a light colored metal baking pan, like this one from USA Pan. I really hope you give this recipe another try, I’d love for you to enjoy these bars the way they’re meant to be!
Forget my previous comment — I forgot to press zero on my scale before I weighed the butter.
Phew! I was worried when I read that haha, your bars would have been incredibly buttery! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
For the crust, I think that the correct measurement is 485 grams of butter, not 85. Delicious recipe — everyone really enjoyed it!
This Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake was delicious! So creamy! The flavor was amazing! My coworkers loved it! Can’t wait to make it again soon!
Yay! So happy to hear that they were such a hit!
Doubled the recipe and still had enough for a whole tray of mini cupcakes. Too cute.
All is still cooling so haven’t tried them yet but the smell is divine. Hoping it all freezes well.
So fun! Hope they were delicious!
Totally is cheesecake….just easier! Creamy, pumpkiny goodness. The chocolate crust and marbling make it even better. I’ll be making this again. Yum!
Hey Tessa!
We don’t have canned pumpkin puree here in SA (unless it’s baby food, yuck!) can I steam fresh pumpkin then blitz with a blender and add that instead?
Would I just double the recipe for a 13×9 pan?
This came out well, but I find the taste of the cloves kind of overwhelms the other flavors and lingers on the tongue. I don’t usually use cloves in pumpkin spice items. If I make this again, I’ll leave out the cloves.
yum, fun cheesecake Hallloween twist, thank you!
I love this idea, I can’t wait to try it! I think I might make these for Halloween!
Detailed information, I will make this recipe and will let you know after i have made it
Can this be doubled, using a 9×13 pan? Also, can you use glass pans or are metal preferred?
thanks so much!! BTW.. I made two batches to take to a football banquet and they were a hit! (the second batch did not crack at all) Everyone enjoyed them!! I will def make again! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Awesome!!
Made these tonight and then while cooling a crack formed in the middle. Does this mean I overcooked it? I have no experience making cheesecakes 🙁 They smell amazing! But, haven’t tasted them yet since they are still setting. Any suggestions for the next time I make them?
Hi Patty – cheesecake can crack when the batter is over-beaten or when it’s overcooked. Sometimes it just happens but it has no effect on the taste or texture though. They may shrink a little when they cool too so the crack may be less obvious.
Yes! Chocolate and pumpkin! Yes and yes!!!
These are beautiful!!
Excellent idea, especially with Halloween coming up!
That reminds me – this newsletter I subscribe to is putting on a recipe for the holidays. If anyone has an idea, feel free to submit it:
https://apps.facebook.com/whcontests/the-natural-knowledge-247-holiday-recipe-contest
I love these! They look insanely delicious, and I’m not even a typical cheesecake person. Love the swirling pattern on top, and of course the combo of chocolate and pumpkin, one of my favorites! This looks like one to try. 🙂
these look gorgeous and so soft and smooth!
Looks yummy and the photo is beautiful! Your photography is looking great these days. 🙂
Thank you!!
These look absolutely amazing! I was thinking of making pumpkin swirled brownies, but this cheesecake is really talking to me instead…