These bourbon pumpkin cheesecake bars are a fun fall twist on a classic cheesecake bar recipe. Warming spices and pumpkin puree are combined with a boozy, smoky flavor from barrel-aged bourbon in this fun, fall dessert made for sharing.
I do love a good bar dessert, like my key lime pie bars and strawberry cheesecake bars. I also like making boozy desserts like my creamy limoncello lemon bars and bourbon bacon chocolate chip cookies. So, turning a great fall dessert like pumpkin cheesecake bars into a bourbon pumpkin cheesecake bar seemed a no brainer.
While I call this a boozy dessert, the flavor is somewhat subtle. The flavor comes through more on the backend, where you can taste a slightly smoky bite from the bourbon. If you’re worried about kids eating this, the alcohol is mostly cooked out. One the other hand, if you want to ramp up the boozy flavor, be sure to make the maple bourbon whipped cream to go along with the dessert.
Whether you call them cheesecake bars or cheesecake squares, some of what makes these desserts so great is that they’re endlessly versatile, easy to make, and easy to scale. This recipe makes plenty for sharing with friends and family or bringing to a party, but you can also cut the recipe in half for a smaller dessert as well.
Part of what makes this bourbon pumpkin cheesecake bar so easy to make is that there’s no need for a water bath. While regular cheesecakes can be finicky to make, cheesecake bars are almost foolproof. There’s no worry about seepage through a springform pan and no need for a water bath below it or slow cooling before removing from the oven.
Jump to:
🥘 Ingredients for Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
There are three separate components to this bourbon pumpkin cheesecake recipe: the crust, the pumpkin, and the rest of the filling. Everything comes together quick enough though, and the ingredients are simple as well.
Graham Crust
Graham Crackers – Use about 15 full sheets of graham crackers here for the crust. If you live somewhere that doesn’t sell graham crackers, digestive biscuits are a good substitute.
Sugar – A bit of white sugar here to sweeten the crust.
Spices – To enhance the fall flavors, I add a bit of ground ginger and nutmeg to the crust.
Butter – Use melted butter to help bind the ingredients together when the crust bakes.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
Pumpkin – Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The pie filling is pre-sweetened and flavored. A standard 15oz can is enough for this recipe.
Spices – Use a mixture of pumpkin pie spice and some extra ground cinnamon for the seasoning.
Bourbon – Use a decent quality bourbon here. Doesn’t have to be top shelf, but don’t use a cheap, weakly flavored one either. If you don’t typically keep bourbon on hand, you can buy a small sample bottle/airplane bottle (whatever you call them where you live, they’re typically 50ml size) and that should be enough since they hold the equivalent of 3.33 tablespoons worth.
Cream Cheese – Use two 8-ounce bricks of full-fat cream cheese. Do not substitute with cream cheese spread or low-fat blocks.
Sugar – I like to use a mix of white and light brown sugar here. The brown sugar adds a bit of a caramel taste that pairs well with the bourbon.
Vanilla – A bit of vanilla extract helps to balance the flavors. If you can, use a bourbon vanilla extract here to help enhance the bourbon flavor of the dessert. You can also make your own homemade bourbon vanilla extract, which is what I used here.
Eggs – Use four large eggs here, at room temperature.
🔪 How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Start by reducing the pumpkin puree so that it has time to cool. Doing this helps to concentrate the pumpkin flavor and infuses it with the flavors of the spices and bourbon.
Reduce Pumpkin Puree
Add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, and bourbon into a small saucepan set over medium heat, stirring frequently. As it heats up and starts to sputter, stir it constantly to keep it from burning and continue to reduce, about 5-7 minutes total.
Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof measuring cup. It should have reduced to about 1 ½ cups or a little over. Set aside to cool before adding it to the cream cheese mixture.
Par Bake Crust
Preheat the oven to 325°F / 160°C and line a 13x9 baking pan with a foil or parchment sling.
In a food processor, add the graham cracker sheets (broken into pieces first), sugar, ginger, and nutmeg. Process for a few seconds at a time until everything is mixed, and the graham crackers are completely broken down. Now stream in the butter and pulse until well combined and the mixture looks like wet sand.
If you don’t have a food processor, you’ll need to crush the graham crackers as small as possible, then add everything to a mixing bowl and combine.
Spray the lined baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and add the crumbled crust mixture as evenly as possible to the bottom of the pan. Press down on the crumbs to form a tight crust. Place it into the middle of the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. When it smells like fresh baked cookies in your kitchen, the crust is done. Set aside to cool.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
Once the pumpkin mixture and crust have cooled a bit, begin making the cheesecake mixture. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and both sugars. About 2-3 minutes on a medium speed.
Now add in the pumpkin mixture, bourbon, and vanilla extract. Mix again until fully combined, about 1-2 minutes.
Finally, add the eggs in, one at a time, until just combined.
Pour the bourbon pumpkin cheesecake mixture into the baking pan over the par baked crust. Use a spatula to spread it evenly. Return the baking pan to the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes. It should be done when the edges look puffy and set, with just a slight jiggle in the center.
Set the pan over a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely, probably for 1-2 hours. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, but it is best to chill overnight.
Once completely chilled, use the sling to gently lift it out of the pan and set it on your counter or a large cutting board. To make clean slices, run your knife under hot water and wipe it off and slice across the length of the dessert, cleaning and heating the knife between each cut. Slice every 2 inches across the cheesecake bars until you have 24 2” squares.
Top with sprinkles, pumpkin pie spice, whipped cream, or any combination and serve.
Maple Whipped Cream (Optional)
There are two versions of this. Maple whipped cream for a family friendly version, or maple bourbon whipped cream for a boozier flavor for the adults. The latter will ramp up the boozy flavor because it is not cooked out, so keep this in mind.
For both whipped creams, I recommend setting a metal mixing bowl and the beaters from a stand mixer in your freezer for at least 15 minutes first.
Maple Whipped Cream – Combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (bourbon vanilla if you have it) in a mixing bowl. Mix with a hand mixer slowly at first, then slowly increase the speed as it starts to thicken. As soon as it begins to thicken, stream in a ¼ cup of maple syrup and keep mixing until you have stiff peaks.
Maple Bourbon Whipped Cream – Combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (bourbon vanilla if you have it), and 2-3 teaspoons bourbon in a mixing bowl. Mix with a hand mixer slowly at first, then slowly increase the speed as it starts to thicken. As soon as it begins to thicken, stream in a 3 tablespoons of maple syrup and keep mixing until you have stiff peaks.
📖 Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake Bar Variations
Just a few alternatives I wanted to mention here, mostly with crust or presentation.
Gingersnap Crust – While I love my gingersnap crust in my pumpkin swirl cheesecake, I don’t recommend it here. I don’t know if it’s the lack of a water bath combined with the thinner layer of cheesecake filling above it, but a gingersnap crust here bakes up a little too hard. I add the ginger and nutmeg in the crust ingredients to sort of emulate the flavor, but straight gingersnaps felt too hard.
If you want to go with gingersnap, I suggest mixing it with half graham cracker crumbs as well.
Shortbread Crust – If you would like a shortbread crust for a different flavor and texture, check out my creamy limoncello lemon bars recipe for that style of crust.
Pumpkin Swirl – Changing the recipe slightly for a swirled version is easy enough. Keep the pumpkin and cheesecake fillings separate instead of adding the pumpkin to the cream cheese in the later steps. Add scoops of the cream cheese to the crust and alternate with scoops of the pumpkin filling. Once you’ve added all the fillings, use a knife or wooden skewer and drag it through the fillings to create a marbled swirl pattern.
Alcohol-Free – If you want to make these pumpkin cheesecake bars without alcohol, just omit the bourbon and use regular vanilla extract. I have another recipe for pumpkin bars without alcohol as well, and there are only a few other differences between recipes.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Because of the dairy content, you can only leave cheesecake bars sitting out at room temperature for about 2 hours. You’ll want to keep them refrigerated for food safety, but they also tend to melt if left out too long anyway.
If you’re trying to get nice and clean slices on cheesecake bars or any bar type of dessert, you’ll want to use a clean, sharp, hot knife. Run the knife under hot water, give it a quick wipe, and make a single cut along the length or width of the dessert. Clean and wipe the knife between each cut.
Absolutely. Cheesecake bars and other creamy bar desserts can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
🍽 Recommended Equipment
While you can definitely make these with some basic kitchen equipment, a few items make things easier.
Food Processor – Using a food processor makes things much easier when making a graham cracker crust. If you don’t have one, I suggest placing them in a zipper loc bag and smashing with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
Stand Mixer – A good stand mixer should be a part of any home baker’s standard equipment. While it’s a bit of an investment compared to a hand mixer, it will make things so much easier for you in the long run.
❄️ Storing & Freezing Cheesecake Bars
Once cooled completely, cover and refrigerate the bourbon pumpkin cheesecake bars. After you cut them into individual bars, place into airtight containers and place wax paper between layers. Store in the refrigerator for 4-7 days.
If you have leftovers that you wish to store for more than a week, you can freeze them as well. Store just as above for refrigeration and they should last at least 3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or enjoy them frozen as well.
📋 Recipe
Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Graham Crust:
- 15 sheets graham crackers
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup butter, melted
Pumpkin Filling:
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
Cheesecake Filling:
- 1 pound block-style cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract, or regular
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
Optional Maple Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract, or regular
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Optional Bourbon Maple Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract, or regular
- 2-3 teaspoons bourbon
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Directions
Reduce Pumpkin Puree:
- Add 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons bourbon into a small saucepan set over medium heat, stirring frequently. As it heats up and starts to sputter, stir it constantly to keep it from burning and continue to reduce, about 5-7 minutes total.
- Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof measuring cup. It should have reduced to about 1 ½ cups or a little over. Set aside to cool before adding it to the cream cheese mixture.
Par Bake Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F / 160°C and line a 13x9 baking pan with a foil or parchment sling.
- In a food processor, add 15 graham cracker sheets (broken into pieces first), ¼ cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, and ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Process for a few seconds at a time until everything is mixed, and the graham crackers are completely broken down. Now stream in ½ cup melted butter and pulse until well combined and the mixture looks like wet sand.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you’ll need to crush the graham crackers as small as possible, then add everything to a mixing bowl and combine.
- Spray the lined baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and add the crumbled crust mixture as evenly as possible to the bottom of the pan. Press down on the crumbs to form a tight crust. Place it into the middle of the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. When it smells like fresh baked cookies in your kitchen, the crust is done. Set aside to cool.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- Once the pumpkin mixture and crust have cooled a bit, begin making the cheesecake mixture. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together 1 pound cream cheese, ¾ cup white sugar, and ½ cup light brown sugar. About 2-3 minutes on a medium speed.
- Now add in the pumpkin mixture, 1 tablespoon bourbon, and 2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract. Mix again until fully combined, about 1-2 minutes.
- Finally, add the 4 large eggs in, one at a time, until just combined.
- Pour the bourbon pumpkin cheesecake mixture into the baking pan over the par baked crust. Use a spatula to spread it evenly. Return the baking pan to the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes. It should be done when the edges look puffy and set, with just a slight jiggle in the center.
- Set the pan over a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely, probably for 1-2 hours. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, but it is best to chill overnight.
- Once completely chilled, use the sling to gently lift it out of the pan and set it on your counter or a large cutting board. To make clean slices, run your knife under hot water and wipe it off and slice across the length of the dessert, cleaning and heating the knife between each cut. Slice every 2 inches across the cheesecake bars until you have 24 2” squares.
- Top with sprinkles, pumpkin pie spice, whipped cream, or any combination and serve.
Maple Whipped Cream (Optional):
- There are two versions of this. Maple whipped cream for a family friendly version, or maple bourbon whipped cream for a boozier flavor for the adults. The latter will ramp up the boozy flavor because it is not cooked out, so keep this in mind.
- For both whipped creams, I recommend setting a metal mixing bowl and the beaters from a stand mixer in your freezer for at least 15 minutes first.
- Maple Whipped Cream – Combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (bourbon vanilla if you have it) in a mixing bowl. Mix with a hand mixer slowly at first, then slowly increase the speed as it starts to thicken. As soon as it begins to thicken, stream in a ¼ cup of maple syrup and keep mixing until you have stiff peaks.
- Maple Bourbon Whipped Cream – Combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (bourbon vanilla if you have it), and 2-3 teaspoons bourbon in a mixing bowl. Mix with a hand mixer slowly at first, then slowly increase the speed as it starts to thicken. As soon as it begins to thicken, stream in a 3 tablespoons of maple syrup and keep mixing until you have stiff peaks.
Equipment Used
- Hand Mixer (for maple whipped cream)
Comments
No Comments