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.

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.

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.

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.