Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Nutella Swirl
Apple cinnamon gingersnap cookie crust topped with creamy cheesecake filling that stars pure pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and vanilla bean paste. Nutella swirled into top of filling before baking. This is a stunning autumn dessert that satisfies year-round.
Ingredients
Gingersnap Crust:
- 360 grams broken gingersnap cookies (2 cups)
- 56 grams unsalted butter (4 tablespoons), melted butter
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- 24 grams all-purpose flour (3 tablespoons)
- 3 grams ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
- 1 gram ground nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon)
- 1 gram ground ginger (1/4 teaspoon)
- 1 gram fine sea salt (1/4 teaspoon)
- 450 grams cream cheese (16 ounces), softened
- 200 grams granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 185 grams pumpkin puree (3/4 cup)
- 10 grams vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (2 teaspoons)
- 100 grams egg (2 large), lightly beaten
- 120 grams Nutella (1/3 cup)
Instructions
Gingersnap Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom and two opposite sides of an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving enough parchment on the two opposite ends to create handles for lifting the cheesecake bars out of the pan.
- Add broken cookies and melted butter to food processor and process until cookies are ground into fine crumbs. Transfer the crumb mixture to the prepared baking pan.
- Press the cookie crumb mixture evenly across the bottom of the baking pan using your fingers, a flat bottom drinking glass, or small offset spatula.
- Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove baking pann from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Cool completely
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and fine sea salt to a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add cream cheese to stand mixer. Beat on medium for 4 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with spatula.
- Add sugar and beat on medium for 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with spatula.
- Add pumpkin puree, vanilla bean paste, and flour mixture. Beat on low for 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with spatula.
- Add eggs one at a time. Beat just long enough to incorporate after each addition.
- Pour the cheesecake batter over the cooled gingersnap crust. Spread evenly with a small offset spatula.
- Dollop Nutella over cheesecake using a teaspoon.
- Using a sharp knife run the blade back and forth through the Nutella to create swirls in the cheesecake batter.
- Bake the cheesecake bars 35 to 40 minutes or until the cheesecake is set along the edges and a slight jiggle in the middle.
- Remove the cheesecake bars and cool on wire rack to room temperature. Chill 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- Run a paring knife around the edges of the cheesecake bars. Tilt pan slightly and using the parchment paper on one side of the pan, lift the cheesecake bars up and slide them out of the baking pan.